It was a weekend where the rugby no longer mattered.
In the aftermath of the horrors in Paris, the world of rugby moved on with solidarity. And move on we did, as, despite five games being called off in France, round one of the Rugby Champions’ Cup got underway with English clubs claiming early dominance. Four of the five English teams in action took victory in their opening matches, with only Exeter falling short in Swansea at the hands of the Ospreys.
Most impressive were Wasps who, spearheaded by full-back and man of the match Charles Piutau, recorded the shock result of the weekend by overturning three time champions Leinster in their own backyard. The 33-6 scoreline perhaps flattered them ever so slightly, given they only actually went through one phase in the Dubliners’ 22, but it also accurately reflects how poorly the Irishmen played on the day.
Saracens were nearly as impressive and perhaps would have topped their Coventry rivals had circumstances been different. As it was, they played a Toulouse side who looked like they wished they were anywhere but on a rugby pitch, and as such Sarries tore their French opponents apart for their first 45 minutes. Credit where credit is due, Saracens were very good, but in the context of the game you have to cut Toulouse some slack.
Leicester got their campaign off to the perfect start on Friday night by running in four tries against Stade Francais, and then managing to keep the Parisians at arm’s length and deny them the losing bonus point. Northampton also picked up an important win at home to an in-form Scarlets outfit who did manage to take a losing bonus point back to Llanelli in the late game on Saturday.
The Chiefs were the only English side not to pick up the four points as they were beaten by Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium, however they would have been a lot closer had it not been for the brilliance of Dan Biggar. The Welsh fly-half may have missed several kicks at goal, but his talent in open play was the difference between the two sides and ensured Rob Baxter’s men would take nothing from the game.
Does this mark a power change in European rugby? Are the English in the ascendancy in Europe?
The answer: probably not. In fact, besides the Leinster-Wasps result, those games all went the way they were expected to go, and in Saracens’ case they’re probably in line for some criticism for not pushing on and getting the bonus point for picking up a fourth try. Leicester did well to pick up their four tries, but the reality is actually that the results from the weekend, English-dominated as they are, were more or less as predicted.
It’s worth waiting for a few rounds of the Champions’ Cup to be completed before we can accurately judge where the balance of power remains in Europe – need I remind you that both of last season’s finalists Toulon and Clermont did not play at the weekend. There’s a lot more European rugby to take place over the next few months (when it will be played is another matter) and conclusions can be drawn then.
Instead, let’s show some solidarité and enjoy round two!
Main Photo
