SARACENS, HELPED BY the latest bout of ill-discipline of Stade Francais, overcame a slow start to win 28-17 in the Champions Cup on Sunday, as Bath paid for rotating their squad, losing 22-21 away to Treviso.
In a frantic game, Toulon survived three yellow cards to beat visiting Glasgow 30-29.
From the kickoff in Paris, Stade pinned their English visitors back. Peniasi Dakuwaqa scooted over untouched in the corner after three minutes.
Zack Henry converted. When he added a penalty after 12 minutes, Saracens had barely completed a pass or escaped their half.
The match changed after 21 minutes when flanker Sekou Macalou first tripped Ivan van Zyl as he picked the ball up from a scrum. Macalou then dived on the fallen scrum half, catching the South African’s head with an arm. Referee Hollie Davidson opted for a red card, Stade’s third in two Champions Cup fixtures after they were reduced to 13 men in last weekend’s defeat to Munster.
Two minutes after the French international was sent off, Liam Williams, making his second Saracens debut after returning from a stint in Japan, swerved through the defence and slid over the line.
Fergus Burke converted and booted two penalties to give Sarries a 13-10 half-time lead.
Saracens again punished Stade for a card early in the second half. Stade lock Tanginoa Halaifonua caught winger Rotimi Segun in the head with his shoulder in a 43rd minute tackle. Halaifonua saw yellow. Segun had to be replaced.
Two minutes later, hooker Jamie George touched down after Saracens mauled forward from a lineout.
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Saracens lost Rhys Carre for 10 minutes for leading with an elbow. After he returned, Burke booted his team to an 11-point lead in the 63rd minute.
Stade, a man short, rallied. Fullback Leo Barre looped round from a scrum to score and then converted.
But after the home team collapsed a maul in the 73rd minute and Hugo N’Diaye received a yellow, Saracens kicked to the corner and again drove over the line from the lineout.
Replacement hooker Theo Dan touched down and Burke converted to seal the first home loss suffered by a French club in this year’s competition.
Saracens rose to second in Pool 3, a point behind Northampton.
In Italy, Bath started only four of the lineup that lost at home to La Rochelle in round one.
Benetton quickly pounced, racing into a 15-point lead after 15 minutes with tries from fullback Rhyno Smith and winger Louis Lynagh.
Former Ireland U20 captain Niall Annett replied for Bath but a breakaway try from an interception by Smith put the hosts 17-7 up at half-time.
Bath made a host of changes and fought back.
Flanker Josh Bailey touched down after 52 minutes. Prop Thomas du Toit, a starter last week and a half-time replacement on Sunday, added a try after 58 minutes. Orlando Bailey landed his third conversion to put Bath four points ahead.
Benetton were not done, however. They pressed furiously and after bungling a series of chances, won the game in the last minute when Bautista Bernasconi scored an unconverted try.
Benetton climbed to fourth in Pool 2. Bath are fifth, ahead of winless Bristol because of two losing bonus points.
In Toulon, centre Leicester Fainga’anuku gave the home team a fifth minute lead.
Glasgow were handed a brief numerical advantage after Baptiste Serin was shown yellow for clapping referee Matthew Carley for awarding Glasgow a 24th-minute penalty.
The visitors ran the kick and when the defence brought down the maul Carley awarded a penalty try and showed Lewis Ludlum yellow.
With 13 men, Toulon outscored Glasgow. Marius Domon, taking over the kicking from Serin, landed two penalties. Fullback Josh McKay scored an unconverted try for Glasgow.
Fainga’anuku and lock Brian Alainu’uese touched down early the second half. Serin converted both. Glasgow replied with a try by lock Olujare Oguntibeju.
Serin put Toulon eight points up with a penalty but the hosts ended with 14 men after Domon was shown yellow for a deliberate knock on in the 75th minute.
Johnny Matthews squirmed over for a last-minute bonus-point try but on a weekend when two French clubs, Castres and Bordeaux, also won despite incurring three yellow cards, Toulon, who lost all four of their pool matches last season, held on to move to the top of Pool 1.
