European Champions Cup

Highlights: Challenge Cup final

The Cardiff Blues fought back from 20-6 down to win 31-30 in Bilbao.

Highlights: Racing 92 vs Munster

Teddy Thomas scored a hat-trick in Racing’s 27-22 win in Bordeaux.

Highlights: Leinster vs Scarlets

Leinster scored five tries in their 38-16 Champions Cup semi-final win in Dublin.

Koch scores as Sarries stay alive

SARugbymag.co.za looks back at the past weekend’s European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup matches involving South African players.

Munster secure home quarter-final

Munster, Racing 92 and La Rochelle all booked their places in the European Champions Cup playoffs, while Wasps missed out despite beating Ulster. Johann van Graan’s Munster claimed an emphatic 48-3 victory against Castres to top Pool 4 and book a home quarter-final against Toulon. Scrumhalf Rory Kockott put Castres in front with an early penalty, but that’s as good… Read more →

Duane’s Toulon into quarters despite loss

The Scarlets, Clermont and Leinster secured home quarter-finals in the European Champions Cup, while Toulon also booked their place in the playoffs on Saturday. In a straight shootout for top spot in Pool 5, the Scarlets held on desperately to clinch a riveting 30-27 win over Toulon. The result sees the Scarlets secure a first home quarter-final and makes them… Read more →

Grobler receives Van Graan’s support

Munster coach Johann van Graan insists that Gerbrandt Grobler’s doping ban is a ‘thing of the past’. Grobler tested positive for an anabolic-androgenic steroid in 2014 while he was still with the Stormers and Western Province, and received a two-year suspension after admitting his guilt. He was then handed an opportunity with French club Racing 92, before signing a three-year deal… Read more →

Ospreys pile more misery on Saints

The Ospreys claimed an impressive 32-15 bonus-point win over the Northampton Saints, while there were also European Champions Cup victories for Clermont, Wasps and Munster. The Ospreys followed up last week’s shock 43-32 victory over Northampton with another clinical display for a crucial victory in the return fixture, which takes them up to second in the Pool 2 standings above… Read more →

Louw stars in Bath win

Francois Louw was named Man of the Match after Bath’s 26-21 win against Toulon, while there were also European Champions Cup victories for Ulster, Montpellier, the Scarlets, Racing 92 and Leinster. Bath outscored their opponents by three tries to two at The Rec on Saturday, with loosehead prop Beno Obano and Anthony Watson (two) crossing the line. But it was flanker Louw… Read more →