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Champions Cup: Henry Slade and Damian Penaud rack up some serious stats
By Ian Cameron
England and Exeter Chiefs centre Henry Slade was once again a standout performer in Investec Champions Cup, this time shining in Round 2 against storied European opponents Munster.
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In terms of points scored, Thomas Ramos of Stade Toulousain and Slade led the way, each amassing 17 points.
Slade’s performance was noteworthy as he was not only the joint-top points scorer but also made two clean breaks, completed 13 successful tackles, and won two turnovers.
Elsewhere, Damian Penaud’s contribution for Union Bordeaux-Bègles was also significant as he not only covered the most ground (130 metres) but also made the second-most defenders beaten, offloaded twice, and both assisted and scored a try. Rodrigo Bruni of Aviron Bayonnais topped the charts with 20 carries.
Defensively, Pierre-Samuel Pacheco of Lyon stood out with a remarkable 23 tackles. Nadir Megdoud, representing Aviron Bayonnais, beat nine defenders, showcasing his elusive running skills. In the offloads category, Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), James Williams (Bristol Bears), Emmanuel Meafou (Stade Toulousain), Cameron Redpath (Bath Rugby), and Antoine Frisch (Munster Rugby) each made significant contributions with four offloads.
A special mention goes to tournament debutant Archie Vanes of Leicester Tigers, who scored a hat-trick of tries against Stade Francais Paris. Remarkably, hookers cumulatively scored 12 tries over the weekend, with Janick Tarrit (Racing 92) and Jamie George (Saracens) both scoring twice.
Saracens’ Nick Tompkins and Owen Farrell each made two try assists, matched only by Stade Toulousain’s Antoine Dupont and Peato Mauvaka. Additionally, Hanro Leibenberg of Leicester Tigers made his presence felt with three dominant tackles and two turnovers against Stade Francais Paris.
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The writer here ignores the fact that, following on from not taking the penalty kick, the All Blacks did manage to score a try a few minutes later. Not directly from the penalty awarded, but it is speculation to say that had they opted to take the koi they would have won. Even if they kicked it, which was no guarantee, they would still be trailing and would have had to start again at half-way.
Go to commentsI would be surprised if Sales Opoku Fordjour and Northampton’s Tommy Freeman are not in the team, Anthony Watson is also one that could go on the wing. One thing I must say is that the front 3 will get destroyed against a team like South Africa.
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