European Champions Cup 2017/18: Pool 5

[Leonormous Boozer]

Saturday 17.30, Sky Sports/BeIN Sport

Bath Rugby v Benetton

Sunday 16.15 (Local Time), Fr2/Sky Sports/BeIN Sport

RC Toulon v Scarlets​

 

[Groundhog]

A rogue Roman established town versus their mighty Italian overlords....... Can only go one way. Treviso to decimate.
Finally time to see if Scarlets are all they appear to be. They've always produced some real scalpings only to mess up really winnable games, but they should really contend a bit this year. Toulon away is a really tough test of their European caliber, but I hope they're up to it.

 

[JJFlash]

, ....but I hope they're up to it.

I think Scarlets will be up for it and will have Toulon on toast!!

 

[dullonien]

Tough opener for the Scarlets, and they're missing a few players up front as well in Rob Evans, James Davies & John Barclay.

Whilst they haven't been at their very best of late, they're still picking up wins, and bonus point ones at that (were unlucky not to secure a bonus point v Ospreys last weekend anyway!).

Whether Halfpenny is fit could be crucial, because his place kicking could be key at this level. If he were playing vs the Ospreys, Scarlets would have walked the game, instead Patchell's usually solid boot let them down, and the game ended up being a lot closer than it should have been. V's Toulon away, that many points cannot be left out there from the tee.

Looking forward, should be a cracker.

One last point. Real shame about the scheduling. A 5 day turnaround, including an away trip to the south of France is a tall order, and is very unfair on the Scarlets. Hopefully Rob Evans and Barclay will have recovered in time for the home game v Bath to burden a little of the strain of that short turnaround.

 

[Which Tyler]

Bath Rugby team to face Benetton Rugby

15. Anthony Watson
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Max Clark
11. Aled Brew
10. Josh Lewis
9. Chris Cook

1. Nick Auterac
2. Tom Dunn
3. Anthony Perenise
4. Charlie Ewels (c)
5. Luke Charteris
6. Zach Mercer
7. Sam Underhill
8. Taulupe Faletau

Replacements:
16. Nathan Charles; 17. Beno Obano; 18. Scott Andrews; 19. James Phillips; 20. Francois Louw
21. Kahn Fotuali'i; 22. Jack Wilson; 23. Darren Allinson


Unavailable for selection:
Nathan Catt, RossBatty, Jack Walker, Henry Thomas, Shaun Knight, Max Lahiff, Kane Palma-Newport, Dave Attwood, Matt Garvey, Tom Ellis, Paul Grant
Freddie Burns, Rhys Priestland, Ben Tapuai, Matt Banahan, Jeff Williams, Tom Homer


So last-minute standing (barring Stooke, Douglas and WHomer), presumably Khan as backup FH

 

[Every Time Ref]

Game plan is to get a lead at half time, then at the earliest opportunity in the 2nd half set up a ruck, and Darren Allinson will just wait it out with the ball at the back until the final whistle

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Roko with an amazing tackle. Hell of a performance so far by Bath against a club from an obviously superior rugby nation! Hope Mah bois come back with the yc advantage, another could come soon such is the frequency of infringements.

 

[Which Tyler]

Can any of the front row union comment on how fair it was that every single offence was by Bath?
I'm watching on a poorish stream; and don't know that much, but it looks to me like the Treviso THP is pullling the Bath LHP in every single time (now that the ref's mind has been made up) - which is absolutely the right thing to do if the ref's just decided that it's our LHP; but... am I actually right or not?

 

[Which Tyler]

Now that's how you're supposed to do it

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

McKinley having a nightmare! Benetton will be livid getting nothing from this game, I'll be livid if they lose their 27 point h'cap!

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Disappointing because Benetton could have challenged there with a bit of intelligent attacking and better first phase defense. They'll get a couple wins this year I think.

 

[Groundhog]

Cowardly decision by Pearson. Odious hometown call. I hate to see that.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Another great example of a player tackling low, when it was safer to go high.

 

[FrenchFan]

On the Tillous-Borde grounding TMO's call is correct (no try) however it shud have been a penalty try to Toulon. Scarlets are not back 10m.

 

[dullonien]

Scarlets come away with a losing bonus point. Certainly take that after being 18 points down after the first quarter.

They really struggled with Toulon's power up front at times, and certainly missed both James Davies and Will Boyde at the breakdown. Both Basteraud and Nonu really pressured the Scarlets midfield, that really stopped the Scarlets from getting the ball wide like they usually do. It meant that on the whole Steff Evans was starved of ball.

I do feel that Scarlets took the wrong decision with Halfpenny's final attempted penalty kick from the touchline. It was always an extremely tough kick, surely putting it into the corner and going for the try was the correct call there? A couple of other silly errors really prevented them from getting the scalp today, including that first try they gifted Toulon.

On the Tillous-Borde grounding TMO's call is correct (no try) however it shud have been a penalty try to Toulon. Scarlets are not back 10m.

No way the ref can give a penalty try there. Ball was held up by two other players over the line. Yellow card & penalty was his only option.

 

[FrenchFan]

Not if they're preventing a certain try to be scored.

 

[dullonien]

Not if they're preventing a certain try to be scored.

Beirne certainly wasn't back 10m, hence the yellow. The other 2 Scarlets players were behind their try line, hence why the penalty try couldn't be given.

 

[FrenchFan]

Castres and Toulon were robbed at home. The EPRC reffing standards are a bit like their name branding and marketing...

 

[Every Time Ref]

Francois Louw cited for contact with the eye area. Video here. It really doesn't look good, hard to see any mitigation even if the accusation against Fuser is true

http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/bath-rugbys-francois-louw-faces-636729

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Francois Louw cited for contact with the eye area. Video here. It really doesn't look good, hard to see any mitigation even if the accusation against Fuser is true

http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/bath-rugbys-francois-louw-faces-636729

There is only a short time where Fuser would be able to bite at all and you'd think the tell-tale sign of bite marks would be conclusive. Either way that was a very deliberate attempt at gouging by Louw and even as a Bath fan I see no reason he shouldn't be on the harsh end of the punishments available, absolute crass stupidity that a guy with his experience simply should not do.

On the plus side, more of Underhill.