NEW YORK, NY – We’ve got a lot to get to… Let’s not dilly-dally.
Leicester Tigers Legends Match: In the highest attended match in Britain this weekend, 16,500 made their pilgrimage to Welford Road for the Tigers legends Vs Matt Hampson Legends game in aid of the Matt Hampson Trust and Louis Deacon’s benefit year.
The match featured the likes of Martin Johnson, Lewis Moody, Darren Garforth, Tim Stimpson and Martin Corry playing for the Tigers and Jason Robinson, Hugh Vyvyan, Tana Umaga, Thinus Delport and Nicky Little playing for Matt Hampson’s legends.
The match had an old school feel to it with the Tigers in specially made shirts with proper collars and letters (take note all jersey designers, I implore you), drinking beers on the subs bench and mingling with the crowds in the terraces.
Coached by pantomime villian, long black coat wearing Shaun Edwards, Matt Hampson’s legends ran out 41-19 winners.
British and Irish Lions Captain: Eyebrows were raised and jaws dropped this week when bookies closed all betting on Sam Warburton to be the captain for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia. B & I Coach Warren Gatland has not stated who will be his captain, just that he has come to a decision on that, as well as most of the squad. As a matter of fact here it is from Mr. Gatland himself. “The squad will be announced at the end of the month”. Our RWU Analyst 6-pack will name who we think should be on the pitch for the Lions in a series of articles coming out later this week.
Ref Assignments for the HEC and Amlin Cup sem-finals: The referees, Asst. referees, TMOs and Citing commissioner were announced by the European Rugby Commission for the semi-finals. Here are the names:
Heineken Cup semi-finals(Kick-offs local time)
Clermont Auvergne v Munster, Stade de la Mosson (18.00)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wal)
Assistant referees: Leighton Hodges (Wal); Ian Davies (Wal)
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (Wal)
Citing Commissioner: Douglas Hunter (Sco)
Saracens v Toulon, Twickenham Stadium (15.00)
Referee:Alain Rolland (Ire)
Assistant referees: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ire); Andrew McMenemy (Sco)
TMO: Marshall Kilgore (Ire)
Citing Commissioner: Denis Templeton (Ire)
Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals: (Kick-offs local time)
Perpignan v Stade Francais, Stade Aimé Giral (21.00)
Referee:George Clancy (Ire)
Assistant referees: Dudley Phillips (Ire); Marius Mitrea (Ita)
TMO: Jim Yuille (Sco)
Citing Commissioner: Ian Goodall (Sco)
Leinster v Biarritz Olympique, RDS Arena (14.30)
Referee:Wayne Barnes (Eng)
Assistant referees: Greg Garner (Eng); Paul Dix (Eng)
TMO: Geoff Warren (Eng)
Citing Commissioner: Ray Wilton (Wal)
Aviva Premeirship: Bath edged out Leicester at home and Harlequins beat up on Worcester. London Irish were too much for London Welsh while Gloucester regained form against Saracens. Northampton thumped Sale and Exeter climed into the top 6 by defeating Wasps. Here are the results:
Bath 27 – 26 Leicester
Worcester 26 – 42 Harlequins
London Irish 47 – 28 London Welsh
Gloucester 28 – 23 Saracens
Northampton 47 – 7 Sale
Wasps 24 – 37 Exeter
RaboDirect Pro 12: Interesting results this weekend as the playoffs draw near. The Dragons surprised Munster at home, as did Treviso against Edinburgh. Glasgow dismissed the Ospreys and Ulster made short work of Connacht. The Scarlets beat the Blues and Leinster roughed up Zebre. Here are the results:
Newport Gwent Dragons 30 – 24 Munster
Benetton Treviso 30 – 10 Edinburgh
Glasgow 35 – 17 Ospreys
Connacht 18 – 34 Ulster
Scarlets 24 – 6 Cardiff Blues
Zebre 22 – 41 Leinster
Top 14: The home teams swept round 25 of the Top 14. Wesley Fofana scored a brilliant try in the first minute (see below) as Clermont beat Toulouse. Bayonne defeated Montpellier and Agen defeated Perpignan. Bordeaux shutout Biarritz, Castres throttled Mont de Masan and Grenoble upset Toulon. Here are the results:
Clermont Auvergne 39 – 17 Toulouse
Bayonne 32 – 26 Montpellier
Agen 23 – 15 Perpignan
Bordeaux-Begles 16 – 0 Biarritz
Castres 44 – 17 Mont de Marsan
Grenoble 25 – 24 Toulon
Super 15: In Super Rugby, the Hurricanes held off the Force, the Waratahs outlasted the Chiefs. The Crusaders heaped more misery on the lowly Highlanders. The battle for number 1 in Australia ended in a stalemate between the Reds and Brumbies. The Cheetahs out kicked the Sharks and the Bulls snotklaped and shutout the Kings. Here are the results:
Hurricanes 22 – 16 Western Force
Waratahs 25 – 20 Chiefs
Crusaders 24 – 8 Highlanders
Reds 19 – 19 Brumbies
Sharks 6 – 12 Cheetahs
Southern Kings 0 – 34 Bulls
That is it for now, feel free to comment below, look for and “Like” our Facebook Rugby Wrap Up Page and follow us on Twitter @RugbyWrapUp, @JunoirBlaber, @Declan Yeats, @Mathew Drew Turner and @Ebstide52, respectively. And until the next time… stay low and keep pumping those legs.
