EUROPEAN ROUND-UP: THERE CAN be no doubting the performance of the weekend, Benetton Treviso's 9-8 victory over French champions, Perpignan, a result that has added resonance for Munster as the Italians visit Thomond Park next weekend.
After a run of eight consecutive defeats in Europe, Treviso produced a gritty performance in front of their home supporters. The 35-year-old South African Marius Goosen kicked three penalties to nudge his side home.
Team manager Franco Properzi enthused: “It was a great day for Treviso in the Heineken Cup and a significant day for Italian rugby. We’ve had some good results in the past, but in this game we beat the French champions – we’ve never done that before.
“It was a very hard game and it was made all the more difficult in the beginning because of the wet weather. That helped our scrum and pick and drive, but once the sun came out it allowed Perpignan to throw the ball about. It has got to be the greatest win we’ve ever had in the Heineken Cup.”
Treviso have beaten Pontypridd (twice) and London Wasps in the tournament but defeating Perpignan is a landmark victory.
Properzi continued: “Now we have to go to Munster in the next round, which won’t be easy. They are one of the top teams in Europe and we know we are going to be the underdogs despite this victory. We will have to scrum as well as we did against Perpignan when we go to Ireland and we will have to hope that Cornelius Van Zyl can be as dominant in the lineout.”
Munster have been warned.
A late try from Rhys Thomas, converted by Stephen Jones, put a gloss on the Scarlets 24-12 victory over Brive at Parc y Scarlet. The home side led 11-9 at half-time through a brace of penalties from the Welsh outhalf – he chipped in with 11 points overall – and a try from Lee Williams. Brive’s response came from the boot of Andy Goode, who posted three penalties. The teams shared the next six points with a penalty apiece before Thomas’s late try.
Brive host Leinster next weekend while London Irish welcome the Scarlets to London. Stade Francais romped to a four-try blitz in the opening half in a convincing 31-7 victory over Edinburgh at the Stade Jean Bouin.
Julien Arias, Sergio Parisse, Pascal Pape and Lionel Beauxis ensured the bonus point was secured before the half-hour mark in Paris. The home side added just a single penalty after the break with Edinburgh managing a converted try from centre Ben Cairns late-on. The Scottish side have now lost 17 of their last 18 away matches in Europe. They host Brian McLaughlin’s Ulster at Murrayfield at the weekend while Stade travel to Bath.
Blues coach Dai Young was left counting the cost of his team’s 20-6 victory over Harlequins at Cardiff City Stadium. Prop John Yapp tore a bicep and will be out for four months, Gareth Tomas ripped a muscle in his groin and will not play for six weeks, while Bradley Davies’s neck injury has him sidelined for three weeks.
Furthermore, the club must await the prognosis on New Zealand-born captain and secondrow Paul Tito who will undergo a scan after a clash saw him stretchered from the pitch on 38 minutes. Fullback Ben Blair kicked two penalties and added a brace of conversions to tries from Tom James and replacement Leigh Halfpenny. Harlequins’ response came from the boot of outhalf Nick Evans.
Biarritz Olympique edged past Glasgow 22-18 at Firhill with the help of a slightly fortuitous intervention from Magnus Lund. The former Sale player capitalised on a loose Glasgow lineout on their own try-line to get the touch ahead of Colin Gregor.
The rest of the match was dominated by the kicking of Glasgow outhalf Dan Parks and Biarritz scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvilli. Glasgow’s Australian pivot claimed the full complement of his side’s tally, while Yachvilli kicked 11 points to add to drop goals from Marcelo Bosch and Damien Traille for the Basques.
Clermont Auvergne enjoyed a comfortable 36-18 victory over a gutsy Viadana team.
