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The honour of kicking-off the new European season falls to Harlequins and Montpellier at the Twickenham Stoop and whichever team emerges from Pool 3 this season will be candidates to take the Challenge Cup title. - 11/11/2015 12:28
The honour of kicking-off the new European season falls to Harlequins and Montpellier at the Twickenham Stoop and whichever team emerges from Pool 3 this season will be candidates to take the Challenge Cup title.
The Quins are three-time winners of the trophy, while Cardiff Blues, who kick-off their campaign at Rugby Calvisano on Saturday, triumphed in 2010. Montpellier won the European Shield title in 2004.
Harlequins have made a solid start to their domestic campaign with three wins from four outings and received a huge boost this week when England full back Mike Brown put pen to paper on a new contract.
On top of that, New Zealand outside half Nick Evans was named as the Aviva Premiership Player of the Month for October. He kicked a club record eight penalties in the win over Bath Rugby at The Recreation Ground and is happy with his form.
“It is always nice to have the rhythm going well with your goalkicking and I’m very happy with my form and the form of the team. Now we are looking forward to a change of competition,” said Evans.
“It wasn’t the best of first-halves against Sale Sharks last weekend, but there is still a lot of excitement ahead of the game against Montpellier. We don’t know a lot about them, but we know they will come with a very big pack.
“We’re hoping for another big crowd at The Stoop and for another top night out.”
Former Australian skipper James Horwill is set for his European debut and he could run into two former Wallaby team mates in No 8 Ben Mowen, lock Sitaleki Timani, scrum half Nic White and full back Jesse Mogg. Montpellier have also added South African World Cup players Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis to their squad.
Jake White’s team lost their unbeaten home record to Toulouse two weeks ago and were blitzed by European champions RC Toulon, 52-8, at Stade Felix Mayol in the Top 14 last weekend. They currently stand sixth in the table.
They have spent the past four seasons in the Champions Cup and were twice beaten by Quins in the Challenge Cup when the two sides met in the pool stages in 2006/07. On that occasion Quins ran out 57-10 winners at home.
“Last season wasn’t good enough and a team of our standard has to be pushing for honours,” said new Quins skipper, Danny Care. “We want to get back up there and be pushing for silverware.”
Match Facts
- This will be the third time the clubs have met in the competition with Harlequins – tournament champions in 2001, 2004 and 2011 – winning both of their previous Challenge Cup matches against Montpellier in 2006/07.
- Montpellier have won their last six matches against English opposition in the Challenge Cup, this after winning just two of their 15 games against English clubs before that.
- Harlequins have won six of their last eight matches against French opponents in the Challenge Cup.
- Quins have won 15 of 17 home matches in the Challenge Cup (L2). One of their two defeats was against French opposition in Stade Francais Paris.
- Harlequins made an average of 123 carries per game in last season's Champions Cup – the most of any team and the only team to average more than 120.
- Harlequins had possession for an average of 19m 17secs per game in the 2014/15 Champions Cup – the most of any club by almost a minute (Racing 92 were next on 18m 21sec).
- Montpellier (99.3) were the only club in the 2014/15 Champions Cup to average less than 100 passes per game.
- No club was penalised more than Montpellier in last season's Champions Cup. They conceded an average of 13.7 penalties per game (equal with Glasgow Warriors).
- Harlequins' Luke Wallace made the most tackles of any player (33) in the 2014/15 Champions Cup tournament not to miss a tackle.
- Montpellier's Benoit Paillaugue was one of just six players in the 2014/15 Champions Cup to take a shot at goal from more than 50m out. Elliot Daly, Ian Keatley, Andy Goode, Danny Cipriani and Charlie Hodgson were the other five.
Alors qu'il avait bien démarré la rencontre
Harlequins got off to a flying start as they ran in six tries to lay down a marker in Pool 3 of the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
But the Aviva Premiership side had to come from behind after hitting early difficulties against the Montpellier front row and the boot of scrum half Benoit Paillaugue. They were trailing 9-0 before they managed to notch their first points of the night from outside half Nick Evans.
His penalty gave the home side some heart and then the front five finally managed to get a grip on proceedings – and the Montpellier pack. The visitors also suffered when Georgian prop Mikheil Nariashvili was sent to the sin-bin.
While the loose head was off the field the home side notched their second try through the outstanding 37-year-old No 8 warhorse Nick Easter to ensure they changed ends with their noses in front, 15-12. Luke Wallace burrowed over for the first home try.
In the second half, Quins turned on the style and added four more tries, while all Montpellier could muster were two more penalties from Paillaugue. Jack Clifford grabbed the third try and new skipper Danny Care converted a driving line-out maul to bag the bonus-point score.
The try of the night came from replacement wing Ollie Lindsay-Hague’s first touch as he rounded off some thrilling approach work from the England trio of Marland Yarde, Care and Mike Brown over the previous 50 metres.
England World Cup captain Chris Robshaw ended the night with a flop over the line from close range and the job was completed. The Harlequins travel to Cardiff Blues next week.
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