Here are your rugby headlines for Saturday, May 28.
Crusaders coach defends Matera tackle amid outrage
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has defended Pablo Matera's tackling technique after the blindside flanker was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on Queensland Reds midfielder Jordan Petaia on Friday night.
Matera was sin-binned in the 55th minute of the Crusaders' 28-15 victory over the Reds in Christchurch after he lifted Petaia and dropped him on his shoulder during a cleanout at a ruck, with many feeling the Argentina international got off lightly with just a yellow card from referee Ben O’Keeffe. Should he be cited, he could face being suspended for part, if not all, of the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs.
The Crusaders will face the Reds once again in the quarter-final in Christchurch next weekend. And, while Matera waits to see if he will face any further action, his coach has come to his defence.
"He [Matera] tried to stop and you knew when he got to that point, he didn't go through with it which was probably a saviour for him,'' Robertson said. "It is taken out of his hands, now, in a lot of ways. That moment, he is in such a rich vein of form, and he has been so good for us. Hopefully that's just it, it has just happened on the field.''
Former Wales coach's son signs new deal with England club
Billy McBryde, son of former Wales coach Robin, has signed a new deal with Doncaster Knights ahead of the 2022/23 season. The English Championship side finished second in the table this term, just three points behind winners Ealing.
The full-back first joined the club in June 2020 from RGC 1404, making 22 appearances for the Knights this season. “It was an easy decision to re-sign with the Knights," he said.
"Over the last two seasons we’ve built something special as a group and it’s really exciting to be a part of. The coaching staff have been great from the moment I arrived and I’m grateful for the opportunity to stay and work alongside them once again. It’s exciting to see so many other teammates re-signing and puts us in a position to go one step further next season.”
Lyon win first silverware in 89 years
Lyon deservedly won their first major trophy in 89 years as they overwhelmed Toulon 30-12 in an all-French Challenge Cup final in Marseille on Friday night.
Appearing in their first major final since they were crowned French champions in 1933, Lyon were on top for most of the game as Toulon slumped to their fourth defeat in four finals in Europe's second-tier competition. The crowd of 51,431 at the Stade Veledrome was a record for the competition.
Tries from Baptiste Couilloud, Pierre-Louis Barassi and a penalty try put Lyon in control and while Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe claimed a late consolation during a frantic final quarter which saw Lyon down to 13 men at one point, it was to be enough to secure victory for Lyon.
We'll get stuck into Sexton: O'Gara
Ronan O’Gara has promised that his La Rochelle team will "get stuck in" to Johnny Sexton when they face Leinster in Saturday's Champions Cup final.
Being targeted by opposition isn't new territory for the Irish captain, but former team-mate O'Gara framed it as a mark of respect. He even added that he had tried to meet up with Sexton for a coffee earlier this week, only for their schedules not to allow it.
“I don’t have an hour, genuinely, to explain what he’s good at,” said O’Gara when asked about Sexton. "When you come out of your playing days, you see the game a little bit differently, you see the importance of relationships, you see the importance of enjoying the journey.
“A lot of people I enjoyed it with aren’t around anymore, they passed away unfortunately, so you’ve got to be reminded we’re in a great place, you’ve got to be able to enjoy [the final]. I’ve experienced every emotion with Johnny and I respect him a lot. I enjoy his mindset, and I enjoy how he goes about his business.
“I think he’s happier that his hotel wasn’t near mine because he wasn’t too keen on the coffee... They’ve got to prepare mentally, and, yeah, I’ve got to prepare mentally as the coach, that’s for certain, but he’s going to be 37 in July and that’s some achievement to be playing the way he is at the minute. We need to get stuck into him. That’s the biggest compliment I can give him because I think they play differently when he’s on the pitch.”
