Alafoti Faosiliva’s huge hit, charge, and try against Fiji in London
Sevens star Alafoti Faosiliva has been included in the Samoan training squad for the upcoming Pacific Nations Cup, as well as their once off game against Scotland. In the London Sevens final the big man made a huge tackle, and later scored a powerful try.
If you’ve watched any of the IRB Sevens World Series in the last year or so the name, and thighs, of Faosiliva should be quite familiar to you. He’s been one of Samoa’s top try scorers on the circuit, and is the proverbial human wrecking ball.
Built like a tank and with the speed of a back, you don’t want to get in his way.
Unfortunately for some of the Fijians in London, they did, and they were smashed. Fiji won the final but two moments stood out from Faosiliva, namely a huge tackle in the second half, and later the try which gave Nigel Starmer Smith a new catchphrase in ‘Boom. Crash. Try’.
Faosiliva has been selected in the Samoan fifteens squad as a loose forward, so will be one to watch in the Pacific Nations Cup, which kicks off on 5 June when Samoa play Tonga.
There were a few controversial non-selections in the squad, with Rugby World Cup 2011 captain, and Chiefs hooker, Mahonri Schwalger being overlooked, as well as outspoken midfielder, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu. Schwalger openly criticised the behaviour of the Samoan management at the World Cup, and Fuimaono-Sapolu is viewed as unmanagable by new coach Stephen Betham.
Also worth watching, Seven of the Best tries from the London Sevens
Manu Samoa training squad:
James Sooialo, Lolo Lui Moataa, David Lemi, Ken Pisi, Paul Perez, Paul Williams, Fautua Otto, Isaia Tuifua, Faatoina Autagavaia, George Pisi, Male Sau, Ki Anufe, Tusi Pisi, Patrick Faapale, Kahn Fotualii, Jeremy Su’a, Nalu Tuigamala, Ofisa Treviranus, Chris Lowrey, Richard Muagututia, Maurie Faasavalu, Afa Aiono, Taiasina Tuifua, Alafoti Faosiliva, Kane Thompson , Maselino Paulino, Joe Tekori, Census Johnston, Logovii Mulipola, Sakaria Taulafo, James Johnston, Tuu Paulo, Ole Avei, Steve Fuala, Patrick Leafa.
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Brumbies to face off against Wales
The Brumbies will play Wales in a mid-week match in June, adding a traditional flavour to the Red Dragons’ Australian tour.
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Butch James banned for four weeks for dangerous charge against the Brumbies
Earlier this week Lions flyhalf Butch James was suspended for four weeks for charging into a ruck dangerously against the Brumbies in Johannesburg. He was yellow carded at the time, and put on a white card, referring him to the citing commissioner.
James, Springbok World Cup winning number ten in 2007, added to his reputation of being a bit of a hot-head after he charged into a ruck during the Lions’ 34-20 loss to the Brumbies.
“The citing alleged that Butch James robustly and recklessly from some metres charged into the ruck and made contact with the Brumbies player in a defenseless crouching position contesting for ball,” said SANZAR judicial officer Mike Heron.Â
“The citing alleged the contact was against the head and jaw of the Brumbies player that knocked him over and he landed on the ground dazed. The contact was made at speed and James made no attempt to grasp him in any legitimate tackle or clean out.
“The contact was to the head, neck and shoulder area of the Brumbies player and was dangerous by virtue of its location, the speed and force involved and the lack of ability for the Brumbies player to prepare himself. I find that the tackle was in breach of Law 10.4(h) - A player must not charge into a ruck or maul. Charging includes any contact made without use of the arms, or without grasping that player – and do not need to look at the alternate basis for the citing (10.4(k)).”
James pleaded guilty following a review of the footage, as Heron explained in a detailed statement.
“I talked through the match footage with the player, his lawyer and, in particular Mr Ferreira the Lions technical analyst. They made legitimate points in mitigation as to the incident, including that the entry into the ruck was lawful and that James was committed by the time of the penalty.
“It was accepted, however, that the conduct did amount to foul play and through his counsel, the player expressed remorse for the incident. In the circumstances I find that the conduct was intentional and dangerous, and accordingly warrants an entry point of mid-range. The appropriate starting point in my view is five weeks’ suspension (from IRB Regulation 17 Appendix 1).
“I note that the Brumbies player continued to play after appearing to be injured temporarily. I did not have complete medical information from the Brumbies (through no fault of theirs) but I received a note to the effect that the Brumbies player remained affected by the contact after the game. James explained that he spoke to the Brumbies player at the end of the match and asked him whether he was okay – James stated that the player said he was. Â
“In the circumstances I do not add any further penalty for this matter. Butch James has one previous disciplinary matter relating to a dangerous tackle from the 2011 season.
