European games round 2

First topic message reminder :

We won't be far away from just trying to pick out the games that will be played

Yeah I know I just copy the info over from the BBC but its a start

Friday 17th Dec (all 20:00)

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
Montpellier v Leinster  Montpellier given 28-0 win after another Covid outbreak
Ulster v Northampton Saints

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
Toulon v Zebre
Dragons v Lyon
Gloucester v Benetton

Saturday 18th Dec
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
Bath v La Rochelle 13:00
Sale v ASM Clermont Auvergne 15:15
Glasgow Warriors v Exeter Chiefs 17:30
Racing 92 v Ospreys 17:30 Racing given 28-0 win after Covid outbreak
Harlequins v Cardiff Rugby 13:00
Munster v Castres 20:00

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
Worcester Warriors v Biarritz Olympique 15:15
Pau v Saracens Pau given 28-0 win after Covid outbreak at Sarries

Sunday 19th Dec
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
Leicester Tigers v Connacht 13:00
Scarlets v Bordeaux Bègles 13:00
Toulouse v Wasps 15:15
Stade Francais v Bristol 17:30

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
London Irish v Brive 15:15

Seems to be everytime Ulster get a try they immediately turn round and let Saints get right back into it with some sort of points

Back row effort from Ulster has been fantastic in this game, Timoney go MOTM but Vermuelen and Rea have been outstanding too

Cardiff going toe to toe with Quins very well. The young Cardiff 15 and Botham in the backrow impressing early doors. Josh Adams in the bin and perhaps lucky not to have a different colour given his arms were out but there was no attempt to actually wrap them in the tackle. Green was off balance and elevated into the tackle which was what saved him.

Quins not really focussed yet. Letting balls bounce in the their own half. Not guarding rucks properly and struggling to win the contact against the Cardiff forwards. Dombrandt got absolutely smashed inside the first few minutes.

20 mins in and two tries a piece. Game on.

All Credit to Cardiff really taking it to Quins.
I really hope they can keep up the intensity.

Cardiff are playing with no pressure and complete freedom. They know that it's only a chance to impress, no one is going to say anything if they lose. The young guns in the back three particularly are showing up very well. Cardiff have got a couple of future gems if this game is anything to go on, didn't expect Adams to look the lesser player in that back three. All credit to the Cardiff team for just throwing everything at Quins.

I agree with Trev I hope they don't tire but that seems the likely outcome.

Quins seem to be playing with expectation on their shoulders. It's just not quite coming for them despite some nice moments. They could actually do with tightening up a bit as they've been caught playing out their own 22 a couple of times.

Watching a recording and at half-time now - very impressed with Cardiff so far.

Close to scoring again near the end of the half when the ball was kicked into the in-goal but Cabango couldn't quite get to it before it went dead - which leads me to a question re the new laws ... if the ball was kicked dead by the attacking side why wasn't it a 22 instead of a goal-line drop-out?

Didn’t see the Cardiff game. Going on the final score looks like Quins just pulled away in the end when Cardiff tired?

Quins do leave it late

Heaf wrote:Watching a recording and at half-time now - very impressed with Cardiff so far.  

Close to scoring again near the end of the half when the ball was kicked into the in-goal but Cabango couldn't quite get to it before it went dead - which leads me to a question re the new laws ... if the ball was kicked dead by the attacking side why wasn't it a 22 instead of a goal-line drop-out?

Answering my own question - maybe he'd regathered it before it crossed the dead-ball line but due to his momentum wasn't able to touch it down before he crossed the line?

The Oracle wrote:Didn’t see the Cardiff game. Going on the final score looks like Quins just pulled away in the end when Cardiff tired?

You missed a cracker .... worth looking for it on catch-up if you can.

The Oracle wrote:Didn’t see the Cardiff game. Going on the final score looks like Quins just pulled away in the end when Cardiff tired?

Last season Quins were always the team who won high scoring games after being 20+ points behind at half time. Does make for an exciting team to watch.

Cardiff tired and Quins tend to finish strong, a combination that led to a very one sided second half. Credit to Cardiff for coming out and playing. Quins quality told in the end.

Why did Cardiff have a lock at 10?

I watched the first half of Quins v Cardiff. Was great to see two teams having a real go and actually playing a bit.

I thought Sam Moore did alright, especially considering he’s played something like 2 games in 2 years.

mikey_dragon wrote:I thought Sam Moore did alright, especially considering he’s played something like 2 games in 2 years.

The number 8? He was industrious. Might give the Cardiff coaches a nice selection headache with a few blokes who perhaps weren't close to consideration putting their hands up for a closer look.

