Glasgow 37 – Bath 10
After the visitors opened the scoring with a penalty goal 13 Mark Bennett scored a brilliant stepping try for Glasgow; but straight after the restart an up-and-under was dropped and 13 Jonathan Joseph flashed through to score for Bath.
Bath led 10-7 at 13 minutes but they were not to score another point in the match.
Glasgow scored two tries in eight minutes after that and led 23-10 at half-time.
Sean Maitland and Mark Bennett follow the ball
Bath had good moments in the third quarter of the game but lacked the execution and flair to convert them to points. But when Glasgow got chances after the hour mark they scored two exuberant tries in five minutes to earn a bonus point.
Glasgow dominated the physical contest and won 37-10.
Man-of the-match was Glasgow’s organising srummie Henry Pyrgos, with honorable mentions to dynamic 8 Adam Ashe who could play only half a game before being injured, and 13 Mark Bennett scored two tries, one brilliantly.
For Bath 19 George Ford performed well despite a lot of scrappy ball and 12 Kyle Eastwood threatened before he injured his ribs before oranges.
George Ford – Bath
Toulouse 30 – Montpellier 23
Toulouse had never lost to a French club in the Heineken Cup but this did not faze the visitors in this new competition.
After the teams swapped penalties it was an arm wrestle for most of the first half hour until Montpellier winger Samisoni Viriviri ran very, very fast to score under the posts. But hold the phone: Toulouse skipper Thierry Dusautoir had a whinge that he was held back in the preceding scrum.
Referee Wayne Barnes ordered the TMO to look at it and the try to the Fijian Sevens player was disallowed. WTF – was this TMO by request?
But it didn’t matter because Montpellier scored immediately afterwards and the score was 10-3 to Montpellier with six minutes to go in the half. But they couldn’t contain the home team and after Toulon goaled a scrum penalty they also kicked though from halfway for the winger to score.
Instead of being behind at half-time Toulon led 13-10.
Yoann Huget – step-danced for his second try
The pace of the game lifted after the break. Montpellier, with a man in the bin, scored a brilliant try in the corner from a tip-toe down touch. After the restart Toulon replied in kind after a kick-pass to get their 3-point lead back.
Just after the hour mark Montpellier drew level 20-20 from a penalty goal, but Toulon, themselves a man short now, responded with some exuberant interplay. A converted try had them leading 27-20 with 13 minutes left, and their penalty goal at 79 minutes took away Montpellier’s bonus point position; 30-20.
There was just time for Montpellier to restart play. They stuffed up when they got the ball back and tap-kicked a penalty instead of going for goal, but they took a second chance, to make the final score 30-23 to Toulouse, and reclaim the losing bonus point.
Winger Yoann Huget got the well-earned man-of-the-match award. The scorer of two tries, his second was a piece of work when he step-danced defenders. The front row of Steenkamp, Flynn and Johnston—and second-rower Maestri—had rugged games. Flyhalf McAlister was superb and scarcely less good when he moved to inside centre after Flood played from the bench.
The Montpellier front row gave as good as they got and 10 Enzo Selponi subbed well for the injured Trinh-Duc.
Aussie watch – Ex-Wallabies Ben Mowen and Sitaleki Timani each made a strong contribution for Montpellier.
130 kg plus no. 8 Edwin Maka, the 21-year-old who played for Victorian Schools three years ago and later for West Harbour Colts in Sydney, got just 10 minutes play for Toulouse at the end of the game.
Edwin Maka – one that got away
Pool 5
Northampton, Ospreys, Racing Métro, Treviso
Northampton had won the Heineken Cup just once, 14 years ago, but they were favourites for the pool because they won the EP last season and were leading currently.
Ospreys, undefeated in the Pro12, were expected to advance to the finals with Northampton.
Racing Métro, who were in the middle of the Top 14 table and Treviso, the token Italian side and at the bottom of the Pro12, were expected to struggle.
