Biggest Hits in World Rugby for Weekend of October 24-26

A second consecutive week of European Rugby Champions Cup action sees Leicester’s Owen Williams star as our only inclusion from the northern hemisphere in this edition of Bleacher Report’s Biggest Hits. The Tigers’ fly-half landed a massive hit on Scarlets flyer Michael Tagicakibau, and it was somewhat pleasing to see the referee allow play to go on after the challenge aired on the line of illegal, but didn’t verge into tipping territory. This week’s roundup also brings a flurry of fending features, with the ITM Cup, Meads Cup and Lochore Cup of New Zealand each showing... 

Taranaki Withstand Comeback to Beat Tasman in ITM Cup Premiership Final

Taranaki had to withstand a ferocious comeback from Tasman en-route to being crowned champions of New Zealand provincial rugby for the first time. Their 36-32 win made them the first non-Super Rugby franchise base to win the title since 1980 and only the ninth team to win the top prize since the NPC’s inception in 1976. It looked like it would be a lopsided result three-quarters of the way through the game, with the score at 33-13. The black and yellow defensive wall seemed impossible to breach, as they fanned out, came up fast and were physical in the tackle. They went into contact in packs... 

Western Province vs. Golden Lions: Winners and Losers from Currie Cup Final

Western Province rode a storm of second-half pressure from the Golden Lions to claim this year’s Currie Cup title, beating their foes 19-16 in front of a Cape Town crowd on Saturday. Jaco Taute’s first-half try put the home outfit on course to victory, and despite Jaco van der Walt managing to cross over for the visitors in the second period, Western Province hung on for the win. Find out which players and areas of each team held up their side of the championship bargain, as we discuss the winners and losers of the 2014 Currie Cup final. Begin Slideshow  Read More →

Currie Cup Rugby Final 2014: Western Province vs. Golden Lions

Western Province lifted the Currie Cup after a determined display saw them overcome the Golden Lions at Newlands by a score of 19-16. A try from Jaco Taute and 14 points from the boot of Demetri Catrakilis hauled Die Streeptruie to victory in a match that followed an unexpectedly abrasive pattern, especially given the expansive style both teams have showcased this season. Jaco van der Walt scored the only try of the game for the Lions, while it was a bittersweet day for Marnitz Boshoff, who notched eight points before missing a last-gasp penalty that would have taken the match into extra time. The... 

Manawatu Win ITM Cup Championship, Promoted to Premiership

It took a last-minute try to seal the deal as Manawatu won their first major provincial rugby trophy since 1980, winning the ITM Cup Championship division with a 32-24 win over Hawke’s Bay. Hawke’s Bay controlled possession in the final minutes. Trailing by three points, they hammered away at a relentless Manawatu defence. A poorly executed attacking kick, that was never on, eventually ended their hopes, as Manawatu winger Nathan Tudreu collected the ball that was rocketed at him and set off to score a length-of-the-field try. It was a tense finish to what was all round a very tense... 

Western Province vs. Golden Lions: 5 Key Battles for Currie Cup Final

South Africa has two deserving finalists armed and ready to clash in Saturday’s Currie Cup crescendo, with Western Province and Golden Lions the two standout teams of the 2014 competition. Eighty-eight tries have been scored between the two sides in this year’s tournament, and Cape Town is primed to host an extraordinary encounter in the name of domestic dominance. Ahead of Saturday’s meeting, we profile the five most prominent battles, with the back-line heroes in particular set to make for all-star action. Begin Slideshow  Read More →

Currie Cup Rugby Final 2014: Western Province vs. Golden Lions Live Stream, More

Western Province and the Golden Lions line up as this year’s Currie Cup finalists, and deservedly so after showing themselves to be a cut above the rest during the normal season. During the first 10 rounds of the 2014 competition, the pair exchanged blows in defeating each other on their respective home soils, and Western Province hope Newlands can help them replicate that feat on Saturday. It promises to be an encounter of most entertaining proportions, with the duo scoring a collective 81 points combined in their respective semi-final wins. Read on for a breakdown of all the necessary viewing... 

Referee Nigel Owens Delivers Hilarious Gag After Rugby Fail

Nigel Owens is one of the best and most respected rugby referees in the game—he also just so happens to be gay.  Owens certainly showed he is game for a laugh, too, during the recent Harlequins vs. Castres European Rugby Champions Cup clash.  After a terrible, crooked line-out throw from Harlequins hooker Dave Ward, Owens couldn’t resist going over to Ward and saying: “I’m straighter than that one.” There was nothing Ward could do at that stage but laugh!  [BT Sport, h/t @danrumens] Read more Rugby Union news on BleacherReport.com  Read More →

6 Bold Predictions for Matchday 2 of the European Rugby Champions Cup

A list of thunderous encounters awaits us in the second week of the European Rugby Champions Cup. An Anglo-Irish heavyweight clash in Limerick between Munster and Saracens will shape Pool 1, while two former winners face off in the West Country as Bath host Toulouse in Pool 4. Plucky Sale, last-minute losers to Munster last weekend, head to the cacophonous fortress of Clermont Auvergne, while reigning champions Toulon take their 12-game winning streak in Europe to Ulster. And in Northampton, the champions of England face what could already be an eliminator for them with the unbeaten Ospreys swooping... 

5 Key Battles in Matchday 2 of the European Rugby Champions Cup

The truncated format of the European Rugby Champions Cup is throwing up crackerjack matches every week, with the second round promising fireworks from the first whistle. We kick off with Saracens’ visit to Munster to see who will blink first in the tournament’s pool of death. These two and Clermont Auvergne provided three of last season’s four semi-finalists, so every inch will be scrapped over tooth and nail. Bath host Toulouse, desperate to erase the memory of a painful defeat in Glasgow, but they face a resurgent French side who got both their power up front and silky offloading... 

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