Three down, one to go!\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Investec Champions Cup waits for nobody, and for those hoping to catch their breath in Round 3, you were far too optimistic.<\/p>\n
Across 12 pulsating clashes, rugby\u2019s great club competition delivered spectacles of all styles, meaning every rugby fan got a little bit of what they liked.<\/p>\n
Whether it was the shootout on the highveld between the Vodacom Bulls and the Bristol Bears, or the heavyweight slugfest in Dublin between Leinster and La Rochelle, one simply could not have asked for a better round of action.<\/p>\n
Before setting our sights on what is to come in Round 4, we take a look back at the standout performers from Round 3 in our FloRugby Team of the Week:<\/p>\n
1. Jerry Cahir \u2013 Leinster Rugby<\/p>\n
No Andrew Porter, no Jack Boyle and Paddy McCarthy departing with a serious foot injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Step forward All Irish League standout Jerry Cahir.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Staring down La Rochelle\u2019s behemoth and world-class tighthead, Uini Antonio, who conservatively concedes 30kg, Cahir locked down the Leinster scrum when it was most needed, and the four time champions added another notch in the win column against one of their fiercest rivals.<\/p>\n
2. Tom Dunn \u2013 Bath Rugby<\/p>\n
In a world where Malcolm Marx, Dan Sheehan, Peato Mauvaka and all of the other freakishly athletic hookers dominate, Bath\u2019s Tom Dunn trucks along, never letting his performance dip below an 8 out of 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Playing away at one of the tougher European venues, Dunn spearheaded Bath\u2019s challenge against a ferocious Castres pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dotting down for a try of his own, and laying the platform for Beno Obano\u2019s score, Dunn was immaculate in a 71-minute performance.<\/p>\n
3. Carlu Sadie \u2013 Union Bordeaux Begles<\/p>\n
Rassie Erasmus\u2019s rolodex of world class props is seemingly never-ending at this stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still somehow just 28 years old, UBB\u2019s 140-kilogram powerhouse utterly obliterated Northampton\u2019s scrum.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Forcing Danilo Fischetti into the \u00a0sin-bin and milking penalties that led to scoreboard pressure, Sadie was an irresistible force in the Grand Final rematch.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
4. \u00a0Maro Itoje \u2013 Saracens<\/p>\n
Picking the pockets of Toulouse in biblical weather conditions, the England skipper was a key difference-maker for the three-time champions as they downed the Top 14 giants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Time and again, Itoje got up in front of the Toulouse jumpers. Irrespective of where Julian Marchand and Peato Mauvaka threw the ball, Itoje was there messing up the delivery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Around the park, Itoje was a monster, making 10 carries, 13 tackles and winning two turnovers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Honorable mention to Munster\u2019s Edwin Edogbo and Leinster\u2019s Joe McCarthy, who both were exceptional.<\/p>\n
5. Ollie Chessum \u2013 Leicester Tigers<\/p>\n
The other half of England\u2019s first-choice lock combination was in ruthless form as the Tigers shredded Bayonne to set up a shootout for knockout qualification in Round 4.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Winning six line-outs, dominating the point of contact on both sides of the ball and leading his team immaculately, Chessum put on an old-school Tigers\u2019 enforcer performance.<\/p>\n
6. Euan Ferrie \u2013 Glasgow Warriors<\/p>\n
Leading the charge for an exceptionally deep depth chart of exciting young Scottish backrows, Warriors blindside Ferrie was at his thundering best against Clermont.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ferrie made a whopping 18 tackles, won three turnovers, two line-outs and scored a key try as the URC giants set themselves up for a top seeding heading into Round 4.<\/p>\n
7. Cameron Woki \u2013 Union Bordeaux Begles<\/p>\n
Three tries, in what was billed as the biggest clash of the weekend, UBB\u2019s new signing left his mark on what was a fiery contest at the Stade Chaban-Delmas. \u00a0<\/p>\n
For all of his flash, Woki didn\u2019t shirk his bread and butter as a physical enforcer. He made 12 tackles, won a turnover and snatched two line-outs for what was a total performance. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Honorable mentions go to Levani Botia and Josh van der Flier, who both were top-notch in Dublin.<\/p>\n
8. Tom Willis \u2013 Saracens<\/p>\n
