Challenge Cup - Round 1

[TRF_Olyy]

Round 1 Fixtures

Live on Sky Sports/beIN

Live on beIN/FR4

​

 

[Big Ewis]

what the..that's it for French teams, no more ?!!! Fucck this, totally biased against les Français as usual, fkn, shame on the Challenge Cupuccino people !!è!!

Ppl of the England island, I have a question for thoo: I'd like a quick brief summary of the there-present English clubs, like a nice quick 2min back massage, and in return if you're interested I can let you know about the French teams up there, give you insightful info only a genius like myself can *provide (if you write it "prove void", it's like an Irish person is reading it). I can check the Prem table but that's not cool, I like human contact, come to me...come....touch me..with your infor-lotion. Information, sorry. Like I said if I like your style, I might rub you back
(Okaaaaay, so now I'm sure nobody will answer this post..)

 

[Tony Manx]

Exeter will be too powerful....if they take this comp seriously......for Bayonne,who surely cannot afford to, even with the best team!!

 

[glawsfan]

so depressing to be back in this competition when you look at our team we are arguably the strongest team in it but I doubt we will win it. One question will this competition be the same as last year where the champions cup teams come down into it after the group stage?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Rovigo surely has the most awful logo in all of rugby?!

Just revolting. I have no idea what they were trying to do here. Most times trying too hard shows.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Gloucester: 15 Rob Cook, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Billy Meakes, 12 Billy Twelvetrees (capt), 11 Jonny May, 10 James Hook, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 James Hudson, 4 Tom Savage, 3 John Afoa, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Yann Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Darren Dawidiuk, 17 Nick Wood, 18 Sila Puafisi, 19 Elliott Stooke, 20 Ross Moriarty, 21 Dan Robson, 22 Billy Burns, 23 Mark Atkinson.

Brive: 15 Alfie Mafi, 14 Elia Radikedike, 13 Baptiste Delage, 12 Thomas Sanchou, 11 Guillaume Namy, 10 Riaan Swanepoel, 9 Nicolas Bezy, 8 Kieran Murphy, 7 Poutasi Luafutu, 6 Hugues Briatte, 5 Russlan Boukerou, 4 Peet Marais, 3 Damien Jourdain, 2 Louis Acosta, 1 Karlen Asieshvili.
Replacements: 16 Thomas Acquier, 17 Damien Lavergne, 18 Yusuf Tuncer, 19 Victor Lebas, 20 Fabien Sanconnie, 21 Damien Neveu, 22 Anderson Neisen, 23 Hugo Veyssiere.

what the..that's it for French teams, no more ?!!! Fucck this, totally biased against les Français as usual, fkn, shame on the Challenge Cupuccino people !!è!!

Ppl of the England island, I have a question for thoo: I'd like a quick brief summary of the there-present English clubs, like a nice quick 2min back massage, and in return if you're interested I can let you know about the French teams up there,

If every team plays with their full squad and try to win the competition-
Gloucester are a very strong team for this competition on paper. Players like Hibbard, Afoa, Kvesic, Morgan, Laidlaw, Hook, May, Twelvetrees are all full internationals even Lions. If they can finally gel as a team then they are a contender domestically and in Europe. I don't think there is enough depth in their team though, so if things start going wrong at home they will probably just let this go. Players to watch May and Kvesic.
Newcastle might give this a go, now with London Welsh the certainty to go down they have no pressure domestically to pick up anything more than probably 3 wins. They lack quality in a few positions but have got some very good players. There scrum is very powerful with 2 young English tightheads in Brookes and Wilson. Players like Josh Furno, Alesana Tuilagi, Sinoti Sinoti and Socino should be good enough to put away teams like Bucuresti without too much problems. Players to watch Hammersley and Sinoti Sinoti.
Exeter are a very strong team this year. Pretty much all home grown talent and are now starting to look like top 4 contenders in the league, but might not have the strongest squad to be able to compete in Europe as well. The team is littered with young English players who we might see in the AIs and the 6 nations. Players like Nowell, Slade, Hill, Ewers are all young and very dangerous combined with the likes of Waldrom, Johnson and Munn. A player to watch for you Ewis is Dave EWERS a big number 6 at only 23 6 ft 4 and 115 kg he is a man mountain, should go toe to toe with Ollivon and bully him into submission
London Welsh have been a joke in the premiership and regularly concede 40+ points a game. I wouldn't even bother watching them but if you do Piri Weepu plays for them and Olly Barkley is their starting 10.
Irish have been a really good team so far this year, pushing Saracens to the last minute only to lose 32-36. Strong scrum and back row with players like Cowan having stormers recently and threat outwide from Lewington, Fenby and Ojo. If they play to their potential they should cause no end of problems at home even for the big teams. Players to watch Fenby, Cowan and Geraghty.

