Monday 8 December 2014 18:12, UK
Rupert Cox shares his highlights from the week's rugby action in his round-up blog...
BOKKE BLITZ DUBAI
The Dubai 7s is a funny old event – less a Sevens rugby tournament and more a Blighty-themed fancy dress party where sunburnt and increasingly drunk expats are given free reign by the UAE to behave (for these few days in December, at least) like they are having a Saturday night out at the local high street boozer somewhere in Middle England.
Is this a window into what the Qatari World Cup will look like? A blind eye temporarily turned to Western excess as the cash registers open and shut? We shall see.
I doubt the deeply Christian South African Rugby Sevens team need ever to restrain themselves at the Dubai Stag-Do Sevens; the Blitzbokke were serious and simply outstanding in the desert sun. They went through all six games unbeaten, including a 40-0 win in the quarters, a 28-0 semi-final drubbing of the All Blacks, and a 33-7 cake-walk over the Aussies in the Cup final. They have stolen the momentum from Fiji and New Zealand and look like the team to beat on the Sevens World Series.
They are a perfectly balanced squad – Kyle Brown’s leadership, Cecil Afrika’s brilliance, Seabelo Senatla’s hard-to-fathom pace, plus irrepressible veteran Frankie Horne and hat-trick-hero Kwagga Smith (good name!) – they’ve got world class sevens players wherever you look.
Neil Powell’s men return to Port Elizabeth this week as out-and-out favourites to defend the title of the home event they won last year in the emotional wake of Nelson Mandela's passing. Three rounds in, the Blitzbokke should be top of the sevens log.
BRITANNIA RULE THE EUROZONE
Round 3 is the big moving round in Europe, and it was a very good Champions Cup weekend for the English clubs, a straight six wins from six for the Premiership contingent. The 'sold out' signs were up in Leicester and south west London as Harlequins knocked over three-time champions Leinster, and the Tigers overcame two-time champs Toulon.
Only Quins and Toulouse have won their first three games in the Champions Cup. Saracens and Bath also stayed alive in the top tier with much-needed victories, and the Premiership frontrunners Northampton picked up a bonus point win over a desperate Treviso to keep the heat on Racing Metro. Wasps also picked up a try bonus win on the road and thereby set up a big return fixture against Castres this Sunday at Adams Park. A big crowd is expected to wish farewell to High Wycombe before Wasps relocate to Coventry. Emotions will run high.
In the second tier Challenge Cup, Exeter made it seven straight wins in all competitions; the Chiefs just can’t stop winning at the moment. Gloucester are in complete control of their pool, six points clear of Oyonnax. Newcastle are leading the way in their group after an entertaining win on the plastic pitch at Kingston Park against Stade Francais, and London Irish can keep pace with the Cardiff Blues with a home win at the Madejski this weekend.
Beleaguered London Welsh aside (might the Exiles go an entire season without a win?), the English are having a fine old time in Europe.
BRICKBAT
After trailing for most of the game, a brilliant late try by Josh Matavesi got the Ospreys level against Racing Metro at the Liberty Stadium. Soon after, with time up on the clock and with the score at 19 apiece, the Ospreys were awarded a free kick 60 metres out. A win would have thrown them a quarter-final lifeline. Did they chance their arm and go for it? No they blooming didn’t!
After much deliberation between players on the pitch, and messages passed on from the coaching box, they told Dan Biggar to kick it off the pitch and settle for a draw. Settle for a draw?! At home? Talk about sending the wrong message. There were empty seats all around the Liberty Stadium on Saturday – this is hardly a way to bring the crowds back. In the words of Pat Sanderson: “gobsmacked”.
BOUQUET
Old Fidel is known for his public speaking, and it turns out our modern day Castro lives up to his Cuban namesake – give or take an obscenity or 20.
In the post-match conference at Welford Road, Toulon’s Martin Castrogiovanni let fly an expletive-rich attack on his old boss Richard Cockerill – very much adults-only listening, but refreshing nonetheless.
Fair play to the long-haired Italian for speaking his mind, even if he’s likely to be hauled in chains before the rugby courts to explain himself before the week’s out.
