Champions Cup Round 4 Recap: Last 16 confirmed after dramatic final pool round

Pau were coming off a big win against the Scarlets, hoping to bring that momentum into the game. It was the Bulls that led first, with Mpilo Gumede crossing the line three minutes in to draw first blood. The hosts kept their cool, and responded with Youri Delhommel’s try. Bulls responded, only for Pau to score two more, including Delhommel’s second to lead 21-12 at the break.

The floodgates opened and the rain was pouring in Southern France, with physicality only increasing. Cheswill Jooste was able to cut the gap to just five points, before the heightened intensity from the Bulls put Section Paloise on the back foot. Nizaam Carr went over with just seven minutes to go, as the Bulls retook the lead, and saw it out.

The result saw Pau relegated to Challenge Cup knockout rugby, whilst the Bulls snuck in for an away round-of-16 tie in the elite competition.

SECTION PALOISE: 24
TRIES: Delhommel 2, Maximan
CONVERSIONS: Mondinat, Souverbie 2
PENALTIES: Souverbie

BULLS: 26
TRIES: Gumede, Van der Merwe, Jooste, Carr
CONVERSIONS: Pollard 3

Bath were looking to confirm top spot in Pool 2, as Edinburgh came south of the border to stop them at The Rec. Ross Thompson kicked the first three points of the match off the tee for Edinburgh, but that was as good as it got. Thomas du Toit and Beno Obano scored, with a penalty try adding seven more points, to distance Edinburgh by a fair margin just 32 minutes in. Piers O’Conor would grab one back for the visitors, but Tom Dunn’s bonus-point score put the nail in the coffin just before halftime.

It was complete one-way traffic in the second half, with Joe Cokinasiga scoring two. Ben Spencer, Max Ojomoh and Henry Arundell all crossed the line for good measure.

Bath secured their top spot, giving themselves home advantage in the round of 16, as well as a potential quarter-final. Edinburgh’s two wins in the tournament gave them enough to sneak into the fourth spot, keeping them in the competition.

BATH: 63
TRIES: du Toit, Penalty try, Obano, Dunn, Cokinasiga 2, Spencer, Arundell, Ojomoh
CONVERSIONS: Russell 8

BULLS: 10
TRIES: O’Conor
CONVERSIONS: Thompson
PENALTIES: Thompson

Saturday January 17th

The bottom two Pool 1 sides clashed, in a hope that the Sharks might qualify for the knockouts. Aphelele Fassi started quick for the hosts, latching onto the kick of Jaden Hendrikse for a score in two minutes. Things got worse for Clermont as Yerim Fall was sent off for a dangerous tackle in the air on Yaw Penxe. A player down, it inspired the visitors to push hard, as Joris Jurand exploited the space to score. Hendrikse and Kylen Hamdaoui traded scores as the Sharks led narrowly 14-12 at the break.

The second half was a completely different picture, with 36 unanswered points from the Sharks, as well as two Clermont yellows, sealed all five points for the Durban side. Vincent Koch, Phiko Sobahle, Siya Masaku, Phepsi Buthelezi, Jurenzo Julius all added five, as well as Fassi’s second.

Despite the dominant win, the Sharks were subjected to Challenge Cup rugby, as Toulouse won, and Saracens finished with a better points difference, whilst Clermont finished bottom with zero points.

SHARKS: 50
TRIES: Fassi 2, Hendrikse, Koch, Sobahle, Masuku, Buthelezi, Jurius
CONVERSIONS: Hendrikse 4, Masuku

CLERMONT: 12
TRIES: Jurand, Hamdaoui
CONVERSIONS: Zamora

Both sides were playing for the next round: Stormers hoping for home advantage, Tigers to avoid Challenge Cup. The Stormers struck early, with Evan Roos and Andre-Hugo Venter scoring within 15 minutes. George Pearson and Will Wand replied as Leicester took a two point lead with minutes to go in the first half. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s three points gave Stomers a one-point cushion at the break.

Jamie Blamire and Leolin Zas exchanged tries in the first ten of the second half, before JD Scheckerling’s try gave Stormers some breathing room. Tom Manz got Leicester closer with seven minutes to go, but Imad Khan scored to secure the victory for the Stormers.

It would then be in the hands of Harlequins’ trip away to La Rochelle to decide the two sides’ fates. Victory for the Londoners pushed Stomers down to third, giving them an away tie in the knockouts, as well as saving Leicester from Challenge Cup rugby, keeping their tournament alive.

