Champs Cup - Round 3

Excellent result for Tigers

Especially satisfying after having to put up with the French supporters whistling and booing everything ...

Watched a lot of this, whilst watching Dragons on my phone. Great win. Looked very impressive overall. Tommy Reffell is king

Welsh boys Whitecombe and Reffell playing well for Tigers. Both should be in the Wales squad .

Sorry Mikey I don't think Whitcombe qualifies, it was his great grandad that played for Wales and I think his grandad and father were both Yorkshire born and bred.

Reffell has been in great form all season. He cover ls a ridiculous amount of ground. He's got the attacking game of Tipuric or Morgan but defensively he's one of the best. Unknown if he'll face off against those two next weekend at Welford Road or whether young Ilione will get a go instead (he's replaced Reffell off the bench in the last two games late on).

Really good game, much needed. Heyes put the poor performance against Ospreys behind him and was dominant against both Clermont looseheads. Whitcombe rock solid against Slimani. Henderson, Chessum and Wells were everywhere, they really were key to Tigers dominating physically and at the lineout. Cracknell (is he still WQ?) made a huge impact off the bench.

Was nice to see the backs show some innovation as that has been sadly missing for most of this season. Pollard looked like he was settling in nicely as well now his match fitness is returning.

We’ll do an Eddie and take Whitcombe anyway, we gave you Joe Heyes so it’s only fair…

I’m no longer a fan of two open-sides in the back-row, given the size of back row players from France and SA but we’ll probably go with that, so Reffell has a good chance of featuring. Cracknell is WQ, he probably should have had a few caps years ago but was maybe just considered a good club player. He was better the James King that’s for sure.

I’d have given Ospreys a chance if they won tonight but now I’m not sure. What Tigers team do you hope/expect to see next weekend?

Ha, gave us Joe Heyes.

I think Reffell will probably look better in games where the opposition are big and physical. He was fantastic in South Africa. Against teams where the onus will be on him to link and carry he might come up a bit unstuck. He's does tend to play with a pretty meaty blindside and 8 for Tigers so it might be a case of adjusting.

Unsure of what team we'll field next weekend. Borthwick didn't like rotating players for home games, he'd rotate for away games and then go hard at home because he felt Tigers owed it to the season ticket holders and fans who turn up every week. I'd have thought Wigglesworth will go similar. I'd expect the EPS players to be there in the main as the week after they have in camp and don't play so we might as well make use of them. Some players might get a rest as we will need them against Saints (fecking idiots organising the East Midlands Derby during an EPS rest weekend). So Reffell, Youngs and Heyes might rotate out or to the bench so that Ilione, Woolstenholme and Hurd can get some game time. Pollard should be at 10 again.

Not a good start for Sale - their props take each other out after just 6 seconds ...

Oh, so close for Sale. That's straight out of the George Ford playbook but Warr and Rob du Preez just can't pull it off.

Red card for Sale - that's going to make it even tougher ...

Toulouse finishing is shocking ... especially given they have an extra man

Half-time and despite losing both starting props after 6 seconds, and Wiese to a red card after less than 20 minutes, Sale are still in the lead against the team stacked with super-stars ... surely they will tire in the 2nd half though?

Had to go out so missed the 2nd half but as expected it was too big an ask after that start ...

TMO in the Munster v Saints match desperately trying to get Saints player red carded ...

And now the Munster player should get a red card. Not enough mitigation for a yellow for me.

I'm on catch-up at the moment - haven't got to that bit yet

Seen it now - straight shoulder to the head - must be red

Has Ludlam bulked up?

Think so ...

Harsh pen there - didn't look held to me - let off for Munster

What are Saints doing here? Why not kick to corner?

Stupid call

Pretty stupid.

That last pen for Munster when the player wasn't actually held might have just stopped Saints getting the win, but kicking for the posts at the end was a strange call

Hating the TV feed for bulls Exeter. Is it flashing for anyone else?

