Biggest Winners and Losers in World Rugby for Weekend of January 16-18
Big upsets and even bigger scorelines were the theme of this weekend's European schedule, where the penultimate round of fixtures was the main focus.
There was disappointment for a number of Irish teams in recent days, but perhaps none more so than Munster, who have had to contend with the rare occurrence of early departure from continental competition.
And a bad week for Irish rugby was made even worse when considering the profile of a star who is now making more concrete comments regarding potential retirement in 2015.
There were positives to consider, however, as certain sides from England and Wales soared in their tournament expeditions, but you'll have to delve further to find out whom.
Loser: Munster Fail to Make Knockout Stage for Second Time in 16 Seasons
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For just the second time in the last 16 seasons, Munster have failed to reach the knockout stages of Europe's top-tier competition, getting their European Rugby Champions Cup experience off to a glum start.
A miserable 33-10 defeat at the hands of Saracens saw Anthony Foley's side leave Allianz Park a dejected party, bringing an end to any slight hopes they might have had in proceeding past the pool stage.
Of course, Clermont and Sarries were always going to make for steep competition, but not until their fate was sealed did many believe the Red Army's demise was certain.
Foley will have a task on his hands in steering the club back to its previous heights, with the main issue at present being a matter of consistency.
Winner: Cardiff Blues Make History with 16-Try Trouncing of Rovigo
2 of 5A 104-12 demolition of Italian minnows Rovigo saw Cardiff Blues extend their club record for highest European score and winning margin this weekend.
Mark Hammett's side ran in 16 tries—12 of which were converted—in the Welsh capital on Friday evening, a morale-boosting triumph if ever one was needed.
Rhys Patchell was among the scorers as he made a positive return from injury while Richard Smith claimed a hat-trick, Lloyd Williams and Ellis Jenkins notching a brace of scores each.
Altogether, the Blues boasted 12 different scorers on the evening in a fixture which more closely resembled a training session than a European Rugby Challenge Cup clash.
Loser: England Absences Stretched by Courtney Lawes Blow
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As if the loss of No. 8 Ben Morgan wasn't crippling enough, England head coach Stuart Lancaster has received the news that he could be without lock Courtney Lawes for the opening weeks of the Six Nations.
ESPN Scrum reports that Lawes is certainly out of England's tournament opener against Wales, but is also a doubt for those games further into the competition.
Northampton Saints chief Jim Mallinder says his second row picked up the ankle injury in a meeting against Leicester Tigers before Christmas and will undergo surgery on Monday:
"Courtney, unfortunately, has not recovered from his ankle injury. He will be going in for a little operation on Monday. He has got a little bit of bone that he just needs clearing out, so he is going to miss the first few weeks of the Six Nations, as well as missing next week [when Northampton face Racing Metro].
It is just a little bit of bone that chipped off in the Leicester game. He would be expected to get back [playing] while the Six Nations is still going on. It is a blow for us because we haven't got him for next week, and it is a blow for him and England because he is a key player.
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It's another significant loss in power for the English national team, who also have Joe Launchbury absent at lock and now need to examine their depth in that position.
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Winner: Bath Surge Continues with Toulouse Triumph
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Bath proved their credentials as a European force to be reckoned with on Sunday evening, beating Toulouse 35-18 with a bonus point in tow on French soil to bring the Pool 4 leaders within their grasp.
Toulouse's cushion now sits at just a single point, and should Montpellier be able to stage any sort of surprise against them next weekend, victory over Glasgow Warriors could see Mike Ford's men claim top spot.
Jonathan Joseph, Francois Louw and George Ford were among those stars to step up just when Bath needed it most, rescuing their hopes of claiming a priority place in the Champions Cup knockout stages.
It's well-founded at this stage that Bath are an emerging outfit to keep an eye on, a potential powerhouse. So often do these initially promising parties please only to fall, but Bath are proving they could be around on this stage for the long haul.
Loser: Ireland May See Paul O'Connell Depart Post-World Cup
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It was Ronan O'Gara in 2013, Brian O'Driscoll in 2014 and now Paul O'Connell could make it three years in a row that Ireland lose one of their old-guard veterans to retirement.
Speaking to Irish television's TV3 News (h/t ESPN Scrum), the 96-cap international admitted that after the World Cup later this year, he'll be weighing up his options in whether or not to continue playing:
"I probably need to make up my mind fairly quickly. I'm just trying to enjoy my playing at the moment and trying to be in the best physical condition that I can for the World Cup.
The injuries have taken a bit off my career. There are certain things you can't do in training. It's all about listening to the body, but I think I'm in good shape at the moment and I'll be in good shape at the World Cup. It doesn't mean I'll keep on playing. It's a decision I have to make probably in the next few months. But I'm fairly undecided at the moment.
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Munster will also sorely miss a player who's been a member of their fraternity for going on 20 years, but his iconic status in the green of Ireland is another massive loss to accept for the Emerald Isle as a whole.
O'Connell goes on to state that Munster have some great second-row forwards coming through, but no matter how humble he might be, it will be some time before any match up to the stature of their possibly departing mentor.
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