STORMERS: 39
TRIES: Roos, Venter, Zas, Scheckerling, Khan
CONVERSIONS: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 3, Khan
PENALTIES: Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Khan

LEICESTER TIGERS: 26
TRIES: Pearson, Wand, Blamire, Manz
CONVERSIONS: Searle 3

Leinster went in hoping to secure their home-knockout berth, unbeaten so far, whilst Bayonne, who were eliminated after Leicester’s point away to the Stormers, were hoping to upset the odds. The hosts got off to the better start, scoring first with Sireli Maqala after 15 minutes. Joris Segonds and Sam Prendergast traded penalties for Bayonne to be astonishingly leading 10-3 at half-time.

It took some time for Leinster to hit back, but as Herschel Janties was in the sin bin for the hosts, Dan Sheehan finally got Leinster rolling to level the scores. Another Segonds penalty put Bayonne up once again, but Prendergast hit back with only five minutes to go to all but secure the match. Max Deegan crossed the line as the clock hit red for good measure.

Leinster finished top of the pool unbeaten, hosting a home knockout match next up, whilst Bayonne failed to pick up a single point.

AVIRON BAYONNAIS: 13
TRIES: Maqala
CONVERSIONS: Segonds
PENALTIES: Segonds 2

LEINSTER: 22
TRIES: Sheehan, Prendergast, Deegan
CONVERSIONS: Byrne 2
PENALTIES: Prendergast

Both vying for a home knockout spot, Sale Sharks travelled to Toulouse for a winner-takes-all showdown, with defeat for the home side risking a shock exit. Emmanuel Meafou scored first after three minutes, keeping the hosts 7-0 up for the first 20 minutes. Tries from Julien Marchand, Antoine Dupont and Kevin Gourgues soon followed, and with two yellow cards before the break for Sale, it wasn’t looking good.

Tom Curtis got one back for Sale after the break, but it would prove only to be a consolation. Toulouse followed by scoring 49 points in 33 minutes; a bloodbath that would go on to inflict Sale’s record defeat. 11 tries, with as many conversions off the boot of Ramos saw the fullback take 29 points for his own personal tally.

Despite only winning two from four, Toulouse grabbed a home play-off berth, with Sale slipping down into third in the group.

STADE TOULOUSAIN: 77
TRIES: Meafou, Marchand, Dupont 2, Gourgues, Delibes, Lebel 2, Ramos, Graou, Brennan
CONVERSIONS: Ramos 11

SALE SHARKS: 7
TRIES: Curtis
CONVERSIONS: Curtis

Both sides had to win to secure Champions Cup safety, as Munster welcomed Castres for a heated fixture. Jeremy Fernandez opened the scoring with an early penalty, before Vuate Karawalevu ran through to score the first try of the match. Craig Casey, who overcame a shoulder injury from the last game at Toulon, scored two to win back the lead for Munster, before Theo Chabouni’s try saw Castres lead at the half.

Thaakir Abrahams and Edwin Odogbo gave Munster ten more points, and it looked as if the game was in the hands of the Southern Province, but Castres pounced whilst Munster were down to 14. Geoffrey Palis and Christian Amabadiang got Castres back into the lead, with Enzo Herve’s conversions making the difference. Odogbo’s final score could only be a consolation, as Munster would drop down to the Challenge Cup.

MUNSTER: 29
TRIES: Casey 2, Abrahams, Odogbo 2
CONVERSIONS: Crowley 2

CASTRES OLYMPIQUE: 31
TRIES: Karawalevu, Chabouni, Palis, Amabadiang
CONVERSIONS: Fernandez 2, Herve 2
PENALTIES: Fernandez

The Cherry and Whites needed a victory to keep their European campaign alive, as they hosted Toulon. Gale Drean and Mathis Ferte got on the score sheet early, as the three-time champions were up by 14 in as many minutes. Jack Clement got Gloucester on the scoresheet after half an hour, but former Saint Lewis Ludlam scored Toulon’s third on the stroke of half time.

Marius Domon’s 58th minute penalty broke the second half stalemate, before the magic Tomos Williams scored with 13 minutes left, and gave the Gloucester fans some hope, but time was running out for the PREM club to secure their European safety. Drean’s second try in the last minute put the final nail in the Gloucester coffin, as Toulon also secured their own home knockout match.