“He was suspended for four weeks as a result of a dangerous tackle that was categorised as intentional, high and dangerous. I have considered whether to add a further penalty for this previous incident, but have decided not to in the circumstances, including that the conduct is not sufficiently similar and to do so could amount to punishing the player twice.
“At the very least, the existence of this previous matter removes the ability for James to receive any discount for an otherwise good record. Matters in mitigation include the players acceptance of his wrong, his remorse for the same (expressed to me) and his plea of guilty.
“He received a yellow card, which in turn adversely impacted on the Lions during the game. The player has a long and impressive rugby record, and it was submitted that any suspension from Super Rugby at this stage in his career would have a particularly marked impact (I accept that).
“Through counsel, he was remorseful and apologetic for his conduct. To recognise and acknowledge the immediate guilty plea and remorse, I am prepared to reduce the sanction by a week, resulting in an ultimate sanction of four weeks,” Heron concluded.
James, who recently announced his retirement from Test rugby, will miss the Lions tour, and be out of all forms of rugby for four weeks, up to and including Saturday 26 May 2012.
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Leinster hold out against Clermont to reach another Heineken Cup final
Leinster booked themselves another Heineken Cup final as they beat Clermont 19-15 in a dramatic game that went right down to the final minutes. Today we’ve got highlights for those of you that missed the game, or just want to relive the best bits.
Leinster held off Clermont in a frantic last few minutes as they set up an all-Irish European Cup final, where they will face Ulster, who beat Edinburgh on Saturday.
French centre Wesley Fofana could have won it for his side, but failed to ground the ball over the line with two minutes left on the clock. Leinster’s Cian Healy made no mistake earlier in the game as he crossed following a lovely break from Rob Kearney.
“The guys didn’t hold back in putting their bodies on the line when Clermont attacked in the final few minutes. We can be very proud of winning a game such as this,” said Leinster coach Joe Schmidt.
The win sets up an intriguing clash with Ulster, who are looking to emulate the success Leinster have had in the competition. “Leinster and Munster have probably been the forerunners with regard to European rugby and Irish rugby,” Doak told the Belfast Telegraph.
“For (want of) a better word, weâre jealous of that. Obviously they have been in three finals in four years, which is absolutely tremendous from their point of view. Itâs a credit to their management and the players â theyâve worked hard and got themselves to three finals out of four.
“We want to do that; we want to emulate and better that. Weâve got a chance in the cup final in a few weeks time, though, obviously, Leinster are going for back-to-backs so weâve just to try and make sure that we do ourselves justice, pitch up, hopefully upset them and get ourselves a second European win,” he said.
Leinster will face Ulster at Twickenham in the final on May 19th. What’s your prediction?
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Stuart Hogg’s hat-trick for Glasgow Warriors against Munster
Teenager Stuart Hogg scored an impressive hat-trick of tries to earn Glasgow Warriors a losing bonus point in their RaboDirect Pro 12 game against Munster last weekend. The home side, playing at Musgrave Park on Saturday night, won the game 35-29.
Ian Keatley scored 20 points while Luke O’Dea and Peter O’Mahony crossed for tries, but it was 19 year-old Scotland sensation Hogg that caught the eye, scoring his third try on fulltime.
“Stuart Hogg was outstanding, as an individual effort in attack he was fantastic, it was just disappointing that we couldnât back it up with a good defensive display,” said coach Sean Lineen.
“The first try was a brilliant solo effort and the second, when he took a lovely pass from Colin Shaw, was an absolute beauty. We showed some tremendous character in that second half to come back and take a losing bonus point, but Stuart took his tries really well.”
Glasgow must win their next two games, against Treviso on Sunday and then Connacht on May 5, to qualify for the play-offs. Lineen says that they are happy with the bonus point, but can’t underestimate the Italian side this coming weekend.
“To take that away from Munster is a great display and it gives us a lot of positives to work on going into Treviso next week. It is going to be incredibly hard â they are a very impressive team, well drilled and very experienced,” he said.
Below are the three tries that Hogg scored, not only because they were requested all through the week, but because they’re pretty decent, and the young man clearly has bags of talent.
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Ulster’s Craig Gilroy scores memorable individual effort against Munster
Young Ulster flyer Craig Gilroy finished off a classic try in the first half of their Heineken Cup quarter final against Munster at Thomond Park. In a weekend that produced some great moments, this was yet another that was much talked about.
Ulster surprised many and came away 22-16 winners over Irish rivals Munster on Sunday, seeing them through to the semi-finals of the tournament, where they will face Edinburgh.
Young winger Craig Gilroy scored the try of the game as he was given some space out wide and took every inch, beating Denis Hurley and a host of hapless defenders on the way to the line.
