Northern Hemisphere Rugby Season 15/16

[KevinO]

So with the World Cup over and Super Rugby a few months away the only rugby left to watch is the European Leagues and cups.

French top 14 has just completed Rd 7 with no big surprises in the current ladder, Clermont and Racing leading the way and Toulon starting the season slowly seeing they must have been missing most of there side with the World Cup.

English Premiership has only been going for 3 weeks, Saracens and Leicester remain undefeated.

The Pro 12 has been going for 6 weeks now and the ladder clearly shows who are finals contenders already, with the Top 7 sides having put a clear gap between them and the bottom 5 sides. Scarlets are the only unbeaten side but are closely followed on the table by Connacht and Munster who have more bonus points.

The European Cup starts the weekend of the 13th of November.

 

[boyo]

The Leicester scrum-half (Sam Harrison) needs a haircut.

 

[kandos]

I was unfortunate enough to watch Northampton v Saracens over the weekend. In fact I gave in after the first half. It's why I can't wait for the SH season to start over again. It was dreadful. Also can't remember seeing any great French Top 14 for a long time, to the point I can only stomach the highlights package.

 

[Shelts89]

Tbh I don't think many NH fans could stomach a Saracens vs saints game.... Would be unbelievable dull due to them playing negative rugby. Try a bath, harlequins or Exeter games. Much more expansive usually.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Match officials for 6N have been announced:

http://pulse-static-files.s3.amazon...ampaign=151111+JF+Six+Nations+match+officials

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/six-nations-referees-confirmed/

Angus Gardner pretty much replaces the retired Chris Pollock.

Interesting AR1 for Ire v Sco, wonder if they'd have given him the gig if the venue were Murrayfield?

 

[dru]

Managed to catch a replay of Toulon v Montpellier to see QC (Quade Cooper) for myself. It seems that the reporting is predictable in seeing what they want to see - essentially QC (Quade Cooper) ripped it up with entertaining risk rugby including a try to the opposition. It's sort of true.

I'm working from recollection, not sitting with a stop watch in front of the TV. Quade had a good game. At least one wayward pass was pushing luck when the ref was playing advantage. What's wrong with that?

The intercept was a breakdown where the forwards had lost possession and QC (Quade Cooper) was able to get in and recover, then try to get the ball away before losing possession in a forest of forwards. Maybe he should have gone down with it, maybe the forwards should hang on to the pill next time.


He dropped a catch, had some clumsiness, recovered and started playing like Quade plays. I liked it. But he game was won by the team, not the 10. It's nice to see Quade in an environment where getting back up after an error is OK.

Correct me here, but didn't Montpellier go down to 13 men? Thought Mowen (Mont.) was fabulous, ditto Ben Lucas (Mont). Lachie Turner (TLN) is NOT slow, Reds have made an error.

Montpellier looked nothing at all like a Jake White team. Either he hasn't had enough time to transform them or he is trying something different.

Think I'll be watching more of Toulon in the Top 14.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Managed to catch a replay of Toulon v Montpellier to see QC (Quade Cooper) for myself. It seems that the reporting is predictable in seeing what they want to see - essentially QC (Quade Cooper) ripped it up with entertaining risk rugby including a try to the opposition. It's sort of true.

I'm working from recollection, not sitting with a stop watch in front of the TV. Quade had a good game. At least one wayward pass was pushing luck when the ref was playing advantage. What's wrong with that?

The intercept was a breakdown where the forwards had lost possession and QC (Quade Cooper) was able to get in and recover, then try to get the ball away before losing possession in a forest of forwards. Maybe he should have gone down with it, maybe the forwards should hang on to the pill next time.


He dropped a catch, had some clumsiness, recovered and started playing like Quade plays. I liked it. But he game was won by the team, not the 10. It's nice to see Quade in an environment where getting back up after an error is OK.

Correct me here, but didn't Montpellier go down to 13 men? Thought Mowen (Mont.) was fabulous, ditto Ben Lucas (Mont). Lachie Turner (TLN) is NOT slow, Reds have made an error.

Montpellier looked nothing at all like a Jake White team. Either he hasn't had enough time to transform them or he is trying something different.

Think I'll be watching more of Toulon in the Top 14.

Yep. Prop had been YCed a little earlier, and then Mowen copped his YC about 2 mins later. Mowen was the tackler and had regained his feet quickly but just on the Toulon side of the tackle which was about 35 - 40 metres out from the tryline. A ruck formed around Mowen so he was ostensibly on the wrong side but to my eye he didn't play at the ball or interfere in any serious way. Toulon won the ball cleanly and proceeded to attack, being stopped only a couple of metres from the tryline. Ref then called Mowen out to YC him for his so called offence back about 30m. A very poor decision imo. Score at the time was 0 - 0. Anyway, that's my recollection of the events.

