Champions Cup; and the other one if someone wants to comment

First topic message reminder :

Couldn't see another thread on a quick look so sorry if I've missed it.

This weeks fixtures as follows (lifted from the beeb):

Friday
POOL 1
Connacht v Bordeaux Bègles
20:00

POOL 3
Glasgow Warriors v Northampton Saints
20:00

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
POOL 3
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Edinburgh
20:00

....Guernsey vs Bury St Edmonds as well which is a biggy

Saturday
POOL 1
Bulls v Saracens
17:30

Bristol v Lyon
20:00

POOL 2
Bath v Ulster
15:15

Toulouse v Cardiff Rugby
15:15

POOL 3
Toulon v Exeter Chiefs
13:00

Munster v Bayonne
17:30

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
POOL 1
Zebre v Cheetahs
13:00

Sharks v Pau
15:15

Dragons v Oyonnax
20:00

POOL 2
Ospreys v Benetton
17:30

POOL 3
Black Lion v Gloucester
13:00

Castres v Scarlets
15:15

Sunday
POOL 2
Racing 92 v Harlequins
17:30

POOL 4
Sale v Stade Francais
13:00

La Rochelle v Leinster
15:15

Leicester Tigers v Stormers
15:15

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
POOL 2
Perpignan v Lions
13:00

Newcastle Falcons vMontpellier
15:15

The music at every stoppage is doing my head in...

What an absolute comedy of errors

Still want to have a look at the “knock on” that the ref blew for 2’mons ago

I watched that scrum back quite a few times now and I am not sure I agree with the referee. I though the ball had been just picked up by the Exeter 8. On the other hand, I actually thought the Warriors scrum half was mugging the Exeter 9 and could be penalised, but I like that kind of thing and would not have wanted to see a pen for that.

doctor_grey wrote:I watched that scrum back quite a few times now and I am not sure I agree with the referee.  I though the ball had been just picked up by the Exeter 8.  On the other hand, I actually thought the Warriors scrum half was mugging the Exeter 9 and could be penalised, but I like that kind of thing and would not have wanted to see a pen for that.    

I agree with the flanker being given offside was 50/50, in fact both flankers were only tenuously bound, taking a rest leaning on the pack, he also helped mess up the 8s pick up but the Glasgow 9 taking the Chiefs nine out of the game, stopped him getting the ball out and probably kicking it to touch. In my opinion definite pen, especially in that situation where it allowed an iffy offside flanker to get into a position where he could get to the ball and score a try. If you saw a centre taking out another by pulling him to the floor to stop him getting the ball, would you not consider that a penalty?

Not sure there shouldn't have been a penalty for the front rows collapsing, not sure which way it should have gone though.

tigertattie wrote:Still want to have a look at the “knock on” that the ref blew for 2’mons ago

My daughter is at the Quins Women v Loughborough Lightning game and fuming at a string of quantum scale knock ons that the ref has seen.

Is AJ MacGinty wearing styrofoam boots? He doesn't seem to be making much ground from his kicks to touch.

Just watching the Exeter v Glasgow match - did anyone see if they reviewed what looked like a tip tackle against Townsend (I think)?

Poorfour wrote:

tigertattie wrote:Still want to have a look at the “knock on” that the ref blew for 2’mons ago

My daughter is at the Quins Women v Loughborough Lightning game and fuming at a string of quantum scale knock ons that the ref has seen.

Couldn't see the issue with the Glasgow one - looked like he failed to catch the ball and it went forwards after hitting his hand?

I would like to see that hit on Thomas again, he was absolutely poleaxed and it looked high. Seems bizarre that the TMO would wave it off as an 'accident', aren't most of them? I don't think that many player go into tackles deliberately targeting the head, even the ones that are carded for it.

That's a poor decision on the yellow at the scrum.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:I watched that scrum back quite a few times now and I am not sure I agree with the referee.  I though the ball had been just picked up by the Exeter 8.  On the other hand, I actually thought the Warriors scrum half was mugging the Exeter 9 and could be penalised, but I like that kind of thing and would not have wanted to see a pen for that.    

I agree with the flanker being given offside was 50/50, in fact both flankers were only tenuously bound, taking a rest leaning on the pack, he also helped mess up the 8s pick up but the Glasgow 9 taking the Chiefs nine out of the game, stopped him getting the ball out and probably kicking it to touch. In my opinion definite pen, especially in that situation where it allowed an iffy offside flanker to get into a position where he could get to the ball and score a try. If you saw a centre taking out another by pulling him to the floor to stop him getting the ball, would you not consider that a penalty?

Not sure there shouldn't have been a penalty for the front rows collapsing, not sure which way it should have gone though.

No question you are absolutely right about the 9s.  It's just I like to see scrum halves messing with each other which is why I wouldn't have wanted to see a pen there.  But it did look like a mugging (by scrum half standards) and a legit pen.  Didn't envy the referee there.

Think a pen was right whichever way he got there ...

It feels like it doesn't matter what happens at the scrum, Raynal is just going to penalise Bristol no matter what.

Is that Malins running in treacle?

Cumbrian wrote:It feels like it doesn't matter what happens at the scrum, Raynal is just going to penalise Bristol no matter what.

After the first couple of dominant scrums he definitely had it in his mind that Bristol were at fault even when I'm not sure they were.

