Pool 2 (Connacht, Toulouse, Wasps, Zebre)

[Raggs]

We're just not finishing off chances that we normally would. Toulouse seemed to be running out of puff a little at the end there though, so hopefully the final 20 will go our way. Just need to try and keep the ball in play to stop them from slowing it down.

 

[Raggs]

Well Lacey was poor all round I felt, not sure if he was biased, just bad. Very glad we grabbed that.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Well Lacey was poor all round I felt, not sure if he was biased, just bad. Very glad we grabbed that.

I'd say biased, Wasps were **** poor at the breakdown but Lacey helped it by letting Toulouse get away with murder. Off feet, entering from the side and lying on the wrong side all penalised when Wasps did it but practically never penalised when Toulouse did it, and they did it a lot.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Firstly, I can confirm that John Lacey is incapable of refereeing the breakdown. He doesn't know when to rule the ball is out, doesn't know when a ruck has formed and when hands need to be off, and as a result he makes all sorts of inconsistent decisions. I don't personally believe he influenced yesterdays result too much at all, Wasps were profligate with their own chances and let's not forget that Toulouse missed some kicking opportunities, so both teams should have had more points.

I feel like in Europe we're still playing with a sort of inferiority complex where we look a little too nervous on the big occasion and as a result we're way too profligate with our opportunities. We were the same against Connaught in a game we really should have won but more to the point, scored a lot more points. I think that at our best only a couple of teams can live with us, but right now and going forward I'd suspect that sides with more composure and experience than us could edge us out in knock-out rounds.

Basett in my opinion is Wasps most improved player in the last 18 months but I think he made a couple of mistakes yesterday including a missed opportunity to put Young under the sticks in Wasps' first attack really early on.

Overall, our props had a poor day at the office, not just at the scrum but also with their ball carrying - they were both almost falling to ground straight away with ball in hand an that's really not what you want when Dusatoir and Gray(Not Richie) are waiting in the wings. Given injuries to Vunipola and Marler, I'm a little worried about loosehead for England because even as a Mullan fan I don't think he's been at his best recently.

Biggest problem though was getting roasted at the breakdown. I think we were just out-muscled a bit and our clearout lacked some impact. After all Thompson and Young is certainly our lightest backrow combination but I still would expect better. Hughes' all round game wasn't at its best yesterday either. Overall Toulouse have a huge pack and it felt like from 1 - 7 we were our muscled - Toulouse won the gain-line battle easily.

Despite being excellent I've no idea at all how they allowed themselves to switch off with 79 minutes gone and Robson taking that quick penalty. Pretty massive way to let yourselves down after 79 minutes of such hard work.

 

[Groundhog]

Toulouse:​

15. Yoann Huget
14. Arthur Bonneval
13. Yann David
12. Gael Fickou
11. Paul Perez
10. Jean-Marc Doussain
9. Sébastien Bézy
1. Cyril Baille
2. Christopher Tolofua
3. Census Johnston
4. Richie Gray
5. Yoann Maestri
6. Joe Tekori
7. Thierry Dusautoir (captain)
8. François Cros
Replacements:
16. Leonardo Ghiraldini
17. Vasil Kakovin
18. Gurthro Steenkamp
19. Talalelei Gray
20. Piula Faasalele
21. Gillian Galan
22. Toby Flood
23. Alexis Palisson

Connacht:​

15. Tiernan O'Halloran
14. Niyi Adeolokun
13. Peter Robb
12. Craig Ronaldson
11. Matt Healy
10. Jack Carty
9. Kieran Marmion
1. Denis Buckley
2. Tom McCartney
3. Finlay Bealham
4. Quinn Roux
5. James Cannon
6. Nepia Fox-Matamua
7. Jake Heenan
8. John Muldoon (captain)
Replacements:
16. Dave Heffernan
17. JP Cooney
18. John Andress
19. Sean O'Brien
20. Naulia Dawai
21. John Cooney
22. Tom Farrell
23. Danie Poolman
Referee: Wayne Barnes [RFU].