It looked as though Gilroy could have butchered the opportunity by not feeding the support, but the tackles from Munster fell off and he took full advantage to score a lovely Ulster try.
“Stefan put me away down the left wing. It was a good pass from him, and really it was a flash after that,” explained Gilroy. “I beat one defender, then managed to step inside again. I saw the try-line â I probably should have passed a couple of times â and went for it.
“It was right in front of me and I thought, âsure tryâ, then I saw Mafi coming for me. From the start of the season Brian (McLaughlin) has been telling me to transfer the ball and fend off. That was in my head and I managed to get over.”Â
There’s now mumblings of him being a candidate for Ireland’s tour of New Zealand in the summer.
“Who knows, Iâll concentrate on Ulster,” said Gilroy during the week, focussing instead on the win.Â
“It was very important for Ulster. Thomond Park isnât an easy place to go and play. Weâre delighted with the win. We believe we can go all the way. We have some of the worldâs best players on the team, and playing alongside them is brilliant. Iâm really enjoying that,” he said.
You can view full highlights of the game here | View all quarter final highlights here
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Prop Dean Greyling’s great dummy and try against the Crusaders
We’ve featured some wonderful prop tries over the years, and this effort from Dean Greyling during the Bulls’ 32-30 defeat of the Crusaders is another must-see. A few other great ones have been added to the related posts down below too.
The Bulls held off a late fight-back from the Crusaders, who trailed 32-16 with ten minutes left but managed to get within two points thanks to late tries by Zac Guildford and Tom Marshall.
“They showed what a quality team they are. Luckily we held out,” said Bulls captain Pierre Spies.
The Crusaders now have three wins and three losses, while the Bulls picked up their fourth win and keep the pressure on the Stormers, who lead the South African conference.
One of the tries of the game was this lovely effort from 120kg prop Dean Greyling, who was up in support then threw an audacious dummy on Israel Dagg before sprinting to the tryline, and of course finishing with a big dive.
“I am sure Dean will remind us of that try at every possible occasion next week,” Spies said.
“He will certainly talk about that try for a long time, but why not. It certainly was a brilliant effort and it proved to be a turning point in the match. Individual moments of brilliance often change matches and his did lift the team and put us on track to victory,” he added.
View highlights of the Bulls vs Crusaders game
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Joe Pietersen’s sensational try for the Stormers against the Highlanders
The Stormers maintained the best defensive record in Super Rugby 2012 as they beat the Highlanders 21-6 at the Otago Stadium on Saturday. In the first half Joe Pietersen crossed for a superb counter-attacking try, another contender for try of the season.
When watching this on the weekend, one couldnt help but think back to two season’s ago and that unbelievable team effort against the Chiefs, when they went the length of the field before Bryan Habana casually finished it off.
On this occasion it was slightly different, but yet another fantastic try on the road, this time started and finished by dynamic 27 year old fullback, Joe Pietersen.
Gio Aplon had scored earlier after some good pressure and a hack ahead from Jean De Villiers. Despite the comfortable win, De Villiers says this top of the table clash ‘definitely wasn’t easy’.
“It was against a quality side and we were probably a bit lucky with some tries in the first half but weâll definitely take the win,” said the Stormers skipper.
They are now the only unbeaten side in the competition, and have the best defensive record, stats that will hold them in good stead when they take on the Crusaders next weekend.
This try by Pietersen started way back in the Stormers half after the Highlanders failed to break their watertight defence, and were in fact driven back a few times.
While the Stormers have looked more composed than flashy of late, they do have the ability to score tries like this and have an interesting few weeks away from home coming up, as they face the Crusaders, the Reds, and then the Force before heading back to Cape Town.
If this try, and Pietersen himself, reminds you of a certain former All Black wing with similar features, you’ll be pleased to know that the commentator giving his approval is actually none other than try scoring machine, Jeff Wilson.
View highlights of the Highlanders vs Stormers here
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Lwazi Mvovo hits the turbos for a great try against the Brumbies
The Sharks beat the Brumbies in Canberra for the first time since 1998 as they came away with a 29-26 win despite a late fight back from the hosts. One of the tries of the match was this effort from the visitors, and speedster Lwazi Mvovo.Â
At 29-19 to the Sharks with ten minutes left, the game looked wrapped up but a late effort from Nic White had them scrambling, and the home crowd of Canberra on their feet. It looked as though it could be another last minute win, but the Sharks held them off and took the spoils.
“To be 10 points up with four minutes to go on the clock, you’d expect it would pretty much be game over, but we’ve seen in this competition what can happen,” said Sharks coach John Plumtree.
“I was just pleased to hear that final whistle,” he added.
It was the first loss for the impressive Brumbies this season, who despite an exodus of players and a change in management, have put in some great performances.