 

[Bluemoon]

I agree with Saffy and my early prediction for the winners of this competition is Exeter. Seeing them in the HC last year at the Arms Park, as well as the fact there is no drop down from the tier above, I'd say they have an excellent shot. I have huge respect for Baxter and the systems he's spent years putting into place. I imagine they might see this as their first high(isn) brow piece of silverware.

 

[crumlinbob]

all home wins except for Exeter to win in Bayonne and possibly (?) Grenoble in Cardiff.

 

[SelimNiai]

Exactly what qualifies LW to be in this? I ask on the same proviso that it would have been us had we gone up

 

[ratsapprentice]

premiership club innit.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

edinburgh announced they're squad to face Bordeaux

15 Greig Tonks
14 Dougie Fife
13 Sam Beard
12 Andries Strauss
11 Tim Visser
10 Phil Burleigh
9 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne

1 Alasdair Dickinson
2 Ross Ford
3 Willem Nel
4 Anton Bresler
5 Grant Gilchrist
6 Tomas Leonardi
7 Hamish Watson
8 Mike Coman (c)

Substitutes
16 James Hilterbrand
17 Allan Dell
18 John Andress
19 Ollie Atkins
20 Roddy Grant
21 Sean Kennedy
22 Tom Heathcote
23 Nick McLennan

dont think this is the best squad that edinburgh can pick especially when Bordeaux is in fantastic form atm,

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Rovigo surely has the most awful logo in all of rugby?!

Just revolting. I have no idea what they were trying to do here. Most times trying too hard shows.

its not that bad its a pure masterpiece

 

[Tony Manx]

Glaws should win by a mile against a Brive 2nd XV.,.....

Good crowd considering the opposition!!

 

[j'nuh]

Fantastic by May. The tackle in the corner. The quick take of the lineout. The run and pass to Sharples.

 

[Tony Manx]

Good lord.... Am in agreement with Dewi!!! Must be a first......

The tackle by Hibbard was illegal and such incidents are increasingly becoming common place which is a dangerous thing for the game. Lying down as a road block or diving at the attackers feet using no arms is not clever and should be sorted out by the coaches!!

Glaws making hard work of this.....

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Gloucester really wasted their money on getting Hook and then no other viable starting flyhalf (I know they got that welsh guy, but is he a starting 10 for a side with top 4 ambitions?).

 

[j'nuh]

Gloucester really wasted their money on getting Hook and then no other viable starting flyhalf (I know they got that welsh guy, but is he a starting 10 for a side with top 4 ambitions?).

There was never really a plan to get Hook at all. We were going to go with Laidlaw at 10, then Hook became available and we went for him. If Perpignan hadn't gone down, we'd have been seeing a Robson-Laidlaw partnership right about now.

I don't regret us getting Hook at all. I just think we should be the next club to switch him to fullback/centre. Possibly move Laidlaw to 10 and Robson to 9.

I think a fly-half is the priority for next season.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah, I think that's what should happen - Hook looks like 36 when he has to play 10: Can do a job but doesn't look that comfortable/at home/natural there.

I imagine, if they do move him, it'll be to 15, but I'm really not sure whether they will or not. How long did Glaws persist with Burns last year? Hook is nowhere near that bad, it's just he's holding them back from really hitting their stride.

 

[Draggs]

Ah, the classic Hook back to 15. This must be a record!

 

[Tony Manx]

At last.....now I can go to Peaky Blinders with clear conscience!!!