Top 14 Day 1

[Big Ewis]

I'm sorry...it's a little cold 'round here.....could I, possibly, just uh...

SO YALL EXCITED OR WHAT ?!!

let's start this mofo'kn season alreadehhhh !!!!
Aller Castres, Clermont, Toulouse !!!

 

[Tony Manx]

lAller...........Clermont.................. !!!

Thanks for your support Yoe!!!!

 

[welshglory]

I watched it on BT sports and thought the commentator was better than ESPN provided previously but the 45 minutes before hand were cringe worthy.......Jill what ever her name was was sooo poor. There was no tactical preview of how the teams would play, there was a pitiful Skype interview with Roberts, there was no real insight into the teams and how they play (such as where were Habana and Drew Mitchell?). All we got was the usual JW interview this time with the poor Doyle and what a load of rubbish he asked.....oh and, Jill, Toulon is just 45 minutes from Montpellier only if you can cover 150 miles in that time!!

Probably better than the crap with Robbie Knox and Francis Fainifo. I don't think i've heard a more pointless pair of commentators

 

[Big Ewis]

Thanks for your support Yoe!!!!

huh ?! what the..

 

[Tony Manx]

Probably better than the crap with Robbie Knox and Francis Fainifo. I don't think i've heard a more pointless pair of commentators

Who?

huh ?! what the..

You, rightly, supported Clermont who were playing Biarritz today...hence the sarcasm!!

Anyway, it was a lovely sunny day at Aguilera and the second team of ASM did not break into much of a sweat to beat a wretched Biarritz team for whom nothing went right, apart from the score, although mostly through their own ineptness!!

Same old, same old from kick offs without organisation, penalties galore, failure to read the ref, individuals taking the ball into the hit with no support either to pass to or to clear the ball, dropped passes, Traille failing to pass (or in the case of the try that should have been, much too late), Thomas wafting at his opponent to keep them away rather than to tackle, woeful kicking out of hand from 10 and 15 etc etc. It looked to me like the TV guys were trying to say that Traille was impressive but he really is one of the problems and not part of the solution.....he does not pass outside (where the wingers have only the one talent and that is to run), he is slow, and it seems the kick offs are now being directed at being short so that he can attempt to catch them....this would have been a good alternative but not every kick!!

Clermont's scrum was immense and completely annihilated the BO front 8 in the tight and loose to such an extent that they took one line out maul from the half way to the try line.....the back up and clear outs were huge as was the obvious organisation and defence. The backs did not need to do anything as James controlled the territory and kicked his goals. Very impressive but I will leave the real judgement until they meet a team that can play rather than the relegation material headless chickens I saw against them today.

There was just plain nothing that could possibly give any supporter any glimmer of hope in the display and, like this am, the home scrum half took an interception try from his own 22 to somehow drag the team back into a game that should have been way beyond them. It was very generous of ASM to leave us with a losing bonus point but quite how this was possible beggars belief!!


Montpellier next week....Gaston, you can leave your best players at home and win even if you play Hape!!!

 

[Draggs]

Anybody watching Racing v Brive? Germain just slotted a penalty around 60m!
Sexton is having an off day. Missing a few kicks, Brive dragging themselves closer.

 

[Tony Manx]

BT Sport carrying ........................ ST v UBB at 19.00 on BTS2 although how that works as a live game with UBB at home against Toulouse (not vice versa as advertised) at 18.30 French time!!!

HaHaHa...its football!!

 

[Big Ewis]

You, rightly, supported Clermont who were playing Biarritz today...hence the sarcasm!!

ohhhh right, ow, that's a little far-fetched from my angle ! Yeah, a tight affair apparently. I'm watching USAP Castres right now on Canal+...good stuff.

 

[Croket66]

Day 1 results :

Montpellier HR 22-22 RC Toulon
Biarritz Olympique 18(b)-22 ASM Clermont
Aviron Bayonnais 39(b)-11 US Oyonnax
Union Bordeaux-Bègles 31-25(b) Stade Toulousain
FC Grenoble 19-16(b) Stade Français
Racing-Metro 19-14(b) CA Brive
USA Perpignan 26-23(b) Castres Olympique

 

[gaston le gaff]

After the first day no real surprises, and if you can name the Champion you should be on Canal+ specialists because it could be anyones from about 8/9 teams but i supose the bigger names will prevail in the end.
Montpellier threw away their victory against Toulon who never really threatened apart from Smith who looked dangerous every time he got the ball, if Trinh-Duc had kicked instead of passing MHR would have won but many positives can be taken from the draw and i think we will be in the mix all season as we still have 10 key players missing from the squad.
Sorry Tony about the predition but i was right and Serge needed to get his hand in his pocket he hasn't and this could well be BO's downfall this season. Clermont are a brilliant team but they made BO look very ordinary. tough season maybe!!!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

Sorry Tony about the predition but i was right and Serge needed to get his hand in his pocket he hasn't and this could well be BO's downfall this season. Clermont are a brilliant team but they made BO look very ordinary. tough season maybe!!!!!

