This Might Hurt! Clermont v Quins Match Thread

[yappysnap]

Thought it'd be amusing to have peoples views on the "interesting" match up between Clermont and Quins.

Teams:

Clermont: Byrne; Rougerie (capt), King, Fofana, Sivivatu; James, Lacrampe; Debaty, Kayser, Kotze, Pierre, Hines, Bonnaire, Lapandry, Chouly.

Replacements: Paulo, Chaume, Ric, Jacquet, Vosloo, Radoslavjevic, Delany, Nalaga.

Harlequins: Brown; Sackey, Hopper, Botica, Williams, Evans, Care, Marler, Buchanan, Collier, Easter, Robson, Wallace, Robshaw (capt), Guest.

Replacements: Ward, Lambert, Sinckler, Merrick, Trayfoot, Dickson, Smith, Walker.

If Quins can somehow get a losing bp then I'll be delighted. More likely though this could be a tough game to watch. The visitors have a decidedly B team feel about their selections and while it's not Clermonts strongest outfit it should be more then enough.

As a Quins fan I hope we just front up and don't let our heads drop, go out to score some tries and rekindle our mojo ready for the Prem. And please no more injuries!

[butterfingers]

B team really?

Marler, Easter, Robshaw, Guest, Brown, Care, Evans, Sackey are all playing pretty well, as is Hopper.

Depends on the gameplan employed, if the Quins go there to spoil and try to grind out a win I think they're in trouble, if they go with the mindset of champions, allow Care to do what he does and keep the game on Quins terms then they may just upset the applecart.

I'll have my fingers crossed, I really enjoy watching quins play, and when theyre on form they are very difficult to play against.

[yappysnap]

B team was probably over stating it to be fair.

But also Evans is at about 60% of his best, Easter is terrible at lock as he's an 8 and just can't compete there, Sackey has played one game over a month ago in which he was pretty anonymous and Hopper is terrifyingly risky in defense so not sure where you're getting your opening statement from!

Add to that Botica is a 10 and really poor at 12 and that on the bench we have - Ward our 3rd choice hooker, Synckler our academy prop, Merrick our academy lock, Trayfoot our academy flanker and then two wingers to cover everything from 10 back.

I hope we can play well and stun Clermont who'll hopefully not be too focussed, at least to start with.

[Artful_Dodger]

Sackey has played one game over a month ago

Didn't Sackey play most of the second half last week? Not to be pedantic or anything ..

[Notch]

Sorry yapp. I think this one could get very ugly.

[ChequeredJersey]

Sackey has played one game over a month ago

Didn't Sackey play most of the second half last week?  Not to be pedantic or anything ..  

Yeah, he didn't look good though

[maestegmafia]

Quins have nothing to lose and a some of England's Premierships most creative players in their side. Danny Care can turn last line defence into lethal attack as well as any world class scrum half, the team has a core who have been there and done it before.

Connor O'Shea will be telling the boys that this is the game where Quins turn their season around.

Clermont are a frightening force. But this game is far from a forgone conclusion should Quins find their heart.

The brilliance of the HEC has been reminded to us again and again. Let's hope this will be another great game for Quins, for the Heineken Cup and for rugby.

[VietGwentRevisited]

Clermont are a frightening force. But this game is far from a forgone conclusion should Quins find their heart.

Harlequins have heart. They lack muscle and real pace.

[kingelderfield]

David (Jeff/Quins/Eng) v's Goliath (Top14/Clem/France) - I think this game encapsulates so much of where team England and English rugby is currently at. Our fixture model is fatally flawed and we subsequently play to much rugby and incur a desperate number of injuries which ruin the game/competition and commercial/fan spectacle - on this point we have illogically failed to learn from the sanzar structures and even from the ever increasingly equivalent NFL competition that runs for as little as 5/6 months a year.
We expect our clubs teams to compete in a state of exhaustion against Celtic squads who rest players in a far more appropriate manner or against the French whose clubs possess squads of such vast number that they are able to field two 1st teams to each of our one. Internationally we hideously disadvantage ourselves and yet still expect success, compare team NZ with team England - just look at the relative international fixture structures alone and you will realise there is not the proverbial 'hell's chance' of a fair playing field, and add to that the relative national games administrations where NZ have their very best leading the coaching panel compared to England where none YES NONE of the best coaches where even prepared to submit applications to lead the national side all because of the abomination that was the Thomas lead RFU and now we have student Lancaster coaching by the book.......I digress, this is indeed a year for reflection and should we/England lose all 3 autumn games(what a ghastly reflection it will be) what then?
As for today well truly it is Henry V and all that - let’s hope for a quagmire and a peculiar narrowing of the pitch and prey for some arrow like quins attack.

