The Heineken and Amlin Cups kicked off over the weekend of 10th to 13th October. The Amlin started first on Thursday night whilst the Heineken closed proceedings on Sunday.
Here follows our comments on the Heineken games and then our predictions for round two next weekend.
Friday night went much as planned with Connacht going down to Saracens 17-23. The first half was a tight affair and ended even, but the boot of Owen Farrell saw the visitors stretch away and take the win. Next up and the second Irish Province on show Ulster. We thought that on their present form Leicester Tigers would be to strong, but that was not the case and the Ulster-men won 22-16. This from 13-10 at the break. Tigers do take an important bonus point home for their exertions. Last on Friday night was Toulouse Zebre. Toulouse won this one 38-5 having been 24-0 at the break and cruising.
Saturday and Edinburgh kicked off proceedings with a hard fought and deserved win over Munster. It was 0-0 at the break and looking much like a stalemate but the second period things opened up and Edinburgh who sit at the bottom of the Pro12 took the win 29-23 thanks in part to the boot of skipper Greg Laidlaw. Next to Italy and Benetton Treviso who had Montpellier visiting and taking the spoils back to France 10-27. This was another that stood honours even 0-0 at the break. So to Harlequins and a lesson in running rugby from Scarlets who took the win and plaudits back to Wales 26-33. Half time here was 10-20 and the way the game was being played Quins were lucky to have any sort of foothold and squeeze a losing bonus point. next back over the channel to Castres and a real humdinger where the home side and current French Champions took the win 19-13. Saints did gift one try which would have seen another result, but cannot quibble at losing 19-13. Half-Time being 10-3. Next up and Ospreys were given a lesson by Cup maestros Leinester 9-19. This was a low scoring affair which was 6-13 at the break and did not ignite in the second period apart from both sides going at it hammer and tongs. We travel to the west country next and Gloucester take a narrow victory over Perpignan 27-22. This was good news given they were behind 9-13 at the break.
Sunday and first up we Stay in the west country travelling to Exeter who revel in the Heineken and this year look a lot stronger than last as they won round one 44-29 against Cardiff Blues. They were already out of sight at 36-3 at half-time and took the foot of the pedal in the second half allowing the gap to close. But not enough for any bonus point. The last two games are both over the channel first down south in the warm Mediterranean sunshine of Toulon this was an amazing game as the home side had total control in the first half and led 34-0 at the break. They then went to sleep and let Glasgow Warriors creep back to within a score before stretching out to the final score of 51-28. Last to Paris and Racing Métro 92 hosting ASM Clermont Auvergne in a clash of the French money giants. This was a really tight affair that went to the home side 13-9. As they came back from being 3-9 down at the break. Given the clash this was all in front of a small crowd of 9,300.
So round one done and dusted and we called all bar three games correctly. Not to bad given the form guide. Here are all the results:
Heineken Results One & Fixtures Two
Fri 11 Oct 20:00 P3 Connacht Rugby 17-23 *Saracens* The Sportsground Sky Sports
Fri 11 Oct 20:00 P5 Ulster Rugby 22-16 *Leicester Tigers* Ravenhill Sky Sports
Fri 11 Oct 21:00 P3 *Toulouse* 38-5 Zebre Stade Ernest Wallon Canal+
Sat 12 Oct 13:35 P6 *Edinburgh Rugby* 29-23 Munster Rugby Murrayfield Sky Sports
Sat 12 Oct 14:35 P5 Benetton Treviso 10-27 *Montpellie*r Stadio Comunale di Monigo Sky Italia
Sat 12 Oct 15:40 P4 *Harlequins* 26-33 Scarlets The Twickenham Stoop Sky Sports
Sat 12 Oct 16:40 P1 Castres Olympique 19-13 *Northampton Saints* Stade Pierre Antoine France 2
Sat 12 Oct 18:00 P1 Ospreys 9-19 *Leinster Rugby* Liberty Stadium Sky Sports
Sat 12 Oct 18:00 P6 *Gloucester Rugby* 27-22 Perpignan Kingsholm Sky Sports
Sun 13 Oct 12:45 P2 *Exeter Chiefs* 44-29 Cardiff Blues Sandy Park Stadium Sky Sports
Sun 13 Oct 16:00 P2 *Toulon* 51-28 Glasgow Warriors Stade Félix Mayol France 2
Sun 13 Oct 21:00 P4 *Racing Métro 92* 13-9 ASM Clermont Auvergne Stade Yves-du-Manoir (Colombes) Canal +
Friday night and given Saracens are home we will go with them to win. Tigers game should be all together a straightforward home win. Saturday and we see Toulon taking the away win as will Connacht. Leinster a home win, whilst Ulster away at Montpellier will be a cracker that goes the way of the Irish. Scarlets to continue to giant kill, this time Racing. Whilst Munster will win at home dashing any hope Gloucester may harbour.
Sunday and we are going for all wins to the home sides as Saints do for Ospreys, Perpiganan Edinburgh, Glasgow Warriors Exeter Chiefs and ASM Clermont Auvergne Harlequins.
Here are all the Heineken Games and our picks in*BOLD*.
