Top 14 Day 6

[Big Ewis]

Pretty easy to call throughout except one matchup. I'd be tempted to say we'll watch Toulon lose another match and REALLY plunge into a full-on crisis, and Boudjellal and Laporte go crazy and all that...but seeing how tortured they are right now, they may very well go and take this one. They've got some players back, even Romain Taofifenua could be back and is currently listed in the group. HUGE news for me, was counting on him to play for France this Nov.

Stade Franquette is on top form this year and has developed an early notorious road frenzy. Montypellier to come away with the W for me, but maybe something to watch out for, they're on a high.
Oh and my beloved Castres to finally win a game...

I think I'll go all home wins. The Joker is too easy to pick here as anyone would use it for that Friday fixture. No Joker, no anesthesia for real men all home vvins.

 

[gaston le gaff]

may have to disagree on one, and also without Joker as you say a "Mans Game for Real Men" but will have to wait till Fri for predicktions and late at that, as i am picking my daughter and grand daughter up from Beziers airport.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'm tempted to go all home wins as well but will hold out and look for the line-ups.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

If flood start Toulouse to win by 20 points.

If he doesn't they will lose by 20 points.

You heard it here first. and last

 

[gaston le gaff]

If flood start toulose to win by 20 points.

If he doesn't they will lose by 20 points.

You heard it here first. and last

WOW IS THAT A STATEMENT OR WHAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Would not want to be in Toby Floods boots.........................Toulouse with a "u"

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Toulouse are gonna be happy not to face relegation. Flood, Steenkamp, Ralepele.. wow has their attempt to shed French internationals backfired! Who is responsible for scouting overseas non-talents?

 

[gaston le gaff]

I don't think its that bad, but they are certainly not the force of old, but still a great club with great players it's just the results are not brilliant at the moment, i hear there are rumbles in the corridors and some insatisfaction with the coaching staff, but its hardly likely to change before the end of the season; not Toulouse's way of doing things.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Toulouse are gonna be happy not to face relegation. Flood, Steenkamp, Ralepele.. wow has their attempt to shed French internationals backfired! Who is responsible for scouting overseas non-talents?

It was starting to go to pot before the new arrivals, TBF.

Noves has kept players on sentiment and not on form.

Toulouse will be looking at the coaching set-up before the players imo.

 

[gaston le gaff]

All it's difficult as contracts are all in place so not much can be done there, its always the same great clubs do not think it can happen to them and then bam it all goes wrong, and the TOP 14 is so competitive that any small errors or weakness will be know by all and worked on every time they play Toulouse, i think Noves is a great coach but he may have to change his style of coaching if he wants to get Toulouse back to their best, that goes for his assistants as well.

 

[Big Ewis]

It was starting to go to pot before the new arrivals, TBF.

Noves has kept players on sentiment and not on form.

Toulouse will be looking at the coaching set-up before the players imo.

that's right. Nobody really thinks the players are really to blame. Some teams produce twice as well with half the quality in the roster. But anyways it's a bit of a broken record now, we've ranted too much about this.

Here's some fresh news to keep us busy in the meantime - the probable Toulon 23 to visit Brive:

1/ Alexandre Menini
2/ Craig Burden
3/ Levan Chilachava
4/ Mamuka Gorgodze
5/ Romain Taofifenua
6/ Juanne Smith
7/ Virgile Bruni
8/ Chris Masoe
9/ Sébastien Tillous-Borde
10/ Matt Giteau
11/ James O'Connor
12/ Maxime Mermoz
13/ Rudi Wulf
14/ Drew Mitchell
15/ Delon Armitage

Les remplaçants probables:
16/ Jean-Charles Orioli
17/ Xavier Chiocci
18/ Konstantin Mikautadze
19/ Steffon Armitage
20/ Eric Escande
21/ Mathieu Bastareaud
22/ David Smith
23/ Carl Hayman


As read on Var-matin, the regional newspaper. Although that's a very nice squad, I'm going for Brive, like I said. Gotta go out on a limb every once in a while.

