HEC Semi-Final: Northampton Saints vs USA Perpignan

[lucky number 7]

some of you lot a laughable,saints beat perpingnan very easily today and its all down to them having a shocker and nowt to do with saints playing very well.
where was this perpingnan pack that would destroy us???going backwards thats where.
maybe we will only get credit when we beat lienster in the final.underestimate this saints side at your peril.

Nobody said Perp were going to beat you up front...

Are you stating it as fact that you are going to beat Leinster ? You could very well beat Leinster but as you said underestimate at your own peril...and if you really think that Saints will have as easy a pop at leinster as they did with Perp I will officially add you to the tinfoil hat brigade

 

[gingergenius]

Leinster do still look the team to beat. Incredibly dangerous backline and a pack capable of being destructive. Their biggest strength is that their big players always put their hands up for big matches - Heaslip, Sexton, BOD etc. If Northampton are going to have any chance then they'll need this kind of response from Soane, Hartley, Lawes, Ashton, Foden. All were excellent today but they'll have to be even better in the final.

One thing I would point out - halfbacks.

Toulouse have no real threats here. Skrela has never been a good 10, quite how he's played for France and starts for a club like Toulouse is beyond me.
Northampton have Dickson, who is very average, and Myler, who isn't that much better.
Perpignan had Mele today, and Laharrague at 10 - neither of those to strike fear into the hearts of the opponents.

Compare that to Leinster, who have two international 9s (not amazing players but not bad), and Sexton at 10, who on his day behind a winning pack is infuriatingly good... I really think this has been and will be the difference between the 4 semifinalists.

If Saints are going to beat Leinster, it'll require the Saints front 5 to really bully them.

 

[franklin]

my apologies to the hair splitter about the spelling of leinster.

im not stating no facts about saints beating leinster but i bet if they do it will be because leinster were ****.
my post was trying to make the point that nearly all posts after the match state perpingnan were poor,no credit for saints whatsoever.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

If Saints are going to beat Leinster, it'll require the Saints front 5 to really bully them.

Nail on head. It's the one area I think Saints are better than Leinster. I suspect Leinster will play no rugby in their own half at the risk of knocking the ball on and giving Northampton a scrum. If Leinster can neutralize the Saints scrum, they'll win the game.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Saints deatroyed Perpignan all over the pitch and I'd say if both teams played well the saints would win anyway. The message I was trying to get across was that Perpignan played poorly and the ref was poor which inevitably made a poor match. Full credit to Northampton though you can only play what's in front of you and they completely deserve to get to the final. They are underdogs against Leinster but in finals who ever wins is usually the team with more bottle and 99.9% of the time they deserve to win.

 

[Webby the Bear]

great win for saints today. absolutely destroyed Perpignan. well done to leinster yesterday. will be a great final. cant wait!!!

 

[shtove]

Nail on head. It's the one area I think Saints are better than Leinster. I suspect Leinster will play no rugby in their own half at the risk of knocking the ball on and giving Northampton a scrum. If Leinster can neutralize the Saints scrum, they'll win the game.

So Healy won't get a look in? Leinster turned the scrum around against Toulouse when he went off. But he's deadly as a ball carrier. I guess they have to start with him because they won't have the carries from O'Brien - sitting on his arse in the stand - and see how it goes.

Very impressed by Saints. They were complete cack against London Irish last week in the final 20 mins, but today restored alot of confidence.

Not a great match, most enjoyable thing was looking forward to a final with two interesting teams, likely 50+ points on the scoreboard. Trying to wangle a trip to Cardiff.

 

[coonor]

Fair play to Saints. They were given everything on a plate but they took that plate very well.

Perpignan were absolutely dreadful. They were weak in the pack and Had no athletecism. Their half backs were unorganised and had no direction. Their backs had no creativity and didn't cause any threats. Their defence was crap and they weren't clinical and to sum it all up they had no discipline.

Northampton surely must have the best scrum in Europe and their pack is just a missive bully however so far Leinster have played Clermont, Racing Metro, Saracens, Leicester and Toulouse all of them with a top scrum and big pack.

