Heineken Cup Preview

Posted on Apr 29, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Leinster will hope to win their second ever Heineken Cup title as they take on reigning European champions Toulouse tomorrow. Sunday will see the 2000 Heineken Cup champions Northampton Saints take on the 2003 finalist Perpignan. With the exception of Perpignan they are all pushing for the title in their domestic leagues, as well as hoping to add a European trophy to the cabinet.

Leinster v Toulouse

It’s not often you’d bet against Toulouse in a Heineken Cup knock out match, but Leinster really have impressed in Europe this season and should be able to take on anybody at home. Toulouse though can play some breath taking rugby, and like Munster can still win big away games even when not at their best. This in theory should be a cracking game and possibly the game of the tournament.

Leinster are second in the Magner’s League, and while a distance behind Munster in first place, should be confident of both a home play-off place as well as hoping to reach the grand final. However it was in Europe where they have really made a name for themselves this season. Drawn in a pool of death consisting of the French champions Clermont-Auvergne, last year’s Guinness Premiership finalists Saracens as well as big spenders Racing Metro – at the start of the season it was hard to protect what would happen, some taking the safe bet of predicting all home wins. Yet the reality was that not only did Leinster top the pool but did so in style. They thrashed Racing both home and away, as well as getting the double over a Saracens team that has only lost four out of twenty one league games this season. In the quarter finals they bullied a Leicester team, who both top the Aviva Premiership table as well as being the reigning English champions, and despite the closeness of the 17-10 scoreline they never once looked like losing.

Toulouse top the French league and are the reigning Heineken Cup champions, but haven’t been at their best in Europe this season. They were given arguably one of the easiest pools and somehow managed to not get a home quarter. They lost away to a struggling Wasps team, and were one missed Dave Walder penalty away from losing at home to them too. In the quarters they travelled to San Sebastian to take on Biarritz, and despite taking an early 17-0 lead and looking brilliant and in control, they somehow managed to find them in a situation where they escaped a winning Dimitri Yachvilli conversion in the 80th minute and had to rely on a 100th minute extra time try to win them the game. Play like they did in the opening stages then they could really cause problems for Leinster, but if they repeat that second half display then Leinster will just simply crucify them.

Leinster should be favourites for this and it would be very surprising if Leinster didn’t reach the final, but you can never write Toulouse off. Whoever wins this game will probably go on to win the final.

Northampton v Perpignan

Both teams were in the same pool last year with both teams comfortably winning their home games. Both teams topped their pool stages and were awarded with home quarter finals which they both fought hard to win. If the Perpignan pack turn up then this could be a fascinating spectacle.

Northampton managed to win all six of their pool games – no mean feat considering their pool involved a Cardiff Blues side that tends to do very well against English opposition, and Castres and Edinburgh who are both very difficult to beat in their backyard. In the league it’s a slightly different story – they started the season very well, thrashing Leicester and by November they were first in the table, miles ahead of second place. However they really suffered during the Six Nations period when their internationals were away, and have since recovered, including the quarter final over Ulster, but for a team that looked very much like securing a home play-off place they look likely to come only fourth. Northampton have won at least one trophy per season since they got promoted, but no unbeaten team has ever won the Heineken Cup.

Perpignan like Northampton have had a better European season than domestic season, but their story is slightly different. Northampton’s domestic failure has been not getting a home play-off – Perpignan though lie ninth in the Top 14 with play-off and Heineken Cup qualification hanging by a thread. However in Europe they topped a pool containing both Leicester and the Scarlets, and despite their opening defeat in Wales they managed to go unbeaten for the rest of the pool, including a draw at Welford Road. Their pack was in top form in the quarters against a star studded Toulon side, and they’ll need their pack to be on top again on Sunday. Their draw against Leicester should give them the confidence to travel away in Europe.

Northampton should be favourites for this by virtue of being the ‘home’ team, and have also regained their momentum since the Six Nations period. However this game will be decided by the Perpignan pack – turn up and they could really take it to the Saints and frustrate them out of the game. However if the Saints pack can provide good ball for the backs, then it could be a very long day for the Catalan side.

Toulouse looking a handful

Posted on Apr 19, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Defending champions Toulouse are hunting a record fifth Heineken Cup title – and five titles could also be on the agenda for Toulouse ace Cedric Heymans.

