Alan Good
Contrary to the World Cup slug-fest in New Zealand, the Heineken Cup has once again thrown up drama and quality in equal measure, as well as some spectacular tries. Here, we re-live a dozen of the best.
Chris Ashton (Northampton at Munster)
Ashton is well able to get up the noses of neutrals and opposition fans alike but unfortunately for them, he also knows where the try-line is. Unlike his famous effort against Australia, this was more of a team try, a classic counter-attack move off a Conor Murray box-kick that drifted too long. Ryan Lamb put Vasily Artemyev on the attack, and his offload set Ben Foden free. He put aside his own Munster allegiences - girlfriend Una Healy is of Tipperary stock - to fix Doug Howlett and send Ashton over in the corner.
Sean Cronin (Leinster at Montpellier)
Cronin could have been getting his first taste of Heineken Cup rugby with as a starter Connacht but a move to Leinster saw him instead come on for Richardt Strauss with his side 10 points down in Montpellier. The former Munster man's try helped his side eke out a crucial 16-16 draw and gave a new meaning to impact sub. The hooker popped up in midfield, carried in two hands to get the half-gap then surged for the line. Initially hauled down, he was back on his feet in the same movement, displaying superb power and athleticism to power over.
Noe Naikataci (Clermont at Ulster)
Another Fijian double-N on the wing for Clermont - remember Napolioni Nalaga? - and another lethal finisher. Coming just six minutes into the Heineken Cup season at Ravenhill, this could have been curtains for Ulster teams of previous vintages but they recovered to win and set up their season. Naikataci's try is the abiding memory of that game though; Clermont flung it wide, Andrew Trimble fell off a tackle on Lee Byrne and the Welshman's acceleration was devastating. The Fijian wing did the rest, beating the outside cover and barging through Craig Gilroy on the line.
Peter O'Mahony (Munster at Castres)
Ah, the advantages of being a relative unknown. There seemed to be little on for Munster after a wraparound move involving Conor Murray, Paul O'Connell and Niall Ronan put O'Mahony in some space 25 metres out on a 2 v 2. But both the covering Castres players were spooked enough by Doug Howlett's presence on the wing to drift out to him, forgetting about O'Mahony who gleefully exploited the space and showed a clean pair of heels to the cover to touch down.
Tobias Botes (Treviso v Ospreys)
Treviso are proving themselves to be good for a shock result in most years (just ask Biarritz and Perpignan) and they held Ospreys to a draw this term while playing some all-signing, all-dancing rugby. That Ashley Beck was tempted enough by a skip pass to come screaming 15 metres out of the defensive line helps, but it was pure class from there as Tommaso Benvenuti made a fool out of Andrew Bishop and sent his scrum-half Botes, careering up in support on the outside, over in the corner at full-tilt.
Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz v Saracens)
The Zimbabwe-born USA speedster is still best known for out-pacing Springboks sprint king Bryan Habana for a famous World Cup try, but he also has a stupid amount of long-distance beauties in his collection. The best bit about re-watching this effort when he cuts inside on a counter-attack in his own half is the commentators, who suggest he "can go all the way" even though he's still got 65 metres to go and a handful of players to beat. Of course, that's exactly what he does. His will be some highlights reel when he finishes up.
Timoci Matanavu (Toulouse at Harlequins)
Many lament the lack of tries scored off first phase in a modern game dominated by defence, but Toulouse aren't the aristocrats of European rugby for nothing. A routine scrum platform seemed to have come to nothing when the first two passes were slow and the space had evaporated, but out-half Luke McAlister arrived on a wraparound and popped to Vincent Clerc. He cut inside Matt Hopper to head into open country, before flinging an excellent long pass off his right for Fijian wing Matanavu to score.
Chris Wyles (Saracens v Ospreys)
We've already had one hooker who plays like a centre featured in Sean Cronin, but Sarries' Schalk Brits sets the bar when it comes to doing Keith Wood impressions. As well as the power and the pace, Brits also has hands Yannick Jauzion would be envious of. That's clear for all to see in this try, as he unlocked the Ospreys defence with a no-look, one-handed reverse offload. Wing Wyles reas the South African's intentions perfectly and steamed onto the ball to hold off a couple of tacklers and thunder over.
Named in a slew of pundits' Six Nations team of the tournament, Fofana has cast aside some troubled beginnings to become a midfield star for both France and Clermont this term. The Auvergnats had been pounding the Tigers through the phases when out-half Brock James brought the ball to the gain line about 10 metres from the Leicester posts, then threaded the most delicate of rugby league-style grubber kicks through the defence, which hopped up perfectly for the alert Fofana to dot down.
Matt Banahan (Bath v Leinster)
Big backs are big news in world rugby at the moment, and Bath's tattooed behemoth Banahan was one of the originals before Wales' all-singing, all-dancing, all-skyscraping pace men won a Grand Slam this year. In this beaut against Leinster - his side's only try in a 18-13 defeat - the England international greased the wheels with some soft hands in midfield before following up to take the scoring offload from Jack Cuthbert, another bustling wing not exactly known for being a shrinking violet.
Niall Ronan (Munster at Scarlets)
Munster had no right to score this try but it should nonetheless be shown to every aspiring young rugby player in a session titled "How to fix your opponent". Denis Hurley fielded a high ball under no pressure and the Scarlets unwisely stood off as he played a one-two with Ronan O'Gara to get him past the first wave of defenders. Johne Murphy then took up the slack and ran a clever line inside to allow Ronan the space to get away outside. The flanker's sidestep left Gareth Davies on his backside before he surged to the line. Simple, effective stuff.
Craig Gilroy (Ulster v Leicester)
Ravenhill rocked as the Tigers were sent home with their tails between their legs in January, providing the launchpad forUlster to ultimately qualify for the quarter-finals. This effort was a suitably heady mix of rehearsed accuracy and off-the-cuff improvisation. Spreading the ball wide off ruck ball, Andrew Trimble ran a perfect dummy line to occupy the Leicester cover, while Chris Henry stepped one way then offloaded the other to create the room for Gilroy to roar down the touchline for a memorable score.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/EH6VOmWPrS4/post.aspx
Royal Bank of Scotland The Ashes European banks Short breaks The far right St Lucia
No comments:
Post a Comment