Rugby union news: Challenge Cup quarter-finals produce thrilling games
Four excellent matches took place in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup this past weekend.
With every game providing plenty of tries and entertainment as the teams looked to progress to the semi-final stage, writes Sports News Blitz’s James Corrigan.
Ulster vs Stade Rochelais (41-24)
Ulster hosted Stade Rochelais in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.
The expected action from this match did not disappoint, as the first half saw both teams getting success against their opposition.
Ulster opened the scoring three minutes into the action after winger Zac Ward found some space following a lineout move, scoring the opening try of the match.
The home side added to their lead via a penalty kick and only extended it further after prop forward Tom O’Toole powered over the line from short range.
Ulster's scorer of the first try Zac Ward received a yellow card shortly after this try due to a dangerous clear-out within a ruck taking the home side down to 14 players.
Despite having one less player on the pitch their dominant first half display did not stop.
Ulster managed to work themselves to within a yard of the oppositions try line once again and scored another try in similar fashion to the last via lock forward Cormac Izuchukwu.
The home side's healthy lead of 24-3 was impacted by a fast start from the away team as Judicael Cancoriet drove over the line for their first try of the game.
Despite their effort of a comeback Ulster had other ideas, developing a huge overlap and a cross field kick allowed an unmarked Zac Ward to get in for his second try of the match.
Stade Rochelais hooker replacement Tolu Latu may not be the fastest runner but his brain was clearly thinking faster than any other player on the pitch at the time of his try.
The hooker picked the ball up from the ruck and ran straight through a sleeping Ulster defence giving the away team hope as they approached the final 30 minutes of the match.
It only took two minutes for the home team to respond again with a try of their own, killing the hopes of a comeback win.
Both teams managed to get another try before the final whistle with the away side scoring in the last play of the game.
Ulster will now progress to the semi-finals where they will face Exeter Chiefs, final score 41-24.
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Montpellier vs Connacht (45-22)
Montpellier were the home side in our next Challenge Cup quarter-final clash against Connacht.
Connacht managed to get the first points after a successful penalty kick however after some relentless attacking play from the home side two penalties were conceded within quick succession both due to foul play in the maul.
Both of these incidents resulted in yellow cards and eventually a penalty try for Montpellier.
Now with a two player advantage the home side kicked to the corner to attack their outnumbered opposition through a driving maul once more, as hooker Christopher Tolofua breezed over the line scoring their second try of the match.
With the away side finally back to a full 15 it didn't take them long to get a try of their own as their own hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin scored in the corner.
The disciplinary issues continued for the away side as winger Shayne Bolton received their third yellow of the first half for obstruction on another player.
Montpellier capitalised on their numerical advantage once again scoring two tries in quick succession before the half time break through prop forward Mohamed Haduas and fly-half Domingo Miotti.
Fly-half Sean Naughton got the first points of the second half, as the away team chipped away at the defence with powerful carries before the space opened up on the outside for an easy finish.
The home side scored the try of the match next through outside centre Auguste Cadot, who split the defense in half after some excellent passing.
A fourth yellow card was handed out in the second.
This time it was for the home side as Lyam Akrab was penalised for coming in at the side of the ruck.
Connacht were unable to make the most of their advantage and ultimately just didn't have enough firepower to get back into the game, with the final score 45-22 to Montpellier.
Zebre Parma vs Dragons (32-35)
A closely contested match, as Zebre Parma hosted the Dragons in this quarter-final match-up.
The Dragons scored the first try of the match 14 minutes into the action as outside centre Fine Inisi was first to a grubber kick that rolled over the try line.
Despite taking the lead a yellow card was shown to the away team as Dai Richards tackled a player off the ball disrupting some promising attacking play.
Zebre Parma wasted no time in taking advantage of their opportunity, scoring a well worked try through winger Jacopo Trulla.
The Dragons were able to find a response quickly despite still being a player down, as blindside flanker Harrison Keddie dove over the whitewash from short range to extend the away side's lead.
Another yellow card was shown to the Dragons, reducing their numbers on the pitch momentarily to 13 after try scorer Fine Inisi committed a deliberate knock on offence.
Outside centre Giulio Bertaccini scored under the posts bringing the scores level after the subsequent conversion kick.
Much like the first half the Dragons were able to score the first try of the second as Harrison Keddie got his second try of the match diving over the top of the ruck on the opposition try line.
A successful penalty kick from Angus O’Brien in the 76th minute extended the Dragons lead to 15 points and secured the victory away from home.
Zebre Parma did display a valiant effort scoring two tries in the final three minutes of the match making it a three point game, it was however too late in the action to allow them to comeback and win.
Final score: 32-35 to the Dragons.
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Benetton vs Exeter Chiefs (41-44)
Henry Slade executed the winning penalty kick in a closely contested match for Exeter.
In what was the game of the week for the Challenge Cup quarter-final stage, Exeter Chiefs travelled to Treviso Italy to face Benetton with both teams looking to progress to the semi-finals.
A fast start from the home side resulted in the first try of the game only four minutes into the action through lock forward Niccolò Cannone.
The Chiefs players' mentality did not drop after the disappointing start, responding with a try of their own via full-back veteran Ollie Woodburn only three minutes after the initial score.
A successful driving maul following a lineout resulting in a penalty try for the away side, Benetton’s winger Onisi Ratave conceded the penalty, collapsing the maul which was destined to power over the whitewash - receiving a yellow card for his offence.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Benetton fly-half Jacob Umaga scored a try for the Italian side, levelling the scoreline with his successful conversion that followed.
The excitement of the first half did stop there.
Prolific winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso received the ball with space out wide but still with work to do.
The powerful winger powered through the tackle and got over the tryline for Exeter's third try of the match.
A successful penalty kick followed from Slade, taking the Chiefs lead to 10 points.
However, a try from hooker Bautista Bernasconi along with a successful conversion and penalty kick from Jacob Umaga brought the score level as both teams headed to the changing rooms for the half time break.
It only took Exeter one minute to take the lead once more as fly-half Harvey Skinner split through the home side's defence scoring the seventh try of the match.
Similar to the start of the first half the opposition responded with a try of their own three minutes later, as Bautista Bernasconi scored his second of the match.
In what was now feeling more like a basketball game as opposed to a rugby one Exeter kept the entertainment going, scoring another try through the Italian international Andrea Zambonin.
After another successful penalty kick, the home side found more success and breached the Chiefs’ defence once more as Umaga got his second of the match, taking the lead for the first time since the eighth minute.
The home side held a 41-38 lead over Exeter following the try with only 15 minutes to go, however, two penalty kicks from Slade sealed the deal for the travelling side progressing them into the semi-finals.
Final score: 41-44 to Exeter Chiefs.
