Champions Cup - Pool 2, Round 4 (Castres, Harlequins, Leinster, Wasps)

[j'nuh]

I don't understand... a yellow because Poite doesn't know whether contact was made with the eyes?

Does innocent until proven guilty mean nothing? :huh: Surely if Poite doesn't know, it's one for the citing officers?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

There was nothing in any of that, just push and shove and man up.
Give a scrum to whoever was in possession and playon.


I love how they're like "Yeah, danny care threw a ball at someone.....nah, madigan striking him in the head is nothing, lets ignore that, the fans won't like it.....anyway, about George Robson......."

Both Madigan and Care lucky to stay on the pitch really, Care was throwing digs on the deck.

 

[Groundhog]

If the Hand goes near the eyes, it can't just be left alone. I don't care what the context, nobody puts their hands near the eyes with goo intentions. It's too risky and too dodgy.

 

[big ginger 8]

I don't understand... a yellow because Poite doesn't know whether contact was made with the eyes?

Does innocent until proven guilty mean nothing? :huh: Surely if Poite doesn't know, it's one for the citing officers?

It's yellow because it was across the face. He's saying it's only​ a yellow because he wasn't sure if it was a gouge.

 

[j'nuh]

Chisholm is very lucky that the throw wasn't straight.

One minute left, one point behind and kicking it into touch is a damn basic error.

It's yellow because it was across the face. He's saying it's only​ a yellow because he wasn't sure if it was a gouge.

Ah, okedoke. Makes sense.

 

[big ginger 8]

Well a wins a win. Second half was dire and that LBP for Quins could be massive but I'll take it. Need a TBP against Castres at home.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

O'Connor has done nothing today to help his case, we were very, very lucky.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

When you look at how Quins have played this season in the Prem everyone would think you were crazy if you said they'd be very unlucky 1pt losers to Leinster in Dublin!

They've really fronted up these last two weekends.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

We was robbed!

 

[j'nuh]

When you look at how Quins have played this season in the Prem everyone would think you were crazy if you said they'd be very unlucky 1pt losers to Leinster in Dublin!

They've really fronted up these last two weekends.

I think getting Marler, Care and Brown back is not insignificant tbf.

 

[martinspoonboy1]

I think getting Marler, Care and Brown back is not insignificant tbf.

Agreed Marler is has turned into a different beast over last 12 months. Very encouraging!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think getting Marler, Care and Brown back is not insignificant tbf.

True enough, but they still got nilled at home by Sarries outside of the international period. It's not been a vintage year for them, so far, in any way.


The had Care when we beat them at the Stoop too

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

*Exhales dramatically*

... If Quins in any way had a winning habit this season they'd be going back to London with a win tonight. Leinster have only played the 1st half last week and this week which is incredibly worrying. Despite Leinster's best efforts to do otherwise they managed to win the game and that's the only positive from the game, the rest is the same rubbish they've served up all year. I'm incredibly worried for the next three weeks, Leinster could potentially lose all three inter-pros and find themselves struggling to qualify for this next year. Anyway, the season staggers on and Leinster may just fall over the line and qualify from one of the weakest groups in European rugby history... Exciting times.

 

[j'nuh]

Agreed Marler is has turned into a different beast over last 12 months. Very encouraging!

You know, I agree 100%.

He's always been decent in the loose. A lot of people (including myself) somewhat gave up on him being a potentially good player on the basis of that he was a weak link in the scrum. But over the last year or so, he's had a Healy-like transformation in the scrum, and is now a very competitive player there. I think it's somewhat understated how much he's improved over time.

If he continues to improve at the rate he is, I think Corbisiero's going to have a very hard time of taking his place back re: England.

 

[big ginger 8]

*Exhales dramatically*

... If Quins in any way had a winning habit this season they'd be going back to London with a win tonight. Leinster have only played the 1st half last week and this week which is incredibly worrying. Despite Leinster's best efforts to do otherwise they managed to win the game and that's the only positive from the game, the rest is the same rubbish they've served up all year. I'm incredibly worried for the next three weeks, Leinster could potentially lose all three inter-pros and find themselves struggling to qualify for this next year. Anyway, the season staggers on and Leinster may just fall over the line and qualify from one of the weakest groups in European rugby history... Exciting times.

I'm not really going to disagree with much of that right now but I think you're forgetting how terrible some groups were in the H Cup.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'm not really going to disagree with much of that right now but I think you're forgetting how terrible some groups were in the H Cup.

I can't remember a single one that only had one team in the top half of their domestic league at Christmas... in fifth... with less wins than 6th... and a team in dead last... to be honest, it's most likely the weakest pool ever without an Italian or Scottish side.

 

[big ginger 8]

I can't remember a single one that only had one team in the top half of their domestic league at Christmas... in fifth... with less wins than 6th... and a team in dead last... to be honest, it's most likely the weakest pool ever without an Italian or Scottish side.

