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Ryan Lamb dives over for one of Gloucester's five tries against Ulster
I was so impressed with the way that the older guard and the fresh, new talent at Gloucester combined to devastating effect.
Dewi Morris
Quotes of the week
European Rugby is back live on Sky Sports and this season we will be showing you more live Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup rugby than ever before.
Part of the Sky Sports team that will be out and about around Europe is former British & Irish Lion, England and Sale scrum-half, Dewi Morris.
As well as analysing each round on Sky Sports' Rugby Club, Dewi will select his Heineken Cup picks here on skysports.com... Here's what he liked, and didn't like, in round one.
Our first live game of the new Heineken Cup gave us a tremendous performance.
People can talk about the current strength of this Ulster team and their current problems but I was so impressed with the way that the older guard and the fresh, new talent at Gloucester combined to devastating effect.
They had the bonus point in the bag after only 21 minutes - that's the fastest ever try-scoring bonus point in this great competition. And they did it at Ravenhill, a tough and vocal place to go to whatever the circumstances, so they deserve the team of the week award.
Praise too must go to Leinster, who were very strong against Leicester and appear to have sured their pack up. To go further they will have to have play like that match by match.
Clermont Auvergne too looked very strong against Scarlets and they still have Vilimoni Delasau to come and Cardiff Blues, although they showed their frailty at times in the win over Bristol, also demonstrated their intent and ability to move the ball, which was a pleasure to watch.
There were some great tries to pick through - 59 in total and 24 in three matches on Sunday - but my pick is Shane Horgan's for Leinster against Leicester on Saturday.
It was a classic backs' try with decoy runners, straightening the line, good handling into space and superbly finished on the right wing in the corner. Felipe Contepomi was the architect, Horgan the scorer and it helped Leinster to a deserved win.
It looked like such a simple score but it is not always so simple to execute. It is the way that we love to see the game played and, as Leicester found, was impossible to defend against on this occasion.
I know there were good performances from Danny Cipriani, Contepomi, Ronan O'Gara - well it was a good weekend for fly-halves in general - but Ryan Lamb is my player of the week.
I love the qualities and sense of adventure in his game. He might give tries away by trying things out himself but I love that daring of youth. He is confident player, who bounces back from the set backs and play rugby on the front foot.
He set the tone for Gloucester in a destructive opening 20-minute salvo that Ulster never really recovered from.
I don't know what the owner, Max Guazzini, is doing down in Paris! I thought the pink was poor last year, but this year's effort, well the only way I can describe it is a 'dog poo' brown with pink gladioli trim.
Apparently the pink kit was the biggest selling kit in France last year but I am not so sure that this one will sell so well. But then you never know!
Ronan O'Gara putting Shaun Payne in for the try towards the end of the first-half against Wasps at the Ricoh is my moment of the week. It was a well executed and well thought-out try.
Munster had worked out a way how to beat the rush defence in advance and then delivered. It is one thing knowing what to do but quite another to actually do it. I take my hat off to Ronan O'Gara who dropped back in the slot for the drop goal, but having fainted the drop, came to the left, deftly dabbed it through off the inside of his right foot past the advancing Paul Sackey, who slipped (but I don't think that made any difference) and Shaun Payne went over in the corner.
It is a way for teams to beat the blitz defence and was well conceived. It was also good to see O'Gara getting back to his best again after the terrible Irish World Cup.
Australia coach Robbie Deans is concentrating on focusing his players' minds ahead of the Tri Nations clash with South Africa.
Andy Farrell will miss at least the first month of the Premiership season after suffering a fracture and dislocation of his thumb.
Leicester coach Heyneke Meyer admits he is going to be struggling to name a full strength squad for the opening game of the season
Former Australia and Newcastle full-back Matthew Burke has been appointed kicking coach of the Waratahs.
Percy Montgomery has been dropped from the South Africa team for Saturday's Tri-Nations match against Australia.
Comments
Ben Burn says...
James, a case of selective vision? Dewi praises Danny Cipriani for his performance at fly-half but - justifiably in my opinion - picked out Ryan Lamb above him this weekend. He also only praised Munster for finding away to break down the Wasps' defence, rather than criticising it. It's actually a form of praise if you think about it.
Posted 10:22 14th November 2007
James Rowntree says...
Why is it so difficult for Dewi Morris to say something positive about Wasps? After what most critics have described as a massive match, not one mention apart from a dig at the Wasps' defence. Come on Dewi, get over your innate hatred of the team and report responsibly.
Posted 20:38 13th November 2007
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