GLOUCESTER: 14
TRIES: Clement, Williams
CONVERSIONS: Barton 2

RC TOULONNAIS: 31
TRIES: Drean 2, Ferte, Ludlam
CONVERSIONS: Domon 4
PENALTIES: Domon

With the reigning champions unbeaten, and Bristol gunning for a home play-off, a rain-soaked Ashton Gate set up the backdrop for a clash of heavyweights. Gabriel Oghre’s early try was responded with two from Louis Bielle-Biarrey, as well as Nicolas Depoortere pushing the gap again.

Benhard Janse van Rensburg was able to provide hope in Bristol, cutting the gap to single points. Sam Worsley exchanged penalties with Mathieu Jalibert, before Louis Bielle-Biarrey completed his hattrick, and as well the bonus point victory for Bordeaux, as they finished top of the pool, with all 20 points earnt.

Despite winning three matches in the pool stages, Bristol would finish third, with Northampton's extra bonus points seeing them take the home play-off spot.

BRISTOL BEARS: 15
TRIES: Oghre, Janse van Rensberg
CONVERSIONS: Worsley
PENALTIES: Worsley

BORDEAUX-BEGLES: 27
TRIES: Bielle-Biarrey 3, Depoortere
CONVERSIONS: Jalibert 2
PENALTIES: Jalibert

Despite their domestic woes, Harlequins were still within the chance of making a home knockout match. Standing in their way was two-time champions La Rochelle, whose tournament found themselves fighting for survival. Davit Niniashvili crossed the line first, with a Marcus Smith penalty making it 7-3. Cadan Murley dived into the corner on the stroke of half-time to give his Quins side the lead.

Tyrone Green finished off a dangerous line up the middle, and gave Quins a cushion for the first time. However, Jack Nowell would run in a score against his old Premiership foes, as well as Thomas Berjon, and levelled up the scores. With plenty of Quins pressure, they were able to ship the ball wide to centurion Tom Lawday, who along with Smith’s late penalty, would push the score away from La Rochelle’s reach and produce magical away day memories for the Londoners.

La Rochelle will shockingly play Challenge Cup rugby, whilst Harlequins claimed home advantage in the round of 16.

STADE ROCHELAIS: 17
TRIES: Niniashvili, Nowell, Berjon
CONVERSIONS: West

HARLEQUINS: 27
TRIES: Murley, Green, Lawday
CONVERSIONS: Smith 3
PENALTIES: Smith 2

Scarlets, in need of a bonus point win to keep their Champions Cup campaign alive, travelled to last-year finalists Northampton, who were gunning for a home play-off spot. Ryan Elias got off to the perfect start for Scarlets, scoring after three minutes, but was soon countered by Eduardo Todaro’s opening try. Archie Hughes would regain the lead yet again for Scarlets, but Todaro ran in two more to complete a first-half hat trick for the Saints

Ollie Sleightholme and Craig Wright pushed the score out for Northampton, leaving them three scores ahead. However, Sam Costellow scored his own try before setting up Jac Davies to come within one score. Anthony Belleau’s late penalty all but secured it for Saints, with Callum Chick scoring his own at the end to add a cherry on top.

With Bristol’s loss, Saints finish second and host their next round-of-16 clash, whilst Scarlets’ European season is over.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: 43
TRIES: Todaro 3, Sleightholme, Wright, Chick
CONVERSIONS: Belleau 5
PENALTIES: Belleau

SCARLETS: 28
TRIES: Elias, Hughes, Costellow, Davies
CONVERSIONS: Costellow 4

Both Glasgow and Saracens had already secured a knockout spot, with Glasgow secured first place in the pool. Saracens could still have secured second with victory over the Warriors, and needed to avoid a heavy loss to stay away from Challenge Cup rugby.

Ollie Smith scored first, as Glasgow looked unplayable. An Owen Farrell penalty cut their early lead, but tries from Kyle Steyn and George Horne set the tone for how the match would play out. The second half was a more quiet affair, both Kyle Rowe and Noah Calouri’s yellow cards keeping things interesting, but Seb Stephen’s last play try secured the bonus point for Glasgow, and saw them earn 20 out of 20 points in the pool.

Saracens would only secure the fourth spot, only finishing above the Sharks on points difference.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: 28
TRIES: Smith, Steyn, Horne, Stephen
CONVERSIONS: Horne 3, Lancaster

SARACENS: 3
PENALTIES: Farrell