Young Jesse Mogg had scored a nicely taken try earlier, which could possibly have also been featured on here, but the try of the game was this scorcher from winger Lwazi Mvovo, who handled twice then streaked down field before turning on the afterburners.
The Sharks head to New Zealand next, to play the Hurricanes in round seven.
View full highlights of the Brumbies vs Sharks | Highlights of all Super Rugby games
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Andy Goode red carded for high hit against former team Leicester Tigers
Former England flyhalf and Leicester Tigers stalwart Andy Goode was sent off against his old side after he flew into Tom Croft with a high shoulder. It was his second card of the night, but was officially a straight red card, issued by referee Wayne Barnes.
Worcester suffered a 43-13 thrashing from the Tigers at Welford Road, who scored seven tries in the process. Scott Hamilton, George Chuter, Martin Castrogiovanni, Thomas Waldrom, Tom Youngs, George Ford, and Tom Croft all crossed the whitewash.
Croft was on the receiving end of a Goode shoulder charge late in the first half, which was a straight red card and nothing to do with his yellow card for a professional foul earlier in the half.Â
Warriors head coach Richard Hill said Goode was devastated to have let his side down, but all the blame for the heavy loss shouldnt rest solely on him.
“He has let the players down to an extent but you can’t blame anyone, it was one of those things. Andy wouldn’t have wished to do that at his previous ground. Andy is distraught, he is really disappointed about it and he has apologised to the players.”
“It was pretty tough after that. Once down to 14 men we had to reshuffle and at half-time we put a 10 on and we were down to seven forwards. It was hard all night. Leicester were exceptionally good in patches and I think we did as well as we could,” Hill said.
A citing and suspension could come into play, but Leicester Director of Rugby Richard Cockerill felt that there was no malicious intent and it should be left with the red.
“I know Andy very well, he played here for a long time. I’m sure it’s not the way he would have liked to come back and have that happen so it’s disappointing for him.
“Hopefully the red card will be sufficient and he can play the rest of the season,” he said.
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Danny Cipriani’s great try and celebration against the Western Force
Former England international Danny Cipriani had an impressive game for the Melbourne Rebels on Friday as he contributed to a 30-29 win over the Force with some great play and a fantastic try of his own. He also tweaked a hamstring, and did a little dance.
Cipriani, who hasn’t had things go entirely his way since arriving in Australia, signed a three year deal with Sale Sharks earlier in the week as he signalled his intent to return to the England fold.
He’ll be moving to Manchester once his season with the Rebels is up, and from there will aim to work his way back into Test rugby with England. Sale’s Steve Diamond has said that the signing of a player of Cipriani’s quality is a statement of intent from the club.
“Danny has been targeted by many European clubs, but has chosen to be based in Manchester as he feels that the Sharks give him the best opportunity to fulfil his aspirations to be the number one fly-half in England by the time of the 2015 World Cup,” Diamond said earlier in the week.
“England had a great Six Nations, it’s really excited him. He’s spent two years playing Super 15 which not many European players get the opportunity to do and he’s gone really well down there.
“I think he’s matured in his time away. You’ve got to have a bit of ambition about you to pack up your bag and go to Australia on your own, he’s done that, he’s learnt a lot and it’ll be for the better. Rugby union is crying out for a superstar and after Jonny Wilkinson, he could be the man.”
Cipriani has been out of the picture for some time now and will need to compete with the likes of Charlie Hodgson, Toby Flood, Owen Farrell, and even young Leicester flyhalf George Ford.
Against the Force Cipriani had the kind of focus that will be needed, as he distributed well as well as started, and finished this wonderful try. He did something to his hamstring on the way to the tryline unfortunately, which meant he left the field shortly after, disrupting the Rebels.
As for the celebration, a frog in a blender comes to mind.
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Chiefs hang on against Crusaders
The Chiefs record their second win over the season, while the Crusaders register their second loss after a tough game in Napier.
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Hosea Gear’s big tackles against the Crusaders
A stand out feature of the Highlanders 27-24 upset victory over the Crusaders in Dunedin on the weekend was the home side’s defence. One of the guys who made a massive impact, albeit from the wing, was new signing Hosea Gear.
After having spent eight seasons with the Hurricanes, the former All Black wing made the move down south to join Jamie Joseph, a hard-nosed coach who ruffled his feathers a while back.
Gear has said that back then, when Joseph first joined the Hurricanes as an assistant coach, he disliked his approach, but eventually his game flourished. When the opportunity to join the Highlanders came, he jumped at it, moving his young family and accepting the new challenge.
“I’m quite familiar with the environment that Jamie wanted to create and had going on down here. That is a massive part of the Highlanders brand, trying to get everyone involved and making sure the partners are happy as well as the kids,” Gear said recently.
