Top 14 Day 2

[Big Ewis]

Toulouse will want to show more grit but the C.O. will be very disappointed they let a homegame slip. Gonna be a very nice one, I think match of the weekend.
Happy to see what current Top 14 table leaders Brive (lol) can manage at home against a new setup Clermont.
Bayonne Oyonnax, lots of talent on both ends, can be exciting.

Bordeaux out to prove they're not bottom of the table material anymore, and Sofiane Guitoune was already on fire on opening weekend, his first official action in months and months. Check out that statline:


MR=Meters Made - then Clean Breaks, Defenders Beaten, Off Loads.

Montpellier to put a number on Grenoble after their narrow loss to 14 men last week at home. I think this one can go high into the 40's.
Toulon will smash La Rochelle to smithereens.
Paris on a high will show Lyon what Top 14 Rugby is all about.

For me: all home wins except possibly, my joker: Oyonnax taking it in Bayonne. They came really close last week in Toulouse and showed a high level of sharpness and continuity.

 

[FrenchFan]

Toulouse vs Castres is le Derby mon ami. I expect a very tight game again. Still many injured players for us. Castres are going to put it up to us in a big way after their defeat.

Nifty stats you got here. I know where you got that

Will also watch/record MP v Grenoble, SF v Lyon, Bordeaux v Racing
I can see Racing doing a number on Bordeaux

 

[Big Ewis]

Toulouse vs Castres is le Derby mon ami. I expect a very tight game again. Still many injured players for us. Castres are going to put it up to us in a big way after their defeat.

Nifty stats you got here. I know where you got that

Will also watch/record MP v Grenoble, SF v Lyon, Bordeaux v Racing
I can see Racing doing a number on Bordeaux

yes, I've yet to really grasp the relationship between the two, I get references every once in a while about it. I know they're very close geographically and apparently big rivals...tell me about that a little bit, but be careful, your next post is post no.666, which becomes 999 upside down, which of course symbolizes...nothing in particular.

So uhm, oh yeah, it's ESPNscrum the stats, I sleep with the manager every once in a while to get stats. I'm a junkie like that. Luckily it happens to be a woman. Say, did you find anything interesting in that inbox message I sent you ? Or do you have Rugby+ too ? You could've replied...<_<

 

[FrenchFan]

oui and 6+9 is good old soixante neuf

i'd say u'd sleep with anyone for rugby :lol:

 

[Big Ewis]

oui and 6+9 is good old soixante neuf

i'd say u'd sleep with anyone for rugby :lol:

mmm arguably yes...except your girl Assa Koita. I got the message last time...
And stop it with your Jean-Claude Vandamesque math there, you're impressing no one !

 

[FrenchFan]

mmm arguably yes...except your girl Assa Koita. I got the message last time...
And stop it with your Jean-Claude Vandamesque math there, you're impressing no one !

imagine le 69 avec Assa...oh man..we're the same weight...un quintal de 69..how much is that :lol:

 

[Tony Manx]

View attachment 3125
View attachment 3126


Toulouse will want to show more grit but the C.O. will be very disappointed they let a homegame slip. Gonna be a very nice one, I think match of the weekend.
Happy to see what current Top 14 table leaders Brive (lol) can manage at home against a new setup Clermont.
Bayonne Oyonnax, lots of talent on both ends, can be exciting.

Bordeaux out to prove they're not bottom of the table material anymore, and Sofiane Guitoune was already on fire on opening weekend, his first official action in months and months. Check out that statline:
View attachment 3127

MR=Meters Made - then Clean Breaks, Defenders Beaten, Off Loads.

Montpellier to put a number on Grenoble after their narrow loss to 14 men last week at home. I think this one can go high into the 40's.
Toulon will smash La Rochelle to smithereens.
Paris on a high will show Lyon what Top 14 Rugby is all about.

For me: all home wins except possibly, my joker: Oyonnax taking it in Bayonne. They came really close last week in Toulouse and showed a high level of sharpness and continuity.

My God....you are good....very good!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

imagine le 69 avec Assa...oh man..we're the same weight...un quintal de 69..how much is that :lol:

oh God no...why in the world, WHY, did I even bring this up...