 

[dru]

Yep. Prop had been YCed a little earlier, and then Mowen copped his YC about 2 mins later. Mowen was the tackler and had regained his feet quickly but just on the Toulon side of the tackle which was about 35 - 40 metres out from the tryline. A ruck formed around Mowen so he was ostensibly on the wrong side but to my eye he didn't play at the ball or interfere in any serious way. Toulon won the ball cleanly and proceeded to attack, being stopped only a couple of metres from the tryline. Ref then called Mowen out to YC him for his so called offence back about 30m. A very poor decision imo. Score at the time was 0 - 0. Anyway, that's my recollection of the events.

My thoughts too, doesn't seem to have been mentioned in many of the press reports. Down to 13 for 10 min is the sort of thing that can not only let a team get ahead, but make it hard to come back.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Not sure where to put this but just wanted to let our French members & guests know that we're thinking of you as you deal with the horrors that have just occurred & hope that you & your loved ones are safe & well. Kia kaha.

 

[KevinO]

Some interesting results from the weekend's first round of European Cup Rugby. Leinster took a hammering at home. Toulouse also got hammered away to Saracens.




European Rugby Champions Cup (Heineken Cup)

Ospreys 25 - 13 Exeter

Leinster 6- 33 Wasps

Saracens 32- 7 Stade Toulousain

Northampton 15 -11 Scarlets

Munster 32 - 7 Treviso

Leicester 33 - 20 Stade Francais
European Challenge Cup
Harlequins 41 - 18 Montpellier
Edinburgh 28 - 10 FC Grenoble
CA Brive 13 - 9 Newcastle
London Irish 48 - 10 Agen
Gloucester 23 - 10 Zebre
Worcester 19 - 3 Atlantique Stade Rochelais
Calvisano 9 - 50 Cardiff Blues
Enisei - STM 14 - 31 Connacht
NG Dragons 30 - 12 Sale Sharks

 

[Highlander35]

Finding a weekend to squeeze ~5 games into will be fun.

Couple of crackers among them too. The Toulon game and the Glasgow/Racing game.

Sent from my LG-P713 using Tapatalk

 

[KevinO]

First time Leinster has ever lost it's first two games, the 3 time champs might be out before Christmas.

The retirement 15 got trashed by Wasps.

European Cup

Clermont 34 v 29 Ospreys
Wasps 32 v 6 Toulon
Toulouse 24 v 18 Oyonnax
Exeter 34 v 19 Bordeaux
Glasgow 15 v 26 Northampton
Scarlets 12 v 29 Racing Metro
Treviso 3 v 36 Leicester
Bath 19 v 16 Leinster
Ulster 9 v 27 Saracens

Stade Francais v Munster postponed

 

[mxyzptlk]

First time Leinster has ever lost it's first two games, the 3 time champs might be out before Christmas.

And the hand-wringing has well and truly begun. Many are willing to give Cullen a little time to find his feet, but I don't know how much patience the fans will have for seasoned internationals who seem well off the pace of the NIQ players and the boys off the bench. If Ringrose is good enough, he's old enough and big enough.

But one thing Cullen will want to work out before long is when to play which players where. Moves like putting a capped South African fullback on the wing when your starting fullback is injured isn't getting him much, and it won't endear other players to go to D4 to ply their trade. But again, experience.

If Henshaw makes a move to Leinster, Madigan should really think about heading over to Harlequins. He may want to consider that regardless.

The retirement 15 got trashed by Wasps.

European Cup

Clermont 34 v 29 Ospreys
Wasps 32 v 6 Toulon
Toulouse 24 v 18 Oyonnax
Exeter 34 v 19 Bordeaux
Glasgow 15 v 26 Northampton
Scarlets 12 v 29 Racing Metro
Treviso 3 v 36 Leicester
Bath 19 v 16 Leinster
Ulster 9 v 27 Saracens

Stade Francais v Munster postponed

The English clubs are really firing in Yerup. In the Champions Cup, so far the only English club that's lost is Exeter to Ospreys in the first round. They're not as solid in the Challenge Cup, with Newcastle, Sale, Worcester and London Irish each taking a loss (Grenoble-London Irish was worth watching, at least the last quarter). I wonder how much of that is down to those sides having fewer players per club off for World Cup duty, and their starting later than the other domestic competitions. Plus there's a bit of acidic backlash running through a lot of them, wanting to show the rest of the country (and Eddie Jones) why they should have been selected for international duty over the players who didn't get out of the pool.

 

[KevinO]

Well the English Clubs did have longer to prepare as a team.

IRFU seems to be interfering a bit to much these days, read they want Madigan to goto Munster to have all four Irish tens playing in Ireland.

