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Rieko can go to wing now too, that was embarrassing.
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European Champions Cup 25/26 - Round 2
- Thread starter Leonormous Boozer
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Tells you a lot about the state of the competition when Leinster, even when playing fairly poorly, can still go away from home and beat one of the top English sides. Let’s be honest, it’s a 4 or 5 team tournament now in terms of teams that can actually win it and the gulf between them and the rest is monumental. Can’t see past Toulouse this year tbh.
But they were playing Leicester?
And a Leicester missing half it’s first choice pack and first choice half backs
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I think the structure really exposes it. The tournament has had very few outsiders win, Exeter, Leinster in 09, don't think Wasps were too fancied the year they beat Leicester? And it was always really a case that you could tell what 2-3 teams were going to be challenging for the trophy about halfway through the pool stages. But even so, and still, you usually have 3-4 good French teams and 1-2 good URC and prem teams all capable of beating each other, and then a handful who can cause an upset against some of the teams on the lower end of that top tier.
Like, off the top of my head, if it was the old home and away structure, I'd fully be expecting Bath and Toulon to defend home court against each other, same with Leinster and La Rochelle and I could see Munster beating Bath in Thomond Park. I'm sure there's more but I'm not too up to date on the match ups this year.
As a result, and even though there ended up being a few dead rubbers and processions in the pools under the old format, it randomised the knockouts a bit more so home advantage didn't mean it was a near certainty to win* and made every bonus point count whether it was to get through to the knockouts or get a home QF.
They've created a format where every pool game there's something to play for, which sounds great, but in reality it's rendered the first 6 rounds of the competition a procession.
*I think I read a stat along the lines of 90% of knockout games in this format have been won by the home side and Saints are the only team to win away from home in the semi final stage*
Nearly as many key injuries as us so!
La Rochelle getting battered, but it's by a South African side
Stormers vs La Rochelle is already a waste of time to watch.
2nd or 3rd string La Rochelle side
2nd or 3rd string La Rochelle side
Was always going to happen with the travel involved, realistically
Teams struggling in their leagues would often not care about away games, now with travel to SA it's magnified by 100x, they'll care far more about their home game vs Bayonne next Saturday
Unironically this,
If they have to be in comp they should have to play their home games in Europe, simples
LAR FH constantly kicks well outside the 5m talk about not getting the basics right.
Stormers have gone to crap since those two disallowed tries, they looked like they were gonna win by 100
Half time hair dryer treatment and blow Lar away second half I suspect, constant penalty of late has really pinned them back, still there defence has looking pretty solid
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What in the world was that from us. Completely lost the plot in the second 20 and being kept in it by Paul De Villiers steals and a couple of moments of individual brilliance… but how we being completely dominated on territory like this. Credit to our defense I guess in that they’ve only scored one try… but I hope the team absolutely gets chewed out at half time.
I think the difference between our bench vs theirs will also make a big difference, but this should be nowhere near the Scoreline.
Also side note, we should absolutely not be playing in PE during December as a home game. Cape Town would be packed with all the tourists and the local fans. The stadium in CT would’ve been way more full than this.
I think the difference between our bench vs theirs will also make a big difference, but this should be nowhere near the Scoreline.
Also side note, we should absolutely not be playing in PE during December as a home game. Cape Town would be packed with all the tourists and the local fans. The stadium in CT would’ve been way more full than this.
FIFY
That was odd one angle looked bad one looked like barely any contact, yellow seems fair maybe slightly on the harsher side.
Absolute wheels on the Stormers winger
When they actually remember how to play they're playing some lovely stuff
When they actually remember how to play they're playing some lovely stuff
And they even rotated a bit. Like if they cared they'd be a great addition but the URC is the 1 they want
Pretty sure that was forward but it’s soo minor, seen a lot more obvious let go.
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