Few points about Connacht. Full strength front row, more scrumming power with Roux in there, and they have Heenan in who is a fantastic player. Other than that I'm not wildly optimistic about their chances today. A few guys only back from injury. Ronaldson is a good 12 and takes a lot of pressure off Carty, but Robb outside him is huge but completely one dimensional and not particularly good. Adeolokun has had an awful run of form. His carries into contact have been so week and he rarely backs his pace anymore. He needs to bulk up a bit, work on his defence and just hit the gas button when he sees space and not try cut back inside. O'Brien, Dawai, Cooney and Poolman are very good guys to have on your bench (I would have started O'Brien and considered starting Dawai), and they could surprise me today, but they're unlikely to getparity at scrum time and will need to be so accurate in the backs, and this is without Bundee Aki who lifted the entire team out of the depths last time out.

 

[munstermuffin]

If Toulouse get a 4 points to 0 match point win I think it's them we'd get. There is loads of permutations but it'd be great craic if Zebre denied Wasps the Try BP to really mix it up

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Waterboy should probably get on and let wasps know that this an actual real life game.
Crazy lack of respect, they look so disinterested, everything is so half hearted.

10 - 0 down atm

 

[munstermuffin]

Waterboy should probably get on and let wasps know that this an actual real life game.
Crazy lack of respect, they look so disinterested, everything is so half hearted.

10 - 0 down atm

Will really mix up the QF lineup though if there's a shock

 

[Every Time Ref]

Meanwhile in the other game someone needs to remind Connacht about midfield defence

 

[munstermuffin]

Bonus Point win for Toulouse so. They'll get 4th try no problem vs Connacht who seem to be lost

 

[Groundhog]

Bonus Point win for Toulouse so. They'll get 4th try no problem vs Connacht who seem to be lost

It's 19-10 and Connacht have their tails up

 

[Every Time Ref]

It's 19-10 and Connacht have their tails up

Still haven't threatened that much I don't feel, the try came from field position from kicking a pen to the corner, other than that they haven't been in any attacking position because they haven't broken the line

 

[Groundhog]

All they need is a penalty and they're through

 

[munstermuffin]

I thought Toulouse would've rammed it home by now

 

[TRF_Olyy]

As much as I'd like to see Wasps lose this it'd be pretty disgusting to see Connacht through after their "win" over wasps.

 

[Every Time Ref]

They also need not to concede one, but yeah they're looking a lot more in control now.

Took me a while to work out that's a different Sean O'Brien but he's had an impact I think.

Edit: response to Groundhog

 

[munstermuffin]

Unlucky Connacht.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Toulouse probably just about deserved the win but Connacht will be disappointed that they didn't close it out. They had more than enough opportunities in the last 20 minutes to do so.

Impressed with how the Connacht scrum held up against a powerful unit. Their starting props had to remain on the field as long as possible because the backups weren't up to the task. Until the final scrum, Finlay Bealham and Denis Buckley were rock solid. Bealham's ability in other areas of the game should see him stay marginally ahead of John Ryan in the Ireland pecking order.

Loved Toulouse's second try.

 

[munstermuffin]

Toulouse probably just about deserved the win but Connacht will be disappointed that they didn't close it out. They had more than enough opportunities in the last 20 minutes to do so.

Impressed with how the Connacht scrum held up against a powerful unit. Their starting props had to remain on the field as long as possible because the backups weren't up to the task. Until the final scrum, Finlay Bealham and Denis Buckley were rock solid. Bealham's ability in other areas of the game should see him stay marginally ahead of John Ryan in the Ireland pecking order.

Loved Toulouse's second try.

Just on this though. How long ago we couldn't find a THP to start for Ireland. Now we are talking of 1 guy marginally staying ahead of another for bench dispite both flying it.

On Connacht I do love that they stuck to their style. It shows the belief they have now

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Terribly ill disciplined performance by Connacht, should have got a lbp.