Round Two Fixtures:
All Times Local
FRi 18 Oct 19:45 P3 Saracens v Toulouse Wembley Stadium Sky Sports
FRi 18 Oct 20:00 P5 Leicester Tigers v Benetton Treviso Welford Road Sky Sports
Sat 19 Oct 13:35 P2 Cardiff Blues v Toulon Cardiff Arms Park Sky Sports
Sat 19 Oct 14:35 P3 Zebre v Connacht Rugby Stadio XXV Aprile Sky Italia
Sat 19 Oct 15:40 P1 Leinster Rugby v Castres Olympique RDS Sky Sports
Sat 19 Oct 16:40 P5 Montpellier v Ulster Stade Yves-du-Manoir (Montpellier) France 2
Sat 19 Oct 18:00 P4 Scarlets v Racing Métro 92 Parc y Scarlets Sky Sports
Sat 19 Oct 18:00 P6 Munster v Gloucester Thomond Park Sky Sports
Sun 20 Oct 12:45 P1 Northampton Saints v Ospreys Franklin’s Gardens Sky Sports
Sun 20 Oct 13:45 P6 Perpignan v Edinburgh Stade Aimé Giral Canal +
Sun 20 Oct 14:00 P2 Glasgow Warriors v Exeter Chiefs Scotstoun Stadium
Sun 20 Oct 16:00 P4 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Harlequins Stade Marcel Michelin France 2
Amlin Cup as mentioned kicked-off on Thursday night with three games. First Sale Sharks heaped more woe on Biarritz beating them 33-10. The half-time score having been 16-3. This outing showed that Sharks have another fine 10 in the wings as Joe Ford racked up sixteen points from the boot. Next up and our away call Grenoble fell short losing at Bayonne
37-6. This was already in the bag at 23-6 for half-time. So to Paris and Stade Francais. The biggest score on Thursday or Friday night 61-3. 35-3 at half-time and the home team did not slacken off.
Friday night two games and first Newport Gwent Dragons had a good day for them in European rugby winning 50-8. They were at 31-3 at half-time. So to London Irish another team looking to the European Cup to kick start the winning habit. They certainly did all they could here with a 60-11 win over Cavalieri Prato.
Saturday and the rest of the games were played out with first; Bucharest Wolves pushing Newcastle Falcons all the way to the final whistle and going down 12-13. This was 0-0 at the break and what a shame that only some 1,100 fans turned out to see their team leading for quite a patch of the second half. So to the highest scoring game of the weekend as Viadana went down to London Wasps 17-90. Not a lot can be said about this apart from Wasps scored thirteen tries but none by Christian Wade. Back to some normality as Oyonnax drew with Worcester Warriors 9-9. Coming back from 3-9 at the break. So to Cammi Rugby Calvisano and another draw, this time against Brive. Score was a bit higher at 20-20. Half-time score was 13-10. Last up and Bordeaux Begles went down 6-15 to Bath. This one had quite a good crowd of some 15,500 who saw their side 3-9 down at the break.
Results Amlin Round One & Fixtures Round Two
All Times Local
Thu 10 Oct 19:45 P1 *Sale Sharks* 33-10 Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque AJ Bell Stadium Sky Sports
Thu 10 Oct 20:45 P4 Bayonne 37-6 *Grenoble* Stade Jean-Dauger Eurosport
Thu 10 Oct 20:45 P5 *Stade Francais Paris* 61-3 Lusitanos XV Stade Jean Bouin
Fri 11 Oct 19:15 P2 *Newport Gwent Dragons* 50-8 Rugby Mogliano Rodney Parade
Fri 11 Oct 20:00 P5 *London Irish *60-11 I Cavalieri Prato Madejski Stadium
Sat 12 Oct 15:00 P3 Bucharest Wolves 12-13 *Newcastle Falcons *Stadium Arcul de Triumf
Sat 12 Oct 15:00 P4 Viadana 17-90*London Wasps* Stadio Comuncale Pierluigi Zaffanella
Sat 12 Oct 18:30 P1 *Oyonnax* 9-9 Worcester Warriors Stade Charles Mathon
Sat 12 Oct 19:30 P3 Cammi Rugby Calvisano 20-20 *Brive* Peroni Stadium
Sat 12 Oct 21:00 P2 Bordeaux-Begles v *Bath Rugby* Stade Chaban-Delmas France 4
Thursday night and Wasps we pick to win at home but it will be a tough night and close call. Friday just one game again and we see Grenoble having to much for Viadana.
Saturday and all the other games are played out we will go for; London Irish, Bordeaux-Begles, Satde Francais Paris, Oyonnax and Sale Sharks all to win away from home. Ndxt up Bath and Bucharest Wolves to be home winners and last up Newcastle Falcons to win but away from home. There should be some tight games in those as well as some fierce encounters.
So follows the Amlin fixtures and our picks, again in BOLD:
Fixtures Round Two:
All Times Local
Thu 17 Oct 19:45 P4 London Wasps v Bayonne Adams Park Stadium Sky Sports
Fri 18 Oct 19:30 P4 Grenoble v Viadana Stade Lesdiguières
Sat 19 Oct ? P5 Lusitanos XV v London Irish Estádio Nacional
Sat 19 Oct 14:00 P2 Rugby Mogliano v Bordeaux-Begles Stadio Comunale Maurizio Quaggia
Sat 19 Oct 14:00 P5 I Cavalieri Prato v Stade Francais Paris Stadio Enrico Chersoni
Sat 19 Oct 15:00 P1 Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque v Oyonnax Parc des Sports Aguiléra
Sat 19 Oct 15:00 P1 Worcester Warriors v Sale Sharks Sixways Stadium
Sat 19 Oct 15:00 P2 Bath v Newport Gwent Dragons Recreation Ground
Sat 19 Oct 15:00 P3 Bucharest Wolves v Cammi Rugby Calvisano Stadium Arcul de Triumf
Sat 19 Oct 21:00 P3 Brive v Newcastle Falcons Stade Amédée-Domenech France 4