Charles in charge as Ulster hold off Wasps
Racing 92 didn’t need Dan Carter to open their European Champions Cup campaign with a home win over the Leicester Tigers.
Carter was absent for a fourth successive game, but Racing managed three tries to two for a 22-18 win in Paris yesterday.
Fijian wing Leone Nakarawa an Olympic Games sevens gold medallist in Rio - was Racing’s star with a well-taken try. Bernard Le Roux and Teddy Thomas also scored for the homeside with flanker Luke Hamilton and England wing Jonny May dotting down for Leciester.
Racing fielded former All Black Joe Rokocoko on the left wing and former Taranaki prop Census Johnston. New Zealander Telusa Veainu started at fullback for Leicester with flanker Brendon O’Connor coming off the bench.
Carter, 34, hasn’t played for Racing since he was replaced at halftime in a French Top 14 championship victory over Oyonnax on September 17.
Former All Black Charles Piutau proved the difference in Ulster’s 19-9 win over Wasps at Coventry.
Piutau, who is set to become the world’s highest paid player at $1.86 million a year when he moves to English club Bristol next season, cut the Wasps defence to ribbons from fullback.
He set up tries for wing Jacob Stockdale and midfielder Stuart McCloskey in a crucial five-minute spell in the first half.
Piutau had a short loan stint with Wasps in 2015 after sensationally walking out on the All Blacks to sign for Ulster.
Former Hurricanes first fiveeighth Jimmy Gopperth kicked two penalties for Wasps.
Dave Rennie suffered the first coaching defeat of his European career when the Glasgow Warriors lost 23-15 at English champions Exeter.
The Exeter Chiefs grabbed the match-clinching try in the 78th minute to young No 8 Sam Simmonds after Glasgow’s defence finally cracked.
Tight forwards Harry Williams and Jonny Hill scored first-half tries for Exeter after British and Irish Lions wing Tommy Seymour gave Glasgow an early lead.
Glasgow, the Pro 14 competition leaders, struck back after halftime with a try to Lee Jones to narrow the deficit to 17-15 until Simmonds’ late score settled the Sandy Park crowd’s nerves.
Todd Blackadder’s Bath beat Kieran Crowley’s Benetton Treviso 23-0 with 20-year-old flanker Zach Mercer - son of former Kiwis rugby league international Gary Mercer - and Aled Brew scoring tries.
Former Blues star Isa Nacewa hobbled off injured as Leinster beat French heavyweights Montpellier, 24-17 in Dublin.
New Zealand-born fullback Joey Carbery scored one of Leinster’s four tries with Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw also featuring on the scoresheet.