Playing with what appeared to be an exceptionally uncomfortable back issue, \u2018little brother\u2019 Tom got one over his big brother Jack and Stade Toulousain in a big way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Willis topped the Sarries’ carry chart with 17, which went along with his 14 tackles, one turnover and a critical try.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If ever a reminder was needed about how ludicrous it is that England will be without its two best backrowers, then Sunday evening’s performance from both brothers was it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
9. Jack van Poortvliet \u2013 Leicester Tigers<\/p>\n
Managing challenging conditions with aplomb, the England international was central to the Tigers\u2019 blowout victory on Saturday evening, nailing his box kicks, whipping out the best part of 100 passes (92 to be exact).<\/p>\n
With ball in hand, Van Poortvliet was lethal, setting up three tries and beating four defenders for 47 meters gained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Performances like this will give Steve Borthwick plenty to think about heading into the Six Nations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Honorable mentions go to Kieran Marmion and Craig Casey.<\/p>\n
10. Billy Searle \u2013 Leicester Tigers<\/p>\n
Taking the cake in a round that had a handful of strong fly-half performances, Leicester\u2019s unheralded signing has continued his meteoric rise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Topping the carry charts with 86 meters made, three line breaks, three defenders beaten, two try assists and three tries scored, Searle reiterated the growing realization that he has the potential to be Geoff Parling\u2019s long-term option at No. 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Honorable mentions Jack Crowley and Mathieu Jalibert.<\/p>\n
11. Joshua Kenny \u2013 Leinster Rugby<\/p>\n
Andy Farrell, were you watching? Of course he was!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fast becoming the worst-kept secret in Irish Rugby, Kenny could well be on the verge of completing a rise from academy player to Six Nations option.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not only an option but alongside Ulster\u2019s Zac Ward, Kenny could be about to oust veteran James Lowe from the left wing slot he has almost exclusively owned since making his debut in 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kenny is blessed with truly elite pace, a world-class aerial game and, most importantly, an unquantifiable \u2018X-Factor\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since making his debut, Kenny has scored six tries in eight matches, including two in his Champions Cup debut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Capitalizing on two early opportunities, Kenny put his side in the driver\u2019s seat from the off and continued his outing with a rock-solid defensive showing.<\/p>\n
12. Olly Hartley \u2013 Saracens<\/p>\n
Perhaps a left-field option given the performance of Sione Tuipulotu in Clermont, the Saracens center had the unenviable task of facing a star-studded Toulouse back line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than holding his own, Hartley dominated the point of contact on both sides of the ball, winning two key turnovers to go along with 12 tackles and seven carries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This performance in exceptionally challenging conditions ensured that the Sarries defensive effort remained rock-solid from minute 0 to 80.<\/p>\n
13. Huw Jones \u2013 Glasgow Warriors<\/p>\n
Back with a bang, the Lions\u2019 center shredded Clermont for a superb try in which he somehow looked even quicker than before his long-term injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Linking with his old pal Sione Tuipulotu, Jones was a class above the rest at the Stade Marcel-Michelin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Making yards with seemingly every carry, linking well with those around him and shutting down Clermont wide attacks, Jones served a timely reminder that when fit, he is a certainty for Scotland\u2019s midfield.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
14. Noah Heward \u2013 Bristol Bears<\/p>\n
Racing away for three tries in a match had secured the bonus point inside 15 minutes is about as good as it gets for a winger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One effort, in particular, where the 25-year-old outpaced the Bulls\u2019 cover defense on a kick through, was a lung-busting effort that dispelled the old \u2018altitude, it matters\u2019 sign at Loftus Versfeld.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Playing just his fifth match of the season, the hat trick takes Heward to four tries total and alleviates pressure on one of the more injury-hit squads of the season.<\/p>\n
15. \u00a0Salesi Rayasi \u2013 Union Bordeaux Begles<\/p>\n