 

[Webby the Bear]

hi ya coonor

i'd say it's a 60/40 in favour of leinster. what do you reckon? youre right about perpignan being terrible... wtf happened to them? lol. i was watching it with me mam and i said to her after about 7 mins ''god theyre contesting every single ruck.... we're in for a right torrid afternoon''. then they just opened their gates lol. and for god sake their wing should have seen red for challenge on dickson. im surprised he got up to carry on playing!!!

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Although I think Leinster may be slight favourites, the aviva does seem to give them a huge boast and they wont have quite the same in Cardiff.

Although I agree with Gingergenius about halfbacks, I don't think Reddan will strike fear into Saints. The problem is that Sexton is much better than Myler. Experience could be key for Leinster and is probably why they will be favourites. Also, in areas liek the backrow, Ireland will have the slightly bigger names, but to be honest if Dowson Wilson and Clark or whoever is playing are as good as today that won't matter at all.

 

[lifeanddeath]

Northampton played well, took their chances and looked very good. The backline looked great in the 1st half, especially Ashton and Foden.

Leinster are going to be a difficult animal all together though.

As far as I know these teams have not played each other before, so it'll be interesting to see how the players front up.

 

[Teh Mite]

Here we go. Let the anti-Sesnach shitstorm begin.

Night all

 

[Papachinzo]

Possibly the worst semi final I've ever seen... Neither of those teams deserved to be there, nor the referee. Should have been either Munster/Toulon vs Clermont/Ospreys.
very bad advertisement for NH rugby!

Only reason Northampton are unbeaten, and still in the tournament, is because they've managed to slip by all the major European teams!??
The Final will the first time they play a team with real European aspirations and abilities! Its a joke!!

The ERC really need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to the group stages!!!!!!!!!

 

[shtove]

OMG! Two trolls in a row - get back under the bridge!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Possibly the worst semi final I've ever seen... Neither of those teams deserved to be there, nor the referee. Should have been either Munster/Toulon vs Clermont/Ospreys.
very bad advertisement for NH rugby!

Only reason Northampton are unbeaten, and still in the tournament, is because they've managed to slip by all the major European teams!??
The Final will the first time they play a team with real European aspirations and abilities! Its a joke!!

The ERC really need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to the group stages!!!!!!!!!

 

[Teh Mite]

I'm amazed it took a full hour and a half! :lol:

 

[coonor]

Possibly the worst semi final I've ever seen... Neither of those teams deserved to be there, nor the referee. Should have been either Munster/Toulon vs Clermont/Ospreys.
very bad advertisement for NH rugby!

Only reason Northampton are unbeaten, and still in the tournament, is because they've managed to slip by all the major European teams!??
The Final will the first time they play a team with real European aspirations and abilities! Its a joke!!



The ERC really need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to the group stages!!!!!!!!!

Munster can't beat Harlequins at Thomond Park they are in a transitional period.

Ospreys struggle to beat any team at the moment

Clermont virtually gave SF to tries in the Amlin challenge cup

Toulon had the chance to beat Perpignan but couldn't

I do think Perpignan have punced above their weight in the years competition but they have beaten and drawn against Leicester and won against Toulon.
Northampton deserve to in the final as they have won all their games simple.

As for your "Very bad advertisement for NH rugby" comment. Is that what rugby has come to? Is everything really just about promotion? If thats what your really think then maybe you should rethink why you actually watch/play the sport.

 

[lucky number 7]

The ERC really need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to the group stages!!!!!!!!!

What do you suggest they do then...give quarter final places to the teams with the biggest reputations as opposed to those who are actually winning their matches....


Sense...


You make none.

 

[franklin]

Possibly the worst semi final I've ever seen... Neither of those teams deserved to be there, nor the referee. Should have been either Munster/Toulon vs Clermont/Ospreys.
very bad advertisement for NH rugby!

Only reason Northampton are unbeaten, and still in the tournament, is because they've managed to slip by all the major European teams!??
The Final will the first time they play a team with real European aspirations and abilities! Its a joke!!

The ERC really need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to the group stages!!!!!!!!!

a leinster fan that obviously did not watch his sides match against leicester.

 

[coonor]

Henry Tuilagi on the bench. That is suprising. For some reason I think Northampton will be comfortable winners. They are at home and have the better team imo.

Saints by 8

Genius????