Jethro Tah
Bob Loudon (25)
See here for some snippets:
http://www.stadetoulousain.tv/2011-2012/stade-toulousain-gloucester-rugby/les-temps-forts-du-match-4.html
Or here if that doesn't work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YTA28IO2hA
Heineken European Cup 2012
- Thread starter Bardon
- Start date
- Status
See here for some snippets:
http://www.stadetoulousain.tv/2011-2012/stade-toulousain-gloucester-rugby/les-temps-forts-du-match-4.html
Or here if that doesn't work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YTA28IO2hA
Some players, especially backs, just play better in Europe and Lucky Luke is one of those guys. A few of his countrymen like Gopperth (Newcastle), Evans (Quins) and Nacewa (Leinster) were always good players down south, but not stellar. They shine in Europe but to do that they had to have the game that can get them through the three bad weather months of the season - and they do.
Even Aussies like Warwick (now of SF), Parks (now at Cardiff) and James of CA do better up there they they were ever likely to do down here, and I'm guessing that Halangahu would be a lot better player up there too, as would scrappy scrumhalf Sheehan. Berrick Barnes would be a star, but some of the Oz backs who shine on fast dry tracks would not necessarily do as well as in the SH.
Some Oz/NZ forwards like Salvi and Waldrom of Leicester play better with the Euro game too, but it is mainly the backs who can control a game from 10 (or even 15 up north) who step up the most.
But I digress. Doussain is a promising young player; I feel that he and Parra will play for France for a long time. If he watched Burgess last Sunday he would have seen a master class of how to play scrummie at this level, and not just in attack. On defence Burgess is just like Kelleher - a 9th forward and a clever close sweeper. Doussain is a robust, nuggety fellow of over 90kgs who could do the same at Toulouse.
I hope that Doussain is used in one position. I don't think Michalak was done many favours by Toulouse or France bouncing from 9 to 10 and back again.
And not to the point, but the decision of you know who to use Parra at flyhalf in the RWC was totally dumb.
.
One of the on-paper negatives is that not all the best players play in the HEC: most but not all. For example Stade Francais is chock full of rugby stars, and there are some handy players for Perpignan but they have to play in the secondary Amlin Cup comp on HEC weekends because their clubs didn't qualify.
The HEC has some dud games but there is a good standard overall, and when there is an HEC window in bad weather they would put away a lot of Super teams if they fronted up to have a game.
Another thing is that there are 38 1st division pro teams in the Top 14, Pro 12 and AP but only 22 get to compete. Therefore over 40% of the weakest clubs are weeded out and that more that makes up for the 2 Italian clubs which have been added to give them a leg up.
Gorgodza? Yeah he is a force of nature. Everybody knows him now from the RWC but those of us that have been watching the Top 14 for a while knew the quality of the best blindside flanker in the world (IMO); not that he always plays there.
Majati? Agree, he's going well and was good last year too. With big Soane T on the LH side and Hartley (of England !!!) in the middle, you have a pretty formidable front row. The Munster scrum has looked good this year with BJB arriving to play at THP, and WdP reasonable at LHP, but the Saints tore them a new one.
Soane just keeps rolling along like the Mississippi though he's lost weight since I first saw him play for NZ Schools at Hunters Hill in 2000 (about). He was 140kgs then and carried a couple of Oz Schoolboys on his back for a while before someone else ankle tapped him.
Now he's a svelte 126kgs.
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Thomond78
Colin Windon (37)
Thing about Northants is that while immensely powerful, they look great if allowed get away with seriously dodgy stuff; if not, not, as happened them in the LV Cup recently when they got nailed because they were made scrummage straight. The standard set-up is Soane lines up with his head in Hartley's chest, and Mujati comes in at near 90 degrees. Add in that both sides were looking for an angle - at one stage, Wilson was broken, swinging sideways on a second-row to get the wheel around more. Nige didn't reset all the 90s, which just gave carte blanche. Of course, the flip-side of Nige not making teams scrummage legally is that he doesn't ping, either. Nigel Davies of the Scarlets was pointing this out during the week.
