Champions Cup: Players of the Day
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Champions Cup: Players of the Day
Telusa Veainu
The Tongan was a constant offensive threat for the Tigers against Castres. In what was a Man of the Match performance, the fullback broke through the French outfit's defensive line on demand. He gained 78 metres with ball in hand, beating 6 defenders and crossing the whitewash on 3 occasions in the process, completing his hat-trick within 47 minutes of play. He seamlessly cut through the defence on the counter attack again and again. He looked untouchable at times as he weaved his way around defenders. The return fixture should be quite interesting as Castres certainly will have a job on their hands to contain the former Crusaders man. They now will most definitely be aware of the threat he poses in attack.
Ben Youngs
The England international was as reliable as ever for Leicester, as they outclassed Castres at Welford Road. The scrum half continuously provided quick, safe ball for Ford and his back line from the breakdown. Youngs' kicking from hand proved a crucial part of the Tiger's game, applying the pressure on Castres' back three at every opportunity. As well as controlling the fixture, the scrum half also managed to get on the scoreboard after a textbook dummy as he picked from the base of the ruck. He kept the Castres defence honest all night around the ruck are, which freed up space for his teammates to score out wide.
Charlie Cassang
The young 9 started the game on the bench and came on after Clermont's number 10, Camille Lopez, was stretchered off and Morgan Parra slotted into the fly-half position. Cassang was top class when he came on scoring twice and totalled a whopping 66 meters in yards gained. Cassang was simply electric and is a testament to the depth and talent available at Clermont's disposal. For a little guy, Cassang packs a punch making 100% of his tackles. With Lopez out and Parra slotting into 10, hopefully we'll see a lot more of this live-wire this season.
Nick Tompkins
The young English centre was called upon earlier than expected when Duncan Taylor was forced off through injury in the first half, but he took no time at all to get up to the pace of the game. From the moment he entered the fray, he upped the tempo of the Saracens attack and made them a far more dangerous offensive unit. He showed great feet and impressive strength to consistently get over the gain line when running with ball in hand. He played a key role in Liam Williams' try and even managed to score one of his own to cap off this man of the match performance.
Ian McKinley
Ian McKinley was a key part of Treviso's brilliant performance against Toulon in the Champions Cup. He was very accurate off the tee and kept Treviso in the game when it looked like Toulon were going to run away with it. He brought the best out of a Treviso pack that competed with Toulon and was unlucky not to secure the win after his 78th minute penalty to take the lead. He certainly will be a welcome addition to the Italian international setup.