It is maybe a personal gripe, but who wants to watch rugby at 8:00pm on a Saturday night? I quite fancied watching the Cardiff vs. Quins match, but there is no way I can justify it to her in doors.

Cumbrian wrote:It is maybe a personal gripe, but who wants to watch rugby at 8:00pm on a Saturday night?  I quite fancied watching the Cardiff vs. Quins match, but there is no way I can justify it to her in doors.

Ah. You record it and watch it with a nice bacon sarnie first thing tomorrow.

How is that a pen? Cardiff player ran into Andre the giant

Cumbrian wrote:It is maybe a personal gripe, but who wants to watch rugby at 8:00pm on a Saturday night?  I quite fancied watching the Cardiff vs. Quins match, but there is no way I can justify it to her in doors.

Then move over here. I quite like watching Rugby at 3:00pm on a Saturday afternoon.

Cardiff are dangerous out wide and have benefited from a couple of dubious calls, but Quins are looking pretty dangerous when they get close to the Cardiff 22. Nick David is finding holes in the Cardiff defence - Quins just need to make sure he has enough support.

Quins 4th try being quite dubious…

mikey_dragon wrote:Quins 4th try being quite dubious…

If you can find clear separation between Beard’s hands, the ball and the grass, then please post it. If not, then it’s a try. Anyway, Quins have now added a 5th so the point is moot.

doctor_grey wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:It is maybe a personal gripe, but who wants to watch rugby at 8:00pm on a Saturday night?  I quite fancied watching the Cardiff vs. Quins match, but there is no way I can justify it to her in doors.

Then move over here.  I quite like watching Rugby at 3:00pm on a Saturday afternoon.  

5am-7am here in Japan. Fortunately, I still have jet lag from a trip back home.

Only just finished watching it, but that was some performance from Quins, soundly beat Cardiff at their own game. Welsh teams don’t have the squads for this competition, yet the salary cap is going down again next year.

The Exeter-Glasgow highlights package is 3minutes 26 seconds long. A third of it is given over to that last scrum.



It's a pleasure to be able to see some kind of highlights on YouTube so soon after the end of these European matches. The English Premiership is often a full day after, when the interest has already begun to wane.

mikey_dragon wrote:Quins 4th try being quite dubious…

Did look like it touched the ground but it was close.

I see Mr Healy is reffing matches again ...

That seemed to tick all the boxes for a red.

I guess it depends on whether you're using pre RWC interpretation or RWC interpretation

I'd imagine he'll be missing some of the 6 nations.

Harris surely needed to pass that.

And Cokanasiga butchers one.

And Cokanasiga would be wanting to finish that too

Bit unfair as it was a good timed tackle as he got the ball.

Baths kicking from the tee is consistently not good enough at this level.

Heaf wrote:I guess it depends on whether you're using pre RWC interpretation or RWC interpretation

Well, he wasn’t English, so it probably wasn’t red.

Big Joe really isn't having a great game.

Barbeary scores twice.

Oh la la that Lawrence offload.

Even better offload from Arundell.

Beaut by Lawrence again.

That should also be red. He should really get 2 citings.

Presumably as he got a red there's no need for a citing and it's an automatic disciplinary panel?

Bit unlucky as there was a neck roll in the first ruck.

Heaf wrote:Presumably as he got a red there's no need for a citing and it's an automatic disciplinary panel?

But strictly speaking he's had 2 yellows both of which are probably red. If he gets off on a technicality...

Good win for Bath in the end ...

No 7&1/2 wrote:Big Joe really isn't having a great game.

I genuinely think the basics in his game have got worse over time. Such a talent when he broke through but he stalled with injury and just hasn't developed the parts of his game you need to these days.

Somewhat similar feeling with Radwan for me. When he broke through he was one of the most exciting English talents I'd seen in years. There were rumours of Tigers chasing him and I was over the moon. He seemed to be really good in the tackle and had good hands, just needed to improve positional play and develop a passable kicking game. Years later and that development just hasn't seemed to happen though. I feel like I'm watching the same winger as when he was 21. When you look at the vast improvements that other home nations wingers such as Lowe or LRZ have made to their all round game it's pretty frustrating.

If you're going to have holes in your game as a back three player these days you need to be having Duhan or Koroibete level impacts.

In other English winger news, Watson was pulled from the La Rochelle vs Tigers game before KO.

Radwan can do things few others can and you always feel he'll finish a chance. For someone with a physical advantage he has he's never really excelled as a big bruising winger. Especially with someone with his pace too he should be far more dangerous,just always seems to look for contact and then dies with the ball.

Skelton lucky not to get yellow for his slap down near the line IMO.

When La Rochelle get the ball they just clearly have more power though. The number of ball carriers across their side is brutal. Because they are winning collisions on both sides of the ball it means that their jackals are having a good time attacking the breakdown whilst Tigers are struggling there.

Tigers once again lacking precision when they get in the oppo 22. Plenty of handling errors and that's despite running pretty basic patterns.

Montoya, Martin, Chess and Hatherell have mostly impressed from Tigers perspective. All in the pack though.

Bourgarit is a fantastic player. If it weren't for Marchand and Mauvaka I expect he'd have a far bigger profile. He nails the basics, is terrific over the ball and so dynamic as a carrier.

Tough call for Pollard - not sure about that one

And surely that went backwards?