Champions Cup: Wasps defeat Harlequins
A review of the weekend's action in the European Champions Cup.
Sunday October 21
- La Rochelle 41-17 Ulster
- Wasps 41-10 Harlequins
- Montpellier 24-27 Exeter
Saturday October 21
- Clermont Auvergne 24-7 Northampton
- Saracens 36-34 Ospreys
- Glasgow 18-34 Leinster
- Leicester 54-29 Castres
- Munster 14-7 Racing 92
- Treviso 29-30 Toulon
Sunday's scores, stats and round-up
Wasps 41-10 Harlequins
Wasps tries: Robson (4), Wade (7,72), Johnson (33), Bassett (67)
Conversions: Gopperth (5,9,34,68), Miller (73)
Penalties: Gopperth (55,65)
Harlequins tries: Saili (60)
Conversions: Smith (61)
Penalties: Smith (12)
Nathan Hughes impressed as Wasps swept aside their Aviva Premiership rivals Harlequins with a 41-10 bonus-point victory in a Champions Cup match in Coventry.
The England number eight spearheaded Wasps' five-try assault on Quins as Dai Young's men ended a miserable run of five straight defeats in style at the Ricoh Arena.
Joe Marler was perhaps fortunate to avoid a red card for a forearm smash to Will Rowlands' midriff, another unsavoury disciplinary incident for the England prop.
Hughes was the architect of Wasps' first try and produced two stunning hand-offs that sent first Chris Robshaw then Dave Ward hurtling backwards through the air.
Harlequins endured a tough night, their mood worsened in defeat on a day that had started with Marland Yarde being dropped from the match squad.
Quins issued a curt statement that the England wing had been "withdrawn from the squad following an internal disciplinary matter".
Yarde's disciplinary situation could dent his England chances, with boss Eddie Jones naming his squad for the autumn internationals on Thursday.
Christian Wade bagged two tries for Wasps and Dan Robson, Ashley Johnson and Joshua Bassett also went over. Francis Saili scored Harlequins' only try.
Montpellier 24-27 Exeter
Montpellier tries: Tomane (6), Paillaugue (24), Nadolo (39,45)
Conversions: Paillaugue (40,46)
Exeter tries: Armand (17,63), Whitten (42)
Conversions: Steenson (18,43,64)
Penalties: Steenson (20,71)
Exeter Chiefs made it back-to-back Champions Cup wins as they claimed a famous 27-24 victory away to French giants Montpellier.
Don Armand scored a try in each half while centre Ian Whitten also added a try as Gareth Steenson kicked three conversions and two penalties for the best European result in Exeter's history.
Nemani Nadolo crossed twice for Montpellier and Joe Tomane and Benoit Paillaugue also added scores, but it was not enough to stop Rob Baxter's men from celebrating.
La Rochelle 41-17 Ulster
La Rochelle tries: Sinzelle (2), Vito (50), Gourdon (59), Aguillon (62), Eaton (65)
Conversions: Lamb (3), Bales (51, 60), Goillot (64, 66)
Penalties: Bales (22, 27)
La Rochelle tries: Lealiifano (9), Bowe (69)
Conversions: Lealiifano (10), Cooney (70)
Penalties: Lealiifano (15)
La Rochelle maintained a winning start to their debut Champions Cup campaign by following victory at Harlequins with a 41-17 home win over Ulster in Pool One.
The team that led the regular Top 14 last season, and who only lost once at Stade Marcel Deflandre, physically dominated the Irish province after a tense first half that saw the visitors hold their hosts to 13-10.
But once the teams changed ends it was one-way traffic and La Rochelle ran in four tries to bag the bonus point and lay down a marker ahead of their back-to-back clashes with Wasps in December.
Saturday scores, stats and round-up
Saracens 36-34 Ospreys
Saracens tries: Wyles (8), Brits (40), Penalty (55), Williams (61), Tompkins (73)
Conversions: Farrell (8,40,55,73)
Penalties: Farrell (34)
Ospreys tries: Evans (11,19), Watkin (69), Cross (78)
Conversions: Biggar (11,19,69,78)
Penalties: Biggar (26,45)
Saracens shrugged off their post-Northampton lethargy to reclaim top place in Pool Two by registering a bonus-point 36-34 victory over a spirited Ospreys at Allianz Park.
Six days after running in eight tries to send Saints tumbling to a record defeat at Franklin's Gardens, the European champions toiled against a team that props up Conference A of the Guinness Pro14.
The Ospreys overcame the loss of Wales back rows Justin Tipuric and Dan Lydiate to back injuries on the day of the match to accumulate a 17-7 lead by the 26th minute, crossing twice through full-back Dan Evans.
