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Racing 92 crush Edinburgh to book last eight spot

By PA
(Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

Racing 92 became the fourth French team to reach the quarter-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup with a seven-try 56-3 home win over Edinburgh.

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Last year’s beaten finalists dominated the first-half, enjoying 76% territory and 71% possession, and crossed for two tries to take firm control before booking their ticket to travel to face the winners of Bordeaux-Begles and Bristol Bears.

Edinburgh almost got off to the dream start, but somehow managed to blow two great try scoring opportunities in the opening three minutes.

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      Devin Toner | All Access | On freak athlete second rows, Leinster’s talent pool and Lancaster influence

      Having regained Blair Kinghorn’s towering kick-off they worked space wide out on the right for full back Damien Hoyland, but Duhan van der Merwe’s pass to him on a clear overlap 20 metres out did not hit the target.

      Then a slight knock-on by Jamie Ritchie after Grant Gilchrist had won a line-out on the home 22 wrecked any hopes his centre James Johnstone had of celebrating a defence-splitting run that took him clean through to the posts. The knock-on was picked up when the TMO checked the origin of the move.

      Having missed the chance to take the lead, the visitors then saw Maxime Machenaud punish them with a long-range penalty for a breakdown offence in the eighth minute to opening the scoring.

      Kinghorn levelled five minutes later after Six Nations player of the tournament Hamish Watson had driven to the edge of the Racing 22 and won a penalty.

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      Machenaud then hit the upright from 45 metres midway through a tight first-half and it took a magnificent jackal by Ritchie at a ruck two metres out from the Edinburgh line to save what seemed a certain try.

      When the first try came it was from the outstanding French hooker Camille Chat, who powered over from a metre out to crown an incredible start by him in the opening 26 minutes. He was like an unstoppable train with ball in hand and his try was converted by Machenaud.

      Machenaud’s third penalty extended the lead to 10 points just before the break, although there was a price to pay for the home side as they lost skipper Henry Chavancy with a serious shoulder injury.

      Machenaud then took his first-half tally to 15 points with a try in support of a wonderful break down the right – and then popped over the conversion.

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      Edinburgh ended the half as they had begun it, by threatening the Racing line, but when the outstanding Watson was held up, Luke Pearce’s whistle meant the TOP 14 outfit went to the dressing rooms at La Defense Arena with a 20-3 interval lead.

      The helter-skelter rugby continued in the second half, although it took 16 minutes before Antoine Gibert extended the home lead with a penalty off the 10 metre line having missed from similar range earlier on.

      Jordan Joseph powered over for a third try in the 62nd minute and then the Georgian prop Guram Gogichashvili followed suit.

      Teddy Thomas then streaked clear from the half-way line and added a second minutes later.

      Francois Trinh-Duc then scored a seventh try to round things off as Racing made the last eight for a fourth year in a row.

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      Amelia Jonathan 3 hours ago
      Don't get out over your skis on the Highlanders

      My name is Amelia Jonathan from the United States, Using this opportunity to thank Dr. Ughulu is a grateful thing to me, for over years I have been sick with Hepatitis B disease, I have done a lot of things to get cured of my diseases and nothing has worked out. I have taken different types of medication for it , but it still doesn’t work for me. I still keep going for a check up so that the doctor will tell me my disease has be gone, because i’m taking my medicine with no result nothing has been cured, I have spent a lot of money just to get cure of Hepatitis B. until my old time friend came to my place and saw what am going through, and then direct me to contact Dr. Ughulu who is a very powerful man, which I did explain my problem to Dr. Ughulu and send me a herbal remedy bottle and explain to me how I should drink it. So I started to drink the herbal tea in one week that I drink the herbal tea. I went for a check up to check if I’m cured from Hepatitis B disease, then the nurse told me nothing is wrong with me anymore and said I’m fine. I am the happiest person right now. I promise Dr Ughulu I will testify about his good work on the internet. Reach out to Dr. Ughulu Via: drughulupowerfulspelltemple@gmail.com Thank you so much sir for what you did for me you’re the best of all. TEXT OR CALL: +1(252) 409-1841 or website: https://drughulupowerfulsp.wixsite.com/my-site-ughulu WHATSAPP NUMBER: +1(720) 794-2516

      4 Go to comments
      J
      JW 5 hours ago
      Crusaders vs Force takes: Let's talk about Sevu Reece, forgotten All Black returns

      I think Reece has bulked up too much and now doesn’t have the pace to perform to his previously high standards. He’s making himself less of a winger but I’m not really sure he’s filling another role succinctly either. I think criticism at the AB level has seen him try to redevelop his game, I’m really not sure he can be continued to be used at the highest level. Definitely becoming the wing version Richie Mo’unga is possible (if not already attained) at Super Rugby level however. I loved watching him play when he first broke through.

      The Force are undeniably much improved this season, but it’s going to take some reps to prove to themselves that they really can hang with the big dogs.

      Yeah they’re still well off in the quality personal front.

