The record for most points scored in a first half in a Champions League knockout rugby match stood for just under three hours. Earlier in the day, Bordeaux-Bègles and Harlequins shared 40 points in the opening 40 minutes of a brilliant display.
Northampton Saints and Bulls from Pretoria managed seven tries in the first half to lead by 10 points in a back-and-forth affair that must have left supporters feeling neck-deep on the midfield line pain. On almost every possession, the ball carrier will run over or around the defender. It took Saints five more tries to win the melee and reach the semi-finals of Europe’s elite competition for the first time since 2011.
Their reward for beating a depleted Bulls side was a date with Leinster at Croke Park in early May. If they can replicate the offensive spark they showed here, they’ll have every opportunity to cause chaos. However, unless they correct their defence, Ireland’s premier province will tear them to pieces.
Registering the first score takes a relatively long time – more than 10 minutes. Northampton full-back James Ramm made a great run, quickly receiving a flat pass and then feinting on the way down. From then on, everything is free. Cameron Hanekom hit back immediately, carrying Courtney Lawes across the finish line. But Lawes made amends shortly after following Alex Coles’ brilliant drive upfield.
Ollie Slateholm then refused to be intercepted and fended off several Bulls players to make it 28-10. But the visitors rallied, first with Hooker van der Merwe sprinting off the tram and then winger Sebastian de Klerk making an interception inside his own 22 meters before beating Slater Ho in the 80m sprint. Elm. Chris Smith’s conversion took the game to 50 goals.
quick guide
Leinster beat La Rochelle
exhibit
Leinster beat La Rochelle 40-13 at the Aviva Stadium, effectively ending La Rochelle’s hat-trick bid for the Champions League title.
Ronan O’Gara’s side have beaten Leinster by just four points in their last two finals.
But this time, La Rochelle’s quest for trophies ended at the quarter-final stage as Leinster went on to equalize their record with a fifth Championship win.
Winger James Lowe (2), fullback Jamison Gibson-Parker, flankers Ryan Baird and hooker Dan Sheehan all scored, while flyback Ross Byrne kicked three conversions and three A penalty and Leinster never looked in danger of losing to their fierce side again.
At half-time, La Rochelle assistant Louis Penverne attempted a shot, and Antoine Hastoy converted two penalties and a goal.
But they were beaten in the second period and failed to score a point, sending Leinster into the Champions League semi-finals again.
Bourne opened the scoring with a penalty from 45 meters in the eighth minute and Leinster dominated the early exchanges, a point underlined by their first try just nine minutes later.
La Rochelle’s defense was stretched from all sides until Lowe scored a touchdown and Byrne completed the conversion. Byrne and Hastoy converted penalties. Hastoy’s second three-pointer made the score 13 -6.
Another Byrne goal restored a 10-point lead before Leinster scored again thanks to some clever link-up play between Lowe and Gibson-Parker to end the game with an uncontested run. Byrne’s substitution put Leinster in control of the game, but they were unable to close out the game after the opening 40 minutes as their opponents dragged themselves back into contention.
Leinster were fouled inside the 22 and La Rochelle’s strong lineout play was on vivid display when Penferner scored a touchdown and Hastoy made it 23-13 on the break. .
But La Rochelle suffered a double blow early in the second half, conceding another goal and having Tavira Kerr-Barlow taken off at half-time. Baird was the beneficiary of a poor tackle attempt by Hastoy, Byrne converted after a long delay and Kerbalo received treatment before leaving.
La Rochelle knew they had to score next or there would be no turning back, but they conceded twice in four minutes. Sheehan scored the first goal after a strong run from flanker Josh van der Flier, before Lowe impressively added his second after chasing down the ball. ball. AP average
Of course, many in attendance were in need of a refreshing drink and many were not yet back in their seats when Coles completed another scything set piece triggered by Alex Mitchell’s breakaway. Lahm scored his second goal when he caught a pass in an overlap and from the ensuing restart a try by De Klerk was disallowed after a review by Hanekom for a tackle in the build-up. is dangerous.
The yellow card was shown which effectively ended the game. If the Saints can score easily against 15 men, they won’t have much trouble with a short-handed defense. No sooner had the Bulls’ No. 8 entered the bin than Fraser Dingwall appeared on the scorecard.
Newsletter Promotion Post
At the center of it all is Fin Smith, Northampton’s 21-year-old front-half maestro. Even in the midst of chaos, he was the embodiment of calm, choosing the right passes and positioning teammates as if they were pawns in a four-dimensional game. With Mitchell in the paint and a strong backline to unleash, he proved the hype was justified.
Of course, it helps that the Bulls keep 13 regular starters at home, including three recent World Cup winners. The substitutes, wearing light blue jerseys, showed clear pride in the game but were a disjointed bunch as they failed to deny accusations that their underdogs were an insult to the Championship. Mitchell scored Northampton’s eighth goal, while former South Africa Under-20 player Juarno Augustus added the ninth. Saints’ pursuit of a Premier League and Champions League double continues.