He hasn’t always been a favourite with New Zealand selectors, so that’s something he feels he can still improve on, and he hopes to add to his eight All Black tests.
“I’m still looking to grow as a player. I still believe I can get even better. That is something I am searching for and striving for. If I could try and get my hands on the ball and get into that line a little bit more. Just try and create a little bit more space for those around me,” he said.
Gear scored a vital try for the Highlanders with ten minutes left in this match, and earlier in the game he introduced himself to Tom Marshall with a huge crashtackle. It wasn’t his first of the game, and it’s safe to assume that it won’t be his last of the season either.
You can view more of Gear at his best in the related posts below
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Matt Giteau steps up as Toulon score late try against Stade Francais
Toulon snatched a 19-19 draw against Stade Francais in a great game of rugby at the Stade de France on the weekend. The visitors scored a try in the corner with time up, then converted the kick from out wide.
The match was typically turbulant and recent Toulon signing Bakkies Botha made his presence felt. He was involved in most things, namely a scuffle early on as he claimed he was headbutted, and later at the end after Steffon Armitage scored the crucial try.
Armitage himself had a fantastic game, showing up in the loose at vital times and making two brilliant try saving tackles, one on fellow Englishman Paul Sackey. Unfortunately for both of those players, no matter how well they play in France, they’re likely to be overlooked for higher honours due to the selection policy that is currently in place.
Pascal Pape, when he wasn’t getting to know Botha, scored a very nicely taken try for the hosts following some great build up play by both Sackey and Felipe Contepomi.
There was a sad moment in the first half when flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson looked to have twisted a knee, leaving the field as a result. Matt Giteau stepped into his shoes though, and come the final moments of the game, he showed his pedigree with a superb conversion from out wide, earning Toulon the draw.Â
Below are extended highlights from this highly entertaining game of rugby. Enjoy.
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Jean-Pierre Perez loses the plot against Montpellier
Montpellier keep in touch with the top four of the Top 14 with a 22-11 win over Perpignan on Friday night. Early in the game the Catalans weren’t helped by the sin-binning of fiery flanker, Jean-Pierre Perez.
Having scored early through number eight Alex Tulou, hosts Montpellier then capitalised on Perpignan being a man down as they scored another excellently taken try from fullback Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.
The visitors were in that position because Perez, never one to shy away from a confrontation, looked determined to get himself sent off within ten minutes of kickoff.
First he swung an open hand ‘punch’ at Fulgence Ouedraogo for no real reason at all, then a minute later, he flew into Santiago Fernandez while making little effort to actually charge down the ball.
Ouedraogo dropped theatrically, making it look worse, but the ref and officials turned a blind eye, only marching Perpignan back ten metres. The charge down, they spotted that.
Perpignan came back into the game with a try from Rudi Coetzee and two penalties from Jerome Porical, but Montepellier had the final say as they scored in the second half through Mamuka Gorgodze. You can view highlights of the match here.
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Wales seal victory with late kick in Six Nations thriller against Ireland
Leigh Halfpenny was the man of the hour for Wales on the weekend, slotting a last minute penalty to snatch a thrilling 23-21 win over Ireland in a dramatic Six Nations match in Dublin on Sunday.
In what was a passionate encounter, tempers were clearly at the fore for each side as the home team looked to avenge their defeat to the Welsh in the world cup last year.
Yet Wales played with an energy that Ireland failed to match, and two tries by centre Jonathon Davies and one from George North provided the platform for this impressive result.
Both sides exchanged scores in the first half, but Wales were made to rue fly-half Rhy Priestlandâs wayward goal kicking as he missed several attempts at the sticks, allowing the Irish to go in at half time 10-3 up, courtesy of a try from hooker Rory Best and 5 points from Johnny Sexton.
Wales returned after the interval without their talismanic captain Sam Warburton – who picked up a dead leg â but showed strength and power in attack, typified through the impressive North who set-up another score for Davies.
However, Ireland found some spark of their own through Tommy Bowe who scored in the corner and at 21-15 with five minutes on the clock, looked to have the match; however, the Welsh had other plans and cut the lead to one-point with a try from North.
Stephen Ferris was then sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Ian Evans and Halfpenny held his nerve to slot over the last-gasp penalty and condemn the Irish to their first defeat in the opening game of the Six Nations for eight years.
Following the match, Ireland Coach Declan Kidney was left to rue his sideâs missed chances:
“It is extremely disappointing. We had a lead early in the second half but we did not build on it. When we do press ahead we have to go for the jugular. We are going to have to look at being more ruthless,” he said.
It was a classic match with many talking points, so feel free to discuss below.
