European Cup w/c 8 April Catch-All Thread

[Paddington Bear]

Didn't see one, suppose it's probably easier to bundle them together.

The exciting choice on BT tonight of watching Leinster presumably thump Connacht or Sarries' second string heading to Brive. Saturday looks tasty

[Torquemada 1420]

Didn't see one, suppose it's probably easier to bundle them together.

The exciting choice on BT tonight of watching Leinster presumably thump Connacht or Sarries' second string heading to Brive. Saturday looks tasty

Sarries' 2nd string? Goode, Daly, Lewington, Farrell, Vunipola, Wray, Isiekwe... with George on the bench.

How many intls? Whereas that really is a 2nd string Brive. Sarries by 20+

[JM2K6]

Didn't see one, suppose it's probably easier to bundle them together.

The exciting choice on BT tonight of watching Leinster presumably thump Connacht or Sarries' second string heading to Brive. Saturday looks tasty

Sarries' 2nd string? Goode, Daly, Lewington, Farrell, Vunipola, Wray, Isiekwe... with George on the bench.

How many intls? Whereas that really is a 2nd string Brive. Sarries by 20+

Well, of the people you listed, two of them aren't internationals...

Daly is a 15 these days, Goode isn't really their starting fullback. Saracens are missing or have benched Maitland, Lozowski, Malins, Koch, George, Mako, Earl, Tompkins, Swinson, Itoje, Davies. Saracens' incredible ability to have internationals throughout the squad doesn't mean that it's their first choice team by a long way.

[Torquemada 1420]

Didn't see one, suppose it's probably easier to bundle them together.

The exciting choice on BT tonight of watching Leinster presumably thump Connacht or Sarries' second string heading to Brive. Saturday looks tasty

Sarries' 2nd string? Goode, Daly, Lewington, Farrell, Vunipola, Wray, Isiekwe... with George on the bench.

How many intls? Whereas that really is a 2nd string Brive. Sarries by 20+

Well, of the people you listed, two of them aren't internationals...

Daly is a 15 these days, Goode isn't really their starting fullback. Saracens are missing or have benched Maitland, Lozowski, Malins, Koch, George, Mako, Earl, Tompkins, Swinson, Itoje, Davies. Saracens' incredible ability to have internationals throughout the squad doesn't mean that it's their first choice team by a long way.

I didn't say they were all intls

[robmatic]

Didn't see one, suppose it's probably easier to bundle them together.

The exciting choice on BT tonight of watching Leinster presumably thump Connacht or Sarries' second string heading to Brive. Saturday looks tasty

Sarries' 2nd string? Goode, Daly, Lewington, Farrell, Vunipola, Wray, Isiekwe... with George on the bench.

How many intls? Whereas that really is a 2nd string Brive. Sarries by 20+

Embra rested a few players and still absolutely horsed Brive, I'm guessing they are not too bothered about this competition.

[fishfoodie]

Dry, cool, & almost dead calm in Galway right now, so the conditions won't be a factor.

[salanya]

Dry, cool, & almost dead calm in Galway right now, so the conditions won't be a factor.

Still 30 minutes to go before kick off - plenty of time for the Galway weather to change at least 4 times.

[fishfoodie]

Dry, cool, & almost dead calm in Galway right now, so the conditions won't be a factor.

Still 30 minutes to go before kick off - plenty of time for the Galway weather to change at least 4 times.

Thermal underwear, & a full hip flask are essential when attending games in the Sportsground.

[fishfoodie]

YESSSSS !

[Paddington Bear]

Excellent start from Connacht, just what the game needs

[Uncle fester]

Saturday 17:30, Sandy Park, BT sports.

Munster: Mike Haley; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Simon Zebo; Ben Healy, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (C), John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Jason Jenkins, Thomas Ahern, Craig Casey, Rory Scannell, Jack O’Sullivan.

Exeter: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 Tom O’Flaherty, 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Sam Maunder, 8 Sam Simmonds, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Sam Skinner, 4 Jonny Gray, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 1 Alec Hepburn
Replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Patrick Schickerling, 19 Jannes Kirsten, 20 Richard Capstick, 21 Jack Maunder, 22 Harvey Skinner, 23 Josh Hodge




Referee: Pierre Brousset

Assistant referees: Luc Ramos & Flavien Hourquet

TMO: Denis Grenouillet


Exeter win I'd say.

[Paddington Bear]

Leinster just look a class above

[fishfoodie]

Leinster just look a class above

Part Panzer, part Stilleto.

[Torquemada 1420]

Embra rested a few players and still absolutely horsed Brive, I'm guessing they are not too bothered about this competition.

No. Survival in T14 only goal.

[Paddington Bear]

Watching Dickson ref a high shot

[fishfoodie]

Seriously, there was very little JGP could do there.

[Paddington Bear]

Hahaha fuck off he’s done it again

[JM2K6]

Seriously, there was very little JGP could do there.

Not aim high. Try bending at the waist. It's a red card but Dickson is a coward when it comes to these.

[fishfoodie]

Seriously, there was very little JGP could do there.

Not aim high. Try bending at the waist. It's a red card but Dickson is a coward when it comes to these.

He's backing away, prepared to make a tackle?

[JM2K6]

Seriously, there was very little JGP could do there.

Not aim high. Try bending at the waist. It's a red card but Dickson is a coward when it comes to these.

He's backing away, prepared to make a tackle?