My God....you are good....very good!!!

haha merci monsieur le Mannois ! I do care about community, and try to make things look sexy, but not the hot messy kind, the clean, crisp kind. I appreciate you'd go out of your way to let me know that Tony, it's encouraging and not many ppl do that. I just want to bring Top 14 as much as I can to this forum, without it looking like I'm forcing it down ppl's throats like, "WATCH MY COUNTRY'S RUGBY"...

Awaiting the lineups for Castres and Toulouse particularly...I reaaaally hope Toulouse up their game, but Castres aren't on form to start this year off either.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I wouldn't know what to expect from Bordeux except good wine but I am assuming if Racing can take MHR at home (with a little luck) then Bordeux should be targeted for a win as well.

 

[FrenchFan]

Bordeaux are an attacking side with a good backline and a great attacking coach (Vincent Etcheto) they have few stars and are essentially a mid table team. They will struggle agst the big packs that will target them in the fundamentals (scrum line out mauls). Their stars are Guitoune on the wing if he can find his form again after a long injury and their fijian wing-centre Talebula who is absolute dynamite.
I really like going to Bordeaux for a game. Great atmosphere. Their head coach Raph Ibanez could potentially turn into a great coach if he stays at the club and doesn't get waylaid to Schtroumpf land (national side) pas vrai Big E ? They're running a tight ship budget wise. This could be their Achille's heel. WIth Montpellier they play an exciting brand of attacking rugby and I like them for that. Conditions are still good now with dry pitches and good for running rugby but this will change as we go into winter.

Racing are a team that can hurt them and I can see the Parisians doing a number on them. Bordeaux will attack Racing wide. Should be a good game.

 

[gaston le gaff]

As i forgot last weeks predictions better start now, this is not easy, but home wins for everyone, and i think Clermont might do a number on Brive. Racing produced very little against us + we had only 14 on the park in the 2nd hald we also missed 12 points at goal, so i think Bordeauw can get the better of them out wide and their continuous play will not help the big Racing pack who where not that good against us. The rest is fairly straight forward but Toulouse will have to play well but Castres are not that formidable on the road.

 

[Big Ewis]

well stormer hopefully this is your chance to see an on-form Sofiane Guitoune, a guy I pick to be a Top 5 world winger in about a year's time. The guy brings a new meaning to "explosive", and FF, he's got his form back already. I know stats don't tell the whole story, but go back to the first post on this thread and check out that attachment. He was close to scoring Bordeaux's only try too that game.

With a back three of Guitoune + Talebula, along with the young Aussie Blair Connor and even younger and promising Frenchman Domvo, there's some heck of pace back there and only excitement is possible.
If Bordeaux are for real this year, they're going to put on a show against budget-mammoths Racing Métro at home to let others know what to expect.

The rest is fairly straight forward but Toulouse will have to play well but Castres are not that formidable on the road.

I know it's just one match, but if I can annoy you gratuitously than you know I will...it's just like that:



and Castres weren't bad on the road last year. They came close in very rough arenas quite a few times.

 

[Big Ewis]

Lost a bunch of grease the big Galan. Looks like he's almost got...are those...are those abs ??

 

[gaston le gaff]

how can you annoy me with history, it happens get over it!!!!!!!!! i did, so you would not like to make a little wager then if you are that confident i presume you are still a Toulouse fan or have swapped coats again!!!!!!!!!!!!.When i said Castres were not good on the road i meant in GENERAL!!!! please give me details of other victories last season and draws do not count (Biarritz) smart ar**!!!!!!! and as you say they came close, i come close every week to winning the lottery but close is just not good enough you should know that being the perfectionist that you are my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FrenchFan]

View attachment 3139

Lost a bunch of grease the big Galan. Looks like he's almost got...are those...are those abs ??

pre-season training did that to him!

 

[FrenchFan]

well stormer hopefully this is your chance to see an on-form Sofiane Guitoune, a guy I pick to be a Top 5 world winger in about a year's time. The guy brings a new meaning to "explosive", and FF, he's got his form back already. I know stats don't tell the whole story, but go back to the first post on this thread and check out that attachment. He was close to scoring Bordeaux's only try too that game.

