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Northampton, Leinster claim Champions Cup pool top spots

rugby18 January 2025 22:16| © AFP
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Tom Seabrook © Getty Images

Northampton held on to beat Munster 34-32 and Leinster claimed a 47-21 comeback victory over Bath on Saturday to secure top spots from their groups into the last 16 of the Champions Cup.

English winger Tom Seabrook scored a hat-trick in a rousing encounter as 2000 winners Northampton secured their place as one of the four pool winners to guarantee potential home ties in the competition until the semifinals.

"The game was one of those special occasions where the Munster fans and players put everything into it and it was a proper game," Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson told the BBC.

"You saw how hard fought that was and how desperate Munster were as well so a decent game of rugby," he added.

Two-time champions Munster, who brought themselves within two points of the hosts with 80 seconds to play, had booked their place in the next round before kick-off, after the Bulls hammered Stade Francais 48-7 earlier in the day in Pool 3.

The Bulls' win, another lop-sided result including a South African team this season, also sent Castres into the knockouts of the top-tier competition for the first time since 2002.

In Dublin, Leinster trailed 14-0 after just seven minutes to English Premiership leaders Bath before New Zealand centre Jordie Barrett and South Africa lock RG Snyman inspired the four-time winners to claim top spot in Pool 2.

Snyman scored two of Leinster's seven tries.

"Credit to Bath, they came so quick out of the gate, we were just slow to start," Leinster's No.8 Jack Conan told RTE.

"We didn't panic and just stuck to the process, we finished strong which was great," he added.

The Irish province's success handed Clermont a last 16 berth, after an 86th-minute try from replacement lock Thomas Ceyte took the French side to a 33-26 victory over Bristol.

In the same group, Treviso stunned two-time winners La Rochelle 32-25 to reach the last 16 for the first time.

In Pool 4, Harlequins' good start set them on their way to a 24-7 victory over already-qualified Glasgow and became the 14th side through to the next round.

Struggling Racing 92 edged the Stormers 31-22 but the French outfit will have to wait for the result from Sale's game with Toulon on Sunday to see if they advance.

Elsewhere on Sunday, holders Toulouse play Leicester two days after the French club's captain Antoine Dupont questioned the competition's format and knock-out seeding system.

Record six-time winners Toulouse face a tough task to finish above Bordeaux-Begles in Pool 1 and would have to play away from home in the quarter-finals if they are second in the group.

The Sharks will be at Bordeaux-Begles eyeing the final knockout spot as the only South African side left in the tournament.

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