Top 14 Day 2

[FrenchFan]

Thanks for the info, guys; much appreciated. I think I have a good handle on most of the 'bigger tems' but with 14 clubs and the weaker ones dropping in and out seemingly it's hard for a semi-casual foreign fan to keep 100% up to date. As for Guitoune I'll keep an eye out as the name has come up many times (always from Big E but still many times).

EDIT; my 5000th post in the Top 14 what with a Bok test around the corner and the Currie Cup in full swing. WHo'd have thought.

You are welcome. I think Big E has got the hots for Guitoune :lol:. He is in denial but he'll come out soon.

 

[Big Ewis]

Thanks for the info, guys; much appreciated. I think I have a good handle on most of the 'bigger tems' but with 14 clubs and the weaker ones dropping in and out seemingly it's hard for a semi-casual foreign fan to keep 100% up to date. As for Guitoune I'll keep an eye out as the name has come up many times (always from Big E but still many times).

EDIT; my 5000th post in the Top 14 what with a Bok test around the corner and the Currie Cup in full swing. WHo'd have thought.

congratulations on hitting the half 10'000th post, as uneasy an expression as that was...
Well, Bordeaux have evolved in a very interesting way and since I've really picked up Top 14 around end-of-2011 have always impressed somehow. They had Camille Lopez at flyhalf in 2012 and their reference game for the year was clearly annihilating Toulon at home 41-0, Wilko was there, everybody. They had a weak scrum and the pack wasn't up to par so besides a seductive attacking game they couldn't compete with the top teams.
Talebula is just a genius on the wing, not just a Fijian with pace. He got 15 tries last year. They added J.B.Poux last year and he's been an example for their scrum and pack and props still testify today of his influence on the team. They've been in a way the most talked about, popular "weak" team in the Top 14, and they only missed out last year because even a club like Paris couldn't make the Top 6 playoffs as an example.

This year, they've added depth, and headcoach Raphaël Ibanez will only grow as the team's technician and I'm hopeful they'll be competitive all the way through, even if they don't actually win all the time...
Vincent Etcheto's been their backs coach for a while now, and like FF pointed out, is quite an adequate strategist when it comes to attacking Rugby. If you've got free time and you're looking for another match than your club's, the UBB could be for you. This weekend stormer, you won't have to make a choice though hehe.

You are welcome. I think Big E has got the hots for Guitoune

. He is in denial but he'll come out soon.

pleaaaase, like you're not:

 

[FrenchFan]

congratulations on hitting the half 10'000th post, as uneasy an expression as that was...
Well, Bordeaux have evolved in a very interesting way and since I've really picked up Top 14 around end-of-2011 have always impressed somehow. They had Camille Lopez at flyhalf in 2012 and their reference game for the year was clearly annihilating Toulon at home 41-0, Wilko was there, everybody. They had a weak scrum and the pack wasn't up to par so besides a seductive attacking game they couldn't compete with the top teams.
Talebula is just a genius on the wing, not just a Fijian with pace. He got 15 tries last year. They added J.B.Poux last year and he's been an example for their scrum and pack and props still testify today of his influence on the team. They've been in a way the most talked about, popular "weak" team in the Top 14, and they only missed out last year because even a club like Paris couldn't make the Top 6 playoffs as an example.

This year, they've added depth, and headcoach Raphaël Ibanez will only grow as the team's technician and I'm hopeful they'll be competitive all the way through, even if they don't actually win all the time...
Vincent Etcheto's been their backs coach for a while now, and like FF pointed out, is quite an adequate strategist when it comes to attacking Rugby. If you've got free time and you're looking for another match than your club's, the UBB could be for you. This weekend stormer, you won't have to make a choice though hehe.

i love his try when he ploughed thru 3 auvergnats (Clermont players) he is an animal. Him and Talebula out wide? it's like Napalm and Powder Keg :bomb:

 

[FrenchFan]

pleaaaase, like you're not:

No Im not. I'm so not over Assa Koite :wah:. she is not appearing on TV any more
Only a massive dose of rugby this weekend will help me get over her...:violin:

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Glad the Toulouse game is televised this week, looks like toby starting again.

Should be a good game.

 

[FrenchFan]

It's Le Derby

Castres is only a spit away from here. I use to spit very far in my teens now less so...

Flood looked sharp in training (public trainings). His kicking was excellent. I watched him take about 30 kicks with 99% success. Then I got bored.

The Noves Grumpy Barometer: gone up a notch during the week.

