Challenge Cup

Sharks too strong for ordinary Edinburgh

14 April 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Sharks ……………36pts Tries: Am 16, J Venter 26, Mbonambi 55 Conversions: Masuku 17, 27, 56 Penalties: Masuku 48, 52, 65, 70; Bosch […]

On-target Carreras makes no mistake

14 April 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ………23pts Tries: Blake 30 Penalties: Carreras 6, 18, 34, 49, 60, 65 Ospreys…………… 13pts Tries: Giles 13Conversions: O Williams 13 Penalties: […]

Murphy promises new focus after Ulster are demolished by Clermont

14 April 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Clermont………..53pts Tries: Yato 18, 68, Sowakula 36, 60, Newsome 44, Simmons 64, Jurand 80 Conversions: Belleau 19, 37, 45, 61, 65, Bezy […]

Coach praises efforts in defence

14 April 2024 0 comments

GLOUCESTER director of rugby George Skivington praised his side’s defensive effort. He said: “After missing so many tackles in our league fixture against Bristol, we’ve […]

Connacht know they must rise to the occasion

14 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW… Benetton v Connacht Today. Kick-off 12.30pm CONNACHT know they will have to go up a gear to see off Benetton today. […]

Pienaar heads the list for Europe’s golden oldies

14 April 2024 0 comments

In the course of wheeling their way into the Challenge Cup quarter-finals last weekend against the Cheetahs, the Michelin Men of Clermont brought a somewhat […]

EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final preview

11 April 2024 0 comments

Eight countries from seven different nations remain in the Challenge Cup as it reaches the quarter-final stage, with an Anglo-Welsh clash getting things underway on […]

Ulster set for massive fight

7 April 2024 0 comments

Preview Montpellier v Ulster Today. 12.30pm ULSTER interim head coach Richie Murphy says a ‘massive test’ awaits in Montpellier. Ulster have lost their last two […]

Clermont survive second-half scare

7 April 2024 0 comments

Clermont ……..27 Cheetahs …….22■By BEN JAYCOCK THREE-TIME Challenge Cup winners Clermont held off a Cheetahs fightback to earn a place in the last eight. Clermont […]

Umaga stars for 14-man Benetton

7 April 2024 0 comments

Benetton ……..27 Lions ……………. 17 ■By SAM JACKSON THE Lions were booted out of the Challenge Cup by a Benetton side that played half the […]

Carreras’ boot keeps Gloucester in control

7 April 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ……… 30pts Tries: Mercer 8, May 27, Llewellyn 32 Conversions: Carreras 8, 27, 32 Penalties: Carreras 54, 60, 79 Castres …………….25pts […]

Dominant Ospreys out-muscle the weakened Sharks

7 April 2024 0 comments

■By ROGER PANTING mance from them and a tion has to be made of the 30 metres out from his own Ospreys …………. 20pts Tries: […]

Ace Velacott snipes over for quickfire try double

7 April 2024 0 comments

■By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh………33pts Tries: Watson 23, Currie 42, Vellacott 53, 56; van der Merwe 67 Conversions: Healy 24, 43, 54, 69Bayonne………… 15pts Tries: Spring […]

Bundee’s back to boost Connacht

7 April 2024 0 comments

Preview Pau v Connacht Today. 5.30pm IRELAND duo Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham come into the starting XV as Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins names […]

Sisi leads way on 100th appearance

7 April 2024 0 comments

Preview Sharks v Zebre Today. 3pm DAVID Sisi captains Zebre on his 100th appearance for the club as the Italian side hope to secure a […]

EPCR Challenge Cup last 16 preview

4 April 2024 0 comments

Teams from seven nations are represented in the round of 16 of the EPCR Challenge Cup, which gets underway on Friday night as Gloucester host […]

Keen demand to host Euro finals weekend

4 February 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Dominic McKay, chairman of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), has revealed that interest in hosting European club rugby’s finals weekend was higher […]

Edinburgh claim vital bonus point to proceed

21 January 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets ………… 19pts Tries: Roberts 14, Conbeer 79, Penalty 80 Conversion: Lloyd 79 Edinburgh……… 31pts Tries: Vellacott 3, Nel 7, Van der […]

Gloucester seal home advantage for last 16

21 January 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ………35pts Tries: Atkinson 9, Clarke 50, Hastings 68, Tuisue 72 Conversions: Hastings 9, 50, Carreras 68 Penalties: Hastings 25, 60, Carreras […]

Wales prop Thomas ruled out of Ospreys’ South African safari

21 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Lions v Ospreys Today. Kick-off 1pm, Ellis Park THE Ospreys have already qualified for the Challenge Cup knockout stages but know […]

Black Lion …….. 3 Clermont ………36

21 January 2024 0 comments

CLERMONT secured home advantage in the last 16 with a five-try rout of the Georgian newcomers. The Top 14 giants and three-time former winners ended […]

Pau ………………..28 Zebre …………….27

21 January 2024 0 comments

JOE Simmonds was the star of the show as he contributed 18 points in Pau’s win over Italian side Zebre. Zebre fly-half Geronimo Prisciantelli missed […]

Oyonnax ……….28 Cheetahs ……..27

21 January 2024 0 comments

JULES Solan stepped up to slot a match winning conversion in injury time to complete Oyonnax’s comeback victory after Adrien Bordenave scored a try in […]

Benetton ………27 Montpellier …19

21 January 2024 0 comments

TOMAS Albornoz ran the show to secure Benetton home advantage in the last 16 and boost his chances of taking over from Nicolas Sanchez as […]

Tough for Falcons as Diamond gets ready

21 January 2024 0 comments

■ By PAUL REES NEWCASTLE’S players will have their fourth boss in less than a year when Steve Diamond starts work as consultant director of […]