Longer highlights will replace these ones shortly
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Montpellier turn it on at home against Stade Francais
Montpellier scored some outstanding tries as they made a challenge for the Top 14 playoffs with their 38-6 demolition of Stade Francais on Friday. It took a while for them to get going but once they did, they did it in style.
Fijian winger Timoci Nagusa played a large part in the first try, a genuine contender for try of the season. He combined brilliantly with flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc as they found some open space and counter-attacked from deep in their half.
While two forwards were up in support, it was Argentinian wing Martin Bustos Moyano that got on the end of the 80m effort. Moyano actually ended with a personal tally of 26 points as he scored two tries and kicked the points for the home side.
Nagusa and South African centre Paul Bosch also scored great tries on what was a brilliant night for the Montpellier backs overall. Monster Georgian forward Mamuke Gordgodze also deserves a mention though, as does dynamic Fijian number eight Masi Matadigo.
It was Montpellier’s third successive win in the competition and they now sit in fifth place in the standings. Enjoy the highlights below that show Montpellier playing some unbelievable rugby.
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Toulon grab bonus point try with time up against Lyon
While the Heineken Cup is the biggest thing going on in the rugby world at the moment, the Amlin Challenge Cup chugs along with a few fascinating match-ups of it’s own. In Toulon we saw a fantastic finish to a game which kept the hosts in a strong position.
Firstly, no, Rugbydump is not turning French. It just happens that right now we’re getting a lot of timely contributions that come in that language. The majority of the time if the game is played there, it’s usually a good idea to post the host language anyway. Other times, it’s simply convenience and the fact that we’d rather post something than nothing at all.
To reiterate, if you feel like you can help out with contributions in the way of highlights or short clips of incidents, please do get in touch and become a part of what we consider to be the RD community of rugby fans worldwide.
This year we’ll be rolling out new sections on the site to include more videos and news from a greater range of teams, so if you’d like to get involved by helping out with only the club or country you’re passionate about, that’s fine too, as fairly soon we’ll have specific sections for each.
For now though, here’s a short clip of Toulon’s fantastic try at the end of their match against Lyon, where they actually scored two tries at the death to earn themselves a valuable bonus point.
Pierrick Gunther scored with a minute to play, Jonny Wikinson drop-kicked the conversion and then they launched their attack from deep, ending with a nice long pass from Wilkinson to Luke Rooney following some great passages of play.
The 29-10 effectively knocked Lyon out of the running but puts Toulon in the driving seat as they head towards qualification for the next round of play.Â
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Biarritz score a sensational team try against Montpellier
Zee Ngwenya scored again in the Top 14 this past weekend as Biarritz put together an incredible team try against Montpellier, with the American flyer landing on the end of a serious try of the season contender. Montpellier won the game 30-23.
Talisman Imanol Harinordoquy was brilliant as he handled the ball more than once and offloaded superbly in the tackle as Biarritz worked their way up field with Dane Haylett-Petty, who supplied two outstanding passes, while impressive Prop Fabien Barcella and Ngwenya were up in support.
The Harinordoquy name hit the headlines recently when his father stormed the pitch to get involved in a brawl against Bayonne. Lucien Harinordoquy has since apologised for what he did.
“I apologise to the fans present at Aguilera, from Bayonne and Biarritz, to the two teams and their staff, to the National Rugby League, the French Rugby Federation and the rugby world in general.
“Under pressure for various reasons, I lost all control. I regret having behaved in such a manner during such a festival of rugby,” he said. Biarritz accepted the apology and hoped the other parties would too.Â
This weekend they face Benetton Treviso in the Heineken Cup, with the Italian side all too aware of the threats that they pose, with head coach Franco Smith picking out Ngwenya and Harinordoquy as two that could give them trouble.
“Ngwenya is lightening fast and, as well as his strengths as a finisher and try scorer, he is also a great chaser of their kicking game. And at the heart of their team is Harinordoquy, he is such an immense figure as their leader and in charge of their line-out,” he said ahead of the Pool 5 clash.
He’s not far off and this try shows why. Absolutely brilliant from everyone involved.
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Stephen Ferris scores a powerful try against the Scarlets
Stephen Ferris scored two tries as Ulster beat Scarlets 24-17 at Ravenhill in the RaboDirect PRO12 over the weekend. His first was well taken, but the second was a thing of beauty as he showed the kind of pace and power that we’ve come to expect.
It was just a few week’s back that we were singing the praises of the man as a big hit on Lee Byrne was featured here on the site. Today was look at the other side of his game as this Man of the Match performance included a wonderful try out wide.
Ulster needed to get their season back on track with the next round of the Heineken Cup coming up, and this win over Scarlets will give them heaps of confidence, especially considering the form of the Welsh side of late – eight successive wins in all competitions.