The international wing is the only player to have four Heineken Cup winners’ medals in his trophy cabinet, won with Brive in 1997 and Toulouse in 2003, 2005 and 2010, and although he is out there on his own, his medals have come after just 48 minutes of action from those four wins.

He was an unused replacement in 1997 and 2003, played 36 minutes in 2005 and came on in the 68^thminute of last season’s final at Stade de France. He also played in the Toulouse teams that lost the 2004 and 2008 Heineken Cup finals and in the Agen side that was beaten by Colomiers in the 1998 Amlin Challenge Cup final.

Toulouse players Clement Poitrenaud, Vincent Clerc, Yannick Jauzion, Jean-Baptiste Poux, William Servat and Jean Bouilhou are triple Heineken Cup champions while another eight players are among the elite of Europe’s most celebrated players to have three European club rugby medals, in their cases two Heineken Cup and one Amlin Challenge Cup crown.

QUADRUPLE ERC MEDALLIST

Cedric Heymans
Brive – Heineken Cup – 1997, Toulouse – Heineken Cup – 2003, 2005, 2010

TRIPLE ERC MEDALLISTS

Jean Bouilhou
Toulouse – Heineken Cup – 2003, 2005, 2010

Vincent Clerc
Toulouse – Heineken Cup – 2003, 2005, 2010

Yannick Jauzion
Toulouse – Heineken Cup – 2003, 2005, 2010

Clement Poitrenaud
Toulouse – Heineken Cup – 2003, 2005, 2010

Jean-Baptiste Poux
Toulouse – Heineken Cup – 2003, 2005, 2010

William Servat
Toulouse – Heineken Cup – 2003, 2005, 2010

Yannick Bru
Colomiers – Amlin CC – 1998, Toulouse – Heineken Cup – 2003, 2005

Lawrence Dallaglio
London Wasps – Amlin CC – 2003, London Wasps – Heineken Cup – 2004, 2007

Alex King
London Wasps – Amlin CC – 2003, London Wasps – Heineken Cup – 2004, 2007

Josh Lewsey
London Wasps – Amlin CC – 2003, London Wasps – Heineken Cup – 2004, 2007

Simon Shaw
London Wasps – Amlin CC – 2003, London Wasps – Heineken Cup – 2004, 2007

Mark van Gisbergen
London Wasps – Amlin CC – 2003, London Wasps – Heineken Cup – 2004, 2007

Fraser Waters
London Wasps – Amlin CC – 2003, London Wasps – Heineken Cup – 2004, 2007

Joe Worsley
London Wasps – Amlin CC – 2003, London Wasps – Heineken Cup – 2004, 2007

European Round Up

Posted on Apr 11, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

A thrilling weekend of European rugby witnessed two Heineken Cup quarter finals in Spain, top flight rugby making it’s debut in Milton Keynes, a record attendance for a quarter final and a second ever European fixture going to extra time. The two all-French encounters, Perpignan v Toulon and Biarritz v Toulouse, were taken over the border to Spain to the heartlands of both Basque and Catalan country. Perpignan have long dreamed of taking a European fixture to Barcelona, and this year finally achieved it. The other two fixtures were Anglo-Irish affairs, with England and Ireland winning one apiece with Leinster triumphing over Leicester and Northampton beating Ulster.

Perpignan v Toulon saw the Catalan team win 29-25 in front of a record 55,000 crowd at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. Prior to this match much was made of Toulon’s all-star team packed full of experienced international players such as Jonny Wilkinson, Felipe Contepomi and George Smith. The idea was that this Toulon team were packed with big game players who wouldn’t be fazed by such an occasion. Toulon did go into halftime with a lead as Perpignan had a nervy start to the game. However the boot of Jerome Porical proved to be the undoing of Toulon and former England prop Perry Freshwater came off the bench to score the match winning try.

While Toulon should be proud that their first Heineken Cup season ended up with them topping a pool of death featuring Munster and the Ospreys, they’ll be disappointed that a team with their quality couldn’t at least make the semis. Philippe Saint-André will have question marks over his head after taking off influential players such as Pierre Mignoni and Joe Van Niekirk when the game was still in their grasp. Perpignan though will be delighted that they not only got to play in Barcelona but also treated their fans to a win. They overcame two sin bin periods and their pack will pose a serious threat to Northampton in the semis.

