Top 14 Day 17

[Tony Manx]

[TABLE="width: 100%"]
<tbody style="font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">[TR="class: infoboxheadlite, bgcolor: #E9EAEA"]
[TH="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, colspan: 4"]17e Journée[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: altrow, bgcolor: #EEEEEE"]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]08/02[/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]20:50[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Racing Métro 92[/TD]
[TD]ASM Clermont[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]09/02[/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]15:00[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]SU Agen[/TD]
[TD]Stade Toulousain[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: altrow, bgcolor: #EEEEEE"]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]15:00[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Aviron Bayonnais[/TD]
[TD]USAP[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]15:00[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Union Bordeaux-Bègles[/TD]
[TD]Rugby Club Toulonnais[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: altrow, bgcolor: #EEEEEE"]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]15:00[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Castres Olympique[/TD]
[TD]Stade Français[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]15:00[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Mont-de-Marsan[/TD]
[TD]Grenoble[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: altrow, bgcolor: #EEEEEE"]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]20:40[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Montpellier Hérault Rugby[/TD]
[TD]Biarritz Olympique[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

Had enough of the 6 Nations? - and even I have to say that I enjoyed every game at the week end - it is now time to get back to reality and the Top 14 and yet another late night for the Biarrots!!

Some big matches here this week end and there will be surprises with the international players not playing....matches at Racing, AB's, Castres and even Montpellier this week could be tight run things and there is a lot to play for, for most of those teams!

I think that Racing, ST, AB, RCT, Castres (because they are at home) Grenoble could all be winners.

Gaston, my friend, I think that this match may be tighter than it might have been a few weeks ago but will very much depend on the teams selected so will reserve views until I see them!!

What ever it will be good to catch some club rugby interspersed with those Internationals!!! Get the 1664 ready...................

 

[Thingimubob]

I'm actually going to be in Paris on Friday, what are tickets prices like for Racing, and would any be left? Would love to see some Top 14 action!

 

[Tony Manx]

I'm actually going to be in Paris on Friday, what are tickets prices like for Racing, and would any be left? Would love to see some Top 14 action!

http://billetterie.racing-metro92.com/

It has to be worth the cost of a ticket to be there if you are there and have a free evening!!! I would be there and not a supporter of either......................Bon match!!

Edit - Sorry looks like 25/65 euro!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

"Gaston, my friend, I think that this match may be tighter than it might have been a few weeks ago but will very much depend on the teams selected so will reserve views until I see them!!"

I was at training yesterday, so i know what our team will be but obviously if i let you know i would have to kill you, so as i am a peace abiding citizen you will have to be patient.
the work this week has been put in we shall see on Sat. if it brings the fruits, i know this is a mega important match for Montpellier as looking at other possible results we could do ourselves a lot of good with a win, but we have 5 key players missing who would be playing if there was no 6 nations
(2 French 2 Georgians 1Scot) but there is still plenty of class about, you however Tony should be fielding a full team minus Lauret so the match should be fairly close as BO definetly need points as well..

 

[Tony Manx]

Thats why I hold back on views......the need to see our team selection more than yours!!

You are right, we do need the points and, although I have given up that particular ambition as to me the ship has sailed, there many here who feel a win could catapult us back into the reckoning on a top 6 finish.

 

[Tony Manx]

Bhttp://www.rugby-transferts.com/top-14/bayonne/0019394-blanco-ne-veut-pas-de-fusion-biarritz-bayonne.htmllanco said no to the merger Biarritz - Bayonne

Posted on Wed 06/02/2013 2:30 p.m.

While Alain Afflelou evoked a possible merger between Bayonne and Biarritz Olympique in the Heineken Cup play in the future, Serge Blanco (photo) has denied this information.
The President of BOPB has told RMC Sport : "We never talked about fusion. There will never merge. It is not firm and final, he should never say or assert, but TODAY 'Today, it's like that. We have good relations with Mr. Afflelou and Bayonne. During a pre-game we talked quite freely and there are plenty of witnesses who would be able to repeat the conversations we have had that day. (...) Afflelou was expressed in the press. I have no comment to make. those who were there know exactly what I think and what I said. Including and first president of Bayonne. "


Watch this space!!!!! A merger of the clubs, and not just the H Cup, will be forced upon them in the non too distant future and Senor Blanco will have to take his head out of his well proportioned a...... at some time and grasp the economic, population, financial and managerial facts of life!!

 

[Tony Manx]

Racing win a pretty dour encounter with ASM 9-6 and yet again Brock James lumps it going wide from directly in front from about 25 metres.....result is good for Racing, makes no real difference to ASM (but not helpful to Racing's rivals for top 6 finish)...........let us hope that there is better rugby to come tomorrow!!