Brice Dulin of Racing Métro on the move
Racing Métro 20 – Northampton 11
Racing looked sharp early in Paris and scored a converted try after five minutes. They looked better than a mid-table side in the first half, whereas the Northampton Saints didn’t look like the top team in England. Northampton did well to restrict Racing to that one try and a lead of only 10-3 at the break.
The scrums were horrible for most of the game and at 55 minutes Racing lost a man to the bin after one infringement; yet the Saints had been penalised more often at the scrum and were intact.
Late in the half the only scoring in the second half had been a penalty goal apiece. The game wasn’t a page-turner but the final chapter could be exciting.
Racing got another player carded with seven minutes to go and after they lost two of their lineouts, the Saints scored—but the conversion missed.
Racing were ahead 13-11 and Northampton had the ball in their own 22 with a minute to go when commentator Stuart Barnes said that they shouldn’t try any stupid passes from a long way out to endanger their losing bonus point.
They didn’t—fullback Ben Foden tried a stupid kick instead. The ball bounced off a Racing player’s legs and delighted winger Marc Andreu picked it up to score.
Racing led 18-11 with no time left but could they kick the conversion from the tram-tracks to deny their rivals a bonus point?
Replacement flyhalf Johann Goossen slotted it easily.
Maxime Machenaud clears the ball for Racing
8 Antonie Claassen, a South African who has played for France, was my man-of-the match, though the steady head, hand and foot of Jonny Sexton was important.
13 George Pisi was dangerous for the Saints most times he had the ball, but had to retire early. 8 Samu Manoa, who is only one mis-type from being a country, was always difficult to bring down.
Aussie watch -Ex-Wallaby Salesi Ma’afu, the regular starting THP for the Saints this year, seemed strangely innocent for most of their scrum infractions. He was hardly noticeable around the park, though it looked like he had swallowed a cow since we saw him last at home.
Ospreys 42 – Treviso 7
Ospreys hadn’t lost a game in the Pro12 this season and Treviso hadn’t won one. The home team was therefore confident of a bonus point victory and left some test players on the bench, whereas Treviso had lost many of their internationals in the 20 players they shed since last season, and not replaced them well.
That said, it took the Ospreys 22 minutes to score their first try, from a scrum set piece, and didn’t get the next one until Treviso had a player in the bin.
But Ospreys were dominant in most facets of the game, including set pieces, and with Dead-Eyed 10 Dick Dan Biggar slotting kicks from everywhere, Ospreys were halfway to a bonus point and led 23-0 at half time.
Dan Biggar – obvious choice for man-of-the-match
They scored their third and fourth tries when Treviso had another man in the bin, to lead 37-0 with 25 minutes remaining.
Ospreys had the lion’s share of the stats but could score only one more try, when a replacement Treviso back came off his wing position when not needed.
Treviso scored a long range try near the end of the game from turnover ball to make the final score Ospreys 42 – Treviso 7.
Ospreys were clearly superior to a Treviso team not up to their reasonable standard of last year.
Just as clearly was the choice of Biggar as the man-of-the match. He is a more versatile player these days and a more confident backline manager and tackle magnet. 9 Rhys Webb put his hand up for a Wales starting spot with a versatile performance including providing a well-delayed pass for the last Ospreys’ try.
For Treviso, ex Worcester and Wasps’ scrummie, Joe Carlisle, had a smart game in testing circumstances, and 6 Simome Favaro was energetic and tough.
Ospreys have just a six-day turnaround for their next game at Northampton, who will be desperate. Watch this space !!
Aussie watch – Salesi Manu came off the bench to play THP for Treviso after half time. The first thing he did was to collapse the scrum, which was not surprising, since he had his knee on the ground before the put-in. The second thing was to get a yellow card for entering the side of a maul. To his credit he scrummaged well when he returned from the bin.
Rhys Webb – has his hand up for Wales spot
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