Share

WRAP: Heineken Cup Round 1

Jamie Macken

European rugby’s show piece tournament kicked off over the weekend. Now in its 15th year the Heineken Cup has gone from strength to strength. With 24 teams competing in six pools across the traditional “home nations” (Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales) and France and Italy it surpasses Super Rugby if not in quality, then certainly in scale.

Last year’s final was an all French affair with Toulouse, Europe’s most successful club, defeating Biarritz in a final which was fittingly played in Paris. Strangely enough, the competition has been dominated by Irish clubs over recent years with Munster (twice) and Leinster proving too strong in three of the last five finals. The signs this year are that French teams have all the cards, but a question always remains over their performances away from home.

No Welsh, Scottish or Italian team has won the competition despite the Welsh outfit, The Ospreys, reaching the quarter-finals in the last three seasons. Yet again this season they look the most likely of the Welsh or Scottish teams to make an impression as their squad features players such as Kiwi Jerry Collins, British and Irish Lions stars Tommy Bowe, Lee Byrne, James Hook and Alun-Wyn Jones and former world player of the year Shane Williams.

The Heineken Cup is open to clubs in the Magners League (Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy), Aviva Premiership (England) and the Top 14 (France). Clubs that do not qualify for the Heineken Cup can enter the European Challenge Cup.

The Heineken Cup pool games are played over six rounds from October to January. There is a break for the November international series and again in February and March for the Six Nations campaign before resuming in April with the quarter-finals. The final is played in a different stadium each May; this year’s final takes place in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Each year the competition goes from strength to strength; the average attendance for last season’s pool games was 15 000 up from 6 500 in 1995. The 2009 semi-final between Irish rivals Leinster and Munster in Croke Park was attended by 82 208 people and set a world record for a club match in the sport's history. The competition, like the Six Nations, benefits from the close proximity of many of the stadiums.

The favourites to lift this year’s cup are the current champions Toulouse who have already won the competition a record four times. English side Leicester are second favourites.

Interestingly both teams feature a limited amount of South African registered players when compared with teams such as Saracens who have an astonishing eight South African’s in their squad.

So after Round One, how has each team faired and which South African’s have proven their worth in Euros and Pounds??

Friday, October 8

Pool Six:
Glasgow Warriors (SCOT) 21 – 13 Newport Gwent-Dragons (WAL)

No South African’s were involved in a game which saw Glasgow’s first victory in the opening weekend of the competition since 1997. The Scottish side will look to continue their good start when they travel to face double European champions London Wasps next weekend, while the Dragons must regroup for the visit of the Heineken Cup Champions Toulouse to Rodney Parade.

Pool Four:
Ulster (IRE) 30 – 6 Aironi Rugby (ITA)

The 1999 European Champions ran out 30-6 victors in Pool 4, although the performance was less convincing than the scoreline suggests. Ulster led just 11-6 at the break but three second-half scores effectively secured maximum points with 12 minutes remaining.

Springbok star Ruan Pienaar marked his first Heineken Cup experience by scoring two penalties and a try. Although he missed two conversions and hit the post with a penalty it was a typically lively and solid performance by arguably one of Ulster’s biggest ever signings.  In particular the summer signing demonstrated his class to snipe over from close range and put the game beyond doubt.

The Ulster team featured three other South African’s in the form of second row Johann Muller, and back row forwards Pedrie Wannenburg and Robbie Diack.

Prop BJ Botha, who sustained a wrist injury against Irish rivals Connacht in Round Four of the Magners League, was named in the extended squad but suffered a setback earlier in the week and was consequently not included.

Pool One:
Northampton Saints (ENG) 18 – 14 Castres (FRA)

A try within 27 seconds of the re-start after half-time swung the balance in favour of Northampton Saints in this tense Pool 1 battle. Danie Saayman was South Africa’s soul representative on the pitch; by all accounts another sound game for the No 3.

Saturday, October 9

Pool Two:
Leinster (IRE) 38 – 22 Racing Metro 92 (FRA)

Leinster signaled their Heineken Cup intentions with a fine bonus-point win over French Top 14 leaders Racing Metro 92 in front of 18 000 at the RDS on Saturday afternoon.

Quite a few Springboks were involved with Francois Steyn kicking two penalties for the visitors, one of which he slotted from deep inside his own half. Former Cheetah’s hooker Richardt Strauss scored his first Leinster try to help the 2009 champions take all the points. Leinster summer signing and former Golden Lions prop Heinke van der Merwe also had a solid start to his Heineken Cup campaign. South Africa’s Jacques Cronje featured at open-side flanker for the French side while prop Scott Zimmermann was named on the bench.

There will be serious concern among Ireland supporters after Brian O'Driscoll pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury in the second half, an injury which has the potential to rule him out of the Springbok clash in November. Next up for Leinster is a trip to Wembley to face Saracens, while Racing entertain Clermont Auvergne in a mouth-watering all-French affair.

Pool Five:
Benetton Treviso (ITA) 29 – 34 Leicester Tigers (ENG)

Alessana Tuilagi's late score was the difference in Italy as double Heineken Cup Champions Leicester Tigers came from behind to beat Benetton Treviso. 

Pool Three:
Toulon (FRA) 19 – 14 Ospreys (WAL)

Toulon marked their Heineken Cup debut with a narrow victory over the Ospreys in Pool Three. Jonny Wilkinson inspired the French side to victory, setting up fellow England team-mate Paul Sackey to score the winning try with just four minutes remaining at the Stade Mayol.