We spent more time defending than attacking agst Oyo(nnax). And we were beaten in many rucks. Not good. The rucking issue we have in last 2 seasons
has not been sorted. I said I would have welcomed an assistant coach to work with Servat (Forwards coach). But do you think they would listen to me. But further down the road, you will see I am right again . Still many injuries. Maestri Dusautoir Galan Picamoles etc + the 30 game limit wankology, Noves legendary temper is sure to be tested

 

[Big Ewis]

yep, Novès is getting pretty ******, pretty early this season ! About the issues in the rucks, for me it's a lack of engagement, commitment. Last year, Munster weren't THAT much better than Toulouse on paper for what happened to happen. In fact, given the budget, it's quite clear Toulouse had the advantage. For me it's largely coaching inefficacy and obsolescence, meshed up with the said lack of commitment from the players. We're Toulouse, we're huge, we'll just play "hard" and see what happens, when Munster was absolutely berserk at the breakdown and worked their balls off the entire 80minutes, every choke tackle, every ball on the ground, every tackle, just workhorses. Last week, same thing: Oyonnax come in and almost push Toulouse over at home, the latter surviving the match. Oyonnax are pretty good, but TLS had Nyanga, Tekori, Albacete, Milo-Chluski and an enthused Imanol H whose Rugby career has just resurrected for one last run. Injured, yes, but undermanned, heck no.

RugbyRama have made the same picks as I have. They're going for the Oyonnax road win in Bayonne.

Ouf, lots more serious 23 for Toulouse (than last week's) to host neighbors dearest:



Happy to see Fickou starting, Fritz back !, Doussain+Flood right off the bat, Galan's back, and then classic faces in Huget+Médard+Poitrenaud for the back three.

Visitors are rocking a serious side themselves, they're not coming to kid around:

Le XV de départ du CO :Palis ; Evans, Lamerat, Cabannes, Martial ; (o) Tales (cap), (m) Kockott ; Caballero, Beattie, Bornman ; Samson, Faasalele ; Fa'anunu, Mach, Taumoepeau.
Remplaçants : Rallier, Lazar, Moreaux, Diarra, Garcia, Kirkpatrick, Dumora, Montes.

The C.O. front row is very meh. Tighthead Wihongi hasn't seen the field in a whiiiile, and I guess Forestier is out at LH. Fortunately for Castres, Toulouse aren't a reference in the front row either...

 

[goodNumber10]

Well Poitrenaud is a 5 point head start for Castres straight away...


Good to see Lamerat at 13, i think that could be a better position ongterm than 12, and i do believe he was a 13 when at Tolouse no?

 

[Big Ewis]

dunno if he played 12 or 13 in TLS but easily verifiable. Honestly, in today's game, inside center, outside....but yeah Lamerat is big and very hard to put down, but he's also a good passer so he's a bit of both. He's a much better passer than Jamie Roberts for e.g., who plays 12 anyways. I've stopped trying to care about the difference betw. the two positions honestly, I just take each center for what player he is and what he does on the field.

Very good centers on display tonight: Fritz, Fickou, Lamerat, David, Cabannes.

 

[Jaguares]

Today we will play against Castres

C'mon Toulouse!

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Still think Toulouse have to much for Castres. Feel a tight game but Toulouse big name players will get them over the line.

 

[Big Ewis]

Still think Toulouse have to much for Castres. Feel a tight game but Toulouse big name players will get them over the line.

can see Castres winning this, they're pi$sed as hell they lost at home to start the year, and they're bringing the whole team, with the grandmas and children and kitchen baking utensils and everything.
But for Toulouse last week was basically like a defeat. I'd say, if I had to, Toulouse, defensive bonus to C.O. (in Top 14 that's 5 points or less).

 

[TheSaffycen]

Can't wait too see Toulouse play, my favourite team to watch play including Saracens. Looking at the teams and having a small amount of knowledge of Castres I think Toulouse will win by 9-12. Last year Toulouse just beat us at wembley, but that wasn't because we where close it was because McAlister was shocking off the tee ! And i mean shocking, now with Flood you will see the easy kicks go over and the majority of the hard kicks too. Galan was incredible against us and he will take over from Picamoles in a couple of years if he sorts out his fitness. Harinordoquy is now a Toulouse player !? I thought he was going to Toulon but fair enough, he will be a massive asset in the lineout which has been a problem for Tolofua, Corey Flynn was playing great rugby before his move. Fritz V Lamerat massive match up between the old horse and the young beast. Both are quite similar in style and i agree with others saying that Lamerat should move to 13, his France career will be easier if he isn't trying to go against Fofana.#
On Castres, the half backs are good..very good, Kockott is world class and Tales is a smart operator. Geoffrey Palis made an awful mistake last game, but I rate Evans and Marital and they could cause some problems.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

It's Le Derby

Castres is only a spit away from here. I use to spit very far in my teens now less so...

Flood looked sharp in training (public trainings). His kicking was excellent. I watched him take about 30 kicks with 99% success. Then I got bored.

