NPR

Rugby back, & even some punters in the stands !!

Outrageous from Kolbe to put Toulouse back in the game after a couple of quick Ulster tries.

Marty Moore not having a good ride in the scrum at the mo. On a very wet night Ulster will need better from him.

Great try Dupont

He's unplayable at times. Great time to score too, on the cusp of half time. Levelled things up at a minimum.

Ramos walking Dulin into the FB slot.

{EDIT} Ramos having a 'mare now and going full Poitrenaud.

{EDIT2} Dupont...................

(EDIT 3} Not sure WTF Mola is playing both Ramos and Ntamack out of position in a key game just to accommodate a finished Medard at FB

(EDIT 4) Merde-ard f**ks up again and is now yellowed and possibly handed the game to Ulster.

(EDIT 5) You get lucky Medard. Now retire.

In the Newcastle game, the commentator seemed fixated on players arses...

Bad luck Ulster, it was a great game with some real nice pieces of play considering the awful conditions.

4 of 5 home teams lost

fishfoodie wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:14 pm Bad luck Ulster, it was a great game with some real nice pieces of play considering the awful conditions.

4 of 5 home teams lost

Apparently home wins went way down in the Prem during the post-covid restart last season. It's interesting to start getting a sense of how much of a difference the crowd makes.

Enjoyed that match: proper Champions Cup rugby, engaging and tense.

sockwithaticket wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:16 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:14 pm Bad luck Ulster, it was a great game with some real nice pieces of play considering the awful conditions.

4 of 5 home teams lost

Apparently home wins went way down in the Prem during the post-covid restart last season. It's interesting to start getting a sense of how much of a difference the crowd makes.

Enjoyed that match: proper Champions Cup rugby, engaging and tense.

It was a bloody good game; definately a step up from the Internationals we've just had.

Toulouse look a really good team, & the options off the bench are savage ..... makes you wonder how fuck Medard gets on the team sheet really....

fishfoodie wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 11:07 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:16 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:14 pm Bad luck Ulster, it was a great game with some real nice pieces of play considering the awful conditions.

4 of 5 home teams lost

Apparently home wins went way down in the Prem during the post-covid restart last season. It's interesting to start getting a sense of how much of a difference the crowd makes.

Enjoyed that match: proper Champions Cup rugby, engaging and tense.

It was a bloody good game; definately a step up from the Internationals we've just had.

Toulouse look a really good team, & the options off the bench are savage ..... makes you wonder how fuck Medard gets on the team sheet really....

100%. Tbh I've enjoyed some of the neutral Prem games more than a lot of the international fare we saw. I think some of the coaches are lying to themselves when they say people are only interested in winning. Sport is an entertainment industry after all.

As for Medard, I must confess I cocked an eyebrow when I saw him on the teamsheet. I cam't really remember the last time I saw him be particularly useful even in this resurgent Toulouse team. That said, I only really see him in European games, so perhaps he does just fine in the Top14 (cue Torq to go into an expletive laden rant about how that's very much not the case?).

A very, very good result for Toulouse.

In the end, I had Ulster to shade it by 1 but was uncertain. Ulster had a long, unbeaten home record (2 years?), a perfect start in Pro14, it was forecast for rain and ST had arsed about in putting Ramos at 10.

That they won and did it by grinding out was all the more impressive. Never been their forte ever. The one black mark was the stark reminder that Fre sides are still dogsh*t under a high ball: something that was papered over for a moment by Dulin's display in the internationals.

No idea what happened with Newcastle. I know it was a changed side from the Prem but Cardiff FFS

fishfoodie wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 11:07 pm Toulouse look a really good team, & the options off the bench are savage ..... makes you wonder how fuck Medard gets on the team sheet really....

See my post earlier. Especially since it meant playing both Ntamack and Ramos out of position.

Clermont toying with Bristol, 14 - 0 up in 6 mins

ASMO wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 1:12 pm Clermont toying with Bristol, 14 - 0 up in 6 mins

A real welcome to European Rugby !

and there's Try number three

So easy for Clermont, 21 - 0 15 mins in

ASMO wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 1:18 pm So easy for Clermont, 21 - 0 15 mins in

Lovely tries as well

Welcome to the big league Brizzle.

Excellent, Briz needed that badly

Nice try Bristol, but i feel there is an arse raping on the cards here fir them

And there is the bonus point

2 Sarcelles lads on the field for ASM: Cancoriet and Slimani.

Great game, Bristol pull another back

How on earth is that not a yellow? It is the definition of a deliberate, cynical act.

Briz are not lying down; & we've 6 tries on the board and there's a few minutes yet in the first half 14-26

ASMO wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 1:40 pm Great game, Bristol pull another back

I struggle to think of a Europen game where Clermont have maintained a big lead, they always seem to slack off and let the opposition back in before doing enough to see them off again.

sockwithaticket wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 1:42 pm

ASMO wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 1:40 pm Great game, Bristol pull another back

I struggle to think of a Europen game where Clermont have maintained a big lead, they always seem to slack off and let the opposition back in before doing enough to see them off again.

My thoughts were exactly that: when will they have a nap.

And Fre side getting sh*t end of English speaking ref decisions surprise

What.A.Try

No way Piatau supporting his own weight. 3 blatant obstructions by Bristol players in 3 mins to create gaps each time and none penalised: all as bad as the one given against ASM earlier. Utter farce.

Bristol doing a Clermont there, superb try. This game has produced some of the tries of the season

Yeah, that was spectacular.

European Cup > Autumn Nations Cup so far.

Sinckler in "being an utter nob" surprise.

Randall must get a shot with England soon, he is head and shoulders the best EQ scrum half right now. Fuck me what a pass that was

ASMO wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 2:13 pm Randall must get a shot with England soon, he is head and shoulders the best EQ scrum half right now. Fuck me what a pass that was

Was wondering how TF Youngs is in ahead of him. Keep it that way please.

73 points in this game already 53 mins in

Lam graciously saying Bristol have gifted ASM their pts

As an aside, we see another Fre side completely clueless under the high ball.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 2:09 pm No way Piatau supporting his own weight. 3 blatant obstructions by Bristol players in 3 mins to create gaps each time and none penalised: all as bad as the one given against ASM earlier. Utter farce.

Why don't you just give your moaning a rest..every match thread!!

Quality Olympic diving over the ruck there

Lucky not to be yellow for dangerous play.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Sat Dec 12, 2020 2:17 pm Quality Olympic diving over the ruck there

Lucky not to be yellow for dangerous play.

Superman couldn't have done it better