Llanelli v Clermont

[An Tarbh]

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Llanelli v Clermont

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Clermont travel to Stradey needing an unlikely series of events to go their way to secure qualification. A bonus point haul is one they are certainly capable of but favours from Bourgoin and the Dragons are not so likely, one maybe but not both methinks.

The Scarlets will be looking to avoid a whitewash having reached the semi-final the previous season.

Can Clermont keep their part of the bargain or will the Scarlets roar at last in this pool???

Scarlets: 15 Ceiron Thomas, 14 Dafydd James, 13 Matthew Watkins, 12 Gavin Evans, 11 Mark Jones, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Liam Davies, 8 Dafydd Jones, 7 Gavin Thomas, 6 Simon Easterby ©, 5 Scott MacLeod, 4 Adam Eustace, 3 Deacon Manu, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Iestyn Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Mahonri Schwalger, 17 Ben Broster, 18 Nathan Thomas, 19 Alix Popham, 20 Gavin Cattle, 21 Darren Daniel, 22 Morgan Stoddart.

Clermont: 15 Anthony Floch, 14 Grant Esterhuizen, 13 Marius Joubert, 12 Seremaïa Bai, 11 Julien Malzieu, 10 Brock James, 9 Pierre Mignoni ©, 8 Elvis Vermeulen, 7 Alexandre Audebert, 6 Julien Bonnaire, 5 Thibaut Privat, 4 Loic Jacquet, 3 Martin Scelzo, 2 Mario Ledesma, 1 Laurent Emmanuelli.
Replacements: 16 Mirko Lozupone, 17 Davit Zirakashvili, 18 Christophe Samson, 19 Sam Broomhall, 20 Arnaud Pic, 21 Pierre-Manuel Garcia, 22 Vilimoni Delasau.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Llanelli Scarlets 0 - 41 Clermont Auvergne.

Lol...

 

[Alcanor]

no surprise about that.

 

[shtove]

no surprise about that. [/b]

But a Scarlets fan ASSURED me they would "do the business"

What will it take for Clermont to get a runners-up spot?

 

[Alcanor]

well, we'll see, i think clermont deserves it's qualification but even if they aren't qualified they would remain an impressive team.

 

[shtove]

Yes, very impressive. But I don't think they'd win in Munster, even if they had another go at it.

 

[Alcanor]

Well munster is impressive, but i wouldn't underestimater Clermont like this they did some times came back when unexpected.

 

[Sir Speedy]

But a Scarlets fan ASSURED me they would "do the business"
[/b]

*ahem* Don't look at me! :blink: :mellow:

 

[Incredible Schalk]

Jeez the Scarlets have went from one of the best teams in the HC to perhaps the worst in one season. Losing 41-0 away is imbarassing but at home...im sure some heads are gonna roll..

 

[shtove]

For sure - Scarlets were a fine team last year, and looked as if they could build for the future.

I've heard the WRU is giving all its support to just two teams - Os and Blues, I guess - so maybe that explains the collapse.

 

[Incredible Schalk]

Perhaps, the Dragons have also been woeful. Why is the WRU giving all their support to just two teams? the Ospreys are a mixture of former All Blacks and Welsh internationals and you compare that to the Scarlets. Who when i watched them last week only had a couple of international players, of course they plenty of injuries but i can understand what you mean in reguards to the support issue.

Seems the WRU jumped on the bandwagon eh :bleh!:

 

[dullonien]

Nah there's no difference in support from the WRU, I think Scarlets have had more help than anyone, with numerous loans from the WRU to save them from going bankrupt. The Scarlets are just in a total mess at the moment, the issues they have had getting permission to build their new stadium have all but desroyed them.

They were a good team last year, but it was obvious to all they needed to strengthen their first choice forewards and reserve players incase of injury. Without the money, impossible. I'm not sure how long it'll be before they improve if any of the rumors of players departing are true. If they loose Stephen Jones and/or Popham on top of Peel, things are gonna get a hell of a lot worse before they get better.

Money's gonna be a while arriving, their new stadium is gonna take it all. They may have enough to bring some players in, but enough to sign quality? I dunno.

Possibly some tough times ahead for Wales' most successful club/region in recent times.

 

[shtove]

 

[Prestwick]

For sure - Scarlets were a fine team last year, and looked as if they could build for the future.

I've heard the WRU is giving all its support to just two teams - Os and Blues, I guess - so maybe that explains the collapse.
[/b]

You have to admit that the WRU's "investment" in the Blues - whose form ranges from "vaguely disinterested" to "don't really care about the rugby to be perfectly honest thank you" - is a bit of a waste. Watching them play they look so bored and uninterested in the whole "lets play rugby" thing that you get the feeling that the only reason why Blues trot onto the field at all is just to create an excuse to keep their part of Cardiff Arms Park away from the clutches of those who wish to fill in the missing bit of the Millennium Stadium!

 

[M Two One]

I knew Llanelli would finish last, but damn. No surprise that Clermont won, they have one of the best teams in club rugby union. One of the most underrated, if not the most. Usually I enjoy writing a detailed analysis of a match, but I think only one word is suitable at the moment.

Wow.

 

[Sir Speedy]

You know somethings not right when a team that reached the semi finals last year loses every single game, fails to pick up a point and then gets nilled at home by a French side who were in the Challenge Cup last year.
The players clearly don't want to work with the coaches, which explains Peel's and Jones' leave.

 

[shazbooger]

I dont know.

I was asking the same question, how does one of last years semi finalists, fail to pick up a point in the competition this year?

A lot of it has to do with the group they were in. In fairness to them it was the group of death, but they never really looked likely to pull out a result.

The worrying thing for me is the way some of the big names are looking to leave and head off. Leinster arent too far away from where the Scarlets are (we dont look like winning anything either), but we dont see that kind of exodus. In fact were improving, and getting new players in.

I'm not sure if its the coaches, or just politics, but something is not right.

 

[Mr.cyclopede]

No thanks to Bougoin that make Clermont leave earlier that it should...

 

[shtove]

No thanks to Bougoin that make Clermont leave earlier that it should... [/b]

If Clermont had brought a few more first team players to Munster, then maybe they wouldn't be on the way out

 

[M Two One]

Clermont shouldn't be discouraged. First they need to concentrate on winning in the Top 14, something they have failed to do on eight occasions since 1936. In my opinion, the Ospreys are more prepared to make a run in the H-Cup knockout stages then ASM. Well deserved for the Welsh side.