Good stuff

 

[Big Ewis]

On Castres, the half backs are good..very good, Kockott is world class and Tales is a smart operator. Geoffrey Palis made an awful mistake last game, but I rate Evans and Marital and they could cause some problems.

Ooh that's a bad freudian slip there...
Talès can be spot-on, and then he can be totally stale, flat, and just look like a Tier 2 flyhalf altogether. Strange. He seems to produce in big games though (2013 Top 14 final with his two DG's in 5 min, game in Paris against the AB last Nov. ...). I made a short mix of one of his good games from last season:



Shows off his offloading, and a bit of his tactical accuracy. He has those games, and then every once in a while he has those games where he's just slow, makes wrong decisions passing the ball left in stead of right, makes awful no-look passes, passes way too short, just looks like he doesn't have the level. Quite strange...a little bit à la Michalak now that I think about it. Yep. Because he's obviously got the level otherwise.
What he does give you 100% of the time is a big body for a 10, with excellent defense.

And yes btw, Toulouse was dead last in the Top 14 in penalty kicking %, around 67% for the year.

Palis' mistake last week was absolutely unbelievable, worst play I've seen from a FB, maybe ever. It's like he was in the clouds in his head, not at the game. Don't know what got into him, but more globally he's yet another quality French 15 in the making and already has one heck of a boot. A big guy for a fullback (1m90, 92kg), still very young, 23yo, and he's got good pace where you can play him at the wing, they sometimes do, and I'm waiting for his counterattacking to develop, his foot work needs a bit of polishing.

 

[Tony Manx]

I agree with Saffy that Imanol is an asset for the line out but will be very interested to see if his overall work rate ups to about average even as it was shocking for the last couple of seasons.................If Toulouse fire on anything like 5 out off their six cylinders, there is no way that Castres should be in this game but will they.............they have failed to do so for some time? Looking forward to it for many reason of interest!!

 

[Big Ewis]

Imanol was good for lineouts last week, he missed the one though, looked a bit rusty in places...I'm sure we'll see some "grand" Imanol throughout the year though.
Very happy Flood has settled in nicely, this weekend to confirm that.

Montypellier squad to face Grenoble at home:

1. Misha NARIASHVILI - 2. Mickaël IVALDI - 3. Nicolas MAS - 4. Sitaleki TIMANI - 5. Thibaut PRIVAT - 6. Fulgence OUEDRAOGO (Capitaine) - 7. Alexandre BIAS - 8. Alex TULOU - 9. Benoît PAILLAUGUE - 10. François TRINH-DUC - 11. Rene RANGER - 12. Robert EBERSOHN - 13. Anthony TUITAVAKE - 14. Timoci NAGUSA - 15. Pierre BERARD

Les remplaçants: 16. Thomas BIANCHIN - 17. Chris KING - 18. Robins TCHALE-WATCHOU - 19. Kélian GALLETIER - 20. Jonathan PELISSIE - 21. Antoine BATTUT - 22. Benjamin FALL - 23. Na'ama LELEIMALEFAGA -

See more at: http://montpellier-rugby.com/news/la-composition-pour-mhr-fcg#sthash.uu73Vojm.dpuf

I'll be eager to see Mas in those scrums, although Grenoble isn't the best test for that. Nice to see Paillaugue given more and more freedom and trust. Ranger and Nagusa on the wings, with Fall off the bench, ay ay ay !
I reckon a big score with bonus for MP. gaston ?

EDIT: also gaston, any comment on young fullback Pierre Bérard ? I see he's a big boy for a FB, 100kg for just a 1m83 guy:



Haven't really noticed him before...

 

[Big Ewis]

(don't mean to double post but just to separate posts):

Clermont side to go to Brive:



Jonathan Davies making his Top 14 début I believe, associated with Rougerie. We get to see the HB pairing Parra+Lopez for a majority of the minutes, very cool. Clermont keeping a lot of their threats on the bench, but I see no Fofana. Don't think he's injured, I think they're just preserving him. They can afford to. No Nakaitaci either. Notice also no Debaty.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Pierre Bernard is pure Montpellier, 1.86 for 100kgs, played wing but his best post is fullback, getting more and more confident but he could lose the attitude, thinks he's a bit of a diva!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

Pierre Bernard is pure Montpellier, 1.86 for 100kgs, played wing but his best post is fullback, getting more and more confident but he could lose the attitude, thinks he's a bit of a diva!!!!!

ah ?...no good. Will keep an eye on him this weekend against Grenobilio.

Toulon team to PULVERIZZZZZZE La Rochelle:



I'm thinking 40 at least for the RC Toulon.
Only interesting thing for me: that gigantic Rochelais prop monster Uini Atonio. 1m96, 150kg lol. We'll see what Menini manages against him at scrumtime.