Chamipionship semi finals

[Tony Manx]

GSunday 11h May 2014

REENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP - PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL
[TABLE="class: table-stats, width: 624"]
<tbody>[TR="class: result, bgcolor: #F5F5F5"]
[TD="class: home-team, align: right"]Leeds Carnegie[/TD]
[TD="class: vs, align: center"]38 - 31[/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"]London Welsh[/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff, align: center"]Full time[/TD]
[TD="class: status, align: center"]Scorers[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]


Saturday 10th May 2014

GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP - PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL
[TABLE="class: table-stats, width: 624"]
<tbody>[TR="class: result, bgcolor: #F5F5F5"]
[TD="class: home-team, align: right"]Bristol[/TD]
[TD="class: vs, align: center"]17 - 14[/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"]Rotherham Titans[/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff, align: center"]Full time[/TD]
[TD="class: status, align: center"]Scorers[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]


Great result for the north in seeing Leeds get the win but their defence seemed to be very brittle and is a seven point lead enough to take to Welsh and are three points enough for Bristol?

We shall see next week.................................


Saturday 17th May 2014

GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP - PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL
[TABLE="class: table-stats, width: 624"]
<tbody>[TR="class: fixture, bgcolor: #F5F5F5"]
[TD="class: home-team, align: right"]Rotherham Titans[/TD]
[TD="class: vs, align: center"]v[/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"]Bristol[/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff, align: center"]18:05 Live Sky Sports 1[/TD]
[TD="class: status, align: center"][/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]


Sunday 18th May 2014

GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP - PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL

[TABLE="class: table-stats, width: 624"]
<tbody>[TR="class: fixture, bgcolor: #F5F5F5"]
[TD="class: home-team, align: right"]London Welsh[/TD]
[TD="class: vs, align: center"]v[/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"]Leeds Carnegie[/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff, align: center"]12:45 Highlights Sky Sports 2 17.30[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

 

[Thingimubob]

I heard the conditions were pretty shabby down is Bristol for the game, could've been a factor. After all the investments they've made for next season, I think they'd definitely prefer a much bigger cushion though

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Rotherham played in the same conditions.
Bone headed yellow card cost them, think Bristol scored two tries when Roth were down to 14.

 

[Thingimubob]

Rotherham played in the same conditions.
Bone headed yellow card cost them, think Bristol scored two tries when Roth were down to 14.

Yeah wasn't trying to take anything away from Rotherham. Weren't they 9 - 0 up at one point?

 

[SuperEagle]

Great result for Leeds. The 2nd semi's are going to be tight.

Am I right in thinking that all 4 clubs meet the prem ground regulations this year?

 

[LSFC C49]

Titans were given the thumbs up from the RFU for their ground sharing plan with Barnsley FC at Oakwell, so all 4 semi-finalists have qualifying grounds. I've seen some reports that Barnsley would want Titans to drop 'Rotherham' from the team title though.

 

[Tony Manx]

I am enjoying this Rotherham v Bristol game (Sky Sports 4)!!

 

[ratsapprentice]

The Championship is a great tournament... a ridiculously attacking oriented league.

Good decision to award that IMO - regained contact with the ball before it touched the ground.

 

[Patchey]

I realy with it got more coverage. There isn't even a Championship website outside of a page on the RFU site!

Bristol need to buck up soon or things might get embarrassing.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I would feel sorry for some of the guys who Bris have signed - like Pat Lam - if they didn't go through... and I think play-offs are beyond stupid for deciding who gets promoted, but I would love it if Rotherham won.

 

[BRSTLDRGN]

That "try" just plain wasn't one. Shocking decision. We've been s**t aswell though. Massive half needed

 

[Patchey]

Yeah the play off promotion system, especially with two legs, is mad!

I don't quite believe that guys like Lam, Peel and Jones have signed without clauses in their contracts giving them a get out of jail card if promotion doesn't happen. That being said, Jones is playing today so...

 

[big ginger 8]

Really want Hudson and O'Connell to be playing topflight rugby next year, so c'mon Bristol!

 

[goodNumber10]

It should be league winner up, play off for a second promotion place... Two down from premiership.

 

[Tony Manx]

I can see the rationale in that but the problem is that the top clubs are already against ANY relegation and promotion although two up two down straight works in the Top 14!

 

[Tony Manx]

Looks like the millionaire's money has helped Bristol move forward into the Final and I am very happy to see them facing Leeds in the Final!!!!!

 

[Patchey]

Big, intense game on a lovely evening and a pretty picturesque ground. more of this on TV please!

 

[BRSTLDRGN]

YesYesYesThankFeckForThatYesYesYes.

Ahem. Well that was nervy, a buttload closer than my nerves could stand, had a nervous twitch pretty much all game. Massive credit to Roth who made us fight so hard. Theyre a good team and historically gave us a bloody tight game

 

[ratsapprentice]

I can see the rationale in that but the problem is that the top clubs are already against ANY relegation and promotion although two up two down straight works in the Top 14!

It works ok in France because the PD2 is better quality than the championship - Newcastle only lost 1 game in the championship and they were little more than a speedbump in the premiership.

 

[goodNumber10]

I'm not sure i'd say pro2 is better than the Championship in comparision to the Top 14/Premiership.

Financially it's strong, but the standard of rugby through the system in France is pretty bad outside of the Top14.

Pro2 is seldom more than a battle of attrition (so they are at least prepared up front when they arrive in the Top14).

Federale rugby is not great, and everything out of the Top14 & Pro2, has got a ridiculous set of rules attached to it - Weird scrum laws, weird tackle laws (can't tap tackle, can't go chest on chest, can't tackle above the sternum)

It's very strange here at times.