Investec Champions Cup 23/24 - Round of 16

[TRF_Olyy]

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Me thinking about this weekend

 

[TommiG88]

My prediction…. So it means nothing

Quins
Bulls
La Rochelle
Bath
Saracens
Leinster
Saints
Toulouse

 

[munstermuffin]

My prediction…. So it means nothing

Quins
Bulls
La Rochelle
Bath
Saracens
Leinster
Saints
Toulouse

Hard to see La Rochelle doing it in South Africa.

I see also there is a bit of unhappiness regards us vs Saints timing of game.
A bit unfair that we play 24 hours after the Bulls vs Lyon game and then factor in 1 team has to make the massive journey and game likely to be on the Saturday at 12.30 it a quick turn around.

 

[TommiG88]

Hard to see La Rochelle doing it in South Africa.

I see also there is a bit of unhappiness regards us vs Saints timing of game.
A bit unfair that we play 24 hours after the Bulls vs Lyon game and then factor in 1 team has to make the massive journey and game likely to be on the Saturday at 12.30 it a quick turn around.

They were within 1 point when they played them in the group stages. It's going to be close I think, and I'm shading La Rochelle.

Oh, a trip to the Bulls will be fun for either team.

On another note, manage to get a ticket for £40 for the champions cup final. Hoping Saints make it

 

[Groundhog]

I actually think we will win this despite how all over the place we've been and how hard we flopped the Group Stages. I don't think we have a huge amount of excuses with a pretty clean bill of health.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Stormers v La Rochelle the tie of the round. Please win Stormers. Would fancy us v either at home but would rather play the team whose coach won't encourage his players to injure ours.

16 points handicap is probably about right for us at home, Tigers probably don't want this game with how they're poised in the prem.

Munster fans have been very confident about this one since the draw was confirmed… the day after a 14 man Saints team beat them in Limerick. Don't see them going to the Gardens in winning against a Saints team who've picked up where they left off post 6n.

Hoping Glasgow do something but wouldn't back it.

 

[Groundhog]

Stormers v La Rochelle the tie of the round. Please win Stormers. Would fancy us v either at home but would rather play the team whose coach won't encourage his players to injure ours.

16 points handicap is probably about right for us at home, Tigers probably don't want this game with how they're poised in the prem.

Munster fans have been very confident about this one since the draw was confirmed… the day after a 14 man Saints team beat them in Limerick. Don't see them going to the Gardens in winning against a Saints team who've picked up where they left off post 6n.

Hoping Glasgow do something but wouldn't back it.

Well I think you predicted they'd beat us last year and the time before as well so I will take it as a good omen lol. It's a new year and Saints look **** hot, but the squads shouldn't be all too different to last year when we won away and managed to weather the storm at home with O'Donoghue red carded at 20.

Northampton got beaten 52-21 two weeks ago. Granted they impressively ripped Sarries a new one last week. We also haven't lost since that embarrassing Northampton game, so while we have been way less than convincing recently we are at least winning.

Don't get me wrong a Northampton fan would have every reason to be confident, but I would at least be horrified if we were as bad as the game before Christmas.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Well I think you predicted they'd beat us last year and the time before as well so I will take it as a good omen lol. It's a new year and Saints look **** hot, but the squads shouldn't be all too different to last year when we won away and managed to weather the storm at home with O'Donoghue red carded at 20.

Northampton got beaten 52-21 two weeks ago. Granted they impressively ripped Sarries a new one last week. We also haven't lost since that embarrassing Northampton game, so while we have been way less than convincing recently we are at least winning.

Don't get me wrong a Northampton fan would have every reason to be confident, but I would at least be horrified if we were as bad as the game before Christmas.

Predicting the results of pool games in the current format doesn't sound like something I'd do.

Away to a confident team with a lot of players who've had two big wins over Irish opposition this year is a tough ask for a team who've been fairly shite a lot of this season. Unbeaten since the last meeting but against Welsh teams and Zebre, this is a huge step up.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

IDK I can see Saints having their eyes on the prem.
I'm not saying they won't expect to win this but I don't think they will expect to go further nor want to play away in europe during their premiership run


Hell I think every tigers fan wishes we got knocked out rather than be playing this game. Just gonna knock every either of confidence out of us and the worry of a key player getting injuried before a big East Midlands derby

 

[munstermuffin]

RG Synman is a big game changer for us though and people forget we had injuries too that day but Saints are on fire this year.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

IDK I can see Saints having their eyes on the prem.
I'm not saying they won't expect to win this but I don't think they will expect to go further nor want to play away in europe during their premiership run


Hell I think every tigers fan wishes we got knocked out rather than be playing this game. Just gonna knock every either of confidence out of us and the worry of a key player getting injuried before a big East Midlands derby

For me it really highlights our smaller squads and how we really can't compete in Europe and the premiership.

Don't really have an answer to it and Europe is still a rubbish format.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

If we can click on attack and front up vs the La Rochelle pack I think we can take them. But they are clear favorites I suppose. Hoping to see:


1 We have a bit of an injury crisis here
2 Please AH Venter and JJ Kotze at 16 here even if I know we are forking out for Dweba.
3 Fouche or Malherbe we are sound.
4 Moerat
5 Van Heerden
6 Fourie
7 Dayimani
8 Roos
9 De Wet
10 Libbok
11 Zas
12 Don't know if Mngomezulu is fit
13 Du Plessis
14 Hartzenberg
15 Willemse

 

[Groundhog]

Ryan has got himself banned so now for what feels like the third time this season we are probably an injury away from a guy with zero minutes of senior rugby playing, or maybe some punter off the street. Being down Ryan (through stupidity), Salanoa and Jager (through injury) is disastrous.

 

[die_mole]

libbok is gonna make ROG so hard. The dude is made for the top 14.

 

[munstermuffin]

libbok is gonna make ROG so hard. The dude is made for the top 14.

Any time I've seen Libbok in a big game he has been very poor.

 

[die_mole]

Any time I've seen Libbok in a big game he has been very poor.

He can't kick for sticks and his open play is erratic. That a la Rochelle number 10 if I've ever seen one.

 

[Al Bangor]

Glasgow > Harlequins

 

[General Melchett]

Looking forward to Quins v Glasgow tonight. Esterhuizen was in beast mode in the first half last week against Bath. Quins rightly favourites but a fast start from Glasgow could make it interesting. Good to have Tuipulotu back.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Martin, Chessum and Reffell injured

Fml