Leinster v Leicester was a repeat of the 2009 final and with the same result, the Irish team defeating the English champions. The narrative leading up to this match was about Leicester’s England players returning ‘to the scene of the crime’ after Ireland gave the Grand Slam chasing English a good beating here back in March. However rather than English revenge it was more like Irish lightning striking twice in the same place. The 17-10 scoreline flattered Leicester – Leinster were far and above the better team. While Leicester were chasing for the draw and the extra time at the end, this result was never in doubt.

A particular embarrassment for Leicester was how Leinster took their lineout to the cleaners, although losing Louis Deacon early in the match didn’t help. Leinster weren’t at their best but they still did a job. They characterised the pool stages by thumping teams in a high try scoring fashion – even more surprising considering their pool contained Clermont-Auvergne, Racing Metro and Saracens. Leicester are no mugs when it comes to European knock out rugby and the way Leinster managed to comfortably beat them without hitting top gear must send warning bells out to the other teams in Europe. While if any team can beat Leinster then it’s Toulouse, but one can’t but help feel that Leinster should at the very least make the final. Still favourites to win their second European title.

Northampton v Ulster saw two former winners go head to head to see if they could relive former glories. Northampton were forced to move this game after Franklin’s Gardens was deemed too small to host a Heineken Cup quarter final, but Stadium:MK in Milton Keynes did a fine job. So desperate to make this a home from home Northampton even moved the food vans from Franklin’s and moved it down there. Northampton got off to the perfect start with a Soane Tonga-uiha try but Ulster took command for the rest of the half and were ahead at half time. It was only in the last quarter that Saints took control and made their advantage up front count and ended up winning 23-13.

One can’t but help feel that if Northampton played smarter than it could have been a bit more comfortable than what it was, but they got the win and now have a ‘home’ semi final against Perpignan. If they can take on the Perpignan pack then they have a great chance of getting to the final. Ulster though will be gutted, but with a young team this sort of experience will be crucial for their development.

Biarritz v Toulouse had perhaps the most exciting and tense finish of all this weekends fixtures. However what was so surprising was that at half time it looked very much like it’d be a horribly one sided game and not really be much of a competitive fixture. Toulouse went in at the break leading 17-0 after taking their chances and keeping the Basque team at bay. You could have been forgiven for then thinking not if but by how much would Toulouse win, but Biarritz were not yet beat and managed to make it 17-17 by the end of regular time, but a missed conversion meant it would go to extra time. Toulouse held the advantage as they had outscored Biarritz two to one on the try count so at 20-20 they looked set to win, but ended up winning 27-20 thanks to a charge down.

It was a mixed bag for both teams – Toulouse will be delighted how they went away from home and got themselves such a commanding lead, and they ultimately kept their cool and did the business at the end. However questions must be asked how they let the opposition back into it – it should have never have taken 100 minutes for them to win it. Against Leinster they simply have to keep going for the full 80 – any collapse against them and they’ll be heavily punished. Biarritz though while putting in a remarkable comeback will be haunted by both how they let a visiting team rack up such a lead so early on, as well as some poor decisions they made later on. Bolakoro didn’t need to dive in the corner – he could and should have tried to bring it closer to the posts. Even by making the conversion a tiny bit easier can make all the difference. Yachvilli kicking a 96th minute penalty to tie the scores was another poor decision – all it did was eat up precious time and give territory back to Toulouse. They should have gone for the corner as only a try could have won the game – either the management failed to tell the players what the rules were or the players did know the rules but still made a bad decision.

Leinster v Toulouse and Northampton v Perpignan should make cracking games. On paper it should be a Leinster v Northampton final, but Toulouse can never be written off and if the Perpignan pack can dominate Northampton then it should be a long day for the Midlanders.

Amlin Cup

Europe’s secondary competition saw Stade Francais and Clermont Auvergne defeat Montpellier and La Rochelle to create another all-French affair in the semi finals. Harlequins defeated local rivals Wasps to set up a trip to Munster, who defeated Brive away in the other quarter.

