Toulouse v Connacht

Very tough for Connacht to get the win, as I type Toulouse score.
LBP maybe best bet.

Not going well so far in this game.

Hard place to come though Westi.

Connacht being terribly exposed defensively...

Well yes not an ideal start. Connacht need a bp from that game to make sure they finish above Toulouse so still not over and with zèbre leading wasps they might not even need that!

Stadium looks fair empty on the tv...

With Wasps finding their legs in Zebre, it all looks doom and gloom for Connacht now

Yeah not looking good so far.
Need to score early second half.

With 75% of possession and territory 11 points is not a great lead for Toulouse. Can't see them keeping with that sort of pace so Expect Connacht to reverse the tide in the 2H enough for a BP.

Cant see it lads. Connacht are just not in this, if they were at home I would have more belief but away in Toulouse, just not going to do it.

whocares (love that name ) why such low attendance for such a big match?

Ah well, that's it now

It could get messy now.

Where is gunsvgerms? He hates Barnes but Barens is certainly doing his best to keep Connacht in this.

Oh hang on

Is there hope?

Muldoon

DG boys, set the feck up for a DG

Stupid, really stupid. Perfect opportunity for a DG wasted.

On field game management has cost Connacht. The chance was there TWICE and they still fecked it up.

Sorry Westi.

Gutted, absolutely gutted but am so peed off as well. The chance was there.

To much to do early on.
Ah well.

Good luck to Munster & Leinster.

eirebilly wrote:Cant see it lads. Connacht are just not in this, if they were at home I would have more belief but away in Toulouse, just not going to do it.

whocares (love that name ) why such low attendance for such a big match?

Not sure but Sunday afternoon games ain't popular over here as it's when amateur rugby is played. Also this one was on free to air TV and it's bloody cold out there ! (Loved the scrums footage with all the smoke coming out, that's where boiler room meaning is enhanced)

Toulouse lack of decent kicker almost cost them (again) in the end. Can't see how they will cause any problems to Munster.

westisbest wrote:To much to do early on.
Ah well.

Good luck to Munster & Leinster.

Hard lines brother.

Really deflated for yiz.

Hard luck Connacht.  Nearly there.   

Next time you'll know more.

One other comment.

John Muldoon.  What a player.   He deserves another test for Ireland.

eirebilly wrote:

westisbest wrote:To much to do early on.
Ah well.

Good luck to Munster & Leinster.

Hard lines brother.

Really deflated for yiz.

Yeah tough to take, so close.
Aki is certainly missed in the backs.
Could probably do with a better 10.

Connacht showed over the 6 games that they deserve to be at the table. A DG away from getting into the QF, it felt like they (1) ran out of players and (2) in the crunch minutes towards the end of the game they didn't go for DG when in great position in their 22 and also tried fancy move off the lineout.

I don't blame Muldoon so much. He was a man possessed and forwards get locked in when going through the motions. Marmion as the experienced back leader should have been pointing the 10 into position and demanding the ball. He's still fairly young and will learn alot from this.

For the lineout choice, I can't really knock Connacht for that either, their whole ethos is to have a go, run from their own 22, to take the front foot option and trying the more adventurous move. It didn't come off going after those kind of moves is what has put them in that position.

Slightly stirring things here, but why isn't it 3 wild cards getting into the quarter finals instead of 3 second place teams.

Connacht finished on 18 points, scored 26 tries, a points differential of 70 and points scored of 188 while winning 4 matches.  2 of the other teams in their group are HCup winners.

Toulon have 16 points, 12 tries, a points differential of 20 and points scored of 120 while winning only 3 matches. Only 1 of the other teams in their group are HCup winners.

Is merit only used as an argument when LNR and PRL are looking for an advantage?

Connacht fans are too classy to stoop to this argument.  They knew the rules of the game, took on the challenge and fell just short.  But more points, more tries, better scoring differential, more games won, stronger competition in the top 3 of the group (both had complete dross as the 4th side, both poor poor sides).

In MLB and NFL, the wild cards can come from any division, and it can even be more than one wild card from a single group if they have played the best during the league/pool stages. Surely that is a better meritocracy.