PaarlBok
Rod McCall (65)
Thomo see our team is playing against our French pels team this weekend.
Games shown live on SA DStv this weekend:
Cardiff Blues vs LI (today)
Treviso vs Ospreys
Castres vs Munster
Leister vs Ulster
Leinster vs Glasgow (sunday)
Bath vs Montpellier.
I'll definetly watch our Munster Monsters on saturday while I have the time. Are you going?
Games shown live on SA DStv this weekend:
Cardiff Blues vs LI (today)
Treviso vs Ospreys
Castres vs Munster
Leister vs Ulster
Leinster vs Glasgow (sunday)
Bath vs Montpellier.
I'll definetly watch our Munster Monsters on saturday while I have the time. Are you going?
PaarlBok
Rod McCall (65)
T78 are very fortunate to have met both of us. He left me not a inch not supporting his Munster lot. He gave my laaitie a Munster baray and one of the kids most valued caps.
Thomond78
Colin Windon (37)
Would have loved to, Oom, absolutely loved to, but I can't; I have a case on in Cork on Monday, so I'm stuck. They've moved the game to Toulouse, instead of PdP's beloved Pierre Antoine. I should make the away game in Parc y Sgarlaid, please God.
Treviso v. Ospreys might be one for an upset. Leicester v. Ulster, too, because Ferris is in incredible form.
And mine. And cyclo's.
Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Some interesting results tonight.
Cardiff Blues 24-18 London Irish
Clermont 54-3 Aironi
Edinburgh 48-47 Racing Metro
Northampton 23-28 Scarlets
Already looking like uphill struggles for both Northampton and London Irish to get out of their pools. Scarlets and Blues continue a great start to the pool stages for Welsh regions. I don't think anyone would have predicted Edinburgh would be topping their pool after 2 games. What a comeback by them from 24 points down to win the game.
Cardiff Blues 24-18 London Irish
Clermont 54-3 Aironi
Edinburgh 48-47 Racing Metro
Northampton 23-28 Scarlets
Already looking like uphill struggles for both Northampton and London Irish to get out of their pools. Scarlets and Blues continue a great start to the pool stages for Welsh regions. I don't think anyone would have predicted Edinburgh would be topping their pool after 2 games. What a comeback by them from 24 points down to win the game.
dobduff11
Trevor Allan (34)
My boys lost again, down to 14 after Shingler got sent off for a tip tackle and never really got going. Looks like another year of average european performances 
Would quite like to see that Racing game, JMH started at 10 for them and I havent seen him play for absolutely ages!!
Would quite like to see that Racing game, JMH started at 10 for them and I havent seen him play for absolutely ages!!
Thomond78
Colin Windon (37)
Since when did you like anything red that didn't come in 75cl bottles?
Thomond78
Colin Windon (37)
BTW, Northampton. Really good front five, very good setpieces, up against a team without a set-piece to their name but seriously good backs. So, keep it tight, classic White Orc stuff, around the corner, tight, grind them down, then let the backs loose in the last 20 to turn it into a five pointer?
Or chuck it around like the Old Faffingaboutians Golden Oldies 7s team at a pub sevens (including a kick to the wing - backwards), kick aimlessly, drop everything, get sulky and don't bother your arse chasing balls you drop that have been hacked downfield?
Yup, you guessed it. Northampton Saints, ladies and gentlemen; dumb as a bucket of hair.
Or chuck it around like the Old Faffingaboutians Golden Oldies 7s team at a pub sevens (including a kick to the wing - backwards), kick aimlessly, drop everything, get sulky and don't bother your arse chasing balls you drop that have been hacked downfield?
Yup, you guessed it. Northampton Saints, ladies and gentlemen; dumb as a bucket of hair.
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