Serge has got no money....well, he has but he is not putting it into BO nor seemingly accepting anyone else's apart from the minicipality's!!

In any case, they would spend it unwisely.....

I love your description as BO as "ordinary".............if only!!

I cannot believe that you see 8/9 sides in with shout of actually winning this season even after the abberation of Castres's win last season......

I cannot look past ASM/Toulon and Racing with Toulouse/Montpellier/Stade coming close! No one else has the necessary squad depth and/or management to go all the way and we may just have seen the last of the small town clubs winning the Brennau in this era of money driven teams..............which is not to say that is a bad thing, just the way it is!!

Interestingly, was talking to a mate at the match yesterday who is French, although Parisienne, and lives locally. He agrees that for Bayonne and BO there is only one answer to retain long term Top 14 status and that is "Fusion".............he tells me that everyone he talks to that is opposed to such a merger whilst retaining the amateur side of the clubs as seperate entities, when asked, admit they do not even attend matches!!

 

[Big Ewis]

bad results for all the big teams...and Perpignan Castres was an absolute "crackah" as our friends from down under would say.

 

[Tony Manx]

I would go for Toulon, if only because Gaston has gone for ASM, Bayonne, UBB,, Grenoble, Racing and USAP for the games other than the most important one…..I think that we can at least get a losing bonus pont if not actually win this one!!.

Day 1 results :

Montpellier HR 22-22 RC Toulon
Biarritz Olympique 18(b)-22 ASM Clermont
Aviron Bayonnais 39(b)-11 US Oyonnax
Union Bordeaux-Bègles 31-25(b) Stade Toulousain
FC Grenoble 19-16(b) Stade Français
Racing-Metro 19-14(b) CA Brive
USA Perpignan 26-23(b) Castres Olympique

Not a bad bit of forecasting bearing in mind that Toulon did not lose and we did get the bonus point!!

Make a note…..must do the lottery!

 

[gaston le gaff]

Fusion between BO and Bayonne would be an answer but would the Basques accept it, jumping in bed with the enemy is probably asking too much, new sponsors would be the Idea, but i have a sneaky feeling that Bayonne could do quite well this season obviously not top 6 but much better than BO so the answer is probably new sponsors with lots of spondoolies, we will see how it all pans out, Bayonne are at Toulouse next and we are playing BO which will be a good test for us as we never have had brilliant results in Basque country. The idiots have put it as a 15.00 ko in absolute heat!!!! as if the guys dont suffer enough just playing the game, and all because Canal+ are paying the big bucks, could be interesting in 2015 when Be in sport make their offer for the rights, what ever happpens it will mean more money for all the clubs which will not be a bad thing.

 

[Tony Manx]

Fusion between BO and Bayonne would be an answer but would the Basques accept it, jumping in bed with the enemy is probably asking too much, new sponsors would be the Idea, but i have a sneaky feeling that Bayonne could do quite well this season obviously not top 6 but much better than BO so the answer is probably new sponsors with lots of spondoolies, we will see how it all pans out, Bayonne are at Toulouse next and we are playing BO which will be a good test for us as we never have had brilliant results in Basque country. The idiots have put it as a 15.00 ko in absolute heat!!!! as if the guys dont suffer enough just playing the game, and all because Canal+ are paying the big bucks, could be interesting in 2015 when Be in sport make their offer for the rights, what ever happpens it will mean more money for all the clubs which will not be a bad thing.

They are selling tickets...well advertising them.... on the basis of an 18.30 kick off?

It would appear that Blanco has closed ears to both fusion.....reportedly refuse to talk to Afflelou about it.......or new sponsors.....(Kuwaiti and Russian) so the only answer will in due course be merger but it will take one side.....likely BO....to be relegated and fail to get back immediately for this to happen. They are both Basque teams but they are like Liverpool and Man United and the supporters would fight and fight it but many of those do not actually go to the matches!!

Bayonne will do well this year and they will certainly end the season above us...............so Biarritz, Bayonne, Brive and Oyonnax are not top 6 material so the rest all are in your view?

You coming next week?

 

[gaston le gaff]

When i said 8/9 teams, that is to qualify for the play offs, not win the Bouclier, maybe i was not clear enough. Cant make it as the gite is still occupied till the end of Sept, but after that off and running already sorted, for Trevise, in Oct Tigers in Dec and whatever else comes along.

 

[welshglory]

Who?

The Eurosport commentators