SATURDAY
BATH 19-16 LEINSTER
FORD TRY AND BOOT GIVES BATH WIN
Bath opened their delayed European Champions Cup campaign
with a hard-fought win against Leinster
A George Ford penalty and drop-goal gave the hosts a 6-3
lead at the break.#
The England fly-half added a second penalty after the break
but Ireland 10 Johnny Sexton's brace, to add to his first-half kick, levelled
matters
Bath scored a penalty try from a scrum, only for Leinster to
level through Josh van der Flier's converted try, but a third Ford penalty saw
Bath edge home
Leinster need to improve and fast as this was not the
Leinster we have seen before and I think that the system this year does seem to
be set up for the English and French teams.
TREVISO 3-36 LEICESTER
VEAINU DOUBLE SECURES LEICESTER BONUS POINT
After their scrum had won a penalty try, two fine scores
from the backs saw Tigers stretch clear in Italy.
Tonga full-back Veainu raced on to Tommy Bell's grubber,
before the full-back sent Peter Betham over in the corner to make it 22-3 at
the break.
Veainu's solo try earned the bonus before Greg Bateman
pin-balled over.
Tongan Veainu may well think he should have had a hat-trick
after a spectacular finish in the corner, but the TMO ruled he had knocked on.
In tricky, rain-affected conditions Leicester dominated the
opening 40 minutes and with three tries in the bag by the break looked locked
on for the bonus point.
But, after Veainu had seen what would have been a superb
effort ruled out by the TMO early in the second half, Treviso enjoyed their
best spell of the match.
They were on top for 20 minutes, with their scrum finally
firing, but could not add to their solitary first-half penalty and Leicester
eventually managed to regain control.
An attack from the two-time champions broke down but Veainu
- who scored two tries in the World Cup - rescued the ball and beat four men in
a confined space with some sizzling footwork to score under the posts.
Replacement hooker Bateman put a gloss on the score as he
bounced off several attackers to add a fifth try for Tigers with the last play
of the match.
There is very little that you can nlear
SCARLETS 12-29 RACING
MASOE TRY GIVE RACING EARLY START
Scarlets were stunned by tries from Maxime Machenaud, Joe
Rokocoko, Chris Masoe and Marc Andreu as Racing opened a 26-0 lead in the
opening 40 minutes.
Flanker Bernard Le Roux was sent off for a stamp on Phil
John within five minutes of the re-start.
But Scarlets managed only two tries through Aled Thomas and
Lewis Rawlins
Even when reduced to 13 men by Ben Tameifuna's yellow card
in the 65th minute, Racing conceded only seven points and managed a penalty
through full-back Johannes Goosen and held on comfortably to inflict a first
home defeat of the season on the Welsh region
Racing is one of the best teams in Europe and I think that
they can improve even more than this match against the scarlet’s
GLASGOW 15-26 NORTHAMPTON
TUALA DOUBLE GIVES NORTHAMPTON WIN
Winger Ahsee Tuala touched down twice after George Pisi's
early try against an oddly slack Warriors outfit.
Peter Horne and Josh Strauss scored for the hosts, who were
outmuscled up-front, and too imprecise to capitalise on their second-half
dominance.
This defeat deals a significant blow to their quarter-final
aspirations.
Having missed an early opportunity, Scotland fly-half Finn
Russell opened the scoring with a confident penalty on four minutes as Glasgow
started brightly.
But things rapidly turned sour for the Warriors, as
Russell's opposite number, Stephen Myler hoisted a towering garryowen into the
Glasgow 22, and Stuart Hogg failed to claim it, allowing Pisi to gather and
scramble his way to the line.
Myler converted, and stretched Saints' lead with a penalty
after a punishing scrummage.
The Warriors had lost hooker Pat MacArthur to an early
injury - handing Georgian Shalva Mamukashvili a debut from the bench - and
would lose loose-head prop Ryan Grant to a yellow card after another scrummage
hit the deck in Northampton's 22.
Myler compounded Glasgow's early woes with another penalty
on 22 minutes.
Luther Burrell laid the platform for Tuala's first with a
terrific burst of power at first receiver, before the ball was spread smartly
along the line to the winger, who broke Hogg's weak tackle, and left Mark
Bennett - who clearly expected his full-back to bring down Tuala - standing
still in frustration to trot in.
Myler missed the conversion and, straight from the kick-off,
the Warriors won a penalty that Russell crashed off the right upright before
the loose ball was thrown wildly over his own dead-ball line by hooker Mikey
Haywood.
I feel that for Glasgow
this was the type of match they had to win to stand any chance in this year’s
European cup but I do think that there is room for improvement this year. I
think there fate might be sealed
EXETER 34-19 BORDEUX
WOODBURN DOUBLE GIVES EXETER WIN
The teams exchanged early tries through Woodburn and Nans
Ducuing, but Exeter stretched clear through the boot of Henry Slade and Moray Low's
try.
Ian Whitten scored Exeter's third try early in the second
half.
And they secured the bonus as Woodburn finished off a
counter-attack, Bordeaux bracketing that try with scores from Julien Rey and
Yann Lesgourgues.
Exeter looked to play at a high tempo to run Bordeaux's
bigger pack of their feet and they took the lead when young England back Slade
- who showed some lovely footwork as he impressed in the 10 shirt - landed an
early penalty.
The hosts were happy to play from deep and Slade's England
team-mate Jack Nowell featured twice before Woodburn, signed from Bath in the
summer, crossed in the corner to finish off an 80m attack.
Exeter always looked the livelier side but Bordeaux could
never be entirely discounted and they scored a fine try of their own through
full-back Ducuing.
However, Scotland prop Low somehow robbed Bordeaux of the
ball at a maul near their line to score Exeter's second try and two Slade
penalties gave them a 14-point half-time lead.
It was now just a question of whether the hosts could secure
the bonus point and they added a third try as Whitten dummied and finished off
another pacy attack two minutes into the second half.
And they added a fourth before the hour mark as Woodburn won
a turnover, Slade showed his class as he countered from his own 22, and
Woodburn was on hand to race over from 40m.
Bordeaux scored tries from Rey and Lesgourgues either side
of Woodburn's second, but Exeter were deserved winners.
This is a match that tells me that Exeter arte definitely
improving but there might be a few people need resting for Bordeux after a
difficult world cup.
TOLOUSE 24- 18 ONNAX
MEDARD TRY GIVES TOLOUSE BIG BIN
Toulouse overcame fellow French team Oyonnax 24-18 to get
their first win in this season's European Champions Cup this afternoon.Regis
Lespinas kicked two early penalties for Oyonnax, but Luke McAlister replied
with one of his own to keep the home side within range at half time. The wind
and rain then increased and forced the game into a forward's match, but Timoci
Matanavou crossed after the break to give Toulouse a try.
Maxime Medard got Toulouse's second on the hour mark, before
Oyonnax got one for themselves after Vincent Martin crossed with 10 minutes
left to play.Centre Gael Fickou scored a third for his side, but Fabien Cibray
went over just one minute later to give Oyonnax a slim chance of victory.Nicky
Robinson converted to keep his side within six points, but the visitors could
not get through the black and red defence again and Toulouse came away with the
win
I think that Tolouse will be one to watch out for in the
European cup but I Have not heard about the other side too much.
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