Top 14 2014/15 Season

[Big Ewis]

yet another epic adventure in the life of the gaston, nothing new ...very happy with the result given the circumstances then, I really like Montypellier...yeah I don't have fkn BEin, and nothing online was working...those friendlies really aren't being offered much notoriety and exposure or importance at all, aye ?...hard to find anything about them at all.

 

[gaston le gaff]

it all comes down to money and audiences although we did brilliant to get 7,000 i dont think there would have been a big Tele audiance, but its great to get back into it i love doing what i do with the club and even though i hardly saw the game the day was excellent, Mark MacCall ( Sarries coach) can be a little stoppy when things were not quite going his way but then again i know a few coaches like that, seems about par for the course. Another couple of pre season games and i think we should be sharp enough to take on Racing and Grenoble as they are our first 2 games at home.

 

[Big Ewis]

it all comes down to money and audiences although we did brilliant to get 7,000 i dont think there would have been a big Tele audiance, but its great to get back into it i love doing what i do with the club and even though i hardly saw the game the day was excellent, Mark MacCall ( Sarries coach) can be a little stoppy when things were not quite going his way but then again i know a few coaches like that, seems about par for the course. Another couple of pre season games and i think we should be sharp enough to take on Racing and Grenoble as they are our first 2 games at home.

I see...how about Castres, when are they coming over to pay you a visit ?

 

[gaston le gaff]

Friday the 5th of Sept. ko 20.45 its Canal+ Fri Gala match with hopefully the lovely Isabelle. This time things will be different, getting fed up of them stealing our points from what will be then the new Altrad Stadium...........!!!!!!! I was very impressed Fri with Montypellier v Saracens especially the 2nd half were we ran in 6 tries obviously pre season matches do not have the intensity of TOP 14 but all the same against the Rosbifs there is also some there somewhere!!!!!
Some of the hits from both teams were tremendous but the general play by Montypellier especially the backs was excellent , nearly too good for this early in the season, some of the boys lookes really sharp. Clermont this coming Fri in the Challenge Vaquerin at St Affrique anther good test, and its only just down the road from the Clermont incident last week!!!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

BO have not made it to the Top 14 but the Top 14 has made it to BO!!! 1st August it is Stade Fingals v Castres and 8th August Stade Toulousain v Bordeaux Begles both matches at Aguillera.............

Never been much of a fan of these pre season games as they tend to use huge number of players which disrupts any flow in a match that has no meaning in the main anyway! BO played well in their friendlies before the last two seasons and look how that turned out!!

Oh....and BO are going to Bayonne on Thursday 31st where they meet up with Pelu Taele who has moved across to the Rowers (although as with Magnus Lund's move to Sale....nothing has been said by BO about their moves!!)

 

[Big Ewis]

season's about to start Tony, you sure you don't want to pick a Top 14 side now ?! Now or never !!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

I think he should stay with BO in the Pro D2, then he will have something to moan about all season !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

I think he should stay with BO in the Pro D2, then he will have something to moan about all season !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mmm, yes...and also he'll be our TRF spy in the Pro D2 and will report interesting juicy information about it here...:lol2tn:

 

[Tony Manx]

mmm, yes...and also he'll be our TRF spy in the Pro D2 and will report interesting juicy information about it here...:lol2tn:

You guys can laugh.................!!

BO for the Top 14 next year and we will be back on top in no time............(bit tongue in cheek.....and more in hope for those who do not know my humour and do not read the signature!!)

As for picking a Top 14 side to follow..................this man is not for turning!!

I will try to follow the Pro 2 as much as I can but with no French TV and unlikely to be here for most of the winter in any case, it will not be easy!!

 

[Big Ewis]

You guys can laugh.................!!

BO for the Top 14 next year and we will be back on top in no time............(bit tongue in cheek.....and more in hope for those who do not know my humour and do not read the signature!!)

As for picking a Top 14 side to follow..................this man is not for turning!!

I will try to follow the Pro 2 as much as I can but with no French TV and unlikely to be here for most of the winter in any case, it will not be easy!!

well goddamn it Tony, we need our spy though !! We urge you to make the necessary changes for a smoother transmission capturing of the Pro D2 showings and extending your deciphering of their strange Rugby there...God knows what goes on in those D2 pitches...bizarre things, surely...we need our man on the spot !

But really though, won't you have a preference for a specific Top 14 club at all ? You must dislike one less than all the others, surely.

 

[gaston le gaff]

I think Tony has taken his bat and ball back to Blighty with him, and is not coming out to play any more with the good guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

I think Tony has taken his bat and ball back to Blighty with him, and is not coming out to play any more with the good guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Perhaps!!

Not really, only one club for me, despite what Blanco is doing to it, and that is BOPB so will be watching them whenever I can and following their every move leaving you to watch the best rugby in the world alone for the moment....we will be back!

 

[Big Ewis]

hey guys, who do you think, towards the end of this coming 2014-15 Top 14 season, is going to be the best French Loosehead prop ?

Thomas Domingo has LOTS to prove all over again.
Yannick Forestier is a good scrummager and offers help around the park too.
Alexandre Menini has been on the rise as of all of 2014 but has hit his 30's already.
Eddy Ben Arous has lots of potential still imo. Dude's still just 23/24yo, can scrummage, and is powerful in the loose.
Vincent Debaty is always there, but is getting old. 33 in October.
Xavier Chiocci is on the rise big time. Played all of Europe's best club's big games and started them all. Just 24.
Antoine Tichit (Oyonnax). A pretty damn good young player for such a subpar team. Will be paying attention to him this coming year.
Florian Fresia, for anybody who's seen him in Toulon last year. Don't know about the scrummaging, but he's pretty brutal in the loose, tremendous energy, and still very young (22yo).