[ChequeredJersey]

I'm rowing and can't watch the match

However the last time I didn't follow a Quins match live was Worcester so maybe it's better this way

[quinsforever]

comedy - just read that clermont are unbeaten at home for their last.....64 matches!!!!!

now the 12/1 odds make complete sense

[Cumbrian]

Unfortunately I don't expect Quins to have a cat in hell's chance in this one and if they can't manage a losing BP, that could be just about curtains for their HC campaign. However, I’ll be watching the match and hoping your boys can prove me wrong.

I’ll also be watching it as a fan of the England national team, this is going to be just about the biggest test in club rugby that a team can face. It will be watching to see how the likes of Marler, Buchanan, Wallace and Brown get on.

[Ozzy3213]

Sadly I can see this game being very one sided.

[Hubert Davenport]

Quins are currently second best. I can't fault their effort (unlike previous games this season)though

[Hood83]

Sadly I can see this game being very one sided.

Yeah, think this is going to be a tonking. Quins do look like they've gone backwards this year, or at least stood still. Amazed that both Quins and Glos didn't identify the front 5 as a place needing some power and depth.

[LeinsterFan4life]

comedy - just read that clermont are unbeaten at home for their last.....64 matches!!!!!

now the 12/1 odds make complete sense

They lost at home in the HC semi in 2012?

[quinsforever]

i got it from the asm officiel twitter feed...was the HC semi at another stadium even though notionally a home fixture?

[whocares]

Quins defense not very well organised. Clermont centres having a field day so far.

[whocares]

i got it from the asm officiel twitter feed...was the HC semi at another stadium even though notionally a home fixture?

It was a home fixture in Bordeaux.

[quinsforever]

it was at Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux

[VinceWLB]

If i was a coach i would play the best defensive back in front of Sivivatu, no matter if it's a centre or full back.

[LeinsterFan4life]

it was at Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux

so does that mean that the Sarries loss against Toulose doesn't count as a home defeat?

[VietGwentRevisited]

it was at Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux

so does that mean that the Sarries loss against Toulose doesn't count as a home defeat?

no, Saracens were at home but chose to host it at a different ground.

HEC semi finals are deemed neutral venues.

[quinsforever]

it was at Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux

so does that mean that the Sarries loss against Toulose doesn't count as a home defeat?

dont know dont care. fact remains that a 64 game unbeaten run at Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin, ASM's home ground, which is where quins are playing them, is impressive.

[LeinsterFan4life]

Yes thats a very very impressive statistic albeit its in the top14 where teams mostly send 2nd string teams to away games.

[quinsforever]

the point, before i lose the will to live, was that they are strong at home.... 

[BigTrevsbigmac]

Good try & great time to score. 20-13 Quins will take that.

[Artful_Dodger]

Quins are doing fine, no hammering materialized. First score in the second half for Quins and they could start thinking about an upset.

[LeinsterFan4life]

the point, before i lose the will to live, was that they are strong at home.... 

Oh right are they? As a Leinster fan I wouldn't have clue. I mean we have only played them 6 times since 2010.

I was just making the point that they did lose at home in 2012.

[quinsforever]

no hammering materialised so far... 

[VietGwentRevisited]

the point, before i lose the will to live, was that they are strong at home.... 

Oh right are they? As a Leinster fan I wouldn't have clue. I mean we have only played them 6 times since 2010.

I was just making the point that they did lose at home in 2012.

