This had all the ingredients for a cracking festive fixture in the Champions Cup. A Sharks team studded with World Cup winners would arrive at the fortress of Welford Road and face Michael Cheika’s resurgent Leicester with a precious pool stage win on the line.
Only one problem. Already severely depleted by injury, the Sharks’ options were further limited by the decision to leave stellar names such as Siya Kolisi, André Esterhuizen and Ox Nché at home. The only possible conclusion was that this match had long since been written off as a cross in the “L” column by the Sharks’ head coach John Plumtree.
Managing resources is fine and natural, but where it all leaves the integrity of this great competition is another question. Plumtree’s young team did their best to prove this was something other than a mismatch, and briefly led thanks to Manu Tshituka’s try. But in truth this was a walkover; a waste of time for anyone interested in competitive sport.
The Sharks had listed 15 players as unavailable owing to injury when naming a XV featuring eight changes from last week’s home win against Exeter: Bongi Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi were among those ruled out. But the absence of Kolisi, Esterhuizen and Nché – fit but rested – was a disappointment for anyone who had invested in a ticket.
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Ulster’s hopes of progressing from Pool One suffered another setback after they lost 40-19 against Bordeaux-Bègles in Belfast. A week after conceding 60 points to the holders, Toulouse, Ulster led 19-14 at half-time after tries from Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney and Werner Kok. Bordeaux, though, overwhelmed Ulster after the break as Damian Penaud, Guido Petti, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Ugo Boniface claimed touchdowns that followed a first-half penalty try and score for Tevita Tatafu.
Leinster backed up their impressive victory over Bristol by beating Clermont Auvergne 15-7 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Garry Ringrose and Jordie Barrett scored first-half tries for the Pool Two favourites after Alivereti Raka claimed an early Clermont score, with the Leinster fly-half Sam Prendergast adding a conversion and penalty. PA Media
The visitors appeared to be up against it, then, especially as Leicester welcomed back a clutch of internationals including the South Africa fly-half Handré Pollard, Argentina’s Julián Montoya and the England lock George Martin. Plumtree was still able to name the experienced prop Trevor Nyakane in the front row, along with the Hendrikse brothers, Jordan and Jaden, at full-back and scrum-half respectively.
Ironically it was the boot of Pollard, a double Springbok World Cup winner, that poured the pain on these callow Sharks. Leicester had the bonus point sealed after 35 minutes and scored five tries by half-time, all converted by the metronomic South Africa No 10. Pollard’s territorial kicking also told and he added a try to go with Montoya’s first-half double. The fly-half finished with 17 points and the player of the match award.
Premiership clubs’ performance on the first weekend of Champions Cup action was worrying – seven defeats and one victory – but by the time Cheika’s men went into battle here, Sale and Northampton had recorded victories in heartening fashion, especially for those who frequently go into bat for the supposed brilliance of England’s domestic competition.
Plumtree called this “an exciting opportunity to expose some of our next generation of talent” and his young Sharks must have felt exposed to the cold breeze whipping around Welford Road. After a minute’s silence for Tom Voyce, the former England wing, Siya Masuku’s penalty put the visitors in front. But Pollard soon placed the Tigers on the front foot, a perfect 50-22 creating field position for Montoya to rumble over. The South African was in the mood against his countrymen, adding a pin-point conversion from out wide.
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Masuku and the outside-centre Ethan Hooker both embarked on damaging runs through a slightly ponderous Leicester defence, and after the No 8 Tshituka dotted down, Masuku’s conversion forged a three-point lead. It didn’t last. Montoya’s second try had Cheika’s men back in front before an embarrassing error by Eduan Keyter, the Sharks wing: attempting to keep a kick alive, he lobbed the ball infield behind his back, and Ollie Hassell-Collins gratefully accepted the invitation to score.
The injury-ravaged nature of the occasion extended to the officials, with the referee Andrea Piardi was forced off at half-time, replaced by Filippo Russo. Jack van Poortvliet dashed over on 44 minutes and Pollard, naturally, converted. Credit to the Sharks, they steadied the ship, and Hooker’s sniping score came before Leicester’s Charlie Clare and Emeka Ilione made it eight tries in total for the hosts.
Cheika’s side are third in the Premiership handily placed, and duly delivered a bonus point with this, their first win of the season in the Champions Cup. They host Ulster here on 11 January before a trip to Toulouse eight days later: that will truly be a test of their mettle.