EPCR - Challenge Cup: Round 2 WRap

European Professional Club Rugby

Challenge Cup

On the Weekend, By the Numbers

20+ table points from the six games of round robin will more than likely make extra time come April, possibly high-teens

Toulon tops the Pool of Death after the thriller at the Mayol, while Dragons and Bears have taken all table points from their brace of matches thus far and lead their groups... Tigers uptop G-5 while Edinburgh and Bordeaux-Bègles share their group ordering seat, uncomfortably one suspects... with the two outliers, Cammi Calvisano and Enisei STM yielding bonus-points to their opponents, the Russians at home, the Italians on the trot;

Home Happy: Castres, London Irish, Section Paloise (Pau), Toulon, Wasps

Road Warriors: Bristol, Dragons, Leicester, Stade Français

Buss: Edinburgh-Bordeaux-Bègles

7              points advantage for the home team, 14-7, in the 24^th minute after a touch down by South African-born 8man, Jeremy Jordaan, converted by Enisei 10, Rami Gaisin, and STM looked the business before yellow shown their hooker enabled 3 touch downs during the interval of the number 2’s seat through the early stages of the second stanza and Dragons returned to pound out the 7-try, 49 - 22, 5-pointer on the eastern shore of the Black Sea; 19 for the Dragons 22-years old pivot, Arwel Robson, on all trys converted including his own;

24           and 0 the tallies after the first forty as Bristol stymied Brive and blanked their hosts in the second stanza as well for 36 - 0 victory at the Amédée Domenech;

9              try Pau knocked Calvisano around Stade du Hameau for 80 minutes to the tune of 61 - 10; 21 for 23 years old 9, Clovis Le Bail, on 8-from-9 converted and a try;

16           for every manjack on the east coast of Scotland as Bordeaux-Bègles drew level Edinburgh on a grounding by the visitors 13, Semi Radradra, its conversion by just-turned-21 years old 10, Matti Jalibert, and the standoff’s 78^th minute sticksplitter which earned the house 2 points;

88           minutes run time after referee Tom Foley’s instigating blast, Toulon 35 years young 8man, Liam Messam, covered ball mauled to goal for a 5-pointer that 12, Anthony Belleau, knocked through for the determinant, the deuce caroming off an upright and launched 10 meters-in from touch for the 17 - 16 win over Scarlets;

8              the measure of separation after 40 with home side in front at the Pierre Fabre, 14-6, and that margin maintained as each counted only 1 sticksplitter a piece in the second stanza for 17 - 9 final for Castres over Worcester;

15           for London Irish 10, Paddy Jackson, on the conversion of 5-from-7 trys, 1 of those his own and home side tipped their guests, Bayonne, 45 - 31, at Madejski Stadium;

12           for Wasps 10, Jacob Umaga, on 3-and-2, while hefty blindside Ash Johnson got a double in the 32 - 14 victory over Agen at the Ricoh;

13           first forty points all that was necessary for Stade Francais, but only just, as a try by Zebre and its conversion drew the Italians within damn-all at 13 - 12 for the Paris XV for the record; 

2              second stanza sticksplitters by Leicester 10, 20 years old Tom Hardwick, enabled Tigers to draw level with Cardiff nearing the hour mark, then claim victory on the trot at the Arms Park, 14 - 11;

 Upcomes Round 3:

                Friday, 12.6

                                Enisei STM (0) v (4) Castres Olympique at Kuban Stadium, Krasnodar: nickel for travelers?

                                Agen (0) v (7) Bordeaux-Bègles at Stade Armandie: see above, but visitor joy could lead to topspot in the pool;

                                Edinburgh (7) v (5) Wasps at Murrayfield: gonna find out if Hornets are freal here;

                                 

                               

                Saturday, 12.7

                                Toulon (9) v (6) London Irish at Felix Mayol: homeys sporting Best in Show credits just now... have they returned to form? Paddy Jackson and his visiting horde would beg to differ;

                                Zebre (1) v (4) Brive at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi: stern test for guests as hosts just fumbly-stumbled away victory in their last out;

                                Worcester Warriors  (5) v (10) Dragons at Sixways: how good the fire-Breathers? This result will tell;

                                Leicester Tigers (9) v (0) Cammi Calvisano at Welford Road: Big Cat five?

               

                                Cardiff Blues (6) v (5) Section Paloise at Cardiff Arms Park: Blues came undone last outing as their opponents today were romping; different adversary today for both;

                               

                                Bayonne (2) v (5) Scarlets at Jean-Dauger: trotters may well see a split to their French mini-tour here;

                               

                                Bristol Bears (10) v (4) Stade Français at Ashton Gate: travelers will have thought they may have started a trend with their victory last, but Bears big and bad this year, esp. in their den at The Robins;