In didn’t start well for them as Sean Lamont scored early and then they were ten points down, but a yellow card for the visitors allowed Ulster to get going and Ferris scrossed for his first try, with the home side trailing by two points going into the break.
In poor conditions Ian Humphreys managed to score 14 points with the boot, while Ferris’ second try included a dummy, bump off of a hapless Rhodri Williams, and a clinical sidestep of the cover.
If you spotted anything else you’d like featured from the RaboDirect PRO12, or anywhere else, please make sure you get in touch with match and incident details via our contact page.
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Imanol Harinordoquy’s father joins fight against Bayonne
The Basque derby between Biarritz and Bayonne in the Top 14 last night turned out to be as fiery as expected, with a fight kicking off just minutes into the game. What wasn’t expected was that Imanol Harinordoquy’s father would run on to take part in it.
The French number eight’s father took to the field after his son was involved in a scrap a few meters away. He appeared to take exception to something Bayonne flanker Jean-Jo Marmouyet did, so left the stands and got stuck in.
Flyhalf Benjamin Boyet tackled him to the ground, possibly the strangest tackle he’s made in his career, and things fizzled out from there as Mr Harinordoquy senior was escorted from the field.
“I find his behaviour deplorable that he came onto the pitch to defend his son by boxing with Marmouyet at the beginning of the match,” said Christian Gajan, Bayonne’s director of rugby.
“You could have been mistaken for believing it was a youth match between two local villages, it was a scandalous episode,” he added.
Biarritz won the game 21-19 after flyhalf Julien Peyrelongue kicked a last gasp penalty.
Harinordoquy himself chose to comment on the win, but avoided talking about the incident.Â
The quality of the below video isn’t amazing, but we’ll replace it with a better version when/if possible. If you come across anything better, feel free to get in touch and we’ll update it.
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Ronan O’Gara does it again with late winner against Castres
Ronan O’Gara produced the goods for Munster yet again as he slotted a winning drop goal for the second week in succession, this time against Castres to give the visitors a 27-24 win on the road in the Heineken Cup.
Last week we saw how Munster put together over 40 phases before O’Gara snatched the win, and while this week there were no such heroics, the kick itself from ROG more than made up for it.
Despite appearances though, the man himself actually stated this this week’s effort was easier.
“I think it was a lot easier this week. I had a big wind behind me and I nailed the kick last week. This one was a case of letting the wind do the work. I just had to get the ball inside the right hand post and the wind would look after it. Last week if I had 50 balls I wouldnât kick as sweet a one as I hit,” he said.
Paul O’Connell said after the game that they’re blessed to have O’Gara there for moments like that.
“A lot of our guys aren’t that experienced but certainly to have a guy like ROG behind there in the dying minutes is a great luxury for us, and that’s two weeks in a row he’s produced the goods for us,” he said.
Munster now find themselves with two from two thanks to successive week’s of nail-biting finishes. They sit in second place in Pool 1 on eight points, behind the Scarlets who top the group on nine.
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Dennis to start against Baa Baas
Uncapped backrower Dave Dennis replaces Ben McCalman in the Wallabies starting side after the No.8 withraws with an eye infection.
FOXSPORTS.com.au | Rugby Union
Matthew Morgan salvages a draw for Ospreys against Treviso
Here is a quick look at the Heineken Cup game between Treviso and Ospreys that ended in a 26-26 draw thanks to a late penalty from young Matthew Morgan. The game also included a few great tries, and a very soft looking yellow card decision.
The home side looked as though they were on course for a famous upset but were undone by the long range penalty from 19 year old Morgan, who is already showing signs of being a future Welsh rugby great.
Tommaso Benvenuti was yellow carded after he picked up and dumped Shane Williams in yet another example of a controversial tip tackle decision. On first look it was dangerous as Williams’ legs faced skyward, but Benvenut then looked to control it, bringing him to ground safely.
Williams himself said that the result was disappointing for the Ospreys in a ‘strange’ game of rugby.
“Discipline in the first-half was quite poor – little, silly penalties that kind of takes the wind out of your sails at times. It was very frustrating and, of course, the tries that we conceded were all from our mistakes.
“We got out of jail in the end, but we’re disappointed we didn’t put that game to bed. But it’s never easy to come to Treviso. They are a side that’s progressing each year,” he added.
Feel free to share your thoughts on the Morgan kick, some great tries, and that yellow card.
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Steven Shingler red carded for spear tackle against Cardiff Blues
Young Welshman Steven Shingler saw red on Friday night for a tip tackle against Cardiff Blues that resulted in a straight sending off for the London Irish midfielder. The Exiles played the rest of the game with 14, and ultimately went down 24-18 in the Heineken Cup second round game.
