Nonu, Mathewson on target as Toulon topple Bath
Former All Blacks star Ma’a Nonu helped Toulon to a home win over Todd Blackadder’s Bath to top their European Champions Cup group.
Nonu and his ex-All Black team-mate Alby Mathewson got on the scoresheet in Toulon’s 24-20 Pool Five win yesterday.
Bath looked set to score an away win until some late magic from Toulon’s French international first five-eighth Anthony Belleau, who chipped ahead and regathered to score the match winner.
Nonu had grabbed Toulon’s only first half try when the former Hurricane crashed over after a deft pass from his midfield partner Mathieu Bastareaud.
Bath led 13-7 at the interval but Toulon dominated the second. With Bath’s Chris Cook in the sinbin, Mathewson pounced to score from a scrum to give Toulon the lead. But the French club’s English fullback Chris Ashton gifted his compatriots a try when he sliced a kick, allowing Jonathan Joseph to score.
Toulon pivot Francois TrinhDuc kicked a penalty and his replacement, Belleau, notched the decisive try.
Aaron Cruden came back to haunt his old Manawatu and Chiefs mentor Dave Rennie in Montpellier’s 29-22 win over the Glasgow Warriors.
Cruden set up the first of Montpellier flanker Kelian Galleter’s two tries as Montpellier - coached by Kiwi-born exScotland national team coach Vern Cotter - went all out on AWestern Force team could be back in action by as early as April after RugbyWA was handed back the franchise’s licence and intellectual property.
RugbyWA came out of voluntary administration on Friday after Rugby Australia (RA) waived a legal debt of more than $1 million.
RA spent about $1.7 million (NZ$1.86m) in legal costs after RugbyWA battled to save the Western Force through arbitration and then a Supreme Court appeal.
RugbyWA entered into voluntary administration last attack.
Montpellier scored four tries to three, including a penalty try.
Glasgow - unbeaten in the Pro 14 domestic competition - slumped to their third consecutive European loss, ruling them out of the playoffs.
Rennie was furious that hooker George Turner conceded a ‘‘dumb’’ yellow card for an off- month, saying the axing of the Force from Super Rugby meant it simply didn’t have the revenue stream to pay back RA’s legal costs.
But RA has now forgiven that debt after billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest promised to pump more than $2 million into grassroots and women’s rugby in WA. Lavan Legal, who represented the Force during their battles with RA, has waived a debt of almost $800,000 (NZ$877,000).
However, RugbyWA still owes the WA government $1.14m ($NZ1.86m) - a debt the the-ball shoulder charge in the first half with Glasgow ahead 17-5.
‘‘We started pretty well; George’s sinbin was dumb,’’ Rennie told BBC Scotland.
‘‘Leading by 12, we should’ve had a line-out 20m out to apply more pressure and instead he ends up in the bin, and three minutes later they’ve scored.’’ government has agreed to put on hold for two years.
As part of RugbyWA’s relaunch, the Future Force Academy will be resurrected to help convert amateur athletes to professional players, and will be open to women for the first time. RugbyWA will fund three professional women players in 2018, with that number to expand in the future.
The Force are set to be back in action next year against some invitational sides. They will then compete in the National Rugby Championship in 2018, replacing the Perth Spirit.
Former Taranaki and Chiefs hooker Rhys Marshall kickstarted Munster’s 33-10 win over the Leicester Tigers with the game’s first try in Limerick. Marshall, 25, also distinguished himself on defence, ripping the ball from a Tiger’s claws on Munster’s goal-line in the 63rd minute.
Munster - with Ireland inter- nationals Peter O’Mahony and Simon Zebo among the tryscorers - were too strong for Telusa Veainu’s Leicester, leading 23-3 at halftime.
Welsh club Scarlets - with Hadleigh Parkes and Johnny McNicholl in the backline - beat Kieran Crowley’s Benetton Treviso 33-28 in Pool Five.
Halfback Gareth Davies scored twice for Scarlets while Benetton, who had New Zealand-born Italy international Jayden Hayward at fullback, battled gamely after flanker Francesco was sent off for a tip tackle in the 23rd minute.
Former Crusaders centre Kieron Fonotia had a strong game in Ospreys’ 43-32 win over Dylan Hartley’s Northampton Saints in Pool Two.
Fonotia scored one of Ospreys’ six tries with fullback Dan Evans and wing Jeff Hassler bagging doubles.
Tongans were the tryscorers in Castres 16-13 French derby win over Racing 92 in Pool Four.
Former Counties Manukau backrower Maama Vaipulu dotted down for Castres and lock Edwin Maka reciprocated for Racing.
Western Force set to return to action in 2018