32 - 18

18 - 49

35 - 10

27 - 22

34 - 24

47 - 32

30 - 33

19 - 22

14 - 0

29 - 20

11 - 10

20 - 15

29 - 10

24 - 54

21 - 17

56 - 25

21 - 27

24 - 7

20 - 17

23 - 22

15 - 40

28 - 10

20 - 12

3 - 13

Today

09:00

Today

09:00

Today

14:05

Investec Champions Cup

'Oh my Bastareaud, have you seen the size of him at No8?'

By Liam Heagney

15 Dec 2020

(Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP) (Photo by Olivier Chassignole/AFP via Getty Images)

The impact that ex-France midfielder Mathieu Bastareaud made for Lyon while playing at No8 last Sunday in the Champions Cup didn’t go unnoticed by The Rugby Pod in their assessment of an opening-round weekend where French clubs won seven of their eight matches.

The eminence of the French, who had four away winners, eclipsed the form shown by the English clubs who managed just two wins from eight games, while the participating PRO14 clubs fared just one better than the Premiership with three wins from eight.

Bastareaud returned to club rugby in France during the lockdown following a brief stay at Rugby United New York and the former centre has settled into a new position, playing as the No8 at Lyon.

Why Tongan internationals often pay to play for their country

He was to the fore in their 55-10 demolition of Gloucester, scoring a 23rd-minute try from close range and clocking up 54 metres from his dozen carries while carrying additional poundage for back row duty compared to how he looked during his midfield heyday.

This beefier complexion was referenced in this week’s Rugby Pod show co-hosted by Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode, the pair of former internationals who couldn’t resist a giggle at the expense of Bastareaud, the 32-year-old who tips the scales at 125kgs according to the Lyon club website but looks to be heavier than that.

A tough afternoon for @gloucesterrugby's young guns as @LeLOURugby put on a stunning attacking display ?
They ran in some absolute belters and kicked off with an important home win ?#HeinekenChampionsCup highlights ?? pic.twitter.com/GOq2OIetWk
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 14, 2020

It was ex-Scotland lock Hamilton who opened the discussion on Bastareaud, a topic ex-England out-half Goode quickly warmed to:

JH: I have only seen clips of Lyon-Gloucester but oh my Bastareaud, have you see the size of him at No8?

AG: He has got bigger, hasn’t he?

JH: He could arguably be the biggest No8 in world rugby. My goodness me.

AG: He played well, though. Short bursts. He was getting involved in mauls. It must be horrible. If you are a back and you get involved in a mauling session, how sore is your face after mauling?

JH: Ridiculous. Energy sapping. I heard (Sam) Warburton talking about it on comms and I was ‘Sam, you were at the back of mauls, mate. You don’t know what it means to be in a maul.’ It’s energy-sapping, but Bastaureud…

AG: He’s had a big lockdown, hasn’t he?

JH: Yes!

Switching to the impressive opening weekend form of the French clubs in the Champions Cup, Goode added: “It’s not a surprise really. If you look back at the pandemic, the French Top 14 clubs ended their season, they said ‘we’re not going to see the season out, we’re not going to play all the games’.

“They have been going in the Top 14 for about ten, eleven weeks since they just restarted the new season in normal time around September. They are primed.

“Look across at some massive performances: Clermont going to Bristol, a hell of a game. Toulouse going over to Ulster, massive win for them. La Rochelle beating Edinburgh. Bordeaux going to Northampton – you don’t necessarily always look at French teams and say ‘there’s going to be four of them winning away from home’.

“Toulouse, Clermont, Racing, they are all potential favourites to win this tournament. A really good weekend for the French clubs, not so much the English. But two English clubs did win, the two (league) finalists, Exeter and the mighty Wasps. Tough one for English clubs and I just think it is a knock-on effect (from the Premiership).”

Watch European Rugby on BT Sport. Click here to buy now

An important topic to cover this week, so we got a legal (@timoconnorbl) and medical expert (Bill Ribbans) on to give us the lay of the land around the concussion litigation facing Unions ?
iTunes- https://t.co/5ITJc3tuyY
Acast – https://t.co/v4i8Zzcozn pic.twitter.com/GcuPUtdPmp
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) December 15, 2020

LIVE

Comments

0 Comments

Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Latest Features

LONG READ

'Springbok Galacticos can't go it alone for trophy-hunting Sharks'

Lesser known names must step up if the franchise is to fulfil its aim of winning the URC and Champions Cup this season.

LONG READ

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Enforced rotation, poor results, and logistical and political issues have raised questions over the viability of South African Champions Cup involvements.

LONG READ

Return of 30-something brigade provides welcome tonic for Wales

The enduring class of Taulupe Faletau, Liam Williams and Josh Adams on their returns gives Wales hope after a wretched year.

Comments on RugbyPass

GrahamVF 12 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

About 500K of those are schoolboys 90% of which will not go on to play club rugby.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 13 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Exactly. Shoo would that it was so easy to develop competitions.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 17 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

SA wealthy? Compared to which countries. The economy is in tatters unemployment is at record low numbers and you think SA has money to spend on rugby development -0 and remember the SARU was technically bankrupt and was only saved by the COVID tour of the B&I Lions. No Sa doesn't have spare cash lying round for rugby development and given the resources SARU is doing just fine.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 20 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

South African domestic rugby is in great shape. Four top tier franchises fed by a series of competitions ranging from national schools competitions through Varsity Cup to Currie Cup and then to top four franchises is a model Australia would do well to follow. SA should never have more than four top domestic teams.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 25 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

That might be the best spin off from SA's involvement north of the line.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 25 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Of course not Nick 😉

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 29 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

We have our own theories about The Sharks. Plumtree is a good coach but he has not done anywhere near the best he could with the talent and money he has at his disposal and it doesn't help to have a marquee director of rugby who has spent by far the majority of his career playing and coaching sevens.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 34 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Don't worry - you'll win again soon then you'll feel a lot better. Right now get on with your SH comps and we'll get on with being barely the best in the world.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 38 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

JW you really have no idea of how Africa works. It will take generations not decades no matter how much SA puts into it. The poverty in Africa is something that is obviously beyond your understanding. Do you think the governments of impoverished nations are going to watch happily as rugby pours massive investments into infrastructure to promote what is essentially a white western game? And SA was trying hard to develop the game in Africa until the African vote blocked our "23 bid after the independent consultants to the RFU voted unanimously for SA? The Confederation of African Rugby virtually excluded South Africa.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 47 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Nick, our association with Argentina Rugby runs very long and deep. We are exploring reciprocal two/three test tours in the future - and even more games at neutral venues such as in Europe where a lot of both teams have players anyway.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 51 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.

"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"

After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.

It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.

156 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

How Wallace Sititi humbly reacted to All Blacks Player of the Year honour