Except that semi finals count as neutral venues, and this was a darn sight more neutral than Leinster appearing at the Aviva.

[quinsforever]

the point, before i lose the will to live, was that they are strong at home.... 

Oh right are they? As a Leinster fan I wouldn't have clue. I mean we have only played them 6 times since 2010.

I was just making the point that they did lose at home in 2012.

as someone pointed out above, HC semis are neutral games. its 230 miles from clermont to a bordeaux football stadium. same from sarries to old trafford. not exactly a home game either in feeling or in fact.

[VietGwentRevisited]

no hammering materialised so far... 

Indeed, Clermont look a much better team, but Quins fighting and scrapping for everything. Yet again Mike Brown phenomenal - he deserves the chance to play for England at home in his real position you would think.

[LeinsterFan4life]

the point, before i lose the will to live, was that they are strong at home.... 

Oh right are they? As a Leinster fan I wouldn't have clue. I mean we have only played them 6 times since 2010.

I was just making the point that they did lose at home in 2012.

Except that semi finals count as neutral venues, and this was a darn sight more neutral than Leinster appearing at the Aviva.

There was still 25K plus Clermont fans to 4k or so Leinster fans. It still counts as a home semi.

Anyway enough on that.

[kingjohn7]

Come on Quins

[SecretFly]

Caulm down the f**K, lads!

[VietGwentRevisited]

There was still 25K plus Clermont fans to 4k or so Leinster fans. It still counts as a home semi.

Anyway enough on that.

Yeah, unlike Ulster and Munster, you guys tend not to travel too much

[whocares]

Very reckless by Marler. Not even a yellow card for something that meant to hurt. Citing territory.

[Artful_Dodger]

Marler is starting to get on like a right boobie.  Harlequins are right in this and he does that really stupid late tackle.  At a ruck not so long ago he also caused a lot of hand bags trying to provoke the Clermont player who had just conceded a penalty.

Pillock.

[VietGwentRevisited]

You would have thought he would be growing out of this need to try and prove he is a man.

[Bristolian]

Quins playing their hearts out here. Clermont look much the better team and should/could be 25 points+ clear, yet if Quins had had better hands they could have scored a couple of tries to be in front. Also, bit of a curate's egg from Clancy here I feel. Let the breakdown become a bit of a free-for-all at times, whilst in other areas of play he's been a bit too picky, which is a shame as both teams look like they want to play.

[Hubert Davenport]

Quins definitely deserved the lpb

[whocares]

Agree with your analysis Bristolian, had trouble following Clancy refereing of the breakdown. I thought quins were superior to asm in the 2nd half specially in the rucks. Some of clermont players are a shadow of the players they were a season ago. Am worried for them.
Well done for the LBP.

[Bristolian]

You would have thought he would be growing out of this need to try and prove he is a man.

Yeah, sadly he does have a bit of form for this (though he has grown up a bit in the last season or two). Noticed Easter and a couple of other Quins 'playing on the edge'. This does happen when one team feels they are on a hiding to nothing. The patting opposition players on the back has crept into the game and has to stop, it's more becoming of Footballers.

On the whole though, felt Quins did deserve the losing BP, but Clermont were very good value for the win.

[quinsforever]

if offered a lbp pre-match i would have bitten arm off

[flankertye]

I'm sure this has been said many many times before, but Quins need to invest in a man mountain of a second row.
Easter and Robson just cannot compete at H Cup level.

[formerly known as Sam]

Good result for Quins in the end. LBP away in France is not to be sniffed at.

[VietGwentRevisited]

Good result for Quins in the end. LBP away in France is not to be sniffed at.

Yes - but December's clashes with Racing will be no easier.

[SecretFly]

Good result for Quins in the end. LBP away in France is not to be sniffed at.

I'd sniff at it if I could get a win instead

Ah only joking. Yep, LBP was indeed a handy bonus against the Harlem Globetrotters of European rugby.

[formerly known as Sam]

Gwent, in the HEC you need to win your home games and the pick up any points you can away from home. Quins will be playing catch up after the Scarlets loss but there's plenty of time for them to make that up.

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