Like Racing Metro 92, Toulon are the big cash spenders of European Rugby and both are setting out to prove the worth in Europe’s elite competition. Toulon’s starting XV featured a Scot, three English, two Aussies (including George Smith) and is captained by Argentinean no. 8 Juan Fernandez Lobbe. Their squad also consists of two South African’s in the name of Joe van Niekerk and Dewald Meyer Senekal but neither featured on Saturday.

England manager Martin Johnson looked on with interest as his former World Cup winning team-mate, Wilkinson, demonstrated how he still has the class to bring England to next year’s World Cup finals in New Zealand.

Pool Five:
Scarlets (WAL) 43 – 34 Perpignan (FRA)

Arguably the game of the weekend; a thrilling encounter which saw The Scarlets beat French giants Perpignan in a nine try spectacular at Parc y Scarlets. Two South African’s were involved in the party, both for the French side as Gavin Hume took on flyhalf duties and Gerrie Britz featured in the back row.

British and Irish Lions flyhalf Stephen Jones scored 28 points for the home side, including one of his side's four tries and 23 points with the boot. Perpignan clawed their way back from 40-15 down after 50 minutes to claim a try bonus point for themselves.

Pool Two:
Clermont Auvergne (FRA) 25 – 10 Saracens (ENG)

No less than five South African’s were in the fray when English side Saracens traveled to France for this Heineken Cup opener to Pool Two. As expected the experienced Marius Joubert started at No 12 for the home side. No less than four South African’s featured for Saracens including former Sharks’s centre Bradley Barritt, and prop Deon Carstens former Blue Bulls flyhalf Derick Hougaard and former Stormers hooker Schalk Brits. Premiership player of the month for October, Namibian Jacques Burger, who signed from the Bulls half-way through last season, was also on the pitch for the visitors.

Clermont outscored their English opponents by three tries to one, with Jamie Cudmore, Julien Malzieu and Napolioni Nalaga all touching down for the hosts. All in all and impressive win for the homeside.

Pool One:
Cardiff Blues (WAL) 18 – 17 Edinburgh (SCOT)

Former All Black Casey Laulala was the inspiration for Cardiff Blues as they beat Edinburgh by a single point at the Cardiff City Stadium. The Kiwi centre created one try and scored another to help his side to Heineken Cup success, however, the day will arguably be remembered for Scotland flyhalf Dan Parks’s off day with the boot, missing six kicks at goal in a tense Pool One fixture.

Interestingly Edinburgh’s captain, Roddy Grant, grew up in South Africa. He played for the Natal Schools side before moving to Scotland.

Pool Three:
London Irish (ENG) 23 – 17 Munster (IRE)

Sam Tuitupou's last minute try threw Munster a much needed lifeline to take into next weekend's home clash with Jonny Wilkinson's Toulon. In typical Munster fashion the visitors never gave up and left the Medjeski Stadium with a losers bonus point.

London Irish inflicted on 2009 champions Leinster at the beginning of last season’s campaign and have inflicted the same damage on two time champions Munster for the current season. London Irish looked set not only to take all four points but also deny Munster anything after England full back Delon Armitage had landed a 52 metre penalty to stretch his side's lead to 11 points with eight minutes left to play.

The top ranked team in England at the end of the first month of the season, London Irish were full value for their 15-6 interval lead and had dictated the course of events with their hard-core defence and clever game management from outside half Ryan Lamb.

The sole South African representative on the pitch for this encounter was prop Wian du Preez who after an initial three month contract with the Irish giants, has now committed to Munster for the next two years, therefore putting himself out of contention for next year’s world cup. The young prop had previously expressed his disillusioned by the lack of opportunities to play for the Springboks especially after C J van der Linde from his stint with Leinster.

Sunday, October 10

Pool Four:
Bath (ENG) 11  – 12 Biarritz (FRA)

Former Cheetah’s scrumhalf, Michael Claassens (Bath), and long-term French based prop Eduard Coetzee (Biarritz) were the only South African’s to take the pitch on Sunday as Biarritz won four vital points in an away trip at the Reck. Claassens scored an important sixth minute try for Bath but it was not enough as Biarritz closed out the game in dramatic style. English flyhalf, Olly Barkley, had a glorious opportunity to put Bath ahead inside 74 minutes but instead opted to run the ball, a decision which ultimately could have changed the result. 

Biarritz Olympique are perhaps one of the most unlucky teams in the competition's history. Despite making two finals and another two semi-finals, they are yet to win the biggest prize in European club rugby. An opening win away from home is a job very well done for the French team.

Pool Six:
Toulouse (FRA) 18 – 16 London Wasps (ENG)

Heineken Cup champions Toulouse kicked off their European campaign by defeating London Wasps in a tough home encounter. French flyhalf David Skrela scored all the points for the home side, the only try of the game coming from Wasps replacement David Lemi.

Former Springbok Shaun Sowerby started at No 8 for Toulouse. The South African has enjoyed a lot of success in France since leaving the Sharks in 2003, including winning the Heineken Cup for Toulouse in 2010. Front row forward Daan Human was picked on the bench for the French side.

Summary

Twenty South Africans were picked to play in the opening round of the Heineken Cup this weekend. In reality there could have been a number more with the likes of BJ Botha set to return next week for Round Two and a handful of former Springboks on substitutes' benches. It will be interesting to observe the progress of players such as Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn but also of some of the younger South African’s as the Northern Hemisphere winter sets in and the competition unfolds.

Round Two takes place from October 15-17.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE