The European Rugby Champions Cup finalists were decided on the weekend—Saracens and Racing 92 will appear in the final in Lyon on Saturday 15 May.
England were embarrassed in the World Cup but their national team made a recovery in Six Nations and their club teams continued the rise in the European Rugby Champions Cup.
England had five of the eight teams in the quarter-finals and three of the four teams in the semi-finals. Could they get two in the final?
Jimmy Gopperth – dithered with a kick and got charged down
Saracens 24 – Wasps 17
Saracens were the bookies’ favourites: although they just had their noses in front of the Wasps in the Aviva Premiership, they had the experience of 19 knockout matches in the last six years and also a more rounded game.
But the Wasps were a dazzling outfit capable of brilliant rugby in a Super Rugby style, and had scored more tries than any other side in the English Premiership.
And that’s how Wasps started after flying winger Wade zipped down touch against a narrow defence and the supporting Robson scored after 80 seconds.
It was like watching the Highlanders and the Hurricanes, but that was their only escapade of the half because they spent most of it trying to get out of their territory and hardly ever did; let alone with the ball.
Yet Sarries couldn’t score for an age until Wasps’ flyhalf Gopperth dithered with a clearance and flanker Rhodes charged the ball down for a try which was not converted. Wasps were still in front 7-5 but Saracens took the lead on the buzzer for half-time when Saracens’ flyhalf Farrell remembered how to kick a goal.
Half-time score: Saracens 8 – Wasps 7.
It was a poor return for Sarries’ authority in the match to date, but they lacked game-breakers.
Owen Farrell – hooked three into the rough
In the third quarter of the game Farrell kicked two penalties for Saracens, to one for Gopperth of Wasps. Saracens 14-10. Then at 62 minutes Farrell lined up for another shot at goal and as soon as commentator Miles Harrison said “This guy is one of the world’s best”, Farrell hooked his third kick of the day into the rough.
More was happening for Saracens than penalties though: Billy and Mako Vunipola had made some bruising runs, hooker Schalk Brits was fizzing around the park and lock Maro Itoje was causing nightmares for the Wasps’ lineout.
Saracens looked set for a try at 68 minutes with a four-on-two and a few metres out, but centre Taylor dropped the ball cold. However with eight minutes left they drove a lineout maul from 25 metres away and held it tight until the goal line before Wasps collapsed it.
Penalty try: Saracens 24-10.
Hardly had commentator Harrison said Sarries were surely on their way to Lyon for the final when Ashley Johnson scored at the other end for Wasps. When play restarted the score was Saracens 24 -17 with 3:40 to go. Wasps got close to their opponent’s 22 but dropped the ball in the last minute and Sarries cleared from the scrum to win.
Final score: Saracens 24 – Wasps 17.
Although Wasps had some highlights, Saracens were the more complete team and deserved the win. Maro Itoje of Sarries was the official Man-of-the match but live-wire Schalk Brits must have been a strong contender.
Racing 92’s goodish flyhalf
Racing 19 – Leicester 16
The top try-scoring team in the 2016 European Rugby Champions Cup (Leicester Tigers) were up against the best defensive side (Racing 92). Both were fourth in their domestic competitions and a good contest was on the cards
France scrum half Machenaud scored in the third minute for Racing after winger Rokocoko carved through the Tigers’ defence like a young pup. Racing’s goodish flyhalf, a fellow called Dan Carter, converted, and later kicked a penalty goal for his team to lead 10-0 at 20 minutes.
The Paris side dominated for most of the first period as their big pack belted the Leicester outfit who showed a lot of purpose but handled poorly whether forced to or not.
The Tigers couldn’t make inroads even with big bopper no. 8 Opeti Fonua aimed at the defensive wall, nor could centre Manu Tuilagi make a dent further out. But not much scoreboard damage was done to the English team: the only thing crocked was the ankle of their flyhalf Freddie Burns, who had to retire after playing well.
Penalty goals were kicked and Racing was ahead by 13-6 at the break but it should have been by more.
Johan Goosen – scored a try that never was
Leicester was more imposing after the interval and created more chances but although the Racing defence was not so suffocating they couldn’t profit because of poor handling. As if in sympathy the French team started making mistakes also.
