Newly-capped England wing smashes all-time Champions Cup record
Exeter Chiefs Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Exeter Chiefs and England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was in great form for his side as they progressed to the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
The speedster’s performance set a new pace in Champions Cup history while there were also impressive numbers for La Rochelle and the Bulls.
Most defenders beaten
The hot-stepping Red Rose star managed to beat a wild 13 defenders in his side’s win over Bath in the round of 16 – a number that has never been reached in the Champions Cup since Opta started recording that data in 2009.
It comes soon after making his debut for England during the Six Nations where he did not take long to get stuck in as he scored in his second Test.
The wing is very clearly oozing confidence and his efforts earned him a spot in Planet Rugby’s Team of the Week ahead of other wings who scored more tries in the round of 16.
The power of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso 💥
Ethan Roots finishes it as the @ExeterChiefs take the lead with under 15 to go!#EXEvBAT | #InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/HKN2C6bUGp
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 6, 2024
Knockout kings
It does not always have to be pretty, it just has to be a win when it comes to knockout rugby as Springboks fans will testify after their Rugby World Cup exploits. The same will be argued by La Rochelle fans after the French side managed a sensational comeback win over the Stormers in Cape Town.
The defending champions recovered from 16 points down to claw their way back into the game and dramatically held on to claim a 22-21 win. The victory marks their 10th knockout triumph in the Champions Cup which is now a new tournament record.
A champion team always finds a way and that is exactly what La Rochelle did at the weekend.
10 – @StadeRochelais’ victory v the Stormers was their 10th straight win in the knockout stages of the @ChampionsCup, setting a new record for the most consecutive knockout games won by any side in the competition, overtaking RC Toulon’s run of nine between 2013 and 2015. Clutch. pic.twitter.com/rpgAcpGzon
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) April 8, 2024
Champions Cup law discussion: Bulls try ‘should not have stood’ as law needs enforcing
Rampant Bulls
It was a great pity to see Lyon field such a weakened team for their round of 16 clash against the Bulls in Pretoria, which effectively handed the game to the South African side.
However, against a weakened opponent or not the Bulls still had to get the job done and Jake White’s side did more than just that with a 59-19 win over the French team.
Sebastian de Klerk and Embrose Papier ran in a brace of tries each while Marcell Coetzee, Ruan Vermaak, Willie le Roux, Chris Smith and David Kriel all crossed the whitewash.
The @BlueBullsRugby scored a try-of-the-season contender against Lyon in the @ChampionsCup with this long range effort.#InvestecChampionsCup #BULvLOU pic.twitter.com/9N1788Qxiq
— FloRugby (@FloRugby) April 6, 2024
The Pretoria men racked up nine tries, which is the most of any team in a knockout game since 1998, according to Opta. In addition, their 774 metres made is the most by any South African side in European competition.