I won't mention the older David Attoub or J-B. Poux or Fabien Barcella in there as they're "old news" now.

Tony, question, I literally have no clue whatsoever, how was Barcella last season in the scrum ? Did he hold up well against those Tightheads ? He used to be one heck of a solid player but haven't seen him really this year. He was voted "best LH prop in the world" by some NZ magazine apparently back in 2009 after France's tour of NZ.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Maybe the one that is not injured as normally they all get their fair share of injuries during the season, but now Blanco is on board evrything will be fine (just taking short break to stop choking) dont rule out Attoub, he's ready and wants game time badly, ( and a new team he has to prove his worth) based on Thibault Privat the older you get the younger you feel he's good for another great season ok he will only play 40/50 mins per game but everybody would like a Privat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

can you imagine if PSA feels he needs more leadership and veteran presence in the squad and starts picking the old gang again lol ? Poux-Servat-Mas-Nallet-Thion with Dusautoir, Bonnaire and Harinordoquy. Dupuy and Michalak. Poitrenaud, Rougerie, Clerc, Traille, Malzieu in the backline...

 

[Big Ewis]

Toulouse squad to go to Mayol, Toulon for a friendly on August 1st:

Avants: Aldegheri, Baille, Camara, Cros, Ferreira, Galan, Harinordoquy, Kakovin, Lamboley, Maka, Marchant, Millo-Chluski, Tekori, Tialata, Tolofua, Tuinukuafe.

Arrières: Bézy, Billard, Bouvier, Clerc, David, Doussain, Fickou, Flood, Matanavou, McAlister, Palisson, Poitrenaud, Ramos, Vermaak.


Pretty good squad. Really hope to see more of Galan, Camara, Fickou this year, such young exciting potential...and Clerc and David, hope to see em back in form.
Doussain to explode this season. Just 23yo and already a rare talent with certainties and achieved aspects in his game.

 

[Tony Manx]

Tony, question, I literally have no clue whatsoever, how was Barcella last season in the scrum ? Did he hold up well against those Tightheads ? He used to be one heck of a solid player but haven't seen him really this year. He was voted "best LH prop in the world" by some NZ magazine apparently back in 2009 after France's tour of NZ.

Barcella was injured for the 2011 RWC and has never really recovered even finding it difficult to secure a starting place with BO. When he was injured I do believe he was ranked No1 in the World. But I am also of the strong belief that very, very few players recover their full assets (whether it be speed for a back or strength for a forward) and here is one example of that!

I also wonder whether with BO in a downward spiral and being surrounded by certain ex French co-Internationals, he really got his head into shape to play every game as if it was the RWC, or even some of them, as those other International players did not and this may well have had bearing on his performance.

I wish him well and, as with Imanol, I hope that playing for a better club will inspire and motivate him to play a bloody sight better than he has over the last couple of seasons since his recovery from injury........

can you imagine if PSA feels he needs more leadership and veteran presence in the squad and starts picking the old gang again lol ? Poux-Servat-Mas-Nallet-Thion with Dusautoir, Bonnaire and Harinordoquy. Dupuy and Michalak. Poitrenaud, Rougerie, Clerc, Traille, Malzieu in the backline...

Even they would have been **** in their prime with PSA and Lagisquet in charge...mind you add in Yach and the senior players would have taken charge and performed like they did in the 2011 RWC!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

I don't expect much out of Imanol, and I don't think anybody does. I mean first off, it's not like Toulouse are in desperate need of a no.8 with freaking Louis Picamoles and then Galan backing him, and the rest of the third row is stacked anyways. But hopefully we see him come off the bench and add some Imanol Rugby quality to the ST game, haven't seen him in a while but I bet he's still got it - or, well, some of 'it'.

 

[Big Ewis]

Toulouse squad to go to Mayol, Toulon for a friendly on August 1st:

Avants: Aldegheri, Baille, Camara, Cros, Ferreira, Galan, Harinordoquy, Kakovin, Lamboley, Maka, Marchant, Millo-Chluski, Tekori, Tialata, Tolofua, Tuinukuafe.

Arrières: Bézy, Billard, Bouvier, Clerc, David, Doussain, Fickou, Flood, Matanavou, McAlister, Palisson, Poitrenaud, Ramos, Vermaak.

Toulon side to host Toulouse tomorrow at 7pm (French time):

Le XV de départ : 15. D.Armitage ; 14.Mitchell, 13. Wulf, 12.Mermoz, 11.D.Smith ; 10.Giteau, 9.Tillous ; 7.Gorgodze, 8.S.Armitage, 6.Bruni ; 5.Mikautadze, 4.Suta ; 3.Hayman (cap), 2.Orioli, 1.Chiocci.
​

Les remplaçants : Guirado, Fresia, Barcella, Annetta, Taofifenua, Belan, Munoz, Bastareaud, Cramond, Claassens, Chilachava, Michalak, Seuteni, Tuisova.
​

 

[gaston le gaff]

Montpellier play Clermont tonight in the Challenge Vaquerin at St Affrique in the Aveyron ko 20.00 great little comp with many excellent teams first time this year for ages no teams from across the Channel. Excellent grass roots club with tremendous atmosphere could be a late night tonight as i am on duty..............