Am sorry but Connacht had zèbre in their group who was basically 10 points guaranteed to all the other teams. In fact Toulouse can thank them for being there because in any other group they would not have come through. Connacht can only blame themselves for not coming through that group really.

whocares wrote:Am sorry but Connacht had zèbre in their group who was basically 10 points guaranteed to all the other teams. In fact Toulouse can thank them for being there because in any other group they would not have come through. Connacht can only blame themselves for not coming through that group really.

I was thinking the same, but then once I look at Sale, they are as poor a team. In fact they (Sale) are 2 of Toulon's wins, so really Toulon were 1-3 against the others in their pool while Connacht were 2-2 against the others (non-Zebre) in their pool. They are cutting players for possibly giving away call signs to opponents. They are being sued for, it's argued, tapping up players. They're only victory during the campaign was a dead-rubber match against Scarlets. Every game Zebre played unfortunately their opponents needed to get max points to stay in contention in the group, every opponent put in 110% percentage to get the victory. Sale didn't come under that pressure for all 6 rounds.

Connacht had a great chance to get through, they knew the rules, mistakes, poor decisions and poor precision cost them towards the end.

And Zebre are a poor team, but they weren't the only poor side. And when playing the 'better' sides in their groups Connacht were playing 0.500 while Toulon were only getting to 0.250.

Ok fair enough. Didn't realise Toulon had only win against Scarlets and Sarries! That said I still put Sale well above Zèbre at least in terms of points conceded.

They came, they saw, they didn't conquer.

So be it. A good challenge. Maybe now Lam will refocus totally on Pro12 and get into that 6th place spot again, leaving another crack at Europe for the side he'll be leaving at the end of this season.

Feel really bad for Connacht, I don't want to use the term "unlucky" because they did cheat against Wasps ...

rodders wrote:Feel really bad for Connacht, I don't want to use the term "unlucky" because they did cheat against Wasps ...

?  

They're a Pro12 side.  They're an Irish Pro12 side at that.  Have you no shame, rodders?  It's their duty to cheat.

What cheating? Muldoon asked and the ref agreed.

Pot Hale wrote:What cheating?   Muldoon asked and the ref agreed.  

That's because the ref is a cheat too....

thebandwagonsociety wrote:

whocares wrote:Am sorry but Connacht had zèbre in their group who was basically 10 points guaranteed to all the other teams. In fact Toulouse can thank them for being there because in any other group they would not have come through. Connacht can only blame themselves for not coming through that group really.

I was thinking the same, but then once I look at Sale, they are as poor a team.  In fact they (Sale) are 2 of Toulon's wins, so really Toulon were 1-3 against the others in their pool while Connacht were 2-2 against the others (non-Zebre) in their pool.  They are cutting players for possibly giving away call signs to opponents.  They are being sued for, it's argued, tapping up players. They're only victory during the campaign was a dead-rubber match against Scarlets.  Every game Zebre played unfortunately their opponents needed to get max points to stay in contention in the group, every opponent put in 110% percentage to get the victory.  Sale didn't come under that pressure for all 6 rounds.

Connacht had a great chance to get through, they knew the rules, mistakes, poor decisions and poor precision cost them towards the end.

And Zebre are a poor team, but they weren't the only poor side.  And when playing the 'better' sides in their groups Connacht were playing 0.500 while Toulon were only getting to 0.250.

Sale are a lot better than Zebre. The game between Sale and Toulon (in Toulon) was very much in the balance going in to the last ten minutes before a ridiculous yellow card to the Sale tighthead cost them the game. Wasn't that by an Irish ref as well?

formerly known as Sam wrote:

thebandwagonsociety wrote:

whocares wrote:Am sorry but Connacht had zèbre in their group who was basically 10 points guaranteed to all the other teams. In fact Toulouse can thank them for being there because in any other group they would not have come through. Connacht can only blame themselves for not coming through that group really.

I was thinking the same, but then once I look at Sale, they are as poor a team.  In fact they (Sale) are 2 of Toulon's wins, so really Toulon were 1-3 against the others in their pool while Connacht were 2-2 against the others (non-Zebre) in their pool.  They are cutting players for possibly giving away call signs to opponents.  They are being sued for, it's argued, tapping up players. They're only victory during the campaign was a dead-rubber match against Scarlets.  Every game Zebre played unfortunately their opponents needed to get max points to stay in contention in the group, every opponent put in 110% percentage to get the victory.  Sale didn't come under that pressure for all 6 rounds.

