Top 14 Day 20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Draggs]

Have you seen Clermonts backline??? Barbarians style!

It will make Montypelliers victory even more incredible.

 

[Big Ewis]

aahhhh fkn hell, just saw Italy Scotland and ASM MP were exactly at the same time........fk. Gotta go with int'l ball. Will have to check this one out later...
Half an hour to go, folks !

 

[Big Ewis]

ahemm....gaston, you still there ? or have you committed hara-kiri yet ?

 

[Big Ewis]

Gaston, please. I'm seriously getting worried...hara-kiri may look like a good solution on the outside, there's the code of honor and all but......errr, ok sorry, I'll stop...I'll stop.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Dont worry only just got back a rugby match lasts 3 days for me, need to enjoy the local delights.
The match was a comedy of errors by the ref!!!!!! 3 Yellows for Montpellier and a Red for Clermont, which hardly any were really deserved but the ref lost controll after about 30 mins when he gave Parra the red, The Clermont supporters are the best in the land by miles thats why i love going there, but after the red card they jeered and booed every desicion that the ref made never seen that before especially in Clermont and it was a full house. There has never been any aggro between the 2 teams but they started handbags and reffing the match and the man in the middle lost it completely.
As far as the match goes we were outplayed and became No.73 to lose at Clermont.and i am tucking in to great portions of Humble Pie, but at least i kept you all entertained for a week or so.

 

[Big Ewis]

Dont worry only just got back a rugby match lasts 3 days for me, need to enjoy the local delights.
The match was a comedy of errors by the ref!!!!!! 3 Yellows for Montpellier and a Red for Clermont, which hardly any were really deserved but the ref lost controll after about 30 mins when he gave Parra the red, The Clermont supporters are the best in the land by miles thats why i love going there, but after the red card they jeered and booed every desicion that the ref made never seen that before especially in Clermont and it was a full house. There has never been any aggro between the 2 teams but they started handbags and reffing the match and the man in the middle lost it completely.
As far as the match goes we were outplayed and became No.73 to lose at Clermont.and i am tucking in to great portions of Humble Pie, but at least i kept you all entertained for a week or so.

just replace "entertained" with "annoyed" and you got a deal. As for the reffing errors, dunno, will watch it later tonight...
Toulouse came really close in Castres, going to check that out too. Apparently Toulouse looked good, and finally a fine result on the road and without their int'ls.

And I feel you got off the hook a little easily there...you make insane claims for a whole week, reply after reply, and likely it would have risen exponentially, tenfold had you been right about your prediction - and all you get to do is say you'll eat good portions of Humble Pie, after Clermont put 40+ on Montypellier and earn the offensive bonus while being a man down the whole match ??

mmmmm....nah nah nah, you need to pay the price now, not so fast there gastoni...
I dunno, not inspired atm...let me watch the game and the muses will speak to me, get my creative juices going...it will be reasonable and fair, in the image of my personality in general........ahem.

 

[gaston le gaff]

go for your life i have broad shoulders.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

just saw it.
I don't think that's a red card for Parra, although it is a headbutt (albeit a tiny one) and refs should be strict as hell as to suffocate any thought of extra-curricular activity. This should lead by e.g. I'm not sure about FTD's yellow though...
Clermont were magnificent though, and it's absolutely stunning to remember the fact that they were 14 the whole game. Didn't *feel* that one bit. Amazing.

Hadn't seen a full Clermont game in some time, and boy they're the real deal...locks making passes like flyhalves, superb defense excellently organized, beautiful on attack, never formulaic, always creative and what a variety. Superb improv. And strong at the breakdown, some real warriors in there with Cudmore or Vosloo, Fritz Lee was great, Rougerie was good, Brock James what a class act...

Turns out Sivivatu can play the shhit out of 9 !! What a talent...
Lee Byrne looked quite good, fits the Clermont style well...bummed we didn't get to see Buttin.

Clément Ric was disappointing. Some thought he was a worthy tighthead prop, even for the XV de France. I rode on that reputation. Turns out it's BS it seems...
We really are fkd past Mas and Slimani...

FTD looked good, good on defense and that skip pass on the 2nd try at the end.......but MP were just without too many guys and they just don't have the depth or consistency Clermont has.


So gaston for your due punishment...you shall refer to the team ASM Clermont as "my supreme masters" for a while....two weeks. Sounds fair given the amplitude and frequency of your claims. And this is very complacent, remember, you've defied the great 'Marcel Michelin' and its legendary record. Don't forget Zeus himself is a fan of the franchise and you won't have to go through the ordeals others have suffered before you, Sisyphus, Prometheus...
You're greatly fortunate...but you would think twice now before defying...your supreme masters (for two weeks).

 

[Tony Manx]

Well there you go.....humble pie duly digested and looking forward to more rugby comments!!

PS Believe Grenoble lost?

