European Rugby Champions Cup talking points from the weekend action

1) Clermont’s exclusion of Davies may delight Gatland

Jonathan Davies was nowhere to be seen, the Clermont centres on the Saturday being Aurélien Rougerie and Wesley Fofana. They were selected by the new head coach, Franck Azéma, on form in the Top 14 rather than reputation. It is not only at Racing Métro in Paris that the worth of Welsh imports is being questioned. That all-important members of Warren Gatland’s Wales are failing to light up France can be seen as a worry – or by the Wales coach perhaps with delight. Warren-ball seems to have a formula whose secrets do not travel well abroad, and his boys will be coming home to him in November rested and raring. Eddie Butler

• Saracens 30-23 Clermont Auvergne
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• Wallabies coach McKenzie resigns
• Match report: Australia 28-29 New Zealand

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2) Onward Christian soldier

There is sharp and then there is Christian Wade. The three Leinster defenders he left sprawling in his wake will definitely not be the last people this season to be left for dead by the Wasps wing whose finishing ability will surely see him restored to the England squad this week. “Christian has struggled a little bit with his confidence this season but we’ve always known what he’s capable of,” said Wasps’ director of rugby Dai Young. “On a big stage he can always do something special.” Robert Kitson

• Match report: Leinster 25-20 Wasps
• Haskell warms to European baptism of fire

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3) Will Toulon be too good again?

Have the rest of the clubs in Europe had enough time to work out a plan to stop Toulon making it three European titles in a row? Is it just that they have the best players, and the biggest bench, or is it their style? Are they more vulnerable without the generally conservative Jonny Wilkinson at outside half? Double champions they may be, but teams can score tries against them - the Scarlets scored two and Glasgow got four at Stade Mayol last season. Matt Giteau brings different qualities to the No 10 jersey compared to Wiliknson. Is he the man to guide Toulon to an unprecedented European treble? Tom Edwards

• Match report: Toulon 28-18 Scarlets

4) Tigers profit from TMO technicality

Leicester’s evening was launched by Owen Williams’s try, which was referred to the TMO with the second of the two questions – “Is there any reason why I can’t award a try?” This means the referee’s instinct is that a try has been scored, and it’s over to the TMO to prove otherwise. The second question arose, reasonably, because the burden of proof for a try should normally be on the try-scoring side, but sometimes you can’t see for sure, even though it is clear to the referee and everyone else that the ball probably was grounded. On this occasion, though, it seemed it probably wasn’t, but because the second question had been asked the TMO could not deny the score. It’s all deeply unsatisfactory. There’s got to be another way. Hawkeye technology has been mooted lately, which would be invaluable for adjudicating on things like forward passes, but presumably wouldn’t be much use for seeing through a pile of bodies. Isn’t there some sort of electronic chip that could be inserted into a rugby ball? Don’t ask me how it would work, but surely there are boffins at Nasa who have a spare moment or two to think it through. If they can land people on the moon, etc … Michael Aylwin

• Leicester 25-18 Ulster

5) An ill wind favours Quins

Sometimes games can be shaped by little details invisible to the paying public. Friday night at The Stoop was a good example, with Castres paying the penalty for not studying the local weather forecast. Conor O’Shea, Quins’ director of rugby, knew there was wind and rain racing in from the south-west and was delighted to have the elements at his side’s backs in the second half. “We knew where the weather was coming from and wanted to play into the wind during the first half. Fortunately Castres made the decision to kick-off after winning the toss which allowed us to play into the breeze before it picked up.” O’Shea also suggested first-time fatherhood had been a factor in Danny Care’s sharp performance, with the England squad due to be announced on Wednesday: “I think he’s looking forward to four weeks’ sleep in Pennyhill Park. That’s probably why he wanted to play so well.” Robert Kitson

• Harlequins 25-9 Castres

6) Dan not the man for Racing, yet

The Wales and Lions flanker Dan Lydiate sat in a blazer in a fenced off area at the front of the stand reserved for replacements and squad players who did not make the match 23. The Six Nations player of 2013 has only started two matches for Racing this season, both defeats, with the Paris club playing him left and right at wing forward rather than a specialist blindside. It is a waste of talent that may cost Wales in November with a key member of their pack lacking minutes on the pitch, but it also reflects how rich French clubs sometimes buy players for the sake of it rather than for what they will add, names-dropping leading to names being dropped. Wales want to rescue him from the wilderness and given Racing’s cynical approach at the breakdown, the uncomplicated Lydiate does not belong in Colombes. Paul Rees

• Racing Métro 20-11 Northampton
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7) Not a vintage Munster, but still a good one

Ronan O’Gara may be long gone and coaching on the other side of the Channel, but the memory of Munster’s cussedness lingers on. This squad is not in the same class of the sides which twice took the Heineken Cup and early season form was iffy until they beat Leinster in front of 40,000 in Dublin. But the spirit is still there and under new coach Anthony Foley, captain of the Heineken-winning 2006 side, both Clermont Auvergne and Saracens will find a trip to Thomond Park daunting. Mike Averis

• Sale Sharks 26-27 Munster

8) Warriors show spirit and style

Glasgow’s victory over Bath was noticeable not for the Scots coming out on the winning side but for the manner with which Gregor Townsend’s team got there. The style with which they responded to an early Jonathan Joseph try, the dominance in the set-piece and aggression, accuracy and decision-making in the loose, and the flowing ambition in attack, proved too much for leading Premiership side Bath. Crucially, now Glasgow have finishers scattered across the field, the try-scorers Mark Bennett, Sean Maitland, Tommy Seymour and Niko Matawalu only some of them. And that is perhaps where Glasgow now differ to sides of the past who produced great one-off triumphs but could not back it up. David Ferguson

• Glasgow 37-10 Bath

9) Baker blow for Ospreys – and Wales

When Dan Baker went over the line to score Ospreys’s fourth try during the 42-7 cruise over Treviso, it seemed it could be just the start of a brilliant week for the young No8. His blistering form this season at the heart of a side who have won six from six in the Pro12 has not gone unnoticed by Warren Gatland. The Wales coach seemed certain to pick him in his squad for the autumn internationals where he would have provided stiff competition for Taulupe Faletau as a ball-carrying back-rower. But a troubling injury in the 59th minute of Ospreys’ match against Treviso has scuppered his chances, and the sight of a potential Welsh star being stretchered off the pitch in a neck brace will not have been welcomed by anyone - particularly those at the club, who will know they have sterner tests than Treviso ahead. Arguably one of the best Welsh players of the season so far, there will be many in both the Ospreys and the Wales camps wishing him a speedy return. Tom Bryant

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