Top 14 1/4 final playoffs...

[gaston le gaff]

Come on you guys its Thursday and no thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what the F*** is going on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do i have to do everything !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Go, RM! (I am not at all confident, not after the rape from Montpol but will certainly watch)

 

[munstermuffin]

I see Sexton and Kruger went for each other in training. Tempers must be high

 

[Tony Manx]

Top 14 Quarter Finals

Friday 9th May 2014 at 20.45

(Bt Sports 2)

Stade Toulousain v Racing Metro 92

Saturday 10th May 2014 at 16.30

(BT Sports ESPN)

ASM Clermont v Castres Olympique

 

[gaston le gaff]

Thank you Tony!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

I see Sexton and Kruger went for each other in training. Tempers must be high

I saw that but knowing the press as i do, probably a big girls blouse thing, last thing i heard, they were still handing out Kleenex as most of them could not get over the thumping that Mamuka and Friends gave them last Sat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

There we go....they are all up now and will change the TBA's as we go along!!

This weekend should see Toulouse and Clermont through against a tiring Castres team (who presumably will want this game a lot more than last week's against Bayonne!) and a Racing that blows hot and cold and is a perfect example of a group of star players thrown together but not managed sufficiently well as to play as a team or probably for each other as a team would. This was the same problem that PSA had at Toulon before Laporte came on board and gave them the sense of camarderie, unity and purpose that Saracens have (and why Sarries are so much better than any other English team!). Discuss!!

 

[Tony Manx]

I saw that but knowing the press as i do, probably a big girls blouse thing.................

I know which one I would back in a true fight......................!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

I know which one I would back in a true fight......................!!

No competiton!!!!!!!!!! the Irish boy could be sent home crying to see his mum !!!!!!!!!!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I know which one I would back in a true fight......................!!

Not ro sound stupid but which one? I know you'd probably back the lock most cases but I've never seen Kruger as much of a traditional SA lock.

 

[Big Ewis]

Go, RM! (I am not at all confident, not after the rape from Montpol but will certainly watch)

aaahhh...."Montpol"....not baaaad....not bad at all. Had it come earlier...before the unanimously voted "Montypellier"...but very solid contribution there.

And yes, thanks Tony, and apologies gaston, I've been really off this planet the past week !...

Castres last year surprised everyone at every level, the deeper they got into the playoffs, the bigger the surprise. They reminded me of those old Japanese moral-laden stories where the all-powerful display their wealth and might, while the humble discretely collect their strengths gradually and patiently until they get to the point where they beat their bigger counterparts.
But it's in Clermont this year...I could've seen the C.O. pull the same routine this year, they've been focused on the Top 14 and nothing else this entire year and got a nice seed, but Marcel-Michelin man, the Volcano...Clermont-Ferrand. Seventy-six straight....

Otherwise: Toulouse to take this one by about 6 or more. Could see more. I'll go out on a limb and say Stade To-lose-ain by 11.

 

[Big Ewis]

here now, let's talk actual Top 14 Rugby !


Man, Racing has so many good fkn wingers...didn't realize they've got: Ben Fall, Marc Andreu, Adrian Planté and now they're getting Juan Imhoff out...

And Toulouse:



Man, Camara starting ahead of Nyanga. Shows you the confidence they've got in that young kid, for a 1/4F, daaamnn...
nice back-line, and it may sound old school but I do think on the long term, McAlister can do more damage as a center really...

 

[Draggs]

Agree, I've always preferred Luke at second five. Could be better of playing him there now, in anticipation of Flood next season.

Whatever happened to Fabrice Estabaneze? Looked decent the few times I saw him play for RM92.

Two great back threes on display, hopefully they get a chance to give it a run!

 

[munstermuffin]

No competiton!!!!!!!!!! the Irish boy could be sent home crying to see his mum !!!!!!!!!!

Don't tease Leinster lads they'd take him back and wouldn't let him leave

 

[Tony Manx]

You look at the Toulouse squad and wonder what the hell are they doing in the 1/4 finals.....then you look at the bench and go WTF are they really doing in the 1/4's?

What would Galthie do with a squad like that........or Laporte even......sorry Noves, think you must be the problem!!

I do agree about McAllister being a 12 rather than a 10 not least because of those thighs and upper body strength.......let us hope that he is back to the best he was some two years ago!

I cannot for life of me see why RM persevere with Hernandez................he really never looks interested and have not seen him doing anything recently such as he used to regularly do in his pomp.....

If Toulouse turn up this weekend they HAVE to win this but will they?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Any of these on TV5, even your boring Top 14 rugby is better than the Eurovision!

 

[Big Ewis]

It's a strange thing Tony because when you see all he's won....but Noves I think is obsolete at this point in time. It's been about a couple of years, yes the league has toughened up a lot, but still it's no excuse given the side he has on paper...
I don't know if it's tactical, because Toulouse can still thrash a side on a good day, they'll drop their 40 points on some poor team, and can hang with the best; or if it's a lack of a firm hand amongst his troops at his age, perhaps he's stubborn in wanting to coach still when he doesn't have all the vitality that is required for it any longer...
Toulouse's inconsistency necessarily testifies of a lack of order. Whichever kind of order that could be.
But to think he's getting the most out of that roster is ridiculous.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Any of these on TV5, even your boring Top 14 rugby is better than the Eurovision!

Not that i'm a nasty type of guy but after most of your comments went in the bin you should be made to watch the Eurovision all day and all night as punishment!!!!!!!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

Well Gaston has thought long and hard about his preditions for the two 1/4 finals this weekend and after deliberating for hours and hours!!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry seconds!!!!! it came to him in a flash of brilliance!!!!!!!!!! Toulouse and Clermont................

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Not that i'm a nasty type of guy but after most of your comments went in the bin you should be made to watch the Eurovision all day and all night as punishment!!!!!!!!

Saying French rugby isn't as perfect as you'd like to think perfect isn't quite worthy of Guantanamo Bay torture techniques!