But Saracens used the boot of Owen Farrell and sin-binning of Evans to seize control, adding tries through Liam Williams and Nick Tompkins to pull clear after Chris Wyles and Schalk Brits had already touched down.
A penalty try awarded against Evans for a deliberate knock-on completed the Champions Cup holders' scoring, helping them extend their unbeaten European record to 20 games, while the Ospreys were at least able to claim a bonus point.
Clermont Auvergne 24-7 Northampton
Clermont tries: Lee (7), Cassang (40,41), Falgoux (65)
Conversions: Parra (8,40)
Northampton tries: Day (48)
Conversions: Mallinder (50)
Northampton suffered a second straight Champions Cup defeat as they were beaten 24-7 by Clermont Auvergne in an ill-tempered affair at the Stade Marcel Michelin.
The English side were hammered 57-13 by Saracens in round one and, despite a committed display in France, they could not compete with Clermont.
Last season's Champions Cup finalists scored four tries, with number eight Fritz Lee, replacement Charlie Cassang (two) and prop Etienne Falgoux all touching down as they eased home despite the early loss of fly-half Camille Lopez with a serious leg injury.
Leicester 54-29 Castres
Leicester tries: May (16,43), Youngs (26), Veainu (29,35,47), Malouf (56)
Conversions: Ford (18,27,36,44), Ford (57)
Penalties: Ford (2,10,15)
Castres tries: Tulou (52), Smith (66,72,77)
Conversions: Kockott (53,67,74)
Penalties: Kockott (7)
Leicester romped to a seven-try victory as they ran Castres ragged at Welford Road.
Full-back Telusa Veainu led the way, claiming three of Tigers' touchdowns in a 54-29 bonus point stroll that got them off and running in Pool Four.
Jonny May added a double, continuing a prolific try-scoring start to his Leicester career, while there were also touchdowns for scrum-half Ben Youngs and wing Nick Malouf, with George Ford kicking four conversions and three penalties for a 17-point haul and his brother Joe adding one conversion.
Castres were not powerless to prevent the Tigers inflicting a crushing defeat on them.
But they somehow conjured a losing bonus point following wing David Smith's try treble during 11 second-half minutes and a touchdown from number eight Alex Tulou, while scrum-half Rory Kockott added a penalty and three conversions.
The emphatic success sets Leicester up for key home and away tussles with long-standing European rivals Munster in December, and Tigers could take some stopping as they produced majestic rugby at times.
Glasgow 18-34 Leinster
Glasgow tries: Hogg (16), Seymour (49)
Conversions: Russell (16)
Penalties: Russell (15,64)
Leinster tries: Healy (24,40), Sexton (45), Reid (76)
Conversions: Sexton (24,40,46), Byrne (76)
Penalties: Sexton (3,68)
A brace of Cian Healy tries subjected Glasgow to another harsh lesson in European rugby as they lost 34-18 at home to Leinster.
Warriors' hopes of qualifying from Pool Three suffered a fresh blow after losing 24-15 to Exeter last week.
The hosts enjoyed the majority of possession but in reality were not clinical enough with the ball compared to their Irish opponents, whose powerful forward display proved enough to get the win in an entertaining encounter.
Stuart Hogg played a significant role on his return from a long-term injury, scoring once and setting another up, but could not drag Warriors to victor
Munster 14-7 Racing 92
Munster tries: Murray (61), Conway (70)
Conversions: Keatley (62,71)
Racing 92 tries: Nakarawa (76)
Conversions: Iribaren (77)
Conor Murray's 60th-minute charge-down try set Munster on their way to a gritty 14-7 win over Racing 92 at Thomond Park.
After a scoreless but absorbing opening hour in windy conditions, converted scores from Murray and replacement Andrew Conway had the hosts in control on their way to opening their win account in Pool 4.
However, a Leone Nakarawa try in addition to a dominant finish from the Racing pack, meant Munster were relieved to hang on for victory.
Treviso 29-30 Toulon
Treviso tries: Brex (7), Gori (28)
Conversions: McKinley (8,29)
Penalties: McKinley (42,60,67,74,79)
Toulon tries: Radradra (2), Tuiosva (46)
Conversions: Trinh-Duc (2)
Penalties: Trinh-Duc (11,37,51,63,72,80)
Francois Trinh-Duc struck a late penalty as Toulon won 30-29 at Treviso.
The sides scored two tries each, Juan Ignacio Brex and Edoardo Gori going in for Treviso, while Semi Radrada and Josua Tuiosva scored for the visitors.
Trinh-Duc's failure to convert both, as Ian McKinley successfully did for Treviso, looked to be costly.
The two men traded five penalties apiece until Trinh-Duc won it with his sixth attempt.
Treviso sit bottom of Pool Five as a result, with Toulon level top with Bath.
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