Here's something to chew on. The Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge cup delivered some tasty matchups this weekend. Full flavoured treats.
The first game I saw this weekend was easily the best of the bunch: Brive vs Munster.
It was almost Super 15 like – Lots of counter-running, ruddy awful defending and sublime skill mixed with ridiculous offloads and sloppy handling errors. The proof in the pudding was despite the handling errors and knock ons, the attacking intent of both sides meant it took 25 minutes before there was a scrum as the ball was run end to end. Doug Howlett was the star of the show.
Sadly I've drank beer and been to sleep since the game so I can't comment much more on it on account of forgetting the key moments – So onwards!
USAP and Toulon was a brilliant ding-dong, back and forth affair with the tidilyst of scorelines to separate the finale. Is what "Auntie" described (in their deliciously one-eyed way) as 'Perpignon ending Wilkinsons Hopes', early blood was taken by the "visitors" in the Olympic Stadium which set the tone as the scores went back and forth throughout.
Poor discipline eventually cost Toulon, although ironically it was USAP who were reduced to 14 men for a quarter of the game when both 2nd rows had themselves binned and found themselves on the wrong end of a 6-11 deficit at half time. The boot of Perpignan fullback Porical proved to be the decider in the 2nd period despite the try count of the match being 3-2 in favour of Toulon. The final score ended 29-25. Considering the way Saints routinely seem to be giving stupid penalties in the first half, they'll have to be careful against USAP who've shown they will punish indiscipline.
Saturdays other game from Dublin was Leinster vs Leicester, as the self proclaimed greatest team ever (mk. 2) looked for a repeat performance as they looked to repeat their performance of the 2009 final against the evil, oppressive Sassenach.
Erm. The game happened. Leicester weren't very good. Neither were Tigers. Leincester "Won" (if that's what you want to call it) but seriously need to improve if they want to progress beyond Toulouse in the semis. There were a couple of tries (and a disallowed one which actually looked alright to me). The highlight being Nacewa's good run combined with comedic defending for the opening 5-pointer early in the 2nd half. Nothing more to be said really.
The other East Midlands vs Ireland clash come on Sunday as Northampton "hosted" Ulster in Stadium MK. What was a really good contest between 2 much more evenly matched sides then the scoreline suggested, Saints rocketed out of the blocks with a Tonga'uiha try in the 2nd minute before Ulster wrestled their way into the game with 2 Humphries penalties and a deft backhand pass from Best split the green wall and put Trimble under the posts in the 33rd minutes.
Saints replied with a Myler penalty on the stroke of halftime bringing the score back to 10-13.
Impressively from a Northampton point of view, Trimbles effort was Ulsters final say on the scoreboard as the visitors were nilled for the final 47 minutes of the game. The battle of attrition told once Ulsters pack began to tire due to the intense pace of the game and the persistent heat of the Sunday sun as the fitter Northampton pack crushed the Ulster forwards hitting every ruck and maul and bulldozing through every scrum. The apparent even contest between Tonga'uiha and Botha – the talking point for fans before the game - swung the way of the big Tongan as the game went on.
The moment of the afternoon came after Danielli failed to chase up a clearance along the right flank. Fodens took the quick lineout then1-2-3 back and forth passing between him and Ashton saw play come to 10 metres from the Ulster line. Sloppy retreating from Ulster meant that Jon Clarke was able to pick up the ball before the ruck could form and deftly pass it to Lee Dickson who had the simplest of run ins. The trademark counter-attacking from Saints put an end to the match as a contest and after the conversion Ulsters head went down further,
The disappointment for the Irish fans will come from the "what could have been". Ian Humphries clearly had the better of his opposite number (who seemed hell bent on returning every scrap of possession the Northantonians got with his boot), but the service he received was poor as Lee Dickson marshalled his pack to greater effect then Pienaar managed. The tight 8 in white weren't getting shout at enough by the general and that proved the difference on the day.
At the end of April we have Northampton vs USAP and Toulouse vs Leinster. I'll resist temptation to make predictions just yet, but they are two some mouth-watering fixtures, repeating last years semi-final of the Heineken Cup in Dublin and two sides who shared the spoils one-each in group 1 of the 2009-2010 tournament (assuming Nigel Owens doesn't spoil the game again!)
Hopefully the hangover is over soon as the trip to now-bottom Newcastle is never an easy game and a wounded animal (or in this case, Falcon) is always the most dangerous.
Bring it on.