Yeah the No.8. He could be one of ones who is off next season though, with Young and Faletau incoming. I hope another Welsh team gets him and we can see what he can do.

It should be easier for the Welsh clubs to retain players because the Prem clubs will have a lower salary cap to fit their players into. Hence why Falatau and Young are heading to Cardiff.

Given how many games Falatau has missed for Bath, Cardiff might need other 8 options. Being able to rotate Botham and Young at 7 will be a pretty tasty combo with Navidi at 6.

Have I read it right and that the salary cap in England is going to be £5m plus 1 x marquee signing? So let’s say £6m max??? That seems woefully low! We always moan in Wales about being under funded compared to the English, French and Irish but even the Dragons (the lowest funded of the Welsh regions) have a squad budget I think of around £5m. Not sure if this covers other stuff such as academy and coaching, but £5m does not seem to go anywhere these days! Gonna be tough for the English, unless I’ve misunderstood it.

£5m plus marquee and plus RFU credits for EQ quotas will be for senior squad not academy or coaches. Players who are in the academy/development squad become part of the cap if they play a certain number of games in a season for the first team (used to be 5 not including the development cup formerly LV Cup not PRC).

It's a short term drop whilst clubs recover from Covid to try and stop clubs with rich owners just making hay whilst the others run as businesses struggle. Helps guard against clubs mortgaging themselves up to the hilt to remain competitive.

Lots of unforced errors from both Tigers and Connacht in the first 5 mins

Nice try from Tigers ... maybe a hint of a forward pass in the break but I've seen worse

Clear obstruction missed by all the officials

Early Christmas present from Tigers to Connacht forcing passes that weren't on

Heaf wrote:Early Christmas present from Tigers to Connacht forcing passes that weren't on

Sums up much of the Tigers play from the first half. Scruffy and forcing things when they don't need to. Burns needs to organise the forwards so that Youngs can just send them smashing through phase after phase. Burns is going to the backs early in the attack time and again, it's very obvious he's barely played this season.

Why is Ford not playing?

Missed touch from a pen - not a good start to the 2nd half either

oh dear - now the ball is kicked out on the full from the restart ...

2 more poor kicks - Tigers kicking not working well at all so far

Tigers immediately look better after Burns goes off.

Connacht very lucky not to have a man in the bin for tackling Weise as he tried to take a quick tap. Cynical.

Could see that YC coming a mile away ...

Tigers need to capitalise now

Looking better for Tigers now - changing Burns and the front row seems to have made a big difference

Not sure I would have taken Youngs off - he's probably been one of Tigers best players today ...

Hmmmm - not sure that wasn't offside - looked like the Connacht 7 had made contact first

Heaf wrote:Not sure I would have taken Youngs off - he's probably been one of Tigers best players today ...

JVP has a big boot and will bring som extra energy. Youngs has found a happy place with his form in the last couple of months. Good to see.

Tigers power bench seems to be making the difference.

Youngs POTM - can't argue with that

Carty has been very good for Connacht, clever thinking at the end to ensure he got his side a LBP with that drop goal.

Tigers intensity got the job done. Burns removal allowed the team to flow better. Being able to bring that front row off the bench was critical. Really good to see young Whitcombe in there at LH and compliment the veterans alongside him.

Tigers sort it out in the last 20 to take the 5 points. Burns looked very rusty but not surprising given his lack of playing time.

The Oracle wrote:Have I read it right and that the salary cap in England is going to be £5m plus 1 x marquee signing? So let’s say £6m max??? That seems woefully low! We always moan in Wales about being under funded compared to the English, French and Irish but even the Dragons (the lowest funded of the Welsh regions) have a squad budget I think of around £5m. Not sure if this covers other stuff such as academy and coaching, but £5m does not seem to go anywhere these days! Gonna be tough for the English, unless I’ve misunderstood it.

Plus Academy and International appearances add ons.
With Munster losing some private funding I reckon they and Ulster will be in the same total ball park £6m - £6 1/2m.
Leinster will be higher due to the very high number of central contracts and their private funding

Heaf wrote:Youngs POTM - can't argue with that

Just started the second half but Stuart Barnes didn't! Sure he used to be a big fan though remember him loving him when he came through.

Are they still giving Stuart Barnes air-time?

The times are...but he's still the sensible one when compared to Jones. This was twitter tho.

Stuart Barnes has never been a fan of Tigers, he was always likely to revel in a difficult first half.

He did keep Tigers in the game whilst Burns was falling apart. Freddie was understandably rusty but it was not what he could afford, Hegarty has looked assured so far and more natural 15. He will be the more likely 22 going forward so Burns is going to struggle for game time, he might have to drop down and play a couple of games at Notts to get his match sharpness back.