Heineken Cup Semi Final- Saracens v Clermont

[TheSaffycen]

Right I was at work, came home not knowing the result and WOW !!
On the big points- James is a penalty and I think a yellow card as it is cynical play, however you look at it, penalty try is bloody harsh though- but how we are playing a 5m penalty probably would have turned into 7 points. The Clermont try was ****ing stupid, it is clearly a try and that would have made it 14-10 not allowed and we go in 24-6 up.
Our defence to me is entertaining, I know that some people find it boring but when bodies start flying and smashing the other team back I love it LOVE IT !!!! Clermont came to bully and try to run over us but once that didn't work and they where being bullied by us they had nothing. We where immense and everything we did paid off, we scored try after try and Clermont just looked in the air and wished they where in france. The wolf pack was scary good- Burger,Brits,Brown,Vunipola,Farrell,Barritt they where all at their Intl' best. Goode, Barritt and Ashton all played like that but we never see it for England !! I said before the game look for Streather and he was brilliant in the 8 minutes he had, Ashton is the highest try scorer in a HCup season history. All we need is a quality tighthead and we could go into the Hcup favourites as we could actually use the scrum as an attacking weapon. I know this is so Saracens biased but it is hard for a fan when your team wins 46-6

 

[ratsapprentice]

I know this is so Saracens biased but it is hard for a fan when your team wins 46-6

Not at all - you're much less one-eyed than the majority of fans (of any club) from what I've seen.

BTW I'm not saying I don't enjoy defense - It's just not all that entertaining when the attacking side loses their conviction.

 

[TheSaffycen]

BTW I'm not saying I don't enjoy defense - It's just not all that entertaining when the attacking side loses their conviction.

yeah it was a little pathetic when you see Parra just passing to Delany when he is static and he just stands there waiting to get smashed, Vosloo to me was the only player that actually came to play- if they had started him we wouldn't have got so much time to set the ball at rucks and give us the pace in attack to score. All kids should watch this game-SPEED OF BALL IS EVERYTHING players like Farrell and Barritt look world class when they get the ball in their hands quickly enough.

 

[smartcooky]

I agree Rats, there was a certain malaise that creeped into their game especially so in the final ten, they still have some serious Top 14 competition ahead so I don't think there was any sort of desperation to win the HC at all costs. After Farrell's try the body language of Clermont seemed to be get us out of here.

A team like Clermont are backing off because they have Top 14 matches ahead does not really auger well for the new competition next year. Perhaps the movers and shakers of European Rugby need to think about changing the structure of the season, and have the nine weeks of the European Championship/Rugby Champions Cup (or whatever they want to call it) held at the end of the season, after the Top 14, Pro12, Premiership finals, which would be held two months earlier.

Another worry is the size of the crowd. Only 25000 at Twickenham for a semi-final of the Premier rugby competition in all of Europe, and at Twickenham to boot, just a stones throw from one of the team's catchment areas. That is very poor considering that Leinster v Ulster drew 82,000 to the same venue two years ago, where the fans from both sides had to travel.

I have to wonder whether the farcical sideshow over the future of European Rugby that has taken place over the last few months hasn't damaged the image of the European Rugby concept, and lead to supporters and players growing tired of it. I certainly find myself caring less and less about it, to the point where I cannot even be bothered watching delayed coverage or highlights packages, let alone getting up early to watch the matches live like I used to.

 

[McTallshort]

A team like Clermont are backing off because they have Top 14 matches ahead does not really auger well for the new competition next year. Perhaps the movers and shakers of European Rugby need to think about changing the structure of the season, and have the nine weeks of the European Championship/Rugby Champions Cup (or whatever they want to call it) held at the end of the season, after the Top 14, Pro12, Premiership finals, which would be held two months earlier.

Another worry is the size of the crowd. Only 25000 at Twickenham for a semi-final of the Premier rugby competition in all of Europe, and at Twickenham to boot, just a stones throw from one of the team's catchment areas. That is very poor considering that Leinster v Ulster drew 82,000 to the same venue two years ago, where the fans from both sides had to travel.

I have to wonder whether the farcical sideshow over the future of European Rugby that has taken place over the last few months hasn't damaged the image of the European Rugby concept, and lead to supporters and players growing tired of it. I certainly find myself caring less and less about it, to the point where I cannot even be bothered watching delayed coverage or highlights packages, let alone getting up early to watch the matches live like I used to.

