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Wasps finished their first outing at this year’s Heineken Champions Cup in style, as the last few attempts secured them a 24-8 bonus points win in Wales. Dragons.
Attempts by hooker Tom Cruse, scrum half Dan Robson and flankers Jack Willis and Thomas Young along with two conversions from center Jimmy Gopperth saw Wasps at home.
The Dragons scored a good try from wing Jonah Holmes plus a penalty from fly-half Sam Davies and were close until the last outburst.
The game may not have moved on at all after two Dragons players had to be retested for Covid-19 on Friday and were found to be positive.
Reduction started the week by losing rugby director Steve Diamond and ended it with a 26-14 loss at the hands of Toulon on your opener.
Diamond left Sale on Tuesday after 10 years, for personal reasons, and without him, the English team had a difficult time facing their French opponents, for whom Louis Carbonel was outstanding.
France midfielder Carbonel contributed 16 points as Toulon’s attempts came from pair of wings Gabin Villiere and Ramiro Moyano, but Sale rallied 26-0 against.
Marland Yarde and Sam Phillips took comfort, but Sale’s poor discipline and lineout struggles cost them.
Bathtub fell at the first hurdle of his campaign, defeated at home for the second time in three seasons by Scarlet who triumphed 23-19.
The Welsh were inspired by winger Leigh Halfpenny, who took three penalties and two conversions to keep him at contact distance and then denied Bath’s high midfielder Josh Matavesi a try upon death.
Bath could still have won the match in injury time, but another last-minute entry at the goal line, this time from number eight Sione Kalamafoni, prevented Ben Spencer from snatching the victory from the English club.
Meanwhile, Pat Lam’s Bristol board received a master class in Clermont Auvergne on their return to top-tier European rugby when the French heavyweights went 51-38 at Ashton Gate.
The success of Clermont’s bonus points confirmed them among this season’s Heineken Champions Cup favorites, with Bristol conceding seven attempts.
It was Bristol’s first game in the European blue riband tournament in 12 years, and Clermont served as an immediate reminder of the required standard.
Clermont’s Japanese star Kotaro Matsushima scored a hat-trick, and there was a double for wing Damian Penaud, while center Apisai Naqalevu and number eight Fritz Lee also landed, with captain Camille Lopez kicking 16 points.
Bristol, to their immense merit, claimed five attempts and a losing bonus point, with Max Malins, Harry Randall, Bryan Byrne, Ioan Lloyd and Siale Piutau breaking through Clermont’s defense, while Callum Sheedy added three conversions and a penalty, while which Malins converted late. Lloyd and Piutau’s efforts.
The western country club now has a mountain to climb in terms of quarter-final ambitions, but Clermont, runner-up in the competition three times, is up and running impressively.
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