Heineken Cup 2013/14 Pool 3, Round 3 (Zebre v Saracens, Toulouse v Connacht)

[Tony Manx]

I hope his heart holds up now they've lost. Poor guy that would be bloody frustrating to watch.

Nah he watches his star studded team play shiut most weeks..............I think it is just to annoy BigEwis!

 

[Big Ewis]

was watching this on TV.

Let's be clear about this: this is shameful for Toulouse, a team with so many internationals playing, and at home. They had a bunch of opportunities to score, especially in the first half but not only, and just looked either disinterested (1st H) or clumsy (throughout). They looked sharp in spaces, but just not throughout a play that would lead to a score.
And they had to even count on Parks missing both his in-front-of-the-post penalty and drop goal to stay within 2 points of their opponents.

Their scrum just isn't up to par with competition, generally. This was obvious today.

And yes Connacht played very well, this needs to be emphasized, but I'd still consider it 'shame level' to lose at home to them, despite their excellent play.

Toulouse wins in Wembley against the Saracens only to lose at home against the fkn dead last team in Rabo12. Despite missing some key players, of course.

Picamoles was huge as usual, Poitrenaud still an awesome FB, Dusautoir and Maestri good in the rucks, Barraque (the no.10) filled in nicely in the absence of McAllister, Huget was very good, Fritz as usual a bulldozer and Census looked strong with ball in hand. Christopher Tolofua looked good too...
just a scrappy team effort, with little subtlety.

Amazing result for Connacht. Was waiting for a 30-9 type result.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

Best weekend in Irish Heineken Cup rugby?

Great win so unlucky with that Henshaw try. Was I imagining things are the the sky pundits say earlier that the odds were 23m - 1 and Quinny put a tenner on it?

Haha yeah Will Greenwood said he'd give Quinny 23,000,000 to 1 odds - doubt he can pay up!!

 

[ruggabee]

Nah he watches his star studded team play shiut most weeks..............I think it is just to annoy BigEwis!

Maybe Toulouse need to clean out the cobwebs. Get in new coaches. A new feel. The current coach has been there a while. Maybe he just doesn't have the same input as he once did. The Toulouse players looked oblivious to the coach shouting from the side line.

 

[Tony Manx]

Maybe Toulouse need to clean out the cobwebs. Get in new coaches. A new feel. The current coach has been there a while. Maybe he just doesn't have the same input as he once did. The Toulouse players looked oblivious to the coach shouting from the side line.

I thought and said the same thing last season and was shot down!! I agree Guy Noves has had his day and the performances for the last coipule of season have been pretty dire although the results, that is the way that the French judge things, have been ok, but no more than OK!

 

[Big Ewis]

I thought and said the same thing last season and was shot down!! I agree Guy Noves has had his day and the performances for the last coipule of season have been pretty dire although the results, that is the way that the French judge things, have been ok, but no more than OK!

no doubt Toulouse have underperformed all of last year, Top 14 and H C, and they look so very typically vulnerable every once in a while. I thought they were for real this year beating the Saracens as a good indicator outside their domestic league of their consistent and formidable ability, but then they lose this one here. Connacht at home. It was almost comical to watch them desperate to score in the last 20 min with an ultra-tight score, like they were fighting an epic battle against a Monolith of European Rugby like Leinster or Toulon.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Fair ****s to Connacht, how many teams have actually beaten Toulouse in the Ernest-Wallon in Europe?

 

[Tribesmen-ce-123]

Massive result for us, and one that we needed badly for our bruised confidence over the last few months. Great performance by everyone on the team, and hopefully we can keep this up.

Also, if theres one thing weekends like this show, you can give French teams like Toulouse, Montepellie and Racing Metro all the money and big stars in the world, it still wont give them the heart and the will that the likes of Connacht showed today. Front up rise up!

 

[Big Ewis]

Also, if theres one thing weekends like this show, you can give French teams like Toulouse, Montepellie and Racing Metro all the money and big stars in the world, it still wont give them the heart and the will that the likes of Connacht showed today.

that's right. Totally agreed.
A victory for the more humble but also more hungry today, a victory for the "little one".

 

[Packman]

BOOM!!!!! The the noise of Pool 3 blasting wide open again! That's euro-cup rugby! That's possibly the sound of Toulouse dropping down the quarter final seedings!

Zebre vs Sarries, well give zebra time (that's a plea!). Treviso didn't immediately start by mugging teams like Perpignan and Biarritz at home, it took a while to develop.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

One of the biggest upsets in European rugby history? Very well played by Connacht.