Shingler, a former Wales u20 and Scarlets player, had hoped to attract attention with the return to his homeland. “It’ll be nice to go back to Wales and put down a marker,” he said before the match.
“It’ll be nice to show that I’m still here and in the mix and hopefully I can put in a good performance and get people talking about how well I performed and show them that I am one for the future,”
Unfortunately with less than 20 minutes on the park, Shingler got himself red carded by referee Jerome Garces for his tackle on Dafydd Hewitt. London Irish head coach Toby Booth stood by him.
“The way the game is being officiated around the tackle means if you are not precise you may pay a heavy price. The young lad is devastated. There was no malice in it. He is a young man coming back to Wales, wanting to impress,” he said.
“The guy jumped up and if you are not quite in control of your emotions or are just a little bit off with your timing, that is the outcome. The safety of players is paramount. These are big physical people playing a very tough game.
“But if you are out by a fine margin you can pay a heavy price and we have seen that,” he added.
Shingler was sent off at the same time as his brother, Aaron, scored a try for the Scarlets.
Are you okay with the red card coming out for a tackle of this nature, provided it’s consistent?
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Felipe Contepomi’s rough night against Worcester
Stade Francais’ Felipe Contepomi had an interesting night on Thursday, as while he played a huge part in a fantastic comeback against Worcester, he also got smashed almost every time he touched the ball. Here’s a quick look at some of those tackles.
The brilliant Argentine was an integral part of a come-from-behind win that saw his side bounce back after trailing 14-0, to come out eventual 23-14 victors in the Amlin Challenge Cup.
The Pumas skipper kicked six penalties for a personal tally of 18 points to add to the try by Paul Sackey. Despite the home side outscoring the French visitors by two tries to one, the experience and patience of Stade proved too much for the hosts. Contepomi was named Man of the Match.
“In the first half we were slow off the blocks and maybe we tried to play a little to much. But at half-time we said we needed to do much of the same but with a little more pace and energy and things got better,” said Contepomi.
“It was a good second half display, especially as it was our first away win of the year. Its good momentum going into next weekend’s European game and good for us in the French league as well. We will take it step by step, but it’s a great win and its good to win away,” he added.
While he was doing everything right in terms of controlling the game, the sideshow was that on numerous occasions he was a magnet to the big tackling Worcester side, who ploughed into him at every opportunity, driving him back and dumping him on his rear end more often than not.
Keep an eye out for a neat backflip from outstanding number eight Sergio Parisse, and also the handbags that came from that last big hit on Pumas captain Contepomi.
We’ll have Heineken Cup tickets up for grabs shortly! Make sure you follow RD on Twitter and Facebook so you don’t miss out on the notifications and details regarding how you can win.
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Sam Warburton’s big tackle for Cardiff Blues against Racing Metro
Sam Warburton made his return to rugby following a controversial red card and suspension he got from a tip tackle in the Rugby World Cup semi final. He made another big hit against Racing Metro in the Heineken Cup, but there were no cards to be seen.
Warburton was outstanding for Wales in the RWC, leading from the front and showing that while he’s still a youngster, he has the leadership abilities to go on to be a fantastic captain for many years to come. Unfortunately for Wales he was sent off by referee Alain Rolland in the semi final.
While the his home nation directed their anger at Rolland and the IRB, Warburton recently said that upon second viewing, it was actually uglier than he’d initially thought. Rolland himself has said that if he had the chance to do things over again, he would have made the exact same decision.
“The important part for referees is to take the emotion out of it We can only officiate on the action itself and what he did merited what happened next because it was dangerous. We don’t officiate on intention, we officiate on the action itself,” said Rolland, referring to Warburton’s lack of malice.
He was pleased to hear that the Welsh captain acknowledged that the correct decision was made.
“To be fair to Sam, I think it is a true measure of the man he is. I don’t think he had to come out to say anything and I didn’t really care one way or the other because what happened, happened,” added Rolland.
Against Racing Metro this past weekend Warburton put in another solid hit, this time on replacement Eddy Ben Arous. The hit was made as Arous jumped to catch the ball, so maybe some refs would penalise that but not on this occasion. It’s good to see Warburton back in action either way.
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McCaw warns against complacency
New Zealand captain Richie McCaw has urged his All Blacks team not to waste their opportunity when they bid to be crowned world champions.
ESPNSTAR.com
“Cooper will soar against All Blacks”
Australia captain James Horwill has backed maverick fly-half Quade Cooper to produce the game of his life in Sunday’s Rugby World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
ESPNSTAR.com
Wilkinson to start against France
England’s Jonny Wilkinson will start at fly-half in the World Cup quarter-final against France, BBC Sport understands.
BBC Sport | Rugby Union | UK Edition
