Toulon have to get past the hefty obstacle of a Dan Carter-inspired Racing 92 team in quarter-final action this weekend in their bid to nail down an unprecedented fourth consecutive European Champions Cup title.
The star-studded Toulon side, with World Player of the Year Carter’s long-time All Black teammate Ma’a Nonu at center, landed an early blow over their rivals in the Top 14 two weeks ago, a late Frederic Michalak penalty enough to snatch a 21-20 win.
“Toulon are reigning European champions and have experienced players,” Racing hooker Dimitri Szarzewski said. “We know what to expect — a big physical challenge against players capable of making the difference. We have to play the perfect match.”
History is certainly on Toulon’s side come tomorrow’s game in Paris, the Mourad Boudjellal-financed club having won all of their past nine knockout matches in the Champions Cup. Their only loss came in their first quarter-final against Perpignan in 2010-2011, but with Carter pulling the strings behind a powerful pack, Racing have the capability to dethrone the champions.
Four mouth-watering fixtures are to be played today and tomorrow, an all Anglo-French affair with five teams from the Premiership and the three from the Top 14.
English champions Saracens were beaten by Toulon in the 2013-2014 final and lost out to Clermont in last season’s semi-final, but they have been Europe’s form side this season, claiming six pool wins from six to advance as top seeds and a match against domestic rivals Northampton.
“We have gone close in Europe over the last couple of seasons, but we have not been able to get our hands on the trophy, which is what everyone wants to do,” Saracens flanker Jackson Wray said. “We obviously did well in the pool stage, we were really happy with how that part of the competition went and the competitiveness of the Premiership means we are confident of hitting that level again.”
Saracens welcome back the likes of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola, who were all vital parts of England’s Grand Slam-winning Six Nations squad.
“The guys have come back and, as you would expect, they are buzzing, and that enthusiasm and confidence rubs off on other guys,” Wray said.
Wasps take on Exeter in what could be a classic of running rugby.
Wasps racked up big pool victories over Leinster (51-10 and 33-6), reigning champions Toulon (32-6) and Bath (36-10), with Exeter coach Rob Baxter admitting he is wary of their attacking game.
“The best way to nullify Wasps’ attack isn’t to defend it. The best way is to attack it yourself, to have the ball,” Baxter said. “That’s the approach I want us to have.”
On paper, the easiest task seems to be Leicester’s, at home against Stade Francais.
The French champions have suffered a disastrous domestic title defense and sit only one place above the relegation places.
“We’ll go there with no complex, with a lot of enthusiasm because it’s the knockout phase,” Stade Francais captain Sergio Parisse said.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
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