It was flashing for me, some of the camera’s might be operated by drunk people, they’ve missed the action a couple times early on.

There’s a lot good about Dafydd Jenkins when you consider he’s just 20. He comes across as good leader and seems to know a lot about the game. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was a Wales starter in Feb.

Ref having trouble making his mind out when the ball is out or not out ...

And ultimately leads to a try ... these French refs are difficult to interpret sometimes

That wasn't offside either - it was from open play and Hodge had run him onside before he touched the ball

How is off the knee a knock-on?

Ref's realised he's crap and has subbed himself off

Wow just turned over to LAR v Ulster and nil nil after 60 mins?

Heaf wrote:Wow just turned over to LAR v Ulster and nil nil after 60 mins?

Ridiculous game. Both teams put themselves in positions to score and then either a turnover or howler of a mistake. Defences were furiously physical with a real edge and the weather was pretty awful.

Ulster had a three nil leading heading into the final few seconds but in the end the defensive dam burst and La Rochelle scored a try to steal it at the death.

Great game in Swansea. Montpellier turned up to play, executed their plan very well. Ospreys kept finding a way to score though, their forwards were good again. They run out 35 - 29 winners and are coming for your Tigers next Sam.

Fair play to Ospreys. Not enough is made of them now. They have two front rows to outplay a lot of teams. Toby Booth has got them playing well. Could be another first Gatland game where we play the majority of them.

Now Pivac and Melon have gone, Nicky Smith might have a look in again.

Deffo need Smith in, seems harsh in Carre who’s also in good form but the scrum comes first. Thomas and Smith are better there.

mikey_dragon wrote:Great game in Swansea. Montpellier turned up to play, executed their plan very well. Ospreys kept finding a way to score though, their forwards were good again. They run out 35 - 29 winners and are coming for your Tigers next Sam.

Good stuff, didn't want them to lose then give up and send the kids for a pointless hiding at Welford Road. Much prefer a good hard fought game.

It does seem that Ospreys have dramatically turned a corner since Owen Williams came in at 10. Williams and Hawkins could make a good combination for club and country. The Ospreys forwards were mostly good against Tigers but they did lack control against a rotated Tigers side. Some more experience at 10 seems to very much have helped that. Hopefully Webb's rib injury isn't to bad and we can see Webb Vs JVP.

Leinster managed to put Gloucester away at home. Couple of early scores then Gloucester pushed them hard at scrum time and Leinster coughed up two penalty tries due to their lack of forward power.

Young Osbourne did well on his debut in grabbing a try with some deft footwork. Leinster now qualified for Round of 16 but will need to win against Racing to ensure they get top seed.

YC for Irish and PT for Stormers but looked to me like they fell over - can't see Irish coming in from the side or pulling down on the replay.

And now a red card when the initial contact is on the body and the head contact comes from whiplash ... giving up now

Also not sure the Stormers shouldn't have had a player in the bin for taking out in the air - yes there was a slight obstruction from Irish but doesn't foul play trump obstruction?

Loader just needs to tackle lower. Kiss just blaming the ref. Asked how they are coaching to tackle lower he says they are...but then back to how its nothing to do with loader and just the ref.

And now Stormers sealing off the ball preventing a turnover yards from their line - not even a pen - is this another useless French ref?

Inconsistent though - they say head on head is always red but it clearly isn't ...

Clear forward pass missed in the build up to the last try too - hopeless officials

And another red ... oh dear

Absolute brain dead ain't it.

That one was clearly red but again the inconsistency really gets me as I've seen the same given as yellow (incorrectly) with the excuse it was bicep not shoulder that made contact. The first one I've seen mitigated to yellow numerous times as initial contact was shoulder to shoulder and the head contact came from whiplash - again if it was always given as red it would be clear and consistent.

The non pen for taking out in the air also confuses me as I thought foul play trumped obstruction ... more inconsistency