Connacht had a great chance to get through, they knew the rules, mistakes, poor decisions and poor precision cost them towards the end.

And Zebre are a poor team, but they weren't the only poor side.  And when playing the 'better' sides in their groups Connacht were playing 0.500 while Toulon were only getting to 0.250.

Sale are a lot better than Zebre. The game between Sale and Toulon (in Toulon) was very much in the balance going in to the last ten minutes before a ridiculous yellow card to the Sale tighthead cost them the game. Wasn't that by an Irish ref as well?

Shame the ref didn't know the laws in the Wasps game - almost certainly cost Wasps a home QF to the benefit of Leinster ...

formerly known as Sam wrote:

thebandwagonsociety wrote:

whocares wrote:Am sorry but Connacht had zèbre in their group who was basically 10 points guaranteed to all the other teams. In fact Toulouse can thank them for being there because in any other group they would not have come through. Connacht can only blame themselves for not coming through that group really.

I was thinking the same, but then once I look at Sale, they are as poor a team.  In fact they (Sale) are 2 of Toulon's wins, so really Toulon were 1-3 against the others in their pool while Connacht were 2-2 against the others (non-Zebre) in their pool.  They are cutting players for possibly giving away call signs to opponents.  They are being sued for, it's argued, tapping up players. They're only victory during the campaign was a dead-rubber match against Scarlets.  Every game Zebre played unfortunately their opponents needed to get max points to stay in contention in the group, every opponent put in 110% percentage to get the victory.  Sale didn't come under that pressure for all 6 rounds.

Connacht had a great chance to get through, they knew the rules, mistakes, poor decisions and poor precision cost them towards the end.

And Zebre are a poor team, but they weren't the only poor side.  And when playing the 'better' sides in their groups Connacht were playing 0.500 while Toulon were only getting to 0.250.

Sale are a lot better than Zebre. The game between Sale and Toulon (in Toulon) was very much in the balance going in to the last ten minutes before a ridiculous yellow card to the Sale tighthead cost them the game. Wasn't that by an Irish ref as well?

As well as what?

St John The Enforcer wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

thebandwagonsociety wrote:

whocares wrote:Am sorry but Connacht had zèbre in their group who was basically 10 points guaranteed to all the other teams. In fact Toulouse can thank them for being there because in any other group they would not have come through. Connacht can only blame themselves for not coming through that group really.

I was thinking the same, but then once I look at Sale, they are as poor a team.  In fact they (Sale) are 2 of Toulon's wins, so really Toulon were 1-3 against the others in their pool while Connacht were 2-2 against the others (non-Zebre) in their pool.  They are cutting players for possibly giving away call signs to opponents.  They are being sued for, it's argued, tapping up players. They're only victory during the campaign was a dead-rubber match against Scarlets.  Every game Zebre played unfortunately their opponents needed to get max points to stay in contention in the group, every opponent put in 110% percentage to get the victory.  Sale didn't come under that pressure for all 6 rounds.

Connacht had a great chance to get through, they knew the rules, mistakes, poor decisions and poor precision cost them towards the end.

And Zebre are a poor team, but they weren't the only poor side.  And when playing the 'better' sides in their groups Connacht were playing 0.500 while Toulon were only getting to 0.250.

Sale are a lot better than Zebre. The game between Sale and Toulon (in Toulon) was very much in the balance going in to the last ten minutes before a ridiculous yellow card to the Sale tighthead cost them the game. Wasn't that by an Irish ref as well?

As well as what?

Irish ref giving a decision to the detriment of an Irish province, unknowingly obviously. Slight humorous twist to the dodgy decision.

Ah. Ok. I see and agree. I thought for some weird reason that you were saying that it was an Irish ref giving a dodgey decision in this game as well as the connacht wasps game.

George Clancy apart from being a pedantic ref is from Limerick and works for the revenue commissioners. Hard to find a Leinster fan who would have any time for him.

Hard to find anyone with time for Clancy (as a ref) I would think ...