Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Worcester stun Stade in Paris, La Rochelle run riot

Worcester Warriors wing Tom Howe

Tom Howe scored a first-half double as Worcester Warriors pulled off a shock 38-27 European Challenge Cup bonus-point win at Stade Francais and 12-try La Rochelle humiliated Enisei on Saturday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Stade had won 23 out of 26 Challenge Cup home games at the pool stage and Worcester arrived in Paris as huge underdogs, having lost their last 11 away matches in the competition as well as being without a win in France for a decade.

The Premiership side upset the Top 14 high-fliers with a brilliant Pool 2 performance on the road, though, Howe crossing for a second time just before the break after Matt Cox scored the opening try.

Ted Hill and Jamie Shillcock also went over in the second half and Jono Lance took his tally with the boot to 13 points, ensuring tries from Kylan Hamdaoui, Laurent Panis and Piet van Zyl were in vain for the 2016-17 Challenge Cup winners.

La Rochelle showed no mercy on Enisei in Russia, scoring six tries in each half of a 82-21 Pool 4 rout.

Jean Victor Goillot and Pierre Aguillon claimed two five-pointers apiece and Maxime Lafage finished with a 25-point haul in a ruthless mauling.

Top 14 leaders Clermont Auvergne laid down a marker with a 41-20 win at Northampton Saints and the Dragons were emphatic 54-17 winners over Timisoara Saracens in the other Pool 1 clash.

ADVERTISEMENT

Connacht saw off Bordeaux-Begles 22-10 in Pool 3 and the Ospreys also struck a blow for the Pro14, George North among the four try-scorers in a 27-0 Pool 2 triumph over Pau.

Three-time champions Harlequins thumped Agen 54-22 at The Stoop, while there were also wins for Bristol Bears and Benetton Treviso.

In other news

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 2 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

307 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones Why England's defence of the realm has crumbled without Felix Jones
Search