Well thats a brand new qualifier from you isn't it not including the scots or italians like...

Looking at the teams on paper, which I think you have to do to a degree in Europe, it's not really as weak a pool as you're making out.

A factor which hasn't been considered and should at least be mentioned is that no coach with the exception of Gibbes will know as much about us or be as pumped as O'Shea and your coach being abnormally pumped can make a big difference.

 

[Big Ewis]

whoo, 14-13 ! Well done Leinster. 3/3 French teams, Irish teams beating English teams...Today's a good day

 

[Wendigo7]

Really dispondent we lost actually. That one really did get away we were better than them.

The TBP is huge. We need to win our next 2 games in theory, we should. Wasps will get 5 points, no doubt tomorrow in their last game at their home against a non interested french side.

Wasps vs Leinster could decide who qualifies as best second place (which I think one of the 2 teams will). If I was to call it now, Wasps will win with Home advantage. Leinster can't score tries it's a simple as that. Wasps score by the bucket load.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Clifford.

 

[Irishkid]

Think Leinster are a really poor side and if Quins backed themselves and had a better kicker they would have edged it. As for Leinster they have no X factor in their back line.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Well thats a brand new qualifier from you isn't it not including the scots or italians like...

Looking at the teams on paper, which I think you have to do to a degree in Europe, it's not really as weak a pool as you're making out.

A factor which hasn't been considered and should at least be mentioned is that no coach with the exception of Gibbes will know as much about us or be as pumped as O'Shea and your coach being abnormally pumped can make a big difference.

Scottish side, read terrible Glasgow sides of mid-2000's, it's a horribly weak pool.

They're coach may have pumped them up but they were poor, send any of the other English sides to us and they'd have won today, go back 6 days and stop Nick Evans getting injured Quins win the match up 8-1. Leinster are in dire straits right now and are showing absolutely no signs of improvement, they were probably worse this week than last week. Jimmy Gopperth needs to be dropped now, there is absolutely no doubt about it, he was awful today to put it nicely. Dave Kearney and Fergus McFadden can't come back soon enough to stop Leinster playing a fullback and a very limited player on the wings and give the back line some chance of scoring tries. Richardt Strauss is needed so badly to give them set pieces. And even then I wouldn't be confident enough that Leinster have the systems in place to do anything, I actually struggle to identify any system within the Leinster back line at the moment, it's Simon Mannix like stuff of going from one side to the other until they panic and throw an inside ball. There is so much wrong with Leinster rugby right now and it's not a lack in quality players, the only thing that is functioning properly is Ian Madigan's right boot. There is literally no positives from today's game other than three points, both teams are mid-table sides and they played at that quality. Leinster have the players not to be a mid-table side, unfortunately they don't have a coach that will put them in the correct positions or coach them to be any better. I have never been so angry after my side have won as I am now but all it does is continue the false hope that we may turn it around when at best we'll come out of this pool as runners up and lose to one of the three big French sides or Saints.

Anyway, I'm done for the night and I'll leave on this note... Tonight really reminded me why I hate Quins, Charlie Matthews deserves a Christmas off after than gouge on Ryan.

 

[Wendigo7]

Clifford.

He was a beast all game.

As was Wallace.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Aye, a couple of daft penalties early on but once they were out of his system Clifford was excellent.

 

[munstermuffin]

He was a beast all game.

As was Wallace.

Is Wallace for off national set up? I've always liked him as a player (preferably 7).

 

[ratsapprentice]

Ehh... Kvesic is ****ing outstanding, Fraser is pretty good and plays for Sarries which seems to help with England selection.
He's not a million miles away, but may as well be given Kvesic has been completely ignored in favor Haskell and Clark.

 

[Shaggy]

A shame about Swiel's early misses with those penalty kicks, Quins really missed Nick Evans ... Leinster will really need to sort out their scrum

 

[Tony Manx]

Love the way that Wasps are playing and they have some great young players coming through by the looks of it.

Admittedly it is against a very poor Castres team but think Wasps have been impressive and have played some very good attacking rugby with good breakdown and excellent carries.

Castres are pretty poor but have some really good players and have showed glimpses but do not have a leader, make too many errors and penalties. Think that the old saying that they are "too good to go down" may well be tested this season by them.......

 

[Big Ewis]

superb attacking from Wasps today. That third (?) try was superb.
Castres, perfectly predictable and where we knew they'd be. Subjected to the home team, get smashed for some half an hour and then their pride surfaces and they show good play for 10min, then suck again and concede more... ahlala...
Boy it's going to be a hard return to domestic.... :/

- - - Updated - - -

yeah okay Castres basically must play those games, so they do. But they're just not really there... Champions for Castres is basically like Challenge for Top 14 sides. You wonder why they bother at all.

 

[HenryChinaski]

That awkward moment when Dewi Morris announces his "Heineken Cup Man of the Match". What a douche bag.