Another hat trick hero, the flying Fijian was unplayable at times during his side\u2019s crushing victory over the Saints.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sliding over for the opening score before scoring what will be one of the tries of the season to close his account, Rayasi now feels firmly entrenched as first choice in UBB\u2019s back three.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Topping the meters-made chart with 141 from 16 carries, including four line-breaks, four offloads and nine defenders beaten tells the tale of what was the best individual performance of Round 3.<\/p>\n
How To Watch Investec Champions Cup Round 3 Matches<\/p>\n
All Investec Champions Cup matches stream live on FloRugby and the FloSports app.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Investec Champions Cup Round 3 FixturesFriday, Jan. 93 p.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Pierre-Fabre3 p.m. ET: Edinburgh Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, TBDSaturday, Jan. 108 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bristol Bears, Loftus Versfeld10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Glasgow Warriors, Stade Marcel-Michelin12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. La Rochelle, TBD12:30 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Salford Community Stadium3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Pau, Parc y Scarlets3 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Bayonne, Mattioli Woods Welford RoadSunday, Jan. 118 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. DHL Stormers, Twickenham Stoop8 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Munster Rugby, Stade F\u00e9lix Mayol10:15 a.m. ET: Bordeaux-B\u00e8gles vs. Northampton Saints, Stade Chaban-Delmas12:30 p.m. ET: Saracens vs. Toulouse, StoneX StadiumInvestec Champions Cup Round 4 FixturesFriday, Jan. 163 p.m. ET: Pau vs. Vodacom Bulls, Stade du Hameau3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Edinburgh Rugby, The RecSaturday, Jan. 178 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Clermont Auvergne, Hollywoodbets Kings Park10:15 a.m. ET: Bayonne vs. Leinster Rugby, Stade Jean Dauger10:15 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. Leicester Tigers, DHL Stadium12:30 p.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, Thomond Park3 p.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Toulon, KingsholmSunday, Jan. 188 a.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux-B\u00e8gles, Ashton Gate10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Scarlets, cinch Stadium @ Franklin\u2019s Gardens10:15 a.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Harlequins, Stade Marcel Deflandre12:30 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Saracens, Scotstoun StadiumHow To Watch Investec Champions Cup Round 3 Matches<\/p>\n
All EPCR Challenge Cup matches stream live on FloRugby and the FloSports app.\u00a0<\/p>\n
EPCR Challenge Cup Round 3 FixturesSat, Jan. 10, 20267 a.m. ET: Stade Fran\u00e7ais Paris vs. Exeter Chiefs, Stade Jean Bouin7 a.m. ET: US Montauban vs. Black Lion, Stade Sapiac7 a.m. ET: Newcastle Red Bulls vs. Perpignan, Kingston Park9:15 a.m. ET: Lions vs. Lyon O.U., Ellis Park9:15 a.m. ET: Cardiff Rugby vs. Racing 92, Cardiff Arms Park11:30 a.m. ET: Benetton Rugby vs. Dragons RFC, Stadio MonigoSun, Jan. 11, 20267 a.m. ET: Montpellier H\u00e9rault Rugby vs. Connacht Rugby, Septeo Stadium7 a.m. ET: Zebre Parma vs. Ospreys, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi9:15 a.m. ET: Toyota Cheetahs vs. Ulster Rugby, NRCA StadiumEPCR Challenge Cup Round 4 FixturesFri, Jan. 16, 20262 p.m. ET: Dragons RFC vs. Newcastle Red Bulls, Rodney ParadeSat, Jan. 17, 20267 a.m. ET: Ulster Rugby vs. Stade Fran\u00e7ais Paris, Affidea Stadium7 a.m. ET: Black Lion vs. Zebre Parma, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium11:30 a.m. ET: Perpignan vs. Lions, Stade Aim\u00e9 Giral2 p.m. ET: Connacht Rugby vs. US Montauban, Dexcom Stadium2 p.m. ET: Ospreys vs. Montpellier H\u00e9rault Rugby, Dunraven Brewery FieldSun, Jan. 18, 20267 a.m. ET: Exeter Chiefs vs. Cardiff Rugby, Sandy Park7 a.m. ET: Lyon O.U. vs. Benetton Rugby, Matmut Stadium de Gerland11:30 a.m. ET: Racing 92 vs. Toyota Cheetahs, Paris La D\u00e9fense ArenaHow To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby<\/p>\n
The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:\u00a0<\/p>\n
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Three down, one to go!\u00a0 The Investec Champions Cup waits for nobody, and for those hoping to catch…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411550,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-411549","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-rugby","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411549"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411549\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}