European competition returned over the weekend and produced an enthralling round of fixtures. With only one round of pool play left, and an exciting few days of action ahead, we recap five things that we learned.
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Bath have the ability to go all the way
There were times during Bath’s highly impressive 35-18 victory in Toulouse that it was easy to forget they were playing against the four-time winners of the competition in their own backyard.
The ability of Jonathan Joseph, George Ford and Kyle Eastmond was breathtaking at times, and made a mockery of the England hierarchy’s refusal to fit that trio into their side.
It is true that Toulouse have suffered from inconsistency this season, but they are a side rich in talent and one able to deal with the loss of Imanol Harinordoquy by naming an all-international back-row.
Victory was a supreme statement of intent for Bath, as they dominated in defence while finding gaps at will going forward. Stuart Lancaster will have been buoyed by the sight of Ford guiding his side through a testing period after half-time as the hosts narrowed the gap to seven points.
They are not yet guaranteed their place in the last eight, but if they make it this might prove to be the game that gives Bath the confidence to win the trophy.
Sunday’s don’t come better than this. BP win away in Toulouse, thanks to supporters who made trip #europe #bath #BBW pic.twitter.com/AFuSuIlBOC
— Dominic Day (@DomDay5) January 18, 2015
Harlequins pay the price for their cavalier attitude
It is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the precise moment when a match turns, but those present at The Stoop on Saturday night will have had a pretty good idea.
In a moment that encapsulated the inconsistent Harlequins’ problems this season, Danny Care tapped and ran from an attacking penalty instead of allowing Ben Botica an easy three points.
Having skipped away from the initial Wasps tackles, the scrum-half became isolated and, forced into a hopeful pass, was picked off by Christian Wade who sauntered away to score.
Suddenly, instead of being level the hosts were 10-0 down. Care’s intent was commendable, but the passage of play also gave an insight into why the wiry No9 was discarded by England in the autumn.
Quins’ success has been built on a dazzling running game, which when it clicks can seem unplayable. But they must also remember that points win matches.
Conor O’Shea and his players may rue such naivety on Saturday.
Double trouble for Quins as scrum-half Danny Care is hit hard before Wasps’ Christian Wade races away to score. https://t.co/Zag6tSAvGK
— BT Sport Rugby (@btsportrugby) January 17, 2015
Armitage is definitely an exceptional talent, in an extraordinary team
Toulon had seen their backs blighted by illness last week, so it was fitting that their huge win over Ulster featured a hat-trick of tries from their flanker, Steffon Armitage.
It should come as no great surprise that, in a season in which the back-row’s name refuses to go away, he grabbed the headlines once again. This was a masterclass in support running, as Armitage kept popping up in the right place at the right time.
Like team-mate Mathieu Bastareaud, Armitage is surprisingly sprightly for a man of his size and has the ability to offload when taking contact. A fact borne out by just one turnover conceded on 13 carries on Sunday.
Victory over Ulster felt like a statement from the defending champions and although they did ship four tries, the way in which they flexed their muscles in attack will have sent shockwaves through Europe.
It is no mistake Toulon are the first side to book their place in the quarter-finals and at the heart of their success is a player who continues to push the England set-up towards making an exceptional decision.
New format is proving a roaring success on the pitch
So far, so good for the new inception of the competition. It is fair to say that some were wary about tinkering with the old Heineken Cup, but the European Champions Cup has proved a roaring success.
Heading into the final round, only one team – defending champions Toulon – are guaranteed their place in the last eight, while 11 other teams are in with a shout of joining them.
It’s hard to remember a time when so much was still to be decided ahead of the conclusive weekend. Cutting the number of sides in the tournament has increased its level of competition and ensured more clubs are in the running for longer, with three runners-up heading to the quarters.
Many tournaments struggle to inject excitement into their group stages, but it seems that the Champions Cup has found the perfect recipe.
Progressed has stalled in Italy
This season’s European pool stages have not been a rosy experience for every club in the continent though.
Italian sides were once capable of pulling off a shock or two against their more illustrious continental cousins, but while the national side continues to grow, the club game in the country appears to have stalled.
Treviso’s appearance in Pool 5 of the Champions Cup has resulted in five straight defeats and a concession of 226 points in the process.
Meanwhile, in the Challenge Cup this weekend Rovigo shipped over 100 points against a makeshift Cardiff Blues. Zebre have won twice in the competition, but the Challenge Cup is not always taken too seriously by the more traditional nations.
The fact they lie bottom of the Pro12, with Treviso second-bottom, is more instructive. It is not time to give up on the Italian experiment, rather something needs to be done to stop them being cut adrift.
Bonus point
Meet Enzo Coppin. At just 11 years old, the schoolboy stands at 6’1” tall and weighs in at 96kg. At a time when the size of rugby players has come under scrutiny, the young Frenchman seems set to raise the bar still further.
The youngster has already been signed up by Clermont, and as this video below shows, is able to use his bulk to steamroller opposition defences. We don’t envy those children trying to tackle him!
Enzo, 11 ans, 96 kilos pour 1,84 m, joueur de… by France3Auvergne
