European Setbacks

While the national XV ride high in the world charts, the major provinces have been peculiarly struggling in the exciting new European Champions' Cup, a competition which is certainly producing many close encounters of the rugby kind, in its infant season.

Regrettably, both the southern giants of Leinster and Munster both lost on the same weekend. This must be the rarest of phenomena to find the twin superpowers lose their group matches on the same weekend, and neither could even manage a solitary try between them. In so doing, both provinces sit with nine points from three matches in groups which are delicately balanced. Each club will be hoping for revenge this forthcoming weekend. Leinster will certainly have to improve their scrummaging, after Mike Ross was mauled by England's Joe Marler.

Meanwhile, Connacht had no such woes as they inflicted a resounding thumping upon Bayonne of France in the European Challenge Cup, so a standing ovation is afforded to the men from the west coast.

However, the last word ought to be reserved for Ulster who ran in four tries which crucially ensured a valuable bonus-point win at home to the Scarlets. In so doing, the men from the north managed to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the last eight. Perhaps Ulster's struggles and success amidst this season has been quite remarkable, given the number of key personnel who have been unavailable currently or previously through injury, including such stalwarts as Henderson, Henry, Jackson, Luke Marshall, Payne, Pienaar, Trimble, and Tuohy. The Ulster warriors will have to repeat the four-try trick in south Wales this weekend and still pull one or two rabbits out of the hat at home to Leicester and away to Toulon in the new year. It's a big demand, but anything is possible.

The results were as follows:

European Rugby Champions Cup

Harlequins 24 LEINSTER 18

LEINSTER earn one losing bonus point.

MUNSTER 9 Clermont Auvergne 16

MUNSTER earn one losing bonus point.

ULSTER 24 Scarlets 9

ULSTER try-scorers: Cave, Pienaar, Bowe, Best

ULSTER earn four points plus one bonus point for scoring at least four tries.

European Rugby Challenge Cup

CONNACHT 42 Bayonne 19

CONNACHT try-scorers: Poolman (2), Aki, McSharry, Muldoon

CONNACHT earn four points plus one bonus point for scoring at least four tries.