Champions Cup - Pool 3, Round 3 (Leicester, Toulon, Scarlets, Ulster)

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Mixed feeling to be honest, I was/am a Castro fan and I do wonder sometimes about Cockers on his player managment. Its hard to come down on the lad

I am a huge fan of his.

But to TBH Leicester has always been like that.

 

[goodNumber10]

politics aside the game was tremendous - it was the only game i watched all weekend and I really enjoyed it.

Agree that youngs was excellent (both). A proper see saw battle up front, not the most classic game ever but superb european entertainment.

 

[SelimNiai]

That outburst cetainly explains that ruck he hit late early on in the game. I guess he'll get fined by World Rugby or the ERC (or whatever theyre called now) for the lanuage used.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Next week is going to be brutal.

Doubt Castro will be in the 23 next week.

 

[Pampas]

How did Nico Sanchez play?
Thx

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

How did Nico Sanchez play?
Thx

solid enough with the tee and some nice kicks but under huge pressure from tigers in attack and suffered at times.

Ayerza and Cole ruined Toulon's scrum and they never got front ball.

 

[goodNumber10]

How did Nico Sanchez play?
Thx

not bad, but not amazing.

 

[Big Ewis]

politics aside the game was tremendous - it was the only game i watched all weekend and I really enjoyed it.

Agree that youngs was excellent (both). A proper see saw battle up front, not the most classic game ever but superb european entertainment.

ugh, that sentence is so depressing !!! "Kinda crappy as hell, but will do for us Northern Hemispherers !"
Have yet to see the first half (will right now), but a try each off errors and then one again from Toulon in a game where apparently the Tigers produced almost no game, and Toulon was dropping everything like they were making crêpes...you only say this because a giant fell for a final result and it was two major European teams, you conditioned horrible person you. Come on man, we've got tons better than *this* in Europe...

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

ugh, that sentence is so depressing !!! "Kinda crappy as hell, but will do for us Northern Hemispherers !"
Have yet to see the first half (will right now), but a try each off errors and then one again from Toulon in a game where apparently the Tigers produced almost no game, and Toulon was dropping everything like they were making crêpes...you only say this because a giant fell for a final result and it was two major European teams, you conditioned horrible person you. Come on man, we've got tons better than *this* in Europe...

It was a game in the freezing cold weather, played in a brutal style.

TBH what's not to like.

I appreciate rugby in all it's styles and this was one of them. the skills might not have been great but the aggression, passion was second to none imo.

 

[goodNumber10]

ugh, that sentence is so depressing !!! "Kinda crappy as hell, but will do for us Northern Hemispherers !"

What? How do you get that from

not the most classic game ever but superb european entertainment.

Have yet to see the first half (will right now), but a try each off errors and then one again from Toulon in a game where apparently the Tigers produced almost no game, and Toulon was dropping everything like they were making crêpes...you only say this because a giant fell for a final result and it was two major European teams, you conditioned horrible person you. Come on man, we've got tons better than *this* in Europe...

I think you're being a bit disengenious about the game, there was a number of good things in this; huge defence, a backrow battle to savor that importantly finally delivered (plug into that possibly the two form 7's in the Europe at the moment as well), a lead that continually changed hands right until the end it was enthralling - not everything has to be end to end touch rugby.

 

[Big Ewis]

Watched it whole again. You know on this forum it's not my type to hide behind the ref's errors, but I do now see what the RCT community were talking about yesterday:

- 10th: Ali Williams arm pulled hard on lineout grab, and ref calls knock-on Tigers scrum.
- The Castro reversed penalty at 15' I disagree with, 3 more points. It's good refs change calls for the better and review potentially dangerous plays, but Castro started his run before the whistle.
- At 17', Dan Cole disrupts a good Toulon attack, puts one hand forward, no call whatsoever, Tigers get it back on the ground, advantage Tigers.
- At 40: Basta not rolling away, no way he could've got out of there. Very harsh. Owen Williams attempt from tee.
- At 63: Gorgodze tries to leave the ruck but is pinned down by the Tigers flanker purposely. Highly debatable penalty, Williams makes the 3.
- At 70th: that restart kick doesn't go 10 and Owens is totally fine with it...

Reffing looked approximate at the breakdown in parts, both ways.

But Toulon's mistakes were uncharacteristic as crap, and the Tillous-Bordes one (that leads to the Tiger try) is amazing. Out of nothing, 7 points, boom.

The tries in the first half to be fair come from the negative, unprofessional tendencies both sides showed: Toulon with their horrible mistakes, Tigers with their awful attacking (that pass wasn't a one-off mistake, but came from their bad form and ball movement on attack).

The try in the second half: just amazing collective awareness by Toulon as seen on the replay. Tigers scrum and domination, ball stolen and hooked back, Tilous goes at the back, collects, runs hard, boulevard as all Tigers positioned on open side, sharp pass, Mitchell available in transition good line, 5 points.
At least a lick of that Toulonais sharpness in an otherwise performance to forget.
Too hard to put anything interesting in play on attack when the Tigers defended well and the guys were making so many unforced errors. Some lack of precision at the breakdown also, like losing a ball late as Hayman is clogged up by his own men and can't release despite ruck being formed.

In the end, Toulon weren't clinical enough and made fatal mistakes, especially towards the end, despite clinging on til the very last blow. Too bad, too bad...not sure the better team won but Toulon didn't deserve to win either..

Having watched the full 80 now, looked at both teams with scrutiny and a microscope, I can't see the Tigers winning next week. But that's for the next thread.

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answered in blue

What? How do you get that from

just kidding. Your sentence was like "well that was really crap....European Rugby at its finest !!!" just screwing around..