Some interesting names out of contract at the end of the season too.

 

[mxyzptlk]

After the game against Munster, Robbie Henshaw might want to consider staying at Connacht if he wants to play in the Champions Cup, because they look like they're on their way, and they're playing the best rugby in Ireland.

 

[KevinO]

So my favorite 2 rounds of the European Cup started on the weekend, only seen highlights from a few games. Reason it's my favorite is they all play each other again in the reverse fixture next weekend.

Oyonnax 10 - 45 Saracens
Toulon 24 - 9 Leinster
Wasps 23 - 25 Bath
Ospreys 19 - 16 Bordeaux
Exter 31 - 14 Clermont
Glasgow 43 - 6 Scarlets
Racing 33 - 3 Northampton
Treviso 17 - 50 Stade France
Munster 19 - 31 Leicester
Ulster 39 - 0 Toulouse

Ulster with a massive win over Toulouse, what has happened to the French Rugby giant?

Toulon has sent Leinster packing from the European Cup before Christmas, don't think it's a player issue more than poor coaching from Leo Cullan. Having only just retired from the game himself I think he was no where near ready to become head coach.

Disappointed Munster fan right here, but not all hope is lost yet. If we can manage to turn it around next week we still have a game in hand against Stade France to catch up.

Dan Carter got MOTM in his first game for Racing Metro.

 

[Highlander35]

I'm hoping that the Glasgow - Leinster postponed game isn't sorted for a little bit. Don't want to be too pessimistic, but even with 2 wins over the Scarlets, I can't see us winning all 3 remaining games afterwards, which is the only way I see us proceeding, 4 wins won't be enough to pinch a 2nd place Quarter. IMO.

 

[KevinO]

It's a bit hard to predict with so many teams a game behind, but you would expect 4 wins won't be enough to scrape through.

 

[Highlander35]

There'll be a permutation for our pool where the pool topper goes through on 4 wins, but the eveness of other pools mean that for 2 to go through from our pool Northampton need to win the reverse fixture and then they both beat up on us. I think it's near enough impossible for us to proceed and someone else get through too.

Sucks to be an Irish fan, beyond the Ulstermen. The French have been all over the place though. I'd hoped the Wasps had gotten up though, they're one of the English teams I don't mind too much.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Sucks to be an Irish fan, beyond the Ulstermen. The French have been all over the place though. I'd hoped the Wasps had gotten up though, they're one of the English teams I don't mind too much.

At least the Irish media have been generally saying that Ulster result had nothing to do with how Ulster played, and everything to do with Toulouse just deciding not to do anything. As long as the Irish rugby temperament is somewhere between noncommittal to pessimistic, all is right with the world; when it starts veering toward anything positive, that's when the real trouble bubbles up. Personally, I thought it was clearly a bit of both; Toulouse didn't look like they could get anything to fire, and Ulster did an excellent job of A.) Taking advantage of Toulouse's lapses, and B.) Creating their own offense where they spotted small openings, like Pienaar's cross-kick to Marshall for the try. Ulster also have some fairly physical players in the midfield and backs who, when they're clicking, can make a lot happen, and they're playing at a bit more pace.

So Ulster still have a chance in the Champions Cup, and Connacht are still making it happen in the Challenge Cup and in the Pro 12. I'm not sure what Munster and Leinster need to do, because they're clearly not into bringing in better coaches, and the one's they've hired don't seem like they're quite up for the task, at least not yet. In Munster there's a lot of talk about Foley being too close to some of the players and the coaching staff (whom he played with), so whether it's conscious or not, he's less willing to move past certain comfort zones. There's a similar issue with Cullen, and as long as he lets Sexton play like he did against Toulon for a full 80 minutes, there's not much reason for Madigan to hang around. That said I'm not sure Mads would have much more luck in Munster, where Foley seems to have Keatley nailed on to the starting roster (See: Northampton Saints starting fly half J.J. Hanrahan).

One good thing to possibly emerge from the much: Robbie Henshaw may just have a look around and decide that Connacht is where he'll get the best training environment and the most game time, and if they make it to the Champions Cup, he'll have next to no reason to leave for Leinster. That'd be bad for Leinster, but who knows how he'd be employed, and it'd be fantastic for Connacht -- who need great players like him and Bundee Aki hanging around.

I think it was Shane Horgan talking about how there's some fantastic, very skilled talent coming up through the schools and the academies, but they're either just now starting to get a little game time (like Gary Ringrose), or haven't been seen yet. But they should be coming through in the next year or two, so all hope is not lost. But those up-and-coming players are going to need to actually get game time to show why they deserve to be on the roster, and players who are falling off tackles and giving up cheap penalties and cards need to be no closer to the pitch than the bench.