Champions Cup roundup: La Rochelle beat Lions after emotional tribute to Andrews
The Johannesburg-based Lions put up a gritty battle on an emotional Champions Cup debut however got here up quick 31-14 at La Rochelle as each side paid tribute to the South African lock Hyron Andrews, who died all of the sudden on the group’s resort in western France.
The entire stadium noticed a minute’s silence whereas Andrews’s No.5 shirt was laid on the pitch earlier than kick-off. La Rochelle’s three South African gamers introduced a jersey to their guests in reminiscence of the participant, who died on Friday at Lions’ resort on the close by Ile de Ré.
A supply near the investigation mentioned that Andrews, who was 31, was found in cardiac arrest in a bathe cubicle that was locked from the within.
Andrews’s demise got here precisely 10 years after Munster coach Anthony Foley died in his resort room forward of their match at Racing 92. Those two groups had already deliberate a commemoration once they play in Cork in a while Saturday.
The wingers Tevita Ofa and Davit Niniashvili have been on the scoresheet within the first half for hosts La Rochelle, who led 19-14 as Lions replied by way of Henco van Wyk and Morne Brandon. Second-half scores from Australia hooker Silatolu Latu and Fijian winger Avakuki Niusalelekitoga earned La Rochelle a bonus level.
In the opposite recreation in Pool 2, Cian Prendergast and Ciaran Frawley scored two tries apiece as Connacht defeated Saracens 45-36 in a thriller. Saracens made the higher begin and opened up a 12-0 lead by way of tries from Sione Vaenuku and Noah Caluori however the Irish facet got here storming again.
Three tries in 12 minutes from Prendergast, Cathal Forde and Shamus Hurley-Langton put them in entrance, however the latter was despatched to the sin-bin simply earlier than half-time and Nick Tompkins capitalised to make it 19-19 on the break.
It remained nip and tuck as Prendergast went over for his second just for Rotimi Segun to discover a swift reply. Frawley was subsequent to cross earlier than Vaenuku grabbed his second however tries from Caolin Blade and Frawley’s second helped Connacht open up a 14-point hole.
That was diminished to 9 when Elliot Daly scored Saracens’ sixth strive following a yellow card for Prendergast however Owen Farrell missed the conversion to disclaim them a bonus level.
Glasgow Warriors prolonged their unbeaten begin to the brand new season by pulling away to say a powerful 47-27 win at Sale in Pool 1. Glasgow’s profitable rating regarded convincing, however they secured victory within the last 20 minutes after Rekeiti Ma’asi-White had briefly diminished Sale’s deficit to 4.
The hosts had made all of the operating within the early phases and have been 12 factors up inside the primary 10 minutes because of tries from Ben Curry and Arron Reed. The guests hit again by way of a penalty try to additional efforts from Kyle Steyn and Jamie Dobie to carve out a 21-15 lead on the interval.
The recreation regarded within the steadiness till late tries from Rory Darge, Ollie Smith and debutant Tavi Tuipulotu helped Glasgow draw back and wrap up a bonus-point win. Glasgow host Pau of their subsequent Champions Cup encounter whereas Sale journey to Leinster for a difficult check in mid-December.
Also in Pool 1, Leinster produced a effective second-half show because the Irish facet recorded a bonus-point 48-23 win in opposition to Clermont on the Stade Marcel-Michelin.
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Tadhg Furlong and Dan Sheehan each scored tries for Leinster within the opening interval, however the guests trailed 16-15 on the interval after a Joris Jurand try to 11 factors from Harry Plummer’s boot. Sam Prendergast crossed for Leinster moments after the half-time break they usually took full management when Clermont collapsed a scrum which handed the guests a penalty try to led to Nohem Ez Zahouany being despatched to the sin-bin.
Leinster shortly took benefit of their numerical superiority as Sheehan touched down for his second strive of the afternoon. Mathys Belaubre crossed for Clermont’s second strive of the day, Jack Conan shortly responded with a transformed rating that gave Leinster a 20-point benefit when the penalty expired.
Tommy O’Brien’s 76th-minute strive then added gloss to the rating because the Irish facet wrapped up a powerful victory on French soil.
In Pool 3, the Stormers ran in seven tries in a 49-12 thumping of Bristol of their Champions Cup opener. The house facet have been on high from the beginning in Cape Town, with Seabelo Senatla scoring their first strive within the seventh minute earlier than Leolin Zas added a second eight minutes later.
Joe Owens broke away down the wing for a solo strive for Bristol within the twenty second minute however Jonny Roche restored Stormers’ benefit earlier than the half-hour mark. JJ Kotze was proven a 20-minute crimson card for head-to-head contact earlier than the break, whereas a yellow card for Zas – leading to a disallowed strive – gave the Bears a major numerical benefit that they took benefit of by way of a primary strive for the membership from Sol Moody.
However, Roche then scored his second and the ultimate 10 minutes was a horror present for Bristol as they conceded three extra tries. First, Warrick Gelant crossed, then Andre-Hugo Venter bought in on the act earlier than Vas ended an eventful recreation together with his second – with all seven tries transformed by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Munster host Racing 92 in a late kick-off in the identical pool.
In Pool 4, the Bulls beat Stade Français 21-6. Bath are internet hosting Montpellier in an 8pm BST kick-off within the different match in that group.
