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The Aviva Premiership final lived up to its billing – in fact, it was probably the game of the season – while the Top 14 semis provided plenty of thrills and some nasty spills.
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Aviva Premiership: Wasps vs Exeter Chiefs
It was fitting that the two most entertaining sides in the Premiership should end the season as they started it: locked in combat. In their two previous encounters in the campaign, they could barely be separated as they shared 14 tries and 115 points. This Twickenham encounter, under a hot early-summer sun and at the end of an exhausting season followed the same pattern. Another four tries and 43 additional points for the statmasters is only the bones of a thoroughly enjoyable match in which extra time was needed to break the deadlock.
Super Rugby: Highlanders vs Waratahs
An Australian side is yet to tip over a New Zealand side in this year’s Super Rugby competition, and the smart money was on the Highlanders to extend that record when the Waratahs came to town on Saturday night. By halftime that didn’t seem like such a sure thing – the visitors led by a point, and the Highlanders looked like their gruelling road trip might have finally caught up with them. But a yellow card to Dean Mumm early in the second half opened the floodgates for the home side to put on an attacking clinic for the home fans, with their All Blacks stars leading the way.
Top 14: La Rochelle vs Toulon
It was La Rochelle’s first play-off semi-final in 35 years. It was Toulon’s sixth in as many seasons. The Rochelais were rested and just about at full-strength. Their opponents had survived an Earth-shaking encounter against Castres the week before, and had an injury list as long as Brodie Retallick’s fully extended arms, laid end to end. What followed was a bruising nip-tuck battle that was decided only after the hooter, when – amid a pitch littered with near-broken well-known bodies – a new star was born in Marseille.
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Top 14: Clermont vs Racing 92
At this stage last season, these two sides delivered a five-try thriller, decided at the end of extra time by the odd point in 67. Back then, Clermont were left disappointed when Dan Carter converted Juan Imhoff’s outrageous 98th-minute try. And they set out to make amends at Marseille at the weekend. So began a seven-try 68-point encounter that Clermont looked to have in the bag, even after Flip van der Merwe was sent off for a high-tackle early in the second half. With 10 minutes left, it seemed all over, but the defending champions weren’t about to give up their title without a fight. And one retiring rugby warrior would have the final word.
International: England vs Barbarians
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What would you expect from the Baa-Baas? As the invitationals’ Twitter feed said: The boys played like they’d been caged without meat for a week. England set their stall to play winning rugby. The Baa-Baas played to make everyone smile. They actually dominated possession – but raw, inexperienced England matched them ambition for ambition when they had the ball, and with Gandalf-standard you-shall-not-pass defence when they didn’t.