While there is some controversy over whether failed Heineken Cup teams should drop down into this competition, what cannot be denied is that it has benefitted the tournament. Clermont and Munster both had tough Heineken Cup pools and will look at using the Amlin to bring home something tangible from Europe this season. Wasps the other Heineken Cup dropout suffered defeat at the Stoop despite outscoring Quins three tries to two – their season looks all but over now.

HEC quarter final previews

Posted on Apr 7, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium will set a Heineken Cup quarter-final attendance record when it hosts the all-French clash between Perpignan and Toulon on Saturday. With a sell-out now guaranteed in the Catalan capital, the 55,000 gate will surpass the previous quarter-final high of 48,500 at the old Lansdowne Road, Dublin, in 2005 (Leinster v Leicester Tigers) and 2006 (Munster v Perpignan).

And the old record will also be overtaken at the new Aviva Stadium when Leicester Tigers return to the Irish capital for a 2009 Heineken Cup final re-match with Leinster. A full-house of 51,700 is expected at the Aviva.

The sold-out signs have been up for a while at both Estadio Anoeta, where Biarritz Olympique will face Toulouse in a re-run of last year’s final on Sunday, and at stadium:mk in Milton Keynes for the Anglo-Irish contest between top seeds Northampton Saints and Ulster Rugby.

It means there could be almost 160,000 fans going through the turnstiles in three countries – a figure second only to the tournament high of 162,500 that attended the quarter-final matches in 2005.

The 2011 Heineken Cup quarter-finals, venues and capacities are:

Perpignan v Toulon – Olympic Stadium, Barcelona – 55,000

Leinster v Leicester Tigers – Aviva Stadium, Dublin – 51,700

Northampton Saints v Ulster Rugby – stadium:mk, Milton Keynes – 21,500

Biarritz Olympique v Toulouse – Estadio Anoeta, San Sebastian – 32,000

Northampton Saints might not like to be reminded of this but no team that has qualified for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals as the No 1 seeds has gone on to win the title. Since the introduction of the home and away format in the 1997/98 season, only two of the 13 top seeded teams have reached the final – Stade Français Paris in 2001 and Toulouse in 2004.

Five of the others fell at the first knock-out hurdle and six in the semi-finals. And while none of the No 1 seeds, including the eight who came through the Pool stages with six from six, have gone on to Heineken Cup glory, teams seeded as low as No 6 – Munster in 2008 and Leinster a year later – have lifted the silverware.

Ian Humphreys will be hoping to match the achievements of elder brother David by taking Ulster to a Heineken Cup final. David was captain of Ulster back in 1999 when they won the title at Lansdowne Road. But Ian has already experienced a Heineken Cup final having come on as a replacement for Andy Goode in the 62nd minute of Leicester Tigers 2007 defeat to London Wasps.

There were three other Irish players involved in that final at Twickenham who are still in the hunt for more glory this season. Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings were in the Leicester Tigers side, while Eoin Reddan was a try scorer for London Wasps. All three are in the Leinster squad preparing to face the Tigers on Saturday.

The grand old man of the Heineken Cup Cedric Heymans – who made his debut for Brive against Neath on 12 October, 1996 – will be chasing a fifth Heineken Cup winners medal with Toulouse in the knock-out stages of the 2010/11 tournament.

The French international wing is also one of only three players to have won the title with more than one club. An unused replacement in the 1997 Heineken Cup final with Brive, he then played in the winning Toulouse teams of 2003, 2005 and 2010. Leinster scrum half Eoin Reddan will be looking to join the list of double winners having played for London Wasps in their 2007 triumph over Leicester Tigers at Twickenham Stadium.

The full list of winners from two clubs is:

Philippe Carbonneau – Toulouse 1996, Brive 1997

Cedric Heymans – Brive 1997, Toulouse 2003, 2005, 2010

Federico Mendez – Bath 1998, Northampton Saints 2000

Biarritz Olympique prop Sylvain Marconnet will be hoping to make it third time lucky this season in the Heineken Cup after twice falling at the final hurdle in the past. France’s most capped prop was a loser with Stade Français Paris in the 2001 and 2003 Heineken Cup finals.

Toulouse prop Census Johnston knows all about the atmosphere at Estadio Anoeta. He helped Biarritz Olympique beat both Sale Sharks and Bath over the Spanish border in their march to the 2006 Heineken Cup final. That mission ended in disappointment in Cardiff with defeat at the hands of Munster, but since then the Samoan giant has tasted success with Toulouse in last year’s final at Stade de France.

