Harlequins suffered a 47-19 defeat at dwelling to Toulouse; Exeter defeated Munster 32-24 at Sandy Park; Archie Vanes crossed for a hat-trick as Leicester withstood late strain from Stade Francais to seal a battling 27-24 away victory
Final Up to date: 17/12/23 9:00pm
Anton Dupont led Toulouse to vast victory over Harlequins
Harlequins suffered a heavy 47-19 defeat to Toulouse within the Investec Champions Cup on the Stoop.
The High 14 champions, led by Antoine Dupont, produced moments of genius of their seven tries that included two for centre Pierre-Louis Barassi.
The match was stopped for 10 minutes to permit second row Dino Lamb to obtain medical consideration after he had been knocked out in a conflict of heads with Pita Ahki and he was finally carried from the pitch on a stretcher.
Marcus Smith cannot flip issues round for Harlequins
His alternative Irne Herbst scored a strive in every half, accompanying Andre Esterhuizen’s earlier contact down, however Quins wanted to be at their finest to topple the five-time European champions and so they had been properly under that.
The sheer quantity of errors affected each side and a lapse within the dwelling defence virtually invited Dimitri Delibes for a second strive however the wing was then alive to a well-worked probability down the precise that was completed by hooker Peato Mauvaka.
An alternate of tries between Matthis Lebel and Herbst, each scored off line-outs, saved the competition open through the third quarter however within the 51st minute Toulouse slammed the door shut with a elegant rating.
Full-back Blair Kinghorn launched the counter assault off Esterhuizen’s kick from simply outdoors the 22 and, as soon as Dupont arrived to inject some magic, the trail was clear for an accelerating Barassi to dash over.
Subsequent over was alternative prop Rodrigue Neti and Thomas Ramos added a seventh that showcased Toulouse’s brilliance in assault.
Slade the distinction for Exeter
Seventeen factors from Henry Slade proved the distinction as Exeter defeated Munster 32-24 to register their second slim Champions Cup victory in as many weeks.
Having secured a 19-18 triumph at Toulon final weekend due to a last-minute conversion from Slade, they wanted a outstanding rally on Sunday with Munster having appeared in management after they led 24-13 after 65 minutes.
Exeter’s Jack Dunne scores a strive through the Investec Champions Cup match at Sandy Park
Dan Frost, Jack Dunne, Ross Vintcent and Slade scored the Chiefs’ tries, with Slade changing three and including two penalties in entrance of greater than 13,000 at Sandy Park.
Tom Ahern, Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch and Shane Daly scored Munster’s tries, with Jack Crowley kicking two conversions.
Exeter had been capable of preserve the strain and had been rewarded when alternative Vintcent crashed over beneath the posts.
A minute later, the sport turned on its head when Exeter scored a second. Nash was all at sea in coping with an awkwardly bouncing ball and it fell into the arms of Dunne, who gratefully touched down, with Slade’s conversion giving the house aspect a three-point lead going into the ultimate 10 minutes.
Exeter had been lucky to flee a yellow card for Harvey Skinner’s problem on Crowley, however Slade then intercepted a Conor Murray cross earlier than working 50 metres to safe a priceless 5 factors.
Henry Slade dives over to attain a decisive strive
Leicester win at Stade Francais
Archie Vanes crossed for a hat-trick as Leicester withstood late strain from Stade Francais to seal a battling 27-24 victory at Stade Francais within the Investec Champions Cup.
The win, which got here through a 66th-minute penalty from Jamie Shillcock, helped the Tigers prolong their unbeaten report in Pool 4 of the competitors.
Shillcock completed with 12 factors with the boot, whereas the Paris aspect’s tries got here from Mathieu Hirigoyen, Charles Laloi and Leo Barre.
Leicester had common a 14-7 benefit at half-time by way of Vane’s first two tries which had been each transformed by Shillcock.
And that lead was minimize, regardless of the guests’ short-term discount to 14 males due a yellow card for Charlie Atkinson.
The hosts seized the momentum firstly of the second half, with Laloi crossing within the nook inside one minute of the restart.
Vanes’ third strive of the evening helped Leicester maintain their nerve and edge again in entrance within the contest with 54 minutes on the clock.
However as soon as once more Stade Francais fought again and appeared to have wrested the momentum after they scored to degree the match with 20 minutes to go.
Shillcock’s 66th-minute penalty nudged Leicester again in entrance and so they withstood some fierce strain from the house aspect within the closing phases.