Is that a question or a statement? Pretty shit job of preparing to make a tackle if you hit someone upright and smash them in the face with your shoulder

[Paddington Bear]

Sexton dive, shock

[fishfoodie]

Not aim high. Try bending at the waist. It's a red card but Dickson is a coward when it comes to these.

He's backing away, prepared to make a tackle?

Is that a question or a statement? Pretty shit job of preparing to make a tackle if you hit someone upright and smash them in the face with your shoulder

It's a statement, but I think a YC is the fairest result. I think JGP was thinking about going in upright to wrestle the ball from Marmion, & that's why he was upright,

[JM2K6]

He's backing away, prepared to make a tackle?

Is that a question or a statement? Pretty shit job of preparing to make a tackle if you hit someone upright and smash them in the face with your shoulder

It's a statement, but I think a YC is the fairest result. I think JGP was thinking about going in upright to wrestle the ball from Marmion, & that's why he was upright,

Yes, that is a good explanation for the upright tackle that smacked the guy straight in the face. Still a red card though.

[JM2K6]

Whereas this shouldn't even be a penalty. Good decision.

[fishfoodie]

Whereas this shouldn't even be a penalty. Good decision.

I knew you'd eventually agree with me ....

[Paddington Bear]

Get a sense Dickson and Rose aren’t best mates from their communication which may help to explain some of this

[JM2K6]

It's such a shame this game essentially doesn't matter. If losing this knocked Leinster out it'd be edge of the seat stuff.

[JM2K6]

Er you can't tackle someone when you're already on the floor

[fishfoodie]

Ross .... the lesser Byrne brother

[fishfoodie]

It's such a shame this game essentially doesn't matter. If losing this knocked Leinster out it'd be edge of the seat stuff.

Yep !

The next match Connacht will struggle to start the same 15, & Leinster could start a stronger 15

[Paddington Bear]

So much timewasting allowed yet again in the last 10. Do refs not notice or not care?

[ASMO]

Didn't see one, suppose it's probably easier to bundle them together.

The exciting choice on BT tonight of watching Leinster presumably thump Connacht or Sarries' second string heading to Brive. Saturday looks tasty

Sarries' 2nd string? Goode, Daly, Lewington, Farrell, Vunipola, Wray, Isiekwe... with George on the bench.

How many intls? Whereas that really is a 2nd string Brive. Sarries by 20+

Well, of the people you listed, two of them aren't internationals...

Daly is a 15 these days, Goode isn't really their starting fullback. Saracens are missing or have benched Maitland, Lozowski, Malins, Koch, George, Mako, Earl, Tompkins, Swinson, Itoje, Davies. Saracens' incredible ability to have internationals throughout the squad doesn't mean that it's their first choice team by a long way.

Easy win for Sarries but even in such an easy game, Daly managed to be utter dogshit.

[fishfoodie]

Easy win for Sarries but even in such an easy game, Daly managed to be utter dogshit.

Eddie loves a player who's consistent !

[Biffer]

Edinburgh horse Pau to bag a home game in the last 16

[Uncle fester]

He's backing away, prepared to make a tackle?

Is that a question or a statement? Pretty shit job of preparing to make a tackle if you hit someone upright and smash them in the face with your shoulder

It's a statement, but I think a YC is the fairest result. I think JGP was thinking about going in upright to wrestle the ball from Marmion, & that's why he was upright,

To wrestle, he'd have to use his arms.
See the angle behind JGP. Right arm doesn't even move up.
It's a straight shoulder into the face.

[Tichtheid]

That was a stone cold red card, but wasn't.

There was another couple of decisions that swung the game, Leinster destabilised a scrum on the Munster 5m line and got a penalty advantage for it, it led to a further scrum and a try.

A few minutes later a Connacht player dived for the Leinster try line and was met with two seat belt tackles, the decision was a knock on and a scrum to Leinster. That scrum was not stable and a free kick was given to Leinster, who cleared their lines accordingly.

it was a shit show.

[sockwithaticket]

Karl Dickson ballsing up a red card decision? Surely not.

It's fucking pathetic that he's reffing at such a high level in general, but especially when he gets these so badly wrong.

He's not the only one to have used force/danger to issue a yellow rather than a red, but this at least the third time he's issued yellow for what a season and a half ago would have been a stone cold red. It'll be interesting to see if this one gets cited.

In general, I hate the addition of force/danger to the framework. For all but the softest of passive soak tackles, it shouldn't be mitigation.

[JM2K6]

That was a stone cold red card, but wasn't.

There was another couple of decisions that swung the game, Leinster destabilised a scrum on the Munster 5m line and got a penalty advantage for it, it led to a further scrum and a try.

A few minutes later a Connacht player dived for the Leinster try line and was met with two seat belt tackles, the decision was a knock on and a scrum to Leinster. That scrum was not stable and a free kick was given to Leinster, who cleared their lines accordingly.

it was a shit show.

Seat belt tackles are ones from behind going over the shoulder, not when a guy dives head first for the line into and through arms which hit each shoulder. There was head contact but the tacklers did nothing wrong, had no chance to react, and were trying to tackle safely. It would have been a travesty if it were penalised - akin to allowing players to headbutt body parts to win a penalty.

[Paddington Bear]

He got the decision on the try line spot on, in fairness to him

[JM2K6]

Looks like he's just using it to defend a previous whinge tbh