European Rugby 13th December

European Champions Cup 

Oyonnax 10-45 Saracens 

An impressive display from Saracens saw them run 45-10 winners over Oyonnax in their European Champions Cup group. Tries from Alex Goode, Chris Wyles, Maro Itoje, Richard Wigglesworth and Schalk Brits saw the visitors run up the score after a 23-3 lead at the break. 

Owen Farrell also kicked 13 points for Saracens with Arthur Aziz scoring Oyonnax's sole try late on. The victory leaves Saracens nine points clear at the top of Pool 1, with Oyonnax staying bottom on one point. 


Toulon 24-9 Leinster 

Toulon claimed a 24-9 victory to condemn Pool 5 rivals Leinster to a third successive defeat in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was a solid start to the contest for the visitors as Jonathan Sexton punished some ill-discipline from Toulon with two penalties inside the opening five minutes.

The home side responded well to the early setback to find the first try when Samu Manoa benefited from a driving maul to cross over, before Eric Escande added the conversion. Escande and Sexton traded penalties midway through the half, before Leinster's Cian Healy was sent to the sin-bin for a mistake in the ruck. Despite surviving with 14 men on the pitch before the break, Leinster were dealt another blow when Devin Toner picked up a yellow card just moments after Sexton had missed the chance to hand his side the lead by sending a penalty just wide of the post. 

Toulon capitalised on the advantage at the second attempt as Escande added two penalties to make it 16-9 while Toner served his time in the sin-bin. Leinster battled impressively, but a comeback looked unlikely as the home side retained possession well without ever appearing to be at their best. A tiring visiting scrum committed an error to give Escande the chance to take his tally to 14 points. 

Tom Denton became the third Leinster player to visit the sin-bin late on as Toulon wrapped up the win in the final minute when Steffon Armitage came off the lineout to deliver a try as the hosts recovered from the loss to Wasps to claim their first victory of the campaign. 


Wasps 23-25 Bath

Anthony Watson scored a try in dead time to give Bath a 25-23 victory over Wasps in the European Rugby Champions Cup. The two sides swapped penalties early on as Ruaridh Jackson put the hosts in front with his kick but George Ford replied for Bath six minutes later to level the scores. 

Two minutes later, Jonathan Joseph scored a try after picking up the loose ball. He sold Charles Piutau a dummy before he raced over the line to give Bath their first lead of the day. Eliot Day closed the gap to four points with a long-range penalty, with the kicker nailing an effort from the half way line.

Bath went further in front as Matt Banahan and Niko Matawalu played a one-two, with the former sprinting home unopposed for the away side's second try, but Ford missed the following conversion. Day missed another long penalty but Jackson hit two late three-point kicks to reduce the scores to 15-12 at the break. 

Ford hit another penalty in the second half that was quickly replied to by Jackson, who then missed a kick that would have pulled his side level. Rob Miller then saved his teammates' blushes as he bundled over the line to give Wasps their lead back but Jackson's kicking woes continued as he failed to hit the conversion. Substitute fly-half Jimmy Gopperth thought he had sealed the deal for Wasps with six minutes remaining, dissecting the posts from a penalty to stretch Wasps' lead to five points.

It took until the 84th minute for Watson to cross the line, and Ford converted from the touchline to give Bath a dramatic victory.