To the ones suggesting Guy Novés should go: don't say that out loud in the Toulouse area, you may get beaten by a mob. FYI, the guy has won 12 times the French league (2 of them as a player) and 4 times the Heineken cup. He's basically the guy who professionalized coaching (and moaning) in France. Maybe it is time for him to go, but it will take a few years of bad results before that actually happens (unless he finally takes the France job, which he has repeatedly refused).

 

[Big Ewis]

was asking myself why he wouldn't take the France job. I guess besides bigger responsibilities, the reason is he's probably too much of a domestic, local-minded individual.

PSA isn't as bad as the France fans say, and looking at just the defeats this year isn't realistic. The reality of 2013 for France is a lot more complex.

I thought Galthié would look good as a France coach. As partial as it is, he's very good with analysis on TV, he has exactly the practical logic and intelligence needed to lead a team on or off the field, and he looked like an absolute genius early on in the season for Montpellier this year.
I think surely he'd do at least a 'fine job' for les bleus.

 

[Tony Manx]

To the ones suggesting Guy Novés should go: don't say that out loud in the Toulouse area, you may get beaten by a mob. FYI, the guy has won 12 times the French league (2 of them as a player) and 4 times the Heineken cup. He's basically the guy who professionalized coaching (and moaning) in France. Maybe it is time for him to go, but it will take a few years of bad results before that actually happens (unless he finally takes the France job, which he has repeatedly refused).

No one doubts his HUGE success in the past (just like Lagisquet's first tenure at Biarritz in the 2003/6 periond) but ST have not played consistently or as powerfully last or this season despite the huge investment and there have been too many displays such as Saturday's when the players seemed to be disinterested.

I also not saying that he is doing yet what Lagisquet did to BO by continuing too long (assisted by continued out of date tactics and poor recruitment) but it will not be long and ST need to keep moving forwards to stay where they are being at or near the top..............I would mark his position as one to watch but not yet perilous!!

My own view is that they need to change to freshen things up.............!!

As for France, I think it has been said already, he seems happy where he is and, in addition, he does need the aggro or risk to his reputation at taking on that job thank you very much!!

 

[Big Ewis]

Again, Connacht played valiantly, power to them, no question.

But a team, at home, with just some of the following names: Poitrenaud, Picamoles, Census Johnston, Steenkamp, Dusautoir, Huget, Fritz, Gear, Doussain, Maestri, Steenkamp, Tolofua...

Clearly this is an aberration, and a homage to Toulouse's dismay.

 

[coolbawn]

"I still don't get what there is to Henshaw? He's big and young. Other than that I don't see him developing into international standard? Happy to eat my words though if ever did somehow show some mad skillz."

Ruggabee, it must be nice to at least nibble at those words so soon after saying them . He's only 18 months out of school. Butchered one operlap for Carr, I think. He does some good stuff under the high ball, his offload to Carr for the try was very quick-witted and classy, his ability to be on the end of the non-try move was very impressive. Presumably the Ireland coaches must have found him very fast to talk about him as a #13. Every match I see him in, he seems to have some top touches. But - as you say - we shall keep our fingers crossed and see .....

 

[ruggabee]

"I still don't get what there is to Henshaw? He's big and young. Other than that I don't see him developing into international standard? Happy to eat my words though if ever did somehow show some mad skillz."

Ruggabee, it must be nice to at least nibble at those words so soon after saying them . He's only 18 months out of school. Butchered one operlap for Carr, I think. He does some good stuff under the high ball, his offload to Carr for the try was very quick-witted and classy, his ability to be on the end of the non-try move was very impressive. Presumably the Ireland coaches must have found him very fast to talk about him as a #13. Every match I see him in, he seems to have some top touches. But - as you say - we shall keep our fingers crossed and see .....

I gotta admit. He did grow into the game, but I'm still to be convinced. Showed pace and some nice flicks I didn't know he had. But as a centre? That's what I have issue with because he seems to have played his best rugby at fullback. This weekend's performance was at fullback. He jumped to the head of the queue as a centre for Ireland and I think it's because he's youthful with all the physical attributes. The coaches probably think they can turn him into a centre. I can understand bringing him into the camp to be tutored by BOD but why don't others who can play centre get that tutoring? Not very fair. If he's to be touted for international selection then it should be at fullback until he's actually shown consistent performances at centre for his club. It's not something I want to make a big issue over as it's one of those things where only time will tell.

I'll just have a slice of the humble pie for now

 

[coolbawn]

Tend to agree with all that. Sounds like Darren Cave would agree too ! It's interesting when the insiders recognize future stars way in advance - in any sport. For example, in the 80s, one of the English papers used to ask the county cricket captains for their young player to look out for. Loads of them said Graham Thorpe, who was not/barely in the Surrey team at the time and he did come through to be a quality international player. Of course we probably forget all the prophecies which have failed but spotting future talent at every level of the sport is fun - esp if we know we will never be held to account for our failures !