No side has played against Leicester Tigers more times in the Heineken Cup than Leinster – and no team has beaten the Tigers more than the Irish province. So something will have to give when the perfectly balanced record of five wins apiece from 10 European clashes goes on the line at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Richard Cockerill was in on the ground floor of the great Euro rivalry between the two sides, making his Heineken Cup debut at Lansdowne Road on the night Leicester made their bow in the tournament on Wednesday, 16 October, 1996. The visitors triumphed 27-10, with another Front Row Union member Graham Rowntree scoring the Tigers’ first try, to notch the first of their two wins over Leinster in Dublin. But in seven games against the same opposition, five with Tigers and two with Montferrand, Cockerill has lost four and won only three.

Flying Biarritz back Iain Balshaw made his Heineken Cup debut for Bath against Brive as an 18-year-old on 5 October, 1997. His debut came in the season Bath became the first non-French champions, although his replacement appearance at Stade Municipal in a 27-12 defeat was his only one of that campaign. Balshaw will turn 32 next week and is seeking to avenge Biarrtiz Olympique’s final defeat by Toulouse last season in Sunday’s quarter-final.

Meanwhile, Balshaw’s Biarritz team-mate Dimitri Yachvili needs 18 points to become only the fourth player in Heineken Cup history to score 600 points.

Northampton Saints No 8 Roger Wilson will be playing against many of his former Ulster team-mates when he lines-up in Sunday’s quarter-final at Milton Keynes. Wilson has not missed a Heineken Cup game for Saints this season and has 10 wins from 13 games. That compares very favourably to his record of 12 wins in 26 outings for Ulster.

Perpignan lock Rimas Alvarez Kairelis is on the verge of making history by becoming the first Argentinian player to qualify for an ERC Elite 50 cap award. The long serving forward made his Perpignan debut against Amatori & Calvisano back in the 2001/02 Pool stages and was in the side that went to Dublin for the 2003 Heineken Cup final. If he appears in the quarter-final against Toulon it will be his 50th appearance for his club in the tournament.

Fritz banned for 3 weeks

Posted on Feb 9, 2011 in Rugby News

Florian Fritz, the Toulouse player (No 13), appeared before an independent Disciplinary Hearing at the ERC offices in Dublin today (Tuesday, 8 February, 2011), as a result of the red card he received during the Heineken Cup Pool 6 match against London Wasps at Adams Park on Sunday, 23 January, 2011, and as a result of a misconduct complaint made against the player after the match.

The red card was issued in the 47th minute of the second half by referee Alain Rolland (Ireland) for a dangerous tackle on London Wasps wing, Tom Varndell (No 14), in contravention of Law 10.4 (j). The misconduct complaint was made against the player for an offensive hand gesture in the direction of spectators as he was leaving the playing area.

Mr Fritz, who was accompanied at the hearing by René Bouscatel, the Toulouse President, Guy Noves, the Toulouse Director of Rugby, and John O’Donnell SC, contested the red card, but accepted that he had committed the act of misconduct. The ERC Disciplinary Officer, Roger O’Connor, presented the case against the player.

After hearing submissions from both parties and considering all the evidence, the independent Judicial Officer, Robert Williams (Wales), upheld the red card. Mr Williams determined that the tackle had been reckless rather than intentional and he noted that Mr Varndell had suffered no injury.

Mr Williams found that the offence was in the lower end of the level of seriousness for one of this type. Having taken into account all aggravating factors, including the need to deter other players from tackles of this nature, and all mitigating factors, including Mr Fritz’s good conduct at the hearing, he imposed a suspension of three (3) weeks. Mr Fritz will be free to play on Monday, 14 February 2011.

The independent Judicial Officer also upheld the misconduct complaint against the player, who apologised for the offensive hand gesture, and fined him €15,000 plus costs.

Law 10.4 (j) A player must not lift a player from the ground and drop or drive that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground.

Under the IRB Recommended Sanctions for Offences Committed within the Playing Enclosure, Law 10.4 (j) carries the following penalties:
Lower End: 3 weeks
Mid Range: 6 weeks
Top End: 10 to 52 weeks