Who’s hot and who’s not!

Adam Kyriacou
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It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past week.

THEY’RE ON FIRE

Bordeaux-Begles: It has been a tough start to the season for Rory Teague’s men, having failed to win their previous three matches, but they were excellent on Saturday after they handed Clermont Auvergne their first loss of the campaign. After the disappointment of 2017/18, Les Jaunards have been outstanding so far in the Top 14 but they could not make it five victories in a row as Vadim Cobilas and Afa Amosa tries helped UBB to a crucial triumph.

Southern Kings: Before this game, it looked like it was going to be a long season for the South African teams having failed to win a match in 2018/19. The Cheetahs came close against Ulster on Friday but the Kings followed that up with an impressive victory over Glasgow Warriors in Port Elizabeth. The first half effectively secured them the triumph, after going into the break 24-0 ahead, but they added two tries in the second period for good measure as the hosts overcame the Scottish outfit 38-28.

Willis Halaholo: A superb performance by the centre as Cardiff Blues thrashed Munster 37-13 to end their winless start to the season. New Zealand-born Halaholo was outstanding for the Welsh region, creating two tries for Nick Williams and Tomos Williams, and then deservedly got on the scoresheet himself. He qualifies for Wales next year and on this form must surely be in contention for a place in the squad. It was a much-needed tonic for the Blues, who had seen leads slip in their previous three encounters, but they had no such worries on Friday following a dominant display.

Richard Wigglesworth: Congratulations to the scrum-half who became the leading appearance-maker in the Premiership following Saracens’ game against Gloucester on Sunday. The 31-times capped England international started his career at Sale Sharks, making his debut in 2002 and winning the domestic title in 2006, before he joined the Londoners. Wigglesworth has enjoyed tremendous success at Sarries, lifting four Premierships and two Champions Cups since 2010, and against the Cherry and Whites he played his 266th league match.

Gaetan Germain: Was the primary reason for Grenoble recording their first Top 14 triumph of the campaign after their crucial 31-22 victory over Perpignan. Germain, who signed from relegated Brive over the off-season, kicked 26 points, which included eight penalties and one conversion. With the win condemning their opponents to a fifth consecutive defeat, it was a crucial victory for Grenoble. Both teams are expected to be battling for survival and this will significantly aid their chances of escaping the trapdoor.

Stade Francais: It has been a superb start to the campaign for the Parisians and they maintained their momentum by overturning Pau and securing their fourth victory of 2018/19. Stade reside just a point below league leaders Clermont Auvergne in the table and look set for a tilt at the play-offs. Gael Fickou has been a particularly excellent signing and the France international has scored four tries in the past two matches. New boss Heyneke Meyer also seems to be having the desired effect, adding a steely edge to the quality behind the scrum.

COLD AS ICE

Danny Cipriani’s omission: The majority of supporters in Europe were querying why Eddie Jones decided to leave the talented Gloucester fly-half out of the England squad. Of course, it does not mean the pivot will be absent for the November internationals but it’s a strange move with the player seemingly in command of the shirt following the South Africa tour. Cipriani started and did well in the third Test, leading to most thinking that the 30-year-old will be first choice for the end-of-year series. Even more bizarrely was Jones’ comment that it was down to form, despite him playing excellently for the Cherry and Whites and other selections – namely Ben Te’o and Chris Ashton – not yet featuring for their clubs in 2018/19. Finally, to add to the conspiracy theories, it is interesting that Cipriani was omitted in the week that John Mitchell was appointed – a man who publicly criticised the fly-half when they were at Sale together.

Exeter snubbed: On the subject of omissions, Exeter can feel hard done by with just three inclusions in the initial squad. Harry Williams, Jack Nowell and Henry Slade were the only players selected – before Ben Moon’s call-up on Sunday – from a side that, alongside Saracens, has been the best team in England over the previous few seasons. Sam Simmonds is a notable absentee, while Luke Cowan-Dickie, Don Armand, Jonny Hill and Joe Simmonds are among those to be playing exceptionally well this year. Saracens must also be frustrated. Should the theme continue when the squad for November is selected then their closest challengers could almost be at full strength during those internationals.

Mathieu Bastareaud’s ban: The disciplinary panel may have been following procedure correctly when handing down a five-week suspension to the France international, but it is so very wrong when such a cowardly and dangerous attack can be punished so leniently. Irrespective of Christophe Samson’s actions, which provoked Bastareaud and earned the Castres lock a yellow card on the day, the centre’s response was awful, with the player defenceless on the ground when he struck the second-row.

Newcastle and Sale: It has not been a great start for the two northern clubs in England, with both in the lower reaches of the table having suffered three defeats in four Premiership matches. The Falcons have an excuse in that their start on paper has been more difficult, but they actually defeated Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers in the corresponding fixtures last year. Dean Richards’ men should ultimately be fine, however, and compete for the top-six, but it is Sale who will be concerned. With Bristol producing the goods early on and Worcester showing their capabilities by beating the Tigers, Steve Diamond will be wary of being sucked into a relegation battle.

The Scottish sides: Perhaps slightly harsh on Glasgow, who still reside at the top of Conference A, but they were very poor against the Southern Kings. Boss Dave Rennie described it as their worst performance under his stewardship and it is hard to argue, with the Warriors becoming just the South African’s second victim since coming into the expanded PRO14. Edinburgh will be similarly frustrated following their heavy 31-7 defeat to Leinster, which left them propping up Conference B. Richard Cockerill did a great job in his first year in the capital but it is proving much tougher this time around for the Englishman.

Leaky Leicester: A 44-37 loss to Worcester at Welford Road means it’s 158 points conceded in four Premiership games so far for the Tigers. That is a worrying start to their season from a defensive standpoint which they must improve on under Geordan Murphy if they are to remain in the top half mix.

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