 

[Tony Manx]

Some interesting half time scores

Castres 20 Stade F 6
Mdm 22 Grenoble 8
Agen 11 Toulouse 6
Bayonne 13 USAP 10
Bordeaux 20 Toulon 0

​

 

[Tony Manx]

65 minute gone and Bordeaux (2nd last) now beating not a weak Toulon side (Top) 34 nil..................Toulouse down 19.6 at Agen, Asm beaten last night and Montpellier playing Biarritz tonight.....can the top 4 teams all lose today!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

Victories for Bordeaux (41 bleedin nil!!!) and Agen (22 to 9) against Toulon and Toulouse sees top 3 teams lose and bottom 4 teams all win!!

 

[Tony Manx]

When I saw we had Cyril Lafone as ref, I did cringe!! However, thanks to him and an outrageous forward pass our very limited attacking side now leads MHL second team by 10 points to 6.

Let's have another one Cyril!!

Edit.....and he did.....he gave, wrongly, Brew a yellow card and MHL a penalty when Brew cleary went through the gate and the result after five scrums whiich he also gave to MHL on a toss of a coin was a try for MHL!! So two wrongs do make a right!! Good old Cyril and only half time yet so pletny of chance for him to stuff up many more times yet! MHL overall are the better team as they are running better lines and making better use of the ball. Unfortunately. Biarritz do not have two centres who can catch or pass the ball nor hope to make a break even if there is no one in front of them! MHL are better also at the dark acts of dummy running, protecting their catchers and "staying onside". I do not blame them, they are just playing a very poor referee which is an art that BO never have learnt!

Edit......he has come out after half time and is playing to the crowd with two penalties for high tackle and late tackle which never were........you have to love our Cyril!!


Edit....becoming laugh a minute....rightly calls a penalty against BO but terminates advantage about 2 seconds before MHL score to give them a penalty....three points instead of the seven they deserved.......Looking forward to Gastons' assessment of this joker!!

52 minutes gone BO let MHL 10 walk through untouched and score goes to 26:10 and, as BO have no attacking capability, game over!! This is evidenced by Baby, who has lost whatever talent he had and makes up for it by giving penalty after penalty away, throws the ball away whilst trying to score when there were two other players waiting for the pass!!!!

Well done MHL great weekend for you with everyone around you (other than Castres) losing and for us bad weekend as they all won.........but really no great surprise apparently, according to Canal + we have not beaten you for three years...even your second team it seems!!

Back to something enjoyable to watch.....

 

[Draggs]

41-0 ?!?!?

Not an awful side either:

Le XV de départ :​

15.Vincent MARTIN ; 14.Rudi WULF, 13.Geoffroy MESSINA, 12.Matt GITEAU, 11.David SMITH ; 10. Jonny WILKINSON, 9.Nicolas DURAND ; 8.Juan Martin FERNANDEZ LOBBE (cap), 7.Steffon ARMITAGE, 6.Pierrick GUNTHER ; 5.Nick KENNEDY, 4.Bakkies BOTHA ; 3.Levan CHILACHAVA, 2.Sébastien BRUNO, 1.Andrew SHERIDAN.​

Les remplaçants :​

16.Jean-Charles ORIOLI, 17.Xavier CHIOCCI, 18.Virgile BRUNI, 19.Joe VAN NIEKERK, 20.Ivan ROUX, 21.Benjamin LAPEYRE, 22.Alexis PALISSON, 23.Carl HAYMAN.
​

 

[gaston le gaff]

Welll that was interesting, throughly deserved win by MHR, BO played well in fits and starts but their consistency has to be somewhat desired. The backs are fast but just too many mistakes, the cold did not help around -2 during the match and i forgot the flask (dummy)
Montpellier with 5 Internetionals missing did have to field players with very little game time but they came up to the mark and did the job in hand very well.
Paillaugue controlled from the base of the scrum givind superb ball to Santi and a Remy Martin running around the park like a 20 yo. As for the Ref FU***** Useless, before the BO try they carried the ball into their own 22 which noboby noticed bar evryone in the crowd, the try an outrageous forward pass, the disallowed try after playing advantage we scored and the ref comes back for the penalty, Brew yellow carded so i presume that he was carded for an offence, the ref gives a scrum!!!!!! different and we are not even going to mention Privat who has a broken nose and a visit to hospital at half time, not even a penalty, maybe the player will be cited.
The standard of refereeing in France is abismal, the sooner the terrorists kidnap all the refs the better, and no one will pay their ransoms!!!!!!
But nevertheless a brillant display by MHR Iin freezing conditions and at the end BO had nothing to offer their tank was bone dry they are not the team that people are used to seeing.
So after an amazing day of results out of the Top 4 only MHR win and the drubbing of Toulon by Bordeaux Begles maybe will help us next week as we are at Mayol, but we now know how to beat Toulon whether we can do it a Mayol is another matter.
SORRY TONY !!!!!!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

BO played well in fits and starts but their consistency has to be somewhat desired.

Sorry - must have missed that bit of the game!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

Sorry - must have missed that bit of the game!!

Can't kick a man when he's down ( just giving BO a little ray of sunshine)!!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

HaHaHah