Two English sides competed in the Champions Cup semi-finals this weekend, with a number of English hopefuls putting in impactful performances that are sure to impress head coach Steve Borthwick.
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Harlequins:
Toulouse secured their spot in the final after holding off a spirited second-half comeback from Harlequins to win 28-26, sealing their first Investec Champions Cup final appearance in three years.
#1. Marcus Smith
RUCK 8.5/10: The 25-year-old is not far from the world-class category now. Beautiful with the ball in hand, despite being on the losing side, a performance like this only enhances the fly-half’s reputation.
Planet Rugby 8/10: “Backed himself for his try when men were outside, and it paid off as he dotted down closer to the uprights and followed that up with a lovely assist for Murley’s score. Looks much calmer and mature as a fly-half in high-pressure games of late as he got the better of Romain Ntamack.”
Rugby Pass 8/10: “Booed by the home crowd as his name was announced prior to the match, possibly a sign that Toulouse were concerned about his potential threat. They would have been right to have been concerned when a trademark finish from Smith would open the scoring for Quins. The 25-year-old controlled the match well from a Quins perspective throughout.”
#2. Fin Baxter
RUCK 7.5/10: “Thunderous carrying throughout and while under pressure at the scrum the young loose-head held his own for the majority of the game.”
Planet Rugby 7/10: “Once again the hugely promising loosehead was solid in the set-piece and busy around the field in his 50 minutes on the field. Six carries and seven tackles to his name.”
Rugby Pass 6/10: “The young prop held his own physically, even if the scrum did struggle. He made his presence felt all around the pitch, replaced after 50 minutes.”
#3. Chandler Cunningham-South
RUCK: Tipped by former Lions captain Sam Warburton as a possible tourist in 2025, the youngsters stock continues to rise. Sure he makes mistake, but he doesn’t let it get to him with the flanker usually providing an instant response. An England regular for years to come.
Planet Rugby 8/10 : “Had an early lineout nicked from his grasp before the Matthis Lebel try and then Thibaut Flament picked his pocket in open play for his score. But boy did Cunningham-South respond. Hulking carries and his rip on Meafou set the tone for an excellent showing from the youngster.”
RUCK 8/10: “Tipped by former Lions captain Sam Warburton as a possible tourist in 2025, the youngster’s stock continues to rise. Though he makes mistakes, he doesn’t let them get to him, with the flanker usually providing an instant response. He is set to be an England regular for years to come.”