Parker Pen Challenge Cup update - 1/4 finals

By Chris Randall
January 17 2003

With Sarries eventually recording a comfortable win over Newcastle on Monday evening, the first leg of the qurater finals of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup (PPCC) has now been completed.

Although we now know the results of all the first leg ties, the picture is still a little murky as to who will line up against whom in the semis.

Connacht made it tough work for Ponty at Athlone, scoring some late tries to make the result 30-35 to the Welsh team. This was a huge
improvement over the 40-0 thrashing that the Irish received from Ponty in the Celtic League. However, the Irish now face a daunting trip to Sardis Road and although Ponty lost a couple of players to injury in the first leg, I still expect them to have too much in the tank for Connacht. Ponty to progress but Connacht to come out as valiant losers.

They will face the winner of the Stade Francais and Wasps tie. Wasps ruined my predictions last week by recording an impressive win over the
team from Paris, amassing a very valuable 13 point lead. Stade however will no doubt be stronger in France and I am going to stick to my
original prediction that Stade will progress.

As predicted (small pat on the back) Montauban recorded a small victory over Bath in their first leg encounter, but only have a 3 point victory to take to the Recreation Ground for the second leg. Bath are consistently better at home and also have the possibility of a fit Mike Catt to return to their improving backline. It has the possibility to be the shock of the round, if the Montauben forwards can starve Bath and
particularly Balshaw of the ball, but my head says that 3 points at the Rec is nothing and Bath should win this with something to spare.

Sarries travel to another of their "bogey" grounds, looking to secure a semi final place in a competition that has to be their best chance of silverware this year. They gave the Vicarage Road crowd a few scares on Monday evening as they looked hapless in the first 40 minutes. Once they found themselves in the second half (thanks largely to some senior players' choice words at half time), they scored 25 unanswered points against a Newcastle side whose defence dissolved with their confidence.

Hopefully the Men In Red should be bolstered with the return of Thoma for the away leg, though where he will play is uncertain as Goode had a solid match on Monday. We have an horrendous record at Kingston Park but I
don't think we will lose by 21 points. Sarries to progess to the next round, and maybe if Newcastle try to play catch up rugby from the start, a first victory at Kingston Park.

If all goes to plan, we have our own little Lions series against Bath to look forward to, as we will play them home and away in the
semi-finals of the PPCC, and away for our league game.

ALLEZ LES "ROUGES"