Pool 6: Toulon v Montpellier

1st v 4th in the Top 14 as it stands. Montpellier lost 25-32 at home 4 weeks ago.


Toulon

15 Delon Armitage, 14 Vincent Martin, 13 Maxime Mermoz, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 David Smith, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Frederic Michalak, 8 Chris Masoe, 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Pierrick Gunther, 5 Jocelino Suta, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Sebastien Bruno, 1 Andrew Sheridan

Replacements:16 Mickael Ivaldi, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Virgile Bruni, 19 Mathieu Bastareaud, 20 Benjamin Lapeyre, 21 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 22 Simon Shaw, 23 Davit Kubriashvili


Montpellier

15 Lucas Amorosino, 14 Yoan Audrin, 13 Matt Carraro, 12 Paul Bosch, 11 Yohann Artru, 10 Ilian Perraux 9 Julien Tomas, 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Rémy Martin, 6 Alexandre Bias, 5 Mickael Demarco, 4 Drickus Hancke, 3 Maximiliano Bustos, 2 Mickael Ladhuie, 1 Yvan Watremez

Replacements: 16 Agustin Creevy, 18 George Jgenti, 19 Aliki Fakate, 20 Mamuka Gorgodze, 21 Benoit Paillaugue, 22 Pierre Bérard, 23 Timoci Nagusa

Looking at the Toulon line-up, is that the highest number of foreigners fielded in a team this weekend?

That Toulon line up is mad, how much money is Mr.Crazy pumping into that club.

Bernard Laporte claimed they have one of the smallest squads in T14!

The bench is the thing that is crazy... Jenkins, Bastaraud, Kubriashvilli, Lapeyre... Is the Toulon gameplan to deprive every other HC team of quality and win by default?!

Toulon's second try makes the missed Wilkinson kickes largely irrelevant.

Armitage (Delon) is on fire.

15-3 to Toulon

LondonTiger wrote:Looking at the Toulon line-up, is that the highest number of foreigners fielded in a team this weekend?

ERC Website wrote:
Key Tournament Rules

2. Eligibility of Players

(v) each club is permitted a maximum of two "foreign" players in any one match squad.

"Foreign" = Austrailian, New Zealander, Argentinian.

One of Carl Heyman, Chris Masoe and Matt Giteau must have an EU passport.

When we had Contepomi, Elsom and Chris Whitaker, Whitaker had a British passport. We also had Nacewa, Stan Wright and CJ Van der Linde but they qualified under the Kolpak ruling.

Masoe is an EU citizen now isn't he???

Rulings a bit of a joke tbh...

18-3 at HT.

Montpelier seem only interested in limiting the damage.

Isn't masoe Samoan born so he doesn't count as foreign?

Toulons squad is amazing, it's like a fantasy team!

Bathman_in_London wrote:Isn't masoe Samoan born so he doesn't count as foreign?

Toulons squad is amazing, it's like a fantasy team!

Is it about where you are from in rugby too? Nacewa is a kiwi with a Fijian dad. But because he played 3 mins for Fiji he could never be an all black.

Sorry I meant so he may well have a samoan passport and for some reason that and south African don't count as foreign?

Score update anyone?

23-6 to Toulon. Cruising. 3 tries so far. The only failure will be if they cant manage the fourth and TBP. Along with Harlequins, they are the best bet for top two placing in the knockout seeds.

Danie Rossouw is also on his way, the springbok lock/flanker. Don't know what phillipe st andre is doing in the crowd. There's no frenchies for the national team here.

Montpellier got a penalty.

Make that 23-9 with 64 mins gone.

I cannot wait until Toulon rock up at the arms park, they are going to get such a beating!!!

There isnt much direction, old man at 10, and way too many foreigners to be cohesive...

gulp

And Delon Armitage strolls in for his second. Game over, bonus points in the bag.

And Wilkinson knocks over the touchline kick in his sleep.

30-9

Huh - Montpellier put on a bit of consistent pressure and Gordodze rumbles over from 10 metres out. Should be convertable.

30-16 to the mercs in rouge, and 7 minutes to go.

Big man Bastearaud powers his way over from an attacking penalty 10 metres out. Wilko to do the honours.

37-16 and final whistle coming up.

Toulon looking pretty good - unbelievable strength in depth in the forwards!

Ten furriners in the Toulon 23. Are there no limits on non-French qualified players? Should there be for the Heineken Cup - part of the new agreement?

Toulon cruised that. Played pretty decent rugby without ever really looking like they were trying, especially given that it was raining and windy throughout.

They're a different prospect from previous years, they look a lot more cohesive. I'd be far from surprised to see them make the semis.

With my one eye blinking, can anyone comment on how Johnny Beattie got on for Montpellier?

I only saw the first half. He tried, but seemed a tad underpowered.

Didn't even notice beattie was playing tbh!

commentators mentioned him a few times - usually just as he was about to get smashed backwards when carrying. Mind you, pretty sure the called the FB Beattie as well.

Pot Hale wrote:Ten furriners in the Toulon 23. Are there no limits on non-French qualified players? Should there be for the Heineken Cup - part of the new agreement?

Those with European working rights aren't foreigners.

LondonTiger wrote:I only saw the first half. He tried, but seemed a tad underpowered.

timhen wrote:They're a different prospect from previous years, they look a lot more cohesive. I'd be far from surprised to see them make the semis.

Heard from the horses mouth that the signings they've made over the last 12 months are different from previous years. Apparently there was a focus on getting in team men as opposed to out and out superstars. It was evident that there is a good atmosphere within the squad from watching them train. Having seen them a couple of times this season I think the only chink is the indiscipline in the forwards. They give away a lot of penalties and that could cost them against some of the more powerful teams in Europe.