Challenge Cup Quarterfinals - Teams and Predictions
SATURDAY & SUNDAY PREVIEW: If the first knockout round of the EPCR Challenge Cup was anything to go by, fans are certainly guaranteed some entertaining matches in this weekend’s quarterfinals.
Benetton and Dragons both came out on the right side of two tight thrillers, while Exeter Chiefs and Montpellier Hérault asserted their dominance at home.
Two-time champions Montpellier earned a home tie for next Saturday too, and they’ll welcome Connacht.
It’s set to come down to the wire in what is a repeat of the pair’s pool stage match-up, which ended in a 33-31 win to the French side.
Zebre Parma and Dragons both have a shot at a historic semifinal on Saturday evening thanks to their heroics in the Round of 16.
High-flying Benetton then play host to Exeter Chiefs for Sunday’s instalment. The attacking Italians are the competition’s highest points and try scorers so far, along with topping carries, clean breaks, metres made and defenders beaten leaderboards.
Dafydd Jenkins captains the side which includes Chiefs’ three Italian internationals – Andrea Zambonin, Ross Vintcent and Stephen Varney – going up against their Azzurri teammates.
Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “Last week, Benetton started their game like an absolute steam train, so we’ve got to be ready. We’ve got to hit the pitch and try to set our intensity.
“They’ve got some very good players, Tommaso Menoncello, for example, is up there with the best centres in the world, he’s always a threat.
“As with most Italian top teams, they’re also very strong around the set piece and cause problems at the breakdown. That’s the type of thing we’re going to have to deal with well.”
Saturday, April 11
Montpellier v Connacht
(Septeo Stadium, Montpellier – Kick-off: 13.00; 12.00 UK time; 11.00 GMT)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Montpellier by eight points
Teams:
Montpellier: 15 Tom Banks, 14 Donovan Taofifenua, 13 Auguste Cadot, 12 Lennox Anyanwu, 11 Jon Echegaray, 10 Domingo Miotti, 9 Ali Price, 8 Billy Vunipola (captain), 7 Alex Becognee, 6 Yacouba Camara, 5 Tyler DuGuid, 4 Florian Verhaeghe, 3 Mohamed Haouas, 2 Christopher Tolofua, 1 Baptiste Erdocio
Replacements: 16 Lyam Akrab, 17 Enzo Forletta, 18 Valentin Welsch, 19 Marco Tauleigne, 20 Lenni Nouchi, 21 Melvyn Rates, 22 Thomas Vincent, 23 Arthur Vincent
Connacht: 15 Sam Gilbert, 14 Shayne Bolton, 13 Cathal Forde, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Chay Mullins, 10 Sean Naughton, 9 Matthew Devine, 8 Paul Boyle, 7 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 6 Cian Prendergast (captain), 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Joe Joyce, 3 Sam Illo, 2 Dylan Tierney-Martin, 1 Billy Bohan
Replacements: 16 Matthew Victory, 17 Peter Dooley, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Josh Murphy, 20 Sean O’Brien, 21 Ben Murphy, 22 Jack Carty, 23 John Devine
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
Assistant referees: Hamish Smales (England) & Federico Vedovelli (Italy)
TMO: Adam Jones (Wales)
Zebre v Dragons
(Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma – Kick-off: 21.00; 20.00 UK Time; 19.00 GMT)
Prediction:
Rugby365: Dragons by two points
Teams:
Zebre: 15 Giovanni Montemauri, 14 Mirko Belloni, 13 Giulio Bertaccini, 12 Marco Zanon, 11 Jacopo Trulla, 10 Giacomo da Re, 9 Gonzalo Garcia, 8 Davide Odiase, 7 Bautista Stavile, 6 Alessandro Ortombina, 5 Leonardo Krumov (captain), 4 Matteo Canali, 3 Ion Neculai, 2 Tommaso di Bartolomeo, 1 Muhamed Hasa
Replacements: 16 Giovanni Quattrini, 17 Luca Franceschetto, 18 Juan-Manuel Pitinari, 19 Giacomo Ferrari, 20 Giovanni Licata, 21 Alessandro Fusco, 22 Damiano Mazza, 23 Samuele Locatelli
Dragons: 15 Angus O’Brien, 14 Dai Richards, 13 Fine Inisi, 12 Aneurin Owen, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Niall Armstrong, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Harrison Keddie, 5 Ben Carter, 4 Ryan Woodman, 3 Christian Coleman, 2 Brodie Coghlan, 1 Rodrigo Martinez
Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Owain James, 19 Seb Davies, 20 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 21 Morgan Lloyd, 22 Fetuli Paea, 23 Huw Anderson
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Anthony Woodthorpe (England) & Jonathan Healy (England)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Sunday, April 12
Benetton v Exeter Chiefs
(Stadio Manigo, Treviso – Kick-off: 13.30; 12.30 UK Time; 11.30 GMT)
Prediction
Rugby365: Exeter Chiefs by five points
Teams
Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Onisi Ratave, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Ignacio Mendy, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Manuel Zuliani, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Giosue Zilocchi, 2 Bautista Bernasconi, 1 Thomas Gallo
Replacements: 16 Siua Maile, 17 Destiny Aminu, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 So’otala Fa’aso’o, 21 Sebastian Negri, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Leonardo Marin
Exeter: 15 Olly Woodburn, 14 Paul Brown-Bampoe, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Will Rigg, 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Steve Varney, 8 Greg Fisilau, 7 Ross Vintcent, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Dafydd Jenkins (captain), 3 Jimmy Roots, 2 Jack Yeandle, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Ethan Burger, 18 Bachuki Tchumbadze, 19 Rus Tuima, 20 Finn Worley-Brady, 21 Tom Cairns, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Campbell Ridl
Referee: Luc Ramos (France)
Assistant referees: Jeremy Rozier (France) & Kevin Bralley (France)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
Source: EPCR
