Champions Cup - Pool 5, Round 2 (Treviso, Northampton, Ospreys, Racing Metro)

[big ginger 8]

Bit early for the pop is it not........................?!!

Ok?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Don't misunderstand me, I know exactly what Sexton means to this team right now and he is the right man for the job with RM92 looking like trying to make a serious bid for the ***le. I just felt Sexton just came back from an injury lay off while Goosen is warmed up and quite a play maker himself if given liberity. I don't want to disrespect our opponents (that never ends well) but my line of thinking was rather spare Sexton now (we'll need him later on) and let Goosen loose as it'd not be tehhe end of teh world if he gets injured in what I see (with a little respect) as a sure 5 log pointer even without Sexton's % at goal.

 

[Rich Taff]

Well, after that game, I can only say I'm glad George North is Welsh.

 

[munstermuffin]

TMOs made bad calls. Conway yesterday and Hartley today seemed fine too. But North is definitely up there with the Kiwi lads as best wing in world

 

[Rich Taff]

TMOs made bad calls. Conway yesterday and Hartley today seemed fine too. But North is definitely up there with the Kiwi lads as best wing in world

Thought it was an awful decision by the TMO on Hartley's try. If that's a 'forward pass', then pretty much every attack at pace should be called for it.

 

[munstermuffin]

Thought it was an awful decision by the TMO on Hartley's try. If that's a 'forward pass', then pretty much every attack at pace should be called for it.

But it was clearly back like it worries me when TMO gets it wrong. I forgive refs as it's live and fast but when you've replays it's poor.

 

[duncanb]

Average from Saints today to many spells of poor play/aimless chucking it around; if they can put a full 80 together then could be considered to be in contention, however at present failed to do so.
Winning group to get a home QF will be key for Saints as away from home its Plan A bash up middle the middle then go Plan B bash it up the middle.
We have the power to match the big guns but if have the guile to do so remains to be seen.
Will come down to home match v Metro and how well/badly the frenchies travel me thinks.

 

[Big Ewis]

Well, after that game, I can only say I'm glad George North is Welsh.

4 tries. Well you know what they say, you've got to keep trying.
Waiting for a rosbif to say he's English. Any moment now...

waaaait for iiiiit...

Will come down to home match v Metro and how well/badly the frenchies travel me thinks.

mmm careful with the clichés there man. One can't just go on forever, unconditionally spewing out stereotypes everywhere without more speculation about it. Toulon and Toulouse justwon in two impressive/very impressive venues just yesterday, and Clermont last week showed they travel well too. If Racing lose this in a good effort but simply came up short, everybody will say "ah it's a French team, they don't travel well" when that's not really the reason. Clichés have their limits, can't apply them everywhere all the time, it's misleading and manufactures downright wrong conclusions.
French teams will have to win everything on the road for 5 years straight for ppl to get this out of their heads. Not saying it's not true and not a tendency to be observed at times, but one should be careful with that. You just see it/hear it ALL - THE - TIME.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Settling in for the Racing game. I'm expecting a nice easy 5 points here with a few tries in the last quarter giving us the BP with no sweat so I hope I'm not in for a surprise here.

On what to expect when Racing and Northampton play the return.. I have no clue. I don't follow the Saints but they were tough enough at home so the return will be a cracker as I see oth teams as taking this tournament seriously. Can't say much about Racing traveling. They're just a new(ish) team still an dthe history just isn't there. I mean, the track record in Euro is there but it doesn't tell the story of where Racing are ATM and what they are building too. They only really started showing signs of being a good rugby team the last half of last year's Top 14.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Treviso stubbornly refusing to take it up the arse like I was secretly afraid they would. Racing trying to force the matter playing right into Treviso hands. Racing should just play territory and build the pressure in the right part of the field and the tries will come. Trying to score tries from our own 22 is just us piling the pressure on ourselves.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Okay, the tip is in now ver early in the 2 nd. You can only defend and get lucky breaks for so long. All the way now, boys? Harassing Metro time.

 

[Big Ewis]

Racing playing stereotypical big French club Rugby. Little commitment, just trying to overpower their way to the scoreline, and against a pretty damn good Italian Peugeot Automobile club, it must be said. Soft, flat Racing. Should've been expected, although they really ought to get a max of pts here....oh well.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yeah, certainly a few here, I question whether they are fully there. That and the decision making not what one would expect at this level. Man, how useless is the Welsh contingent here. Sexton also not all there. Really missing the leadership from Szar and FvdM both. Oh well. A win is a win and I am sure there will be some serious introspection which might be more valuable long term than a BP. I hope.

 

[Big Ewis]

Racing beat English champs Northampton well and didn't bother for this one. Big game from Le Roux, two clean breaks there, very nice. Lauret also good. And Campagnaro looked really good for the Italians. A game to forget, underwhelming as fk. Wasted my time...to think I snuck in to watch this when I've got guests over...FK YOU MACING RETRO !!

 

[Groundhog]

26-10 away from home doesn't seem too bad. I didn't see it though, what happened?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Treviso held out well in defense and a few good runs of their own but really, they were outclassed in the set pieces but Racing's backline was just totally ineffective with only the loose trio, Kruger and Machenaud having pitched up to play some rugby whiile the front row did their job ITO set piece work and clearing. Dumoulin sorely missed. Just not much of a game; plucky underdogs being plucky but just not enough class throughout while Goliath just couldn't be bothered for the most part. So, just no atmosphere. For it too have been a spectacle Treviso should either have been in it more or Racing should have shown some urgency and combination in attack which there wasn't.

 

[Big Ewis]

this thing was the Rugby equivalent of an episode of Family Guy. No wait, wtf am I saying. Obviously worlds above that, I mean, come on..

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Power rankings by bleacher report has RM92 at 9 and Saints at 5 despite the former holding the top spot in the pool currently. While I appreciate Racing still has to travel to Franklin's Garden as is that ranking can't be justifed IMO. Glasgow with 2/2 being ranked 10th is probably even more questionable.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-teams-after-weekend-of-october-24-26/page/12