 

[Tony Manx]

..........i think Noves is a great coach but he may have to change his style of coaching if he wants to get Toulouse back to their best, that goes for his assistants as well.

He WAS a great coach and remains a great coach based on his record but he has failed to change with the times and the rule changes over the last few years has seen him fall behind. I would also criticise the "boot room" mentality of taking ex players and giving them jobs as coaches as they do not have the experience, they are too close to their ex team mates and were under the influence of Noves for so long as players, it is impossible for them to become part of a team with an equal say!!

You will know that I have been saying this for a couple of seasons, but it is time for a change and if that is the end of the season, as being Toulouse's way, so be it. There nneds to be a change of personnel with many old favourites leaving and some good players coming in if only to change the innate culture in the dressing and coaches rooms! The end of the season, might just be too late for next season as most recruiting is done in the period after Xmas, even though the window doe not open until April!!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Juanne Smith

I've seen this before; the adding 'ne'. Why?

 

[Big Ewis]

Juanne Smith

I've seen this before; the adding 'ne'. Why?

solid contribution ! Well the first name "Yoanne" is a very common one in France, and since it's the same name originally, Yvan, Juan, Ruan, Yoann, Johan, John, Jean...it's only normal the French would occasionally misspell 'Juan' that way, by simple visual reflex.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

solid contribution ! Well the first name "Yoanne" is a very common one in France, and since it's the same name originally, Yvan, Juan, Ruan, Yoann, Johan, John, Jean...it's only normal the French would occasionally misspell 'Juan' that way, by simple visual reflex.

Don't be coy.

I'd assume no offense is intended and Juan isn't the type of guy to take offense but while it could be an honest mistake it just comes across as a little.. unprofessional? Us Afrikaners are a little over-sensitive and over-protective where our language and customs are concerned. I mean we are not even the biggest minority in our own country and don't have a 'homeland' like many if not most minorities across the globe. If any it would probably historically be the Netherlands and surrounds (roughly a shrinked version of the Frankish kingdom) but TBH after losing the war for freedom we now have just as much in common with the Anglosphere a with the Netherlands, France and Germany. Probably more if I have to be honest with myself though we don't see any of those as 'homelands' in that we'd feel like strangers coming in though we are very adaptable and resourceful people as a rule.

 

[Big Ewis]

that's just how they wrote it on the Toulon online blog, not the official website. Yeah it always sucks when names are misspelled, there are no exceptions where it's okay, but this is nothing official.

Anyways everybody seems to be picking Toulon to win in Brive, what with the 2 losses in 3, the Toulonais crisis atm, Boudjellal being much louder than usual, Giteau's return at 10...but I pick Brive because they're a small club and can't afford to lose at home, that would hurt them enormously as they don't have a claim to win away from home like bigger clubs do. I think it's going to be a very intense game.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Right I'm going for Gorgodze to win, Castres to finally win, Clermont, Grenoble, Stade Ferrero Rocher, Montpellier to draw (don't know why), Metro

 

[gaston le gaff]

Right I'm going for Gorgodze to win, Castres to finally win, Clermont, Grenoble, Stade Ferrero Rocher, Montpellier to draw (don't know why), Metro

sounds good to me but i think i will be slightly different with my predicktions but only slightly, but it won't happen till tomorrow afternoon, as i know our team bar 2 players will know for certain tomorrow afternoon.... selection was this morning at training.

 

[TheSaffycen]

sounds good to me but i think i will be slightly different with my predicktions but only slightly, but it won't happen till tomorrow afternoon, as i know our team bar 2 players will know for certain tomorrow afternoon.... selection was this morning at training.

Gives us a hint

 

[gaston le gaff]

not going to leave you entirely in the dark!!!!!!!!!!!! but the other predicktion is Toulon to win, after last week i don't think they dare lose, Bernie has been spitting nails this week so i've heard...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[crumlinbob]

Toulon, Castres, Clermont, Grenoble, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Toulouse. Home wins except for Brieve, La Rochelle and Racing.