 

[gaston le gaff]

Thats correct 20-22 last minute score but they all count it did put a smile on Fatties face (Blanco) but i think Les Carottes sont cuit for BO. but good to get a win all the same, its as tough at the bottom as it is at the top.another toughie on Friday for us Stade Franchouillarde (narrow minded French women if you did not know the meaning)
My Supreme French Masters are playing away to Bordeaux Begles and for obvious reasons Gaston says they will win (hows that for sucking up)

 

[Big Ewis]

My Supreme French Masters are playing away to Bordeaux Begles and for obvious reasons Gaston says they will win (hows that for sucking up)

thaaaaaaat's a good gaston ! I see you've embraced these new conditions like they'd been there forever, very encouraging start !

And that's right the B.O. with a victory on the road....in Grenoble !...too little too late of course, but impressive and terribly unlikely.

 

[FrenchFan]

I am so enjoying this thread from a far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough exclymation marks?

Well, Biarritz are relegated and on the way to financial ruin, Montypellier are going to be undisputed champions for possibly the next four years (or while Galthie is there) and Toulouse are pretty useless these days so what else to talk about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toulouse scored 4 superb tries agst Castres

tries here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1T0tC9GiTk

nice to see Thomas Ramos only 18 yo scoring his first try. Useless? better than the rugby I saw in 6N. Didn't see any tries like these over the weekend.

 

[FrenchFan]

awesome games over the weekend SF vs Oyonnax was a c-r-a-k-er. Castres vs Toulouse had fans in A&E (me included), Clermont vs Montpellier with 14 men Clermont running 42 pts agst a strong Montpellier side. 6N PALE in comparison.

 

[FrenchFan]

Have you seen Clermonts backline??? Barbarians style!

It will make Montypelliers victory even more incredible.

And that was WITHOUT Fofana. Hope he is back, he will get a rest with his injury, he has played too many games for FRA. If he is back in time for the 1/4 agst Leicesters, Tigers are gonna get mauled

 

[Big Ewis]

(please watch the triple/double posting man, it's a bit messy and a nightmare for the admins to clean up)

I picked Castres Toulouse to watch tonight. They said Toulouse looked generous and smooth.

Big disappointment over the Top 14 weekend for me was Clément Ric, though. He was hailed as a potential third solid tighthead for France, and though MP are statistically the best scrum in the country, they didn't align their best front row at all.
Speaking of which, that guy Yvan Watremez at loosehead is pretty darn powerful at scrum time on the left. I see there he's got one selection with les Bleus, in that silly loss in test 1 in ARG 2012.

So as much depth as France has in basically every single position; and crazy depth in some specific ones; we really have a tighthead issue:
- Mas is slowing down after absolute DOMINATION for years and years. Still going strong, but not *as* strong as once.
- Slimani is young, needs to put on a bit more muscle, widen that frame a little and he's going to break some necks in there. He's already impressive in the Top 14 at scrum time, and hasn't faltered at int'l level yet but we don't quite DOMINATE with him yet.

...
Ducalcon SUCKS. In the loose, in the scrum...just NOT an int'l tighthead prop. Clément Ric I'd need more confirmation, but though I've read encouraging things I have not been impressed one bit.
Kotze is another guy we can poach......

 

[Big Ewis]

just watched the first half of Castres Toulouse....seriously, both sides looked much better than France last weekend. The attack was fluid, had purpose and solid execution, especially Toulouse. That Beauxis to Vincent Clerc try on their third, a fkn beaut.

I don't know if I could say smt like those Castres or Toulouse teams would beat France in an 80min contest, but if France would play that fluidly as they surely normally would, what a difference it would make.
Just a real shame France are playing the way they are. And it's pretty amazing enough we're surviving with what we do !! Two wins, one against an angry England team, and another crushing a solid Italy team...I'm not saying France should play like Clermont, just like have standard fluidity/purpose in their play.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Have you never asked yourself why they are playing like this, the playing directions come from where!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Days gone by, the players went on the park and played the game as they saw it in front of them , this no longer applies, so if you want good solid rugby as we see often in the TOP 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Change the direction from where the directions come from.
If you did not know Gaston's Supeme Masters are still undefeated at home 73 is now the magic number!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

Have you never asked yourself why they are playing like this, the playing directions come from where!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Days gone by, the players went on the park and played the game as they saw it in front of them , this no longer applies, so if you want good solid rugby as we see often in the TOP 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Change the direction from where the directions come from.
If you did not know Gaston's Supeme Masters are still undefeated at home 73 is now the magic number!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

really gaston....REALLLY appreciating how you've just slipped into this new condition like a hand in a glove...you're really doing a marvelous job, lemme tell you...

And well it's because they're real teams, gaston. Forget Clermont, they've got a bunch of int'ls and a brilliant NZ'er headcoach. But a more accessible, franco-french side like Toulouse, Castres...they're real teams, spend a ton of time together all year long and have a real staff with real Rugby culture, grounded, established, genuine. From the soil, from the ground, from the land.

The FFR and XV de France still is a bunch of mercenaries with a coach that got picked God knows how by God knows who, with almost zero culture or identity. England look like a team, and they've got the Prem to go back too as well. Wales have a terrible league system, so the emphasis is on international duty big time. But for England, the Prem is huge, and they still manage to be a *team*.