Amlin semi Finals

[Tony Manx]

Toulon to beat Stade tomorrow night.................but then the big one on Saturday!!! Biarritz to beat Brive to get to yet another European Final in their 13th successive season in European competition.......!!!! BO have been playing very poorly this season and with the paucity of quality backs at their disposal and no capable 10 in their squad, avoiding relegation from the Top 14 looked doubtful before the full force of Yachvilli came to bear on the latter part of the season. To get to the semi and then the final of the Amlin is due recognition of their spirit shown in Europe (only bad performance was against Aironi in Italy) which has been mainly missing in Top 14..............Final Toulon v Biarritz and winners by a mile will be Toulon, if they do not field their third team!! This will secure H Cup qualification of BO next season provided Clermont win the H Cup..............I believe?

 

[gaston le gaff]

Hope hope everything goes well for BO and they win their game against Brive in the Amlin semi, but in doing so they are completely wacked and Montpellier take all 5 points the following Friday in their final home game of this season's TOP 14..

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[TRF_Cymro]

AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP SEMI-FINAL
Toulon v Stade Francais Paris - Stade Felix Mayol - Friday, 27 April - 20.55



Toulon: B Lapeyre; A Palisson, G Messina, M Giteau, D Smith; J Wilkinson, S Tillous-Borde; L Emmanuelli, J Orioli, D Kubriashvili, C Samson, D Schofield, P Gunther, S Armitage, J van Niekerk [capt]
Replacements: S Bruno, E Lewis-Roberts, C Hayman, J El Abd, G Lovobalavu, L Rooney, F Cibray, J Suta

Stade Français Paris: H Bonneval; P Sackey, M Turinui, G Smith, J Arias; J Plisson, J Fillol [capt]; S Wright, A De Malmanche , D Attoub, T Palmer, A Flanquart, A Burban, P Rabadan, D Lyons
Replacements: L Sempere, R Slimani, O Milloud, A van Zyl, S Parisse, J Danty, J Dupuy, D Camara


Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: John Lacey, Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
TMO: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
Citing Commissioner: Ray Wilton (Wales)

Big news is that George Smith is starting at 12.

 

[big ginger 8]

Crazy.

 

[psychic duck]

if Stade Français win this I'll eat my hat

they have no chance

 

[ZeFrenchy]

So they're basically throwing this match away, hoping Toulon win the final to qualiy for the Heineken Cup... genius!

 

[Tony Manx]

So they're basically throwing this match away, hoping Toulon win the final to qualiy for the Heineken Cup... genius!

My understanding is that extra place will go to French loser of final rather than through the league IF Clermont win H Cup so no guarantee of place worth throwing the match.....just think Stade believe they can qualify in top six positions in the League so are resting their players for the two remaining games, including one away against BO!!

 

[Melhor Time]

Brive are joined with Bayonne facing relegation to the Pro d2. Who has read the rules? Would Brive still qualify for the Heineken Cup as Amlin Challenge Cup champions if it were relegated to the Pro d2? Or would they forfit their place to someone else.....

Toulon to smash Stade Français who like ZeFrenchy said want to lose the game so Toulon can win the Heineken Cup and give Stade Français the seventh spot. Makes sense! I can´t get over George Smith´s selection at inside centre!

Biarritz have named a solid team, very strong and will defeat Brive no questions. Great to see Bosch playing 10 btw.

So Toulon vs Biarritz final at... Twickenham Stoop Dear God.. this is one of the biggest mistakes of all time. The Pro d2 final will be at the Chaban Delmas in Bordeaux and will be full (34,500). The ERC should be using the same venue or Toulouse or Marseilles to host the Amlin Final this season.

 

[Teh Mite]

Brive will not be competing in Europe if they're relegated. ERC rules.

No doubt the French clubs will kick and scream a fuss as they always do about the venue of the final - EG Bourgoin spitting out their dummy about the 2009 final so it was moved from Kingsholm to London.

 

[Tony Manx]

..... so Toulon can win the Heineken Cup and give Stade Français the seventh spot. Great to see Bosch playing 10 btw.

.

1. Believe that the 7th finisher in Top 14 will only get H Cup qualification for 2012/13 if Clermont win H Cup and winner/runner up in Amlin is Brive and they are also relegated!
2. Bosch is a good enough outside centre, apart from when Ngwenya is outside of him, but not a 10 as he rarely passes the ball, tends to lose his support and his kicking out of hand is pretty aimless (like Perylongue in that regard)......
3. Stoop decided before the season started and lots of allocated tickets already sold so would be impossible to change venue with weeks to go......have to agree with crowd numbers vis a vis Bordeaux etc but should be bigger than usual as H Cup Final next door next day and joint tickets were available.....

Aupa BO

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Stade doing a number on Toulon at the moment: 8 - 19 just coming up to halftime.

Was considering putting a bet on Stade earlier as well, it was 17/1 for them to win!

 

[welshglory]

The Stade Francais 10 Plisson looks pretty useful and Smith is having a solid game in the centre!

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Wilkinson is slotting these kicks over no problem.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Stade killing themselves giving away so many penalties.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

What a try from Stade!

 

[Pork Chops]

This is turning into a real nail-biter!

 

[Nielsch]

Toulon beats SF 32 to 29. A guy named Jonny Wilkinson scored 27 points, including a last minute drop-goal. Maybe England material?

 

[Nielsch]

So they're basically throwing this match away, hoping Toulon win the final to qualiy for the Heineken Cup... genius!

Toulon are placed third in the Orange Top 14 if I'm not mistaken so they'll play Heineken Cup anyway.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Toulon beats SF 32 to 29. A guy named Jonny Wilkinson scored 27 points, including a last minute drop-goal. Maybe England material?

Considering he's retired....nope.

 

[Tony Manx]

Looks like Stade DID want to win but they fell victim to the old BO malaise of being unable to play to the referee! Rolland was, as usual, pernickety but Stade gave away far too many penalties (some of which Wilko actually missed!) and mostly without doing so from pressure. One thing last night did was build the confidence that maybe, just maybe, Toulon can be beaten in the Final as their last three games have been a loss, draw and a win that was not warranted on the try count, 2 to 1 to Stade!!