      It was the 21-year-old’s first appearance of the season, and he certainly made the most of it, with 13 carries accounting for 50 running metres – each of them passing by in a blur as Springer made his may to the try line time and time again.

      Will Jordan was playmaking superbly to assist the youngster’s points tally, but it was all individual brilliance in the 53rd minute when Springer tiptoed down the sideline before collecting his own chip kick and outpacing the final two defenders to score under the posts.

      After pre-season I said that I wanted Springer to cement the starting jersey, and that (well I’ve not no idea exactly which sides they play) another new wing recruit, Kunawave, would replace Reece as the Fijian Flyer in the team by season end. Reece might be making that tough, but unfortunately it looks like there wasn’t a full squad spot for the young fella and he has since made his AB7s debut instead. Watch this space though as he and Saifoloi look to have the X factor👍


      That Jordan pass to Springer aside it was otherwise a very lackluster game for him as he looks to be struggling with processing his option taking in this new style he’s trying. Still have to think a man of that talent and ingenuity is going to make it click sooner or later though!

      t’s a congested position, and after Ennor shot down talk of him being swept up by a Top 14 outfit this week, it looks as if the Crusaders have some selection headaches to solve in the coming weeks.

      That’s great news. I can’t remember if it was because he actually made his return in pre-season or not but for some reason I was liking how Ennor looked like he might be providing the right options for Saders and even ABs when back. Very pleased to see him fit straight in though there was plenty of space on offer but he almost looked as if he was more dangerous with no space. Could be the long looked for option at 13?

      11 Go to comments
      J
      JW 6 hours ago
      Chiefs vs Blues takes: Blues need Spider-Man, McKenzie is All Blacks’ form 10

      Chiefs were in the driver’s seat for most of Saturday night’s fixture in the Tron

      I don’t know about that. The majority of stats all favour the Blues.

      Referee Ben O’Keeffe did show the rising star a yellow card during the second half after a series of infringements from the Blues, but that shouldn’t take away too much from the main point here. Taele looks at home with the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific.

      There were a few errors that crept into his performance in that second half, but yes, I was surprised after watching him a few times how comfortable he looked in his role as a 2nd5, and even how well he performed it. It is a shame for Lam to be injured but I picked up a distinct difference in how the backline functioned by having Taele at twelve instead. I might not have given him another go this week but now it will be very interesting to see what Vern does and without knowing what else is going on (Pero might be fit enough to start and psuh Plummer to 12) I think he might start again (Heem has been very very good in the role in recent years, is he fit).

      Shaun Stevenson fails to make an All Blacks-worthy statement

      He’s leaving Hamish (don’t know how you missed that), it’s impossible to make a statement for AB selection, and that also be well out of his mind.


      Watching him in Japan he looked to be struggling as much of his team. Which is often how I think his contributions have depended, how well he fits in with the team. He’s a very unique player and I don’t think the Chiefs have anywhere near the right momentum and structure to unlock Shaun’s strengths. In saying that I thought he played well and that pass showed he’s in a great headspace, you might also be overplaying Corey’s contribution, which from the weekend would be of greatest value if he was Lams midfield replacement imo. I’d like Forbes to return this weekend and don’t think Corey did enough to take that opportunity away from him.

      6 Go to comments
      J
      Jahmirwayle 6 hours ago
      Mixed Wales update on availability of Josh Adams, Gareth Anscombe

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      J
      JW 6 hours ago
      Super Rugby Pacific has turned the ship around in the right direction

      “We want jeopardy in our competition, right? We want ladder movement. We don’t want teams to stay in the same ladder position that they were in last year.

      You need promotion relegation then. You cannot always rely on 4 teams being the right number for Australia, it could mean that they are too strong in future. Or that Fijian Drua doesn’t always has the players to knock of the best.

      “We want unexpected results. We want every fan to be sitting here on a Friday at lunchtime going ‘I’m a chance this weekend’.’’ 

      Oh, so you want a made up fantasy league like the NFL, rather than a quantifiable competition like NPC, and to a lesser degree, then NRL. Meaningless rather than meaningful, you don’t want the best of NSW taking on the best of Queensland, or the Blues region versus the Chiefs region.


      There is still huge room for improvement in the way rugby is played and officiated, it is an incredibly young professional sport. Some of these introduced concepts are tricks taken from others and have done a lot to engage and increase Super Rugby’s appeal, but there has been a hint of whether the game is selling it’s soul to get back on the table.

      For me, Super Rugby’s best years were around the turn of the millennium, when the Crusaders and Brumbies held sway. The speed with which possession was recycled at the breakdown and the minutes the ball was in play remains my benchmark for flowing rugby. 

      Have you used you’re own license for viewing “feels rather than facts” here Hamish?


      I agree, the rugby isn’t as good as it has been at times in the recent past, but it is more engaging. Which I think is due to a whole factor of fortunate and one off reasons, along with targeted ones.

      5 Go to comments
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