European Semi Finals

It's semi final time in both Europena competitions. Can Toulouse continue their Irish tour with a win and make it an all French final?

All games on BT Sport in UK and beIN Sport in France.

Times UK and Ireland time.

Saturday 14th May 2022

Lyon v Wasps- 12:30- Malmut Stadium De Gerland, Lyon - Challenge Cup

Leinster v Toulouse- 15:00- Aviva Stadium, Dublin- Champions Cup

Toulon v Saracens- 20:00- Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon- Challenge Cup

Sunday 15th May 2022

Racing 92 v La Rochelle- 15:00- Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens - Champions Cup

Leinster: Keenan, J. O'Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe, Sexton, Gibson-Park, Porter, Kelleher, Furlong, Molony, Ryan, Doris, van der Flier, Conan.

Replacements: Sheehan, Healy, Ala'alatoa, McCarthy, Ruddock, McGrath, R Byrne, Frawley.

Toulouse: Ramos; Mallia, Fouyssac, Ahki, Lebel; Ntamack, Dupont; Baille, Marchand, Aldegheri, Arnold, Meafou, Elstadt, Cros, Jelonch.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Neti, Ainu'u, Tekori, Tolofua, Flament, Page-Relo, Holmes.


6-2 split once again for Toulouse?

Lyon
15Arnold
14Tuisova
13Barassi
12Ngatai
11Niniashvili
10Berdeu
9Couilloud
1Taofifenua
2Marchand
3Bamba
4Kpoku
5TaofifenuaSubstituted forMayanavanuaat 38'minutes
6Cretin
7Saghinadze
8Sobela
Substitutes
16Charcosset
17Rey
18Gomez Kodela
19Mayanavanua
20Goujon
21Doussain
22Lambey
23Mignot
Wasps
15Umaga
14Hougaard
13Fekitoa
12Gopperth
11Bassett
10Atkinson
9Robson
1West
2Oghre
3Alo
4Launchbury
5Stooke
6Shields
7Willis
8Barbeary
Substitutes
16Frost
17Hislop
18Millar Mills
19Gaskell
20Willis
21Porter
22Spink
23Kibirige

Wasps really should have won that but blew so many chances ...

Heaf wrote:Wasps really should have won that but blew so many chances ...

Yeah you can't knock the ball on that often in the opposition 22 and win. Umaga had a bit of a shocker at 15 as well. I wonder if he will find himself further down the pecking order when Haydon-Wood arrives next season.

All that Leinster pressure and then Dupont picks Gibson-Park's little grubber off and it's try time. 95m run in.

How has Dickson got a semi final?

No 7&1/2 wrote:How has Dickson got a semi final?

No idea but he's been shocking so far.

Business as usual then ...

Leinster have been playing at a frightening speed. Toulouse are struggling to keep up. We'll see if they fall off that intensity in the second half like they did Vs Tigers.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:How has Dickson got a semi final?

No idea but he's been shocking so far.

Threatening to send off someone for sarcastically clapping Karl Dickson is like threatening to send the wind off for blowing - you can’t penalise an entirely natural and understandable phenomena. 

- Josh Gardner

Statement performance from Leinster. Very impressive to keep Toulouse under pressure for such long periods. Toulouse couldn't get that offloading game going and generate momentum but when Leinster had ball in hand they seemed to go past the gain line with every carry.

If Leinster play like that in the final then I can't see anyone stopping them.

Looked to me like there was a knock-on at the start of that Toulon break that led to the try ...

Does the constant squawking and whistling of kicks from the French fans annoy anyone else?

Wow how blind are the officials - a Toulon player had to reach with his outside arm to knock back a line-out - how crocked does the throw have to be?

Heaf wrote:Does the constant squawking and whistling of kicks from the French fans annoy anyone else?

I remember it being more prevalent a few years back. Increasingly clubs have adopted the respect the kicker thing, particularly in the Prem. I'm somewhat indifferent though I would stay quiet myself.

That Toulon try was a bit too easy, nicely orchestrated but the Sarries Wolfpack not really exerting the usual pressure.

The first Toulon try was the one I thought came from a knock-on in the tackle - of course we didn't get a replay of that bit ...

Pathetic attempt by a Toulon player to buy a pen ...

Toulon pushing early again - spent the entire match against LI getting away with that ...

OK that was a nice try

Should have been a yellow there - cynically taking out legs

Now a forward pass in the in-goal area missed - dire ...

Yet another forward pass missed ...

Well Saracens have been well off their best tonight, but this is the 2nd week in a row Toulon have been helped out by poor officiating ...

Seems to be a theme this weekend with forward passes not being called.

Sarries were second best in that one, they struggled to get on top physically and seemed to run out of ideas. Farrell kicking for the corner when 9 points down and into the final 10 mins was also really stupid. Not only did the Toulon player manage to keep it intplay Sarries would still not have had enough points. Better to kick the points and let Toulon kick off giving you the ball back with a 6 point difference and Toulon knowing they can't risk infringing again.

How dumb are La Rochelle.

10 mins against 13 men and give away a series of silly penalties.
At the end Racing player down, so effectively 12 men.
La Rochelle overlap and they throw a needless forward pass

geoff999rugby wrote:How dumb are La Rochelle.

10 mins against 13 men and give away a series of silly penalties.
At the end Racing player down, so effectively 12 men.
La Rochelle overlap and they throw a needless forward pass

Some of the unnecessary pop passes to an isolated forward in their own half during that period was criminal. No need to over play like that.

Yep - massive wasted opportunity - Racing look like they have all the momentum now ...

Racing determined to throw this game away, so many wasted chances.

Well LR just about managed to hang on in the end - seemed to be a lot of pens both way in that match even though I only caught the last 20 mins ...