With a back three of Guitoune + Talebula, along with the young Aussie Blair Connor and even younger and promising Frenchman Domvo, there's some heck of pace back there and only excitement is possible.
If Bordeaux are for real this year, they're going to put on a show against budget-mammoths Racing Métro at home to let others know what to expect.



I know it's just one match, but if I can annoy you gratuitously than you know I will...it's just like that:

View attachment 3138

and Castres weren't bad on the road last year. They came close in very rough arenas quite a few times.

hold your horses BE only one game played...Guitoune hasn't scored yet . Give him time

 

[Big Ewis]

how can you annoy me with history, it happens get over it!!!!!!!!! i did, so you would not like to make a little wager then if you are that confident i presume you are still a Toulouse fan or have swapped coats again!!!!!!!!!!!!.When i said Castres were not good on the road i meant in GENERAL!!!! please give me details of other victories last season and draws do not count (Biarritz) smart ar**!!!!!!! and as you say they came close, i come close every week to winning the lottery but close is just not good enough you should know that being the perfectionist that you are my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ahem.













Speaking of attention to detail, I didn't say they won other games, I said "and Castres weren't bad on the road last year. They came close in very rough arenas quite a few times." For a Top 14 side, we all know the perils of playing away from home, that is pretty damn good. 19-13 in Toulon, that's excellent.
Not to mention their cataclysm in the volcano breaking the 75+ game winstreak in the quarter-final, beating Montpellier at a neutral venue, and then giving the all-conquering Toulon a good run for their money in the final. And let's not forget the Armitage Grosso "incident" that only gave place to a lineout throw like nothing happened btw since on the topic...:



FF: I got the UBB LOU game, gonna watch it later on today. I think I'm going to make a Sofiane Guitoune mix this year, this guy deserves to be all over YouTube, and not just French ppl watching.

 

[gaston le gaff]

HANG ABOUT you said you were going to annoy me and you have starting ranting,posting history and similar, taking umbrage etc etc, if you want good on the road look at Montpellier last season thats good, dont give me all these stats of nearly this nearly that close but not close enough, then after they won a lucky semi against us they lost the final, what are they Clermont seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its a good job i don't take you too seriously my friend or may have to disagree and fight and ***** and where would that get us, if you have nothing better to do, look at my interview with Rene Ranger on our site should be up tomorrow hopefully. That guy is one cool dude great fun doing the interview, and in both languages i ask you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they should be paying me more than Galthie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

HANG ABOUT you said you were going to annoy me and you have starting ranting,posting history and similar, taking umbrage etc etc, if you want good on the road look at Montpellier last season thats good, dont give me all these stats of nearly this nearly that close but not close enough, then after they won a lucky semi against us they lost the final, what are they Clermont seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its a good job i don't take you too seriously my friend or may have to disagree and fight and ***** and where would that get us, if you have nothing better to do, look at my interview with Rene Ranger on our site should be up tomorrow hopefully. That guy is one cool dude great fun doing the interview, and in both languages i ask you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they should be paying me more than Galthie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

uhm okay lol apologies (where'd all that come from ?!!)
And "lucky", Castres, oh gaston you sore loser, that's not nice !
And Montpellier may have actually won more games last year on the road and are generally good there, but when it comes to playing the bigger games, like Toulon or Clermont, MP shrink.





I like Montypellier too, but you talk about "Clermont seconds", where was MP when they had to show up for the big ones ?

Anyways, the points discussed were: Castres fare pretty well on the road, Montpellier were better there. But you want to talk about the role of "luck" in the Top 14 playoffs, maybe Castres got screwed in the butt on that video I posed earlier, interesting how that play was dealt with. But Castres got *unlucky* Boudjellal was the opposing team's owner.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Thanks for the info, guys; much appreciated. I think I have a good handle on most of the 'bigger tems' but with 14 clubs and the weaker ones dropping in and out seemingly it's hard for a semi-casual foreign fan to keep 100% up to date. As for Guitoune I'll keep an eye out as the name has come up many times (always from Big E but still many times).

EDIT; my 5000th post in the Top 14 what with a Bok test around the corner and the Currie Cup in full swing. WHo'd have thought.