It was back to club duty across Europe after the Guinness Men’s Six Nations and the Rugby Europe Championship wrapped up last weekend. There were thrills galore in the Top 14, Gallagher PREM Rugby, and United Rugby Championship (URC).
It was back to club duty across Europe after the Guinness Men’s Six Nations and the Rugby Europe Championship wrapped up last weekend. There were thrills galore in the Top 14, Gallagher PREM Rugby, and United Rugby Championship (URC).
In the Top 14 Bordeaux-Begles kept their playoff hopes alive when they beat Toulouse in a repeat of last year’s final. Elsewhere, Stade Français and Montpellier boosted their playoff hopes, there were wobbles from Clermont Auvergne and Pau, and are La Rochelle making a late dash?
In the PREM Northampton Saints were given a fright from Newcastle Red Bulls, and Gloucester won an important clash at the bottom.
South Africa’s teams enjoyed themselves in the URC with all four recording victories, while table toppers Glasgow Warriors kept up their momentum with a convincing win over Leinster.
In Super Rugby Pacific the standings are starting to take shape with over a third of the regular season played, and no team yet to take a hold on proceedings. New faces are putting themselves forward for international selection, while everyone is taking points off each other home and away.
Argentina put their case forward for hosting the 2035 World Cup and promised to spread the game across the continent with Brazil, Chile and Uruguay lined up for involvement. Just give the good folks from World Rugby steak every meal and you’ll be sorted.
Oh, and Eddie Jones had his say on Steve Borthwick’s future as England coach…
Here’s ATR’s favourite soundbites…
“I just admire a guy like him to be able to have such a long career, particularly as a front rower. Hopefully, we can spoil the party, but we’ll celebrate that occasion with him after the game.”
Damian McKenzie didn’t play party pooper as James Slipper celebrated 203 Super Rugby matches, when the Brumbies beat the Chiefs:
“He’s done a few things over the time since I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with him, that has been special. He chased down a winger on the edge defensively. He chased down Tupou Vaai and got a jackal in the final and, he scored the 500th try at Apollo Projects Stadium.”
Crusaders head coach Rob Penney keeps rubbing his eyes at what All Blacks prop Fletcher Newell delivers:
“We want to make sure that in these last eight games we look like what we want to look like, we go after what we want to go after and play some good rugby.
Gloucester head coach George Skivington hopes victory over Harlequins is a sign of better things to come:
“He’s just been a man possessed every time he gets that ball. Always beating the first tackle.”
Ex-Fijian winger Nemani Nadolo likes what he see in Reds and Aussie wing Filipo Daugunu:
“The experience will be invaluable for some of the younger players, but we understand now what’s coming round the corner each week for the rest of the season.
Northampton Saints boss Phil Dowson realises they got away with one after trailing Newcastle Red Bulls at halftime:
“We lost a lot of possession in their 22, we threw the ball away too often. We were not up to the task, neither in terms of efficiency nor in terms of clean rugby on the basics.”
Clermont Auvergne assistant Julien Laïrle doesn't mince his words after a late defeat to Montpellier:
“We said we weren't looking at the standings, that we were going to stop doing the calculations, that we were going to focus on each match, approaching them to win, to put in the best possible performance.”
La Rochelle's Antoine Hastoy is keeping his head down as the season's end approaches:
“If you’re making unforced errors, it’s hard, and giving penalties away and then coming on trying to make an impact and getting carded.”
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph has a good idea for his team’s latest loss:
“At the start of the second half, we had a couple of chances down their end and threw an awful offload under their posts. That could have had us back in the game, to be honest, and they went 100 metres and scored. It seemed to knock us massively.”
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall wants his side to be more clinical:
“Steve’s done a good job with England, they’ve just come off a string of 12 wins. here’s no doubt they had a bad tournament, so he’ll need to show to the RFU he knows why he’s had a bad tournament, he knows how he’s going to turn it around and I’m sure he can do that. Maybe he’s got a few things wrong, and they’ll need to help him rectify those errors, but they’d be foolhardy to change.”
Eddie Jones advises his old bosses to give Steve Borthwick a second World Cup, unlike him:
“When you say, do I want to get back? I still think I have unfinished business at the Test level.”
World Cup winning coach Jake White makes a come and get me plea:
“As part of the strategic strengthening of regional rugby, the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) is moving forward with its official bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup.”
An Argentine World Cup? Yes please:
“It will be five years in November this year, so we will see what happens.”
Expect New Zealand-born Glasgow Warriors fullback Josh McKay to be waiting by the phone:
“It was really tough. There was no culture within the team. You had to re-establish everything. I was looking at it and thinking how the hell did they get to the 2023 World Cup in such great shape, there must be something there.
Whatever it was Portugal coach Simon Mannix found it on the way the Rugby Europe Championship title:
“I’ve been told by a mathematician that it’s highly implausible. We’ve got to win every game with bonus points, and everyone else has to lose. I think it’s beyond the realms of reality, and I’m more of a pragmatist than I’m a dreamer, unfortunately.”
Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson isn’t making plans for the PREM Final:
“I think he’s always been in pretty good form, but he has certainly gone another level this season.”
Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss likes what he sees from Jock Campbell:
“That’s the dream. I want to get in there more than anything. I want to play with the best, play international footie. Ireland has become my home, and I would love to go and wear that green jersey.”
Connacht’s Sean Jansen won't say no to a call up for his grandparents homeland:
“On Thursday, March 19, Simone Ferrari underwent cervical spine stabilisation surgery. The procedure was performed by Dr. Marc Szadkowski in Lyon. The prop will now begin his rehabilitation program.”
Benetton reveal that Simone Ferrari won’t be motoring on the field for a while: