Weekend Round Up: New Year, New Exciting Rugby

Epic New Year entertainment from the French Top 14 and English Premiership

Premiership: Newcastle Falcons v Wasps
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
Newcastle’s Kingston Park in winter has long been known as a nithering mudbath of a venue, where anyone watching will witness a slow-grind steaming forward battle in a semi-frozen northeastern quagmire. But, thanks to the installation of a plastic pitch, it is now a place that rewards free-flowing, try-scoring, attacking rugby. And, on this evidence, it’s easy to see why Dean Richard’s Falcons are habitually filling the venue these days, as they roared in two tries in the game’s opening five minutes. But, Wasps fought back, and what followed was a glorious and thrilling eight-try advert for Premiership rugby.

Top 14: Pau v Montpellier
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
Looking at the Top 14 table beforehand, this game looked a no contest. Tenth-placed Pau against second-and-on-a-charge Montpellier. But a glance at the table does not necessarily tell the whole story. It does not reveal, for example, that in the four Top 14 rounds going into the the New Year weekend, ‘lowly’ Pau have beaten Clermont and Racing 92 at home, bettered Bordeaux away and even given Brive a scare at their fortress. Make no mistake, Pau are tough – but, then, so are direct, brutal and uncompromising Montpellier. In the end, the odd try in seven decided this clash, but it was close.

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Aviva Premiership: Sale Sharks v Bristol
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
After 10 defeats in their opening 10 games, promotion to the English top flight looked to be cursed reward for Bristol. They sacked Andy Robinson as director of rugby, and appointed Mark Tainton as temporary replacement while they wait on the arrival of Pat Lam from Connacht at the end of the season. Then, they engineered a Christmas Eve win over 11th-placed Worcester to give fans a little something to cheer about. And the weekend’s trip to Sale handed them a gift-wrapped opportunity to drag Steve Diamond’s Sale closer to the relegation dogfight. Cue a six-try special that included a late, late fightback – and Tom Varndell’s record-equalling 90th Premiership try.

Top 14: Toulon v Racing 92
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
Rugby fans are justified in expecting something special when these two expensively assembled sides meet. Last season’s Top 14 final – in front of a world record 99,124-crowd – definitely lived up to expectations, while the first meeting of this campaign was a 71-point thriller. What happened at Stade Felix Mayol on New Year’s Day in France was … different – but no less enthralling for all that. It was no high-scoring affair and individual and team skills, not to mention carefully conceived gameplans, went out of the window almost from the first minute, as the two sides threw absolutely everything – and then some more – at one another from first whistle to last. The first 20 minutes, especially, are an object lesson in never-say-die defence, while forgotten France centre Mathieu Bastareaud, under the watchful gaze of both Guy Novès and Bernard Laporte, made a powerful case for an international recall.