Brown returns as Dragons aim to make it four in a row

21 January 2024 0 comments

PREVIEW… Dragons v SharksBy BEN JAYCOCK Today. Kick-off 5.30pm, Rodney Parade THE Dragons are aiming for four victories on the spin at Rodney Parade as […]

Challenge Cup Friday and Saturday previews

19 January 2024 0 comments

Half of the places provided by the EPCR Challenge Cup pool stages for the last 16 have already been decided. Six sides are through, and […]

Cockerill handed Georgia job

18 January 2024 0 comments

Former Leicester Tigers boss and England assistant Richard Cockerill has been named head coach of the Georgian national team and their club side Black Lion. […]

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup round three Sunday round-up

15 January 2024 0 comments

The third weekend of EPCR action ended with half of the qualification places now decided in each of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup. Though […]

Williams sees red as Scarlets eliminated

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Clermont………..xxpts Tries: player name and time Conversions: player name and time Penalties: player name and time Drop goals: player name and time […]

Mercer in the right place for Gloucester

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh………..20pts Tries: Young 22, Ashman 61, Vellacott 68 Conversion: Healy 69 Penalty: Healy 52 Gloucester ……… 21pts Tries: Rees-Zammit 45, Mercer 74 Conversions: […]

Full-back Hopkins is star of the show as fans pay tribute to JPR

14 January 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Ospreys………….25pts Tries: Hopkins 40, 50, Giles 63 Conversions: Edwards 51, 64 Penalties: Edwards 34, 43 Perpignan……….. 3pts Penalties: McIntyre 46 ON a […]

Willemse power makes difference

14 January 2024 0 comments

Montpellier ..13 Lions ……………… 3 UNDEFEATED Montpellier went three from three to top Pool 2 with victory over South African side the Lions. Both sides […]

Le Brun keeping Castres on course

14 January 2024 0 comments

Castres ………..28 Black Lion ……. 6 CASTRES secured their second win in the Challenge Cup to boost their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages […]

Dragons blow chance of booking home leg

14 January 2024 0 comments

By JOHN WILKINS Zebre………………20pts Tries: Gesi 26, 51; Bianchi 44 Conversions: Montemauri 45 Penalties: Montemauri 35 Dragons………….17pts Tries: Rosser 58 Penalties: Evans 6, 13, 17, […]

Cheetahs excited for trip to Dam

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Preview Cheetahs v Pau Today. 1pmTHE Cheetahs are gearing up for this historic clash as the South African franchise host a match […]

Horror show goes on for dejected Falcons

14 January 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle…………………….18pts Tries: Bello 13, McCallum 62 Conversion: Connon 14 Penalty: Connon 4, 24 Benetton……………………… 57pts Tries: Albornoz 16, Ratave 19, 43; Menoncello […]

Springbok stars step up for error-strewn Sharks

14 January 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Sharks …………38 Oyonnax ……….. 7 URC bottom side the Sharks made life difficult for themselves but in the end secured a convincing […]

Challenge Cup round three Friday and Saturday Preview

12 January 2024 0 comments

Round 3 of the Challenge Cup promises an array of exciting fixtures, featuring eight matches unfolding across Friday and Saturday with teams vying for a […]

The French out in front? That’s not how it looks

24 December 2023 0 comments

With 12 victories in 16 games, Paul Rees reflects on a promising start by English clubs in the Champions Cup It has been a chastening […]

Dreadful night for Scarlets

24 December 2023 0 comments

When they drank Llanelli dry the day the Scarlets beat New Zealand 51 years ago, the public houses to run out of beer included The […]

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Sunday round-up

18 December 2023 0 comments

Narrow victories for Exeter and Leicester ensured English teams came away with more wins than losses on a second-straight weekend of Champions Cup action. Although, […]

Dungeon of obscurity needs to be shut

17 December 2023 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT Barely able to buy a round of drinks, let alone a win – the good men and true of Kingsholm are up against […]

Scarlets stunned by Matkava’s history boys

17 December 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets ………….. 7pts Try: Fifita 4 Conversion: Lloyd 5 Black Lion ……..23pts Tries: Modebadze 34, Mamrikishvili 58 Conversion: Matkava 35, 59 Penalties: […]

Mercer leads the charge at Kingsholm

17 December 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ………28pts Tries: May 16, Socino 32, 35 Conversions: Carreras 32, 35 Penalties: Carreras 40, 56, 68 Clermont…………. 17pts Tries: Jauneau 17, […]

Morgan rested as Booth makes changes for Ospreys’ French test

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK THE Ospreys go into today’s trip to Top 14 basement side Montpellier without Wales captain Jac Morgan, who is rested. Ospreys head […]

Prisciantelli drives Zebre fightback

17 December 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Oyonnax ………14 Zebre …………… 21 ZEBRE fly-half Geronimo Prisciantelli kicked eight points as his side fought back from an 11-point deficit in […]

Try double gets record for Rhyno

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN WILLIAMS Benetton ……..29 Perpignan …….. 7 Full-back Rhyno Smith became Benetton’s all-time leading try scorer in EPCR competitions as his side enjoyed a […]

Late drama as Dragons denied at the death

17 December 2023 0 comments

By DAVID JOHN DRAGONS were denied back-to-back Challenge Cup victories in the final play of the game as Pau registered their first win of the […]

Sharks excited for derby tear up

17 December 2023 0 comments

Preview Cheetahs vSharks Today. 1pm By BEN JAYCOCK THE Sharks and Cheetahs both go into today’s Challenge Cup derby in high spirits after opening round […]

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