European Pro Club Rugby Champions Cup – Round 4 WRap With the conclusion of the Aviron Bayonne v Exeter Chiefs match today, the pool play for the Champions Cup has drawn to a close. Of the 84 placements totals-by-competition - there are 84 total places in the tournament, i.e. Pool 1 has 21, or 1+2+3+4+5+6 as do the rest of the pools, so 84 total. The competition, GP, T14, or the URC, that has the lowest aggregate placement total has performed the best in the group stage; and that would be Gallagher Premiership at 27, closely followed by United Rugby Championship with 28, and the Top 14, whose 2023 Champion is yet in the race, has gotten 29. The final round of group play… By the Numbers
Pool 1 Clubs (league pos.) Bordeaux (2) Bulls (6) Lyon (13) Saracens (6) Connacht (9) Bristol (8) 4 4
12
w 3 3 2 2 1 1
l 1 1 2 2 3 3
d 0 0 0 0 0 0
+/91 30 -2 -17 -52 -48
table points 17 15 12 10 6 5
Bordeaux Bègles, finished with a roar, though were outshouted by their hosts, who earned a home knockout. Irishmen woke up finally to earn a spot in the Challenge Cup playoffs*.
trys, 5 points, 17-3 lead at the break and a berth in the Challenge Cup for Connacht after their 27 – 10 decision over visiting Bristol, putting the Bears on break first week in April; trys in the first forty provided a comfortable, 26-14, lead at the half for the Bulls, but Bordeaux, Lucu- and Jalibert-less, clawed their way back into it and 40-35, yet for hosts in the 61st; sticksplitter by Bulls and an unconverted try by UBB approaching ’70, with tallies at 43 and 40 still for homeys, but only one more three-pointer for Bulls and 46 – 40 that result; doubles for blindside, Marcell Coetzee, in the win and also a brace of groundings for backrow, Tevita Tatafu, in defeat; adrift at the half, 5-17, not one worry for home side Saracens as they put 27 unanswered in as many minutes in second stanza to record 39 – 24 victory over Lyon to deny the French a home knockout; 14 for 10, Owen Farrell, on 4-and-2 off his shoe and a double for engine, Maro Itoje, while visiting first five-eighth, Josiah Maraku, also had a pair of trys;
Pool 2 Clubs (league pos.) Toulouse (5) Harlequins (3) Bath (2) Racing 92 (1) Ulster (4) Cardiff (12)
w 4 3 3 1 1 0
l 0 1 1 3 3 4
d 0 0 0 0 0 0
+/109 42 22 -1 -59 -113
table points 20 15 15 8 5 2
Toulouse tops, and Quins snagged Bath’s home knockout in a wild weekend that saw Racing show a bit of form in obtaining the last knockout slot much to Ulster’s chagrin.
12
for Harlequins 10, Marcus Smith on 6-from-7 trys converted as home XV trounced Ulster at the Stoop, 47 – 19; double for flyer, Nick David, and an outstanding brace for relief flyer, Louis Lynagh; 15 for Racing 92 15, Tristan Tedder, on 5 deuces and a touch down as the French made the playoffs with 48 – 26 dismantling of Cardiff at La Defense; double for the Blues 9, Tomos Williams in the loss; 19 for every man jack at Ernest-Wallon in a back-and-forth first forty with Bath looking the news going to the sheds, but a scoreless second stanza for travelers spelled doom, a 19 – 31 unhappy, and a travel date come first weekend in April; 14 for Toulouse 10, Thomas Ramos, on 2 trys and 2 conversions; th * 5 place in the pool goes to Challenge Cup k-os “Together we are better; united we are strong”