Top 14 2014/15 Season

[gaston le gaff]

Feeling exposed are we?!!

never my friend, with all the new signings protecting me, one can only feel but a solid ring of sercurity around the team and myself, got another one this week FIRST day of training for former All Black Tom Donnelly on Monday, 3 more to arrive (Chris King, Pat Cilliers, and Ben Mowen) and we are prepared, Bring on RACING METRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

growing all very confident, the gastoni...enjoying the soft summer rosé and the worry-free lightness it may induce. Life is good atm, yes, but the season hasn't even started yet. The higher the rise, the harder the fall.
I HAVE SPOKENN !!!!!!...

 

[Tony Manx]

My work here is done.............now bring on the real season and not the pre-season hype!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

growing all very confident, the gastoni...enjoying the soft summer rosé and the worry-free lightness it may induce. Life is good atm, yes, but the season hasn't even started yet. The higher the rise, the harder the fall.
I HAVE SPOKENN !!!!!!...

But only those with confidence shall prevail, tis not the innocent, the weaker, or the fragile, no they will cometh not to the see the light that shineth on the summit, this is only for those who are brave enough and have the courage to throw themselves into the almighty swell which brings only the brave and courageous together for them to do Battle!!!!! Many have fallen by the wayside, Gods of past glory BO, USAP, have all tasted the joys of success but defeat broke their backs (and mismanagement) Montpellier continue their march towards the Utopia and with the help of God and Rene Ranger all shall become apparent in the not too distant future!!!!!!!.

 

[Tony Manx]

But only those with confidence shall prevail, tis not the innocent, the weaker, or the fragile, no they will cometh not to the see the light that shineth on the summit, this is only for those who are brave enough and have the courage to throw themselves into the almighty swell which brings only the brave and courageous together for them to do Battle!!!!! Many have fallen by the wayside, Gods of past glory BO, USAP, have all tasted the joys of success but defeat broke their backs (and mismanagement) Montpellier continue their march towards the Utopia and with the help of God and Rene Ranger all shall become apparent in the not too distant future!!!!!!!.

ahh you were going so well then you raise the spectre of the worst defender in the Top 14............and I do not mean God!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

yeah...that's just how badass the Top 14 boards are over here...heh heh heh hehhhhh...

 

[gaston le gaff]

ahh you were going so well then you raise the spectre of the worst defender in the top 14............and i do not mean god!!!

yea but perfection comes at a price and we are obviously not paying him enough to defend as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

aaaaaah, can't WAIT !!!!



10 days...10 days...

 

[gaston le gaff]

before that there is a little Montpellier v London Irish ko 18.00 followed by Grenoble v Harlequins ko 20.45/21.00 in Grenoble on Sat evening for the Legions Challenge Cup, the winner is voted by the public (different). then it's countdown to the first match of the season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

before that there is a little Montpellier v London Irish ko 18.00 followed by Grenoble v Harlequins ko 20.45/21.00 in Grenoble on Sat evening for the Legions Challenge Cup, the winner is voted by the public (different). then it's countdown to the first match of the season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well it's not like I'll get to watch those given the crazy lack of exposure...but you reckon Montypellier will start off emphatically and put some 40 past the Métro that races ?

I like that we get to see Toulon on the first day, sort of like an appetizer/weaner on Friday night. Hope they'll bring enough of their new guys so we can check them out.

 

[gaston le gaff]

It's televised on Sat evening both matches on Equipe21 channel plus 145 if that helps!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

It's televised on Sat evening both matches on Equipe21 channel plus 145 if that helps!!!!

hmmm....will check if I have those. Thanks !

 

[Big Ewis]

new look Clermont against Connacht, friendly. Feels weird to see Lopez and Vahaamahina in yellow.




P.S.: VERY IMPORTANT. This is my 7'777th post...

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

yeah and it is even thought they're in black in the picture and its weird to see Zac with a moustache

 

[FrenchFan]

new look Clermont against Connacht, friendly. Feels weird to see Lopez and Vahaamahina in yellow.

View attachment 3094

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mmmmm. interesting team compo. Very new look. Almost experimental.

I am a big fan of Naikataci. He is dynamite. And French. However I have no idea about his partnership with Lopez who is just arrived and Rougerie in midfield. I'm Curious about Guildford and Abendanon how will they adapt to l'Auvergne this stunning region, its air its women. Flair players. I've used that dreaded word.
Their first team is on the bench: Parra Fofana Lapandry Nalaga James............