Penalties were swapped and near the hour mark Racing took their biggest chance when centre Goosen ran diagonally for a well-taken try—but it was called back for a short pass deemed forward !!
He got some consolation however when he kicked a long-range penalty goal for Racing to lead 19-9 with seven minutes left, which meant that Leicester would have to score twice to stay in the competition.
Then came an error that stopped Racing from putting the result beyond doubt; and wouldn’t you know it: winger Veainu scored near the end for Leicester and the conversion had them behind just 16-19 with time for a kick-off.
But with the ball deep in the Tiger’s half and Racing acting like Goodie-Two-Shoes at every ruck, Tuilagi was forced to seal off for Leicester and Racing were off to Lyons for the final.
Final score: Racing 19 – Leicester 16
Leicester couldn’t perform to their best on the big occasion and although Racing was not stellar, they deserved to progress.
Halves Machenaud and Carter made the difference for the French team, and Masoe was back to his commanding form at Castres a few seasons ago; but I’d give the GAGR Man-of-the-match award to scrummie Maxime Machenaud who was often brilliant before he had to go off because a painful injury, somewhere near his groin. Ouch.
Roman Poite – was oddly competent most of the time
The referees
Roman Poite was oddly competent most of the time in the first semi-final, though he sometimes gave the right decision for the wrong reason he stated.
Maybe it was his Inspector Clouseau English, but one of his explanations caused commentator Stuart Barnes to remark:
He’s making up things that are not in the book of laws
It’s what he does Stuart.
Nigel Owens is a character and my favourite referee, but sometimes gets things wrong: he made the error mentioned above.
In the 76th minute and ten points behind, Sarries were passing on attack and Juan Imhoff of Racing stuck his mitt out and the ball was dropped. Imhoff picked it up and hared off to the posts but the whistle blew before he got there.
The commentators recommended a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, instead of just a penalty. But although Owens doesn’t like to invoke the TMO as much as other referees do (and won’t be persuaded by a TMO question which is code for: “You may have stuffed up Nige.”), he asked the TMO if the knock-on was deliberate or not.
There was no knock-on at all but it quacked like a duck and Nige had blown the whistle. He apologised profusely to Racing and said he had made a mistake—as many of them had that day.
Just as well Racing won
Peter Betham – launched some attacking raids and threw the money ball
The Players
There were some interesting players on show in the two semi-finals.
The Aussies
George Smith, now 35 years-old, and rounder, had an influential game for Wasps as he had for most of the season.
Peter Betham played outside centre and launched some Leicester attacking raids in the second half, that were too-often stalled by bad handling. He gave the wide money ball for the try to Tealusi Veainu, not really an Aussie, but who played better than any game I can remember from him for the Rebels.
The big surprise for me was the excellent performance of Leicester openside Lachlan McCaffrey who played for a few Aussie Super teams without making a splash. Like Julian Salvi, it looks like the England game suits him.
England tourists to Australia
Leicester – 12 Manu Tuilagi hardly breached the tackle line of Racing in a game when he had to. THP Ben Coles had Les Bleues LHP Eddie Ben Arous under duress; scrummie Ben Youngs did not shine but flyhalf George Ford was one of the best Tigers until injured.
Wasps – Winger Christian Wade created the first try for them and fizzed into a few gaps. He is more likely to be on the plane than Chris Ashton of Saracens who showed some petulance which would not have endeared him to Eddie Jones. Neither lock Joe Launchbury nor back rower James Haskell were remarkable.
Saracens – Owen Farrell did not kick adequately at goal but otherwise played well except for some scatty moments that Eddie Jones would not have enjoyed.
The Vunipola brothers were rugged and had some searching short runs; they will be in Aus, though no. 8 Billy was not as dominant as in Six Nations. Billy looked trimmer than in the test matches but maybe the red and black jerseys just made him look slimmer.
George Kruis did not feature a lot but the best England player in the ERCC semi-finals was his Saracens’ locking partner Maro Itoje, who was a pest for the Wasps’ lineout, was good in the tight, occasionally the loose, and is acquiring a fine appreciation of spoiling tactics.
He will go far.
Maro Itjoe – rising star will go far
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