Glasgow rout Tigers to hit quarters
GLASGOW humiliated Leicester 43-0 to reach the European Champions Cup quarters for the first time on Saturday as three-time winners Toulon sneaked into the last eight.
The Scottish club qualified as a best runner-up with second spot in Pool 1 on 19 points, behind 2006 and 2008 champions Munster, who ensured a quarterfinal at home with 24 points thanks to a 22-10 win against Racing 92.
Glasgow had a bonus point secured by half-time at Welford Road after tries from winger Tommy Seymour, centre Mark Bennett, skipper Jonny Gray and a penalty try.
Flanker Ryan Wilson added a fifth try early in the second period, before lock Tim Swinson crossed for the sixth try. Kicker Finn Russell finished with 13 points. For 2001 and 2002 champions Leicester, it was their heaviest defeat in the European Cup.
“It’s a great end to the chapter, from where Scottish rugby started in professional rugby and where it is today,” said Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend.
Nineteen years ago, Glasgow shipped 90 points against Leicester at the same ground.
Munster saw off last season’s runners-up Racing on the back of three tries from Simon Zebo, Ronan O’Mahony and Ian Keatley. Racing, playing without star backs Dan Carter and Juan Imhoff, finished the pool stage rock bottom on five points after wining just one of their six games.
Toulon also made the quarterfinals despite slipping to a 10-3 defeat at defending champions Saracens.
The French giants made sure of a last-eight spot when Welsh full-back Leigh Halfpenny fired over a monster 50-metre penalty after 63 minutes to assure his team a losing bonus point in the Pool 3 game.
Toulon finished on 16 points, the same as Montpellier in Pool 4, but with a better points difference allowing them to grab qualification.
Saracens’ only try came from winger Chris Ashton, who will join Toulon next season, with the win giving the English side a home quarterfinal.
It was Saracens’ 15th match unbeat- en in Europe and the performance brought praise from coach Mark McCall who was missing a host of first-choice players such as England internationals Billy and Mako Vunipola and George Kruis.
‘Extraordinary effort’
“Everyone knows who we are missing through injury, but for us to go toeto-toe against an almost a full-strength side and show that effort, especially defensively, was extraordinary,” said Saracens coach Mark McCall.
In the other concluding Pool 3 game, Sale edged Scarlets 25-23 but their first win of the tournament was not enough to lift t hem off t he bottom.
Clermont, already assured of a place in the quarters, launched a first-half blitz to overcome Exeter 48-26 in Pool 5 and take top seeding in the last eight.
The home side went on a five-try rampage in the first period, as they led 34-0, and added two more after the break.
However, Clermont’s joy was tempered by French international centre Wesley Fofana suffering an achilles tendon rupture which will rule him out of the Six Nations, which starts in two weeks’ time.
The 29-year-old Fofana, who has 44 caps, suffered the injury late in the first half just after scoring one of his team’s seven tries.
Clermont finished their pool campaign with 26 points after five wins.
As well as Fofana and a penalty try, Clermont triumphed through scores from Benjamin Kayser, Fijian winger Noa Nakaitaci, full-back Nick Abendanon, Peceli Yato and Alexandre Lapandry.
Exeter, to their credit, battled hard after the interval with four tries from James Short, Ollie Devoto, Olly Woodburn and Michele Campagnaro.
Bordeaux beat Ulster 26-22 in Saturday’s other Pool 5 game in Belfast.
On Friday, three-time former champions Leinster, already assured of a spot in the knock-out round, were held 24-24 by Castres in Pool 4.
The last two quarterfinal spots were set to be decided yesterday, with Connacht, Toulouse and Wasps all in contention in Pool 2.