 

[FrenchFan]

New look les Bleus

Coach : none needed.
Captain: Papé relayed by Dusautoir Parra
Impact players : Dusautoir Picamoles Domingo Swarzewski Parra Nyanga
Bastareaud Fickou

Good mix of old heads especially in the forwards and newcomers

this backline will breathe FIRE

1 Debaty
2 Kayser
3 Slimani
4 Maestri
5 Papé
6 LeRoux
7 Armitage
8 Tulou
9 Kockott
10 FTD
11 Guitoune
12 Naikataci
13 Fofana
14 Huget
15 Dulin

 

[Darwin]

yeah and it is even thought they're in black in the picture and its weird to see Zac with a moustache

I agree - Guildford's facial hair is particularly entertaining....

 

[Big Ewis]

haha FrenchFan, interesting XV there. And yeah that back line would own.
Nakaitaci is very very good yes. Great speed, good strength, excellent hands and he's one of those guys who's just a back. He can play any position from 11-15. That Clermont second row looks brutal though.

And honestly, I'm cool with Steffon Armitage playing for France. He played his formative years here in Nice at some uni with his bro, and only has like 5 caps with England. Besides, he's played by far his best Rugby here at Toulon. To me it's legit. And I laugh when ppl say he's "English", that doesn't mean anything Rugby-wise. He doesn't play an English style the slightest in any stretch of the imagination, nor French either for that matter. He's just a neutral entity Rugby-wise, and passports are just fkn paper and ink here, literally nothing more. Dude even speaks fluent French.

 

[FrenchFan]

haha FrenchFan, interesting XV there. And yeah that back line would own.
Nakaitaci is very very good yes. Great speed, good strength, excellent hands and he's one of those guys who's just a back. He can play any position from 11-15. That Clermont second row looks brutal though.

And honestly, I'm cool with Steffon Armitage playing for France. He played his formative years here in Nice at some uni with his bro, and only has like 5 caps with England. Besides, he's played by far his best Rugby here at Toulon. To me it's legit. And I laugh when ppl say he's "English", that doesn't mean anything Rugby-wise. He doesn't play an English style the slightest in any stretch of the imagination, nor French either for that matter. He's just a neutral entity Rugby-wise, and passports are just fkn paper and ink here, literally nothing more. Dude even speaks fluent French.

yes he does. And his Englishness does not bother me in the least. He has gone thru our rugby system in his youth, lives in the country, speaks the language etc. Of course it's up to him to declare himself. When I said 'let's twist his arm' i was messing. The guy has to be allowed to make his own decision.

I tell you why I feel confortable with the suject and clearly more than the majority of posters here. My kids have dual nationality. Their mum is foreign. They are mixed. 2 mother tongues. 2 cultures. 2 passports. 2 rugby nations (one is obviously Toulouse and les Bleus, I'm not saying what the other is, it would colour my posts too much, people are prejudiced after all...)

Hope Naikataci gets some good game time this season. But with the backs they have signed this season, won't be easy. This guy is dynamite. I'd like to see him tried in a partnership with Fofana.

 

[Big Ewis]

well about that FrenchFan, I'm mixed myself (genetically). My mom's Coptic Egyptian, although that changes very little as to who I am. What makes me un-French is the fact I've lived in Qatar 26 years; the environment, the people, the English language almost everywhere, the habits...these things forge a person. So I consider myself a Qatari French, not in that I'm half-Qatari, as in Arabic; but that I have a side of me that is Qatar-bound. Realistically, it's my "American/globalization" side, I don't speak with a French accent in English and know things "stem-French" ppl don't and don't know things stem-French ppl do. But my country is France, and I have only one flag. The choice must be made.
I extend this conversation to the Jewish topic: if I were Jewish French, I'd pick my side. What if a war raged tomorrow between Israel and France ? A Frenchman should pick France, doesn't matter where he's lived, what friends he's had, or his creed or origins.

But back to athletes: if an athlete learns all his craft elsewhere, and then you just buy him off at the end of his formative/building process, esp. if he's played a number of years in a foreign league, like Kockott, surely that's a little problematic. We can't just close our eyes and say "yeah, get with the times, mate !". I'm not saying "NO !" categorically to Kockott but I'd really rather we didn't pick him quite yet. We don't even need him, and he's not even going to solve anything for this sinking France ship.
I'd rather use a poaching card when we really need it, since it's so ambiguous. See ?