I think you're being a bit disengenious about the game, there was a number of good things in this; huge defence, a backrow battle to savor that importantly finally delivered (plug into that possibly the two form 7's in the Europe at the moment as well), a lead that continually changed hands right until the end it was enthralling - not everything has to be end to end touch rugby.

the things you mention there are true. The mistakes, esp. from a Toulon perspective, were just very very frustrating is all. But in hindsight you're right, it's actually a pretty good match, and was intense as hell.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Ewis you're talking rubbish.

The Gibson thing is fine Gorgodze got himself there it's up to him to roll away not the Leicester to let him roll away, same With Basta. It all up to the player to roll away not the other way round.
Castro run into the ruck was also a no arms charge.
Pretty certain the Ali Williams call was for not straight.
The restart kick doesn't have to go straight past the 10 just travel it which it did.



also way to mention the things that went against Leicester.

 

[gaston le gaff]

have to agree the kick did go 10 it just bounced inside 10 and that is fine what is not fine Toulon stopped playing when they thought the whistle would go. The ref was right to let play continue.

 

[Big Ewis]

also way to mention the things that went against Leicester.

like what ?

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I thought the restart had to be 10m, at all. But yeah I just remembered it's 10m minimum for your own guy to catch.

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the Castro charge and Gorgodze are debatable. But the Ali Williams lineout thing isn't, and you're wrong anyways. Like I said it was for a subsequent knockon.

 

[Maverick1987]

The rolling away part is tough luck . You put yourself there if you can't get out that's tough **** unfortunately . In most cases players don't immediately roll away to try to get an advantage . Then get trapped in and complain they couldn't get out . I didn't think the referee was bad anyway . Thought he made mistakes but for both sides tbh

 

[Big Ewis]

but there's so much that is hard to make consistent in Rugby, every fan says it all the time....the rolling away in particular. The Bastareaud one, as a mere example, was a difficult one. The situation calls for him to make the tackle, the opposing ball carrier is running in his channel, he happens to be in a lateral position (Basta) grabs the guy and goes to ground, a ruck is formed immediately and the ref lifts his arm a second into that...

It's amazing enough Rugby has come all this way and evolved so, and refs can pick up SOOO much. Got to be one of the toughest jobs in the world.

And Maverick, Tigs Man, I'm not one to hide behind ref calls; have been labeled many things but not this so far !! I've got bias but in this game I was trying to see what the RCT community were saying, and my position isn't one of denial looking for faults, it's one of "well let's see what happened in that first half...". I'm not claiming 100% objectivity, but those things I mention are facts of the game. The Ali Williams lineout grab was a bad mistake to make, it cost Toulon possession when they were fouled themselves. At 17', Dan Cole puts his arm out and he's got nothing going for him, completely disrupts the Toulon attack, nothing called at all, play on. Tigers get the ball from that, even advantage to them a second later. Those are some big, BAD calls.
But again, Toulon couldn't win this when they had the chance, wtvr, it's lost now.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Castro and D.Armitage under investigation by European rugby.
Armitage story http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...rter-angry-exchange-Toulon-s-loss-Tigers.html

Regarding Leicester missed calls I will need to watch again for the times but off the top of my head the hand of back being used against us (How dare you), the Goneva kick when it was inside the 22 by some distance, Toulon defence being offside constantly.

 

[Big Ewis]

regardless of how wrong Castro and Armitage were, people over here haven't "appreciated" Leicester's procedures of citing the two. Everybody here feels it's on the grass the "explaining" needs to be done. Clubs themselves being able to cite players...Cockerill says "it was nothing, just emotions" and what not and then boom, citing. :lol: Toulon are going to be extra mad in Mayol this weekend and I feel the Varois crowd will have a special reception and oh so warm welcoming for their dear guests.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

regardless of how wrong Castro and Armitage were, people over here haven't "appreciated" Leicester's procedures of citing the two. Everybody here feels it's on the grass the "explaining" needs to be done. Clubs themselves being able to cite players...Cockerill says "it was nothing, just emotions" and what not and then boom, citing. :lol: Toulon are going to be extra mad in Mayol this weekend and I feel the Varois crowd will have a special reception and oh so warm welcoming for their dear guests.

@Big Ewis Toulon fans shouldn't be so up themselves.

Delon Armitage was thug by all accounts if true and deserves punishment. Also cockers got slapped with a 8 week ban for something like Castro.

And if what Delon did is true Toulon fans should be embarrassed

edit seems we did well good for us.
Be nice for cockers to be on the other side

 

[Big Ewis]

:lol: Toulon fans should be embarrassed.
"in some time we'll laugh about it, we'll just have a beer with Castro and everything will be fine", and then this ? hilarious. Castro got fkd contract-wise, even paid a huge amount to get out as you know, and lets some steam out at the end of this emotional game for him, albeit publicly, then gets ...cited ? By the club itself. Sure he's just going to sit there and take that amicably and all is well hehe.

As for Armitage, I say the same about the NBA and I'm not biased here, Armitage is scum in a lot of instances and what he did there was "wrong", but the players are human beings and they hear insanely hateful comments walking into the tunnel/locker room and sometimes will retaliate. I'd do it every once in a while, you can only control yourself so much when such injustice occurs. You play your half of Rugby, walk back in for HT, some fkng asshole in the stands says something hurtful about your game or who knows what, you're supposed to be a Tibetan monk 10 times out of 10 and just kumbaya words cannot reach me. Nahhh. You see NBA players sitting sideline on the bench and guys some 4 rows further talk shiit about them, hurtful comments and they're supposed to just sit there and under pretext they're "professional athletes" should just brush it off each time ? A player answered back last year and got fined some 10k and had to publicly make excuses. Friggin absurdity.

Nahhh, listen, all I know is the papers will fly in Mayol and the rouge et noir will be especially ROUGE next weekend. that was crass from the Tiggers.