Oh change the record Cooky you always bang on about not taking an interest blah blah blah yet you always seem to be on here with some half baked negitive comment normally aimed at the English or French its become boring and predictable and Im sure the powers that be couldnt give a toss whether you watch it or not.

Anyway back to the game fantastic game from the Sarries pack exposed a real lack of backbone in the Clermont when they are away from home never let them settle into their game unlike tigers who seem to let themselves get steam rollered by the Clermont pack.

As for Clermont not caring frankly its a nonsense what was the team talk before the game? " oh dont worry lads I know we have picked our strongest team but dont try too hard as the leagues far more important" I mean have some of you ever actually played the game.

 

[smartcooky]

Oh change the record Cooky you always bang on about not taking an interest blah blah blah yet you always seem to be on here with some half baked negitive comment normally aimed at the English or French its become boring and predictable and Im sure the powers that be couldnt give a toss whether you watch it or not

Up yours arsehole!

Why do YOU think there were only 25,000 crowd at Twickers, since you seem to think you know all about it?

 

[ratsapprentice]

As for Clermont not caring frankly its a nonsense what was the team talk before the game? " oh dont worry lads I know we have picked our strongest team but dont try too hard as the leagues far more important" I mean have some of you ever actually played the game.

Cooky is the only person who has suggested that they threw the game.

If you've played the game then you know that to be effective your heart needs to be in it and you need to believe you can win - particularly in the second half it looked like Clermont did not.
Clearly Saracens take credit for that to an extent - but it's not like it's the first time Clermont have had this area of their game away from home questioned.

As to why there were only 25k people there... it's simply an accurate reflection of club rugby's popularity here.
No doubt it would have been more if one of the clubs with higher home attendance figures took part - but beyond that not much more could be done short of giving away a load of tickets or advertising the game well in advance - which isn't possible.

 

[Big Ewis]

fkn hell, reading Saffycen's comment and seeing the 46-6 scoreline...was it really 46-6 ?!!!!!!!! The Saracens just beat the living fk-a-doodle-doo out of ASM Clermont. Absolutely destroyed them. Forty-six to six, ain't no other way to say it. Saracens can be proud as hell, and their fans can celebrate all they want, this was a really deserved win. Clermont just couldn't contain them at the end and, well, hate to say it but choked. Couldn't limit the damage when they've had the best defense of the Top 14 the last two years...just conceded and conceded and conceded...
46-6 ladies and gentlemen, against Clermont...well done, this really deserves all the congratulating we can give them. I'd clap my hands if they beat Clermont alone, clap em more if they beat them convincingly. But 46-6, yes for the fourth time in my post the scoreline appears, in a semi-final - this is really worth a lot of pride and paying respectful homage.
First time the Saracens make the final. Good luck to them, they not only played a good grind-it-out style, they had one of those last tries very pretty, but I loved the first one. Inside passing from the hooker, and inside again to Ashton. Some inspired play.
Bravo you dirty rosbifs, bravo !

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The HEC final will sell out regardless, but the semi's will struggles with the sides without the larger fanbases (especially with the ERC pulling the strings with regards to marketing and tickets, and with the French sides not taking that many fans abroad with them).

If it were Tigers or Saints, for example, you could easily double the attendance.

 

[McTallshort]

No up yours arsehole.

You only ever surface when you want to lay the boot in. Sarries have a great win and all you can do is ***** on and on about how crap everything is. Heres a thought...STOP WATCHING IT IF YOU HATE IT SO MUCH!

Never known anyone care so much about something they disliked so much.

 

[smartcooky]

Cooky is the only person who has suggested that they threw the game.

If you've played the game then you know that to be effective your heart needs to be in it and you need to believe you can win - particularly in the second half it looked like Clermont did not.

I never suggested they threw the game at all. What I said is that they appeared to "back off" i.e. they took the stance that once they were well behind on the scoreboard (21-6 after half an hour, 32-6 after an hour) there was little chance of them coming back to win, so they decided to conserve their efforts for their upcoming Top 14 games, and just went through the motions.

Its an understandable, professional position to take (there is an old saying that goes "The hunter who chases two rabbits catches neither") but its one that would not be necessary if the European Rugby Championship was "stand alone" and not interwoven throughout the season.