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Saracens exploit further Stade ill discipline as Benetton edge weakened Bath
SARACENS, HELPED BY the latest bout of ill-discipline of Stade Francais, overcame a slow start to win 28-17 in the Champions Cup on Sunday, as Bath paid for rotating their squad, losing 22-21 away to Treviso.
In a frantic game, Toulon survived three yellow cards to beat visiting Glasgow 30-29.
From the kickoff in Paris, Stade pinned their English visitors back. Peniasi Dakuwaqa scooted over untouched in the corner after three minutes.
Zack Henry converted. When he added a penalty after 12 minutes, Saracens had barely completed a pass or escaped their half.
The match changed after 21 minutes when flanker Sekou Macalou first tripped Ivan van Zyl as he picked the ball up from a scrum. Macalou then dived on the fallen scrum half, catching the South African’s head with an arm. Referee Hollie Davidson opted for a red card, Stade’s third in two Champions Cup fixtures after they were reduced to 13 men in last weekend’s defeat to Munster.
Two minutes after the French international was sent off, Liam Williams, making his second Saracens debut after returning from a stint in Japan, swerved through the defence and slid over the line.
Fergus Burke converted and booted two penalties to give Sarries a 13-10 half-time lead.
Saracens again punished Stade for a card early in the second half. Stade lock Tanginoa Halaifonua caught winger Rotimi Segun in the head with his shoulder in a 43rd minute tackle. Halaifonua saw yellow. Segun had to be replaced.
Two minutes later, hooker Jamie George touched down after Saracens mauled forward from a lineout.
Saracens lost Rhys Carre for 10 minutes for leading with an elbow. After he returned, Burke booted his team to an 11-point lead in the 63rd minute.
Stade, a man short, rallied. Fullback Leo Barre looped round from a scrum to score and then converted.
But after the home team collapsed a maul in the 73rd minute and Hugo N’Diaye received a yellow, Saracens kicked to the corner and again drove over the line from the lineout.
Replacement hooker Theo Dan touched down and Burke converted to seal the first home loss suffered by a French club in this year’s competition.
Saracens rose to second in Pool 3, a point behind Northampton.
In Italy, Bath started only four of the lineup that lost at home to La Rochelle in round one.
Benetton quickly pounced, racing into a 15-point lead after 15 minutes with tries from fullback Rhyno Smith and winger Louis Lynagh.
Former Ireland U20 captain Niall Annett replied for Bath but a breakaway try from an interception by Smith put the hosts 17-7 up at half-time.
Bath made a host of changes and fought back.
Flanker Josh Bailey touched down after 52 minutes. Prop Thomas du Toit, a starter last week and a half-time replacement on Sunday, added a try after 58 minutes. Orlando Bailey landed his third conversion to put Bath four points ahead.
Benetton were not done, however. They pressed furiously and after bungling a series of chances, won the game in the last minute when Bautista Bernasconi scored an unconverted try.
Benetton climbed to fourth in Pool 2. Bath are fifth, ahead of winless Bristol because of two losing bonus points.
In Toulon, centre Leicester Fainga’anuku gave the home team a fifth minute lead.
Glasgow were handed a brief numerical advantage after Baptiste Serin was shown yellow for clapping referee Matthew Carley for awarding Glasgow a 24th-minute penalty.
The visitors ran the kick and when the defence brought down the maul Carley awarded a penalty try and showed Lewis Ludlum yellow.
With 13 men, Toulon outscored Glasgow. Marius Domon, taking over the kicking from Serin, landed two penalties. Fullback Josh McKay scored an unconverted try for Glasgow.
Fainga’anuku and lock Brian Alainu’uese touched down early the second half. Serin converted both. Glasgow replied with a try by lock Olujare Oguntibeju.
Serin put Toulon eight points up with a penalty but the hosts ended with 14 men after Domon was shown yellow for a deliberate knock on in the 75th minute.
Johnny Matthews squirmed over for a last-minute bonus-point try but on a weekend when two French clubs, Castres and Bordeaux, also won despite incurring three yellow cards, Toulon, who lost all four of their pool matches last season, held on to move to the top of Pool 1.
– © AFP 2024
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