 

[McTallshort]

Yeah you back off in a rugby game FFS Ive heard it all now.

 

[smartcooky]

No up yours arsehole.

You only ever surface when you want to lay the boot in. Sarries have a great win and all you can do is ***** on and on about how crap everything is. Heres a thought...STOP WATCHING IT IF YOU HATE IT SO MUCH!

Never known anyone care so much about something they disliked so much.

Don't mistake my dislike for the endlessly grinding turdfests that are the Aviva Premiership and the Top 14 as dislike for the Heineken Cup. On the contrary, I have been a fan of the Heineken Cup for many years, right from its inception, even when it was snubbed by the English! I am ON RECORD here as saying that it has been on a par with, and often exceeding the excitement and drama of Super Rugby. It would only be some Johnny-come-lately like you who wouldn't realise that.

 

[McTallshort]

Don't mistake my dislike for the endlessly grinding turdfests that are the Aviva Premiership and the Top 14 as dislike for the Heineken Cup. On the contrary, I have been a fan of the Heineken Cup for many years, right from its inception, even when it was snubbed by the English! I am ON RECORD here as saying that it has been on a par with, and often exceeding the excitement and drama of Super Rugby. It would only be some Johnny-come-lately like you who wouldn't realise that.

That comment sums you up perfectly.

 

[smartcooky]

Yeah you back off in a rugby game FFS Ive heard it all now.

Its done a lot more than you think. Many times I have seen teams in both safe winning positions and in hopeless losing positions pulling a raft of substitutions of star players in the last 10/20 minutes of matches. Partly this is to give the subs a run, but it is also partly to remove the chance of injury to key players. ANY professional coach will admit to this.

Also, while I know little about Football, I know for a fact that mid-table EPL teams (i.e. safe from relegation and out of the running to win) will take the pragmatic step of resting key players for League matches when they have upcoming matches in Europe. Its just a fact of life in professional sports with long, crammed seasons.

 

[smartcooky]

That comment sums you up perfectly.

If you think that, then you don't know me at all, noob

 

[TheSaffycen]

Anyway back to the game fantastic game from the Sarries pack exposed a real lack of backbone in the Clermont when they are away from home never let them settle into their game unlike tigers who seem to let themselves get steam rollered by the Clermont pack.

As for Clermont not caring frankly its a nonsense what was the team talk before the game? " oh dont worry lads I know we have picked our strongest team but dont try too hard as the leagues far more important" I mean have some of you ever actually played the game.

With the backbone someone else said it on here the irish and English teams have so much more heart, and you see it in every game. It is hard when you have a team of foreign players together to try and get a camaraderie within a team of mercenaries- in fairness Toulon do seem too play for each other. With Clermont 'throwing the game' I don't think we are saying that but they weren't there today, the first decision that went against them they just did not give **** about the result. It was truly pathetic from them considering their fans paid a lot of money for them to muster up 6 points.

 

[McTallshort]

If you think that, then you don't know me at all, noob

Dont want to know you. Boring ****

 

[Tony Manx]

That comment sums you up perfectly.

Yeah but he has a point.....the defence minded rugby being played in both leagues is beginning to get up my nose too.....bish bash bosh and very little real open play unless one team is so far ahead that the other side gives up or is too shattered to be bothered.

The French teams are more guilty of the latter as they treat away games as a rest week end in the main.

I thought some of the Sarries open play, in the first half as was too bored to watch the second, was pretty good but it was against a beaten team after the totally inadequate performance of Owens meant that match was over after about 20 minutes.

I can only hope that Sunday's game can bring some entertainment back because I cannot see either side giving up in the way that ASM did today....

 

[McTallshort]

Yeah but he has a point.....the defence minded rugby being played in both leagues is beginning to get up my nose too.....bish bash bosh and very little real open play unless one team is so far ahead that the other side gives up or is too shattered to be bothered.

The French teams are more guilty of the latter as they treat away games as a rest week end in the main.

I thought some of the Sarries open play, in the first half as was too bored to watch the second, was pretty good but it was against a beaten team after the totally inadequate performance of Owens meant that match was over after about 20 minutes.

I can only hope that Sunday's game can bring some entertainment back because I cannot see either side giving up in the way that ASM did today....

Not really how anyone can say the Premiership is a turgfest this season is a joke and he obviously doesnt watch a great deal of it.