Top 14 Semi Finals

[gaston le gaff]

if that ever happens i would never write him off but i would think the club would let the statement come from guy himself, i doubt whether Stade would sack him, he been an absolute legend for Stade but everything comes to an end one day and this could be his !!!!!!!!!! there is buckets full of money at Stade and you well know that people who invest want results, if the results dont come changes will its unfortunely just humain!!!

 

[FrenchFan]

he will go on his own terms, the clubs and everyone here owes him that - they would have to find a replacement, plus facile à dire as there is no one around atm to fill his boots.

 

[gaston le gaff]

there are plenlty of coaches around but whether they would fit into the Toulouse way of working and thinking that is another matter not entirely sure if the Noves Ellisade Servat system works that well, they still finished 4 th and everybody does deserve once in a while a bad season( well bad in respect of what Toulouse's normally is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FrenchFan]

yeah i can't see any of them that would fit in here let's face it, just not credible. One poor season doesn't make a trend esp when it happens over 20 years of making semis & finals, it'd take a series of poor seasons - another thing is I think Noves will work on his own succession and i think they'll go for « une succession collégiale » u get my drift im sure ...indéboulonnable le guytou

 

[Tony Manx]

yeah i can't see any of them that would fit in here let's face it, just not credible. One poor season doesn't make a trend esp when it happens over 20 years of making semis & finals, it'd take a series of poor seasons - another thing is I think Noves will work on his own succession and i think they'll go for « une succession collégiale » u get my drift im sure ...indéboulonnable le guytou

I think that the Toulouse "problem" has been around for a couple of years and not just a "bad season".......they have managed to stay up there by hanging on rather than dominating which, I suppose, is testament to the improvement in other teams. I would also consider the possibility that the improvement in the other teams reflects progress and that Noves has not "progressed" at the same rate with his recruitment, tactical and inspiration ability. I cannot see Noves of old ending a season with such a poor front row as he has this season and am aware of and take into account the injury situation.

It is very "nice" to allow the Noves, Fergusons of this world to leave as they determine and to anoint their successors but this is not necessarily in the best and future interests of the club and am not just referring to the present ManU situation!

 

[Tony Manx]

So the semi finalists are now known and all the pundits, including me, were entirely wrong as both ASM and Toulouse, the two of the biggest spenders in the league, are beaten by the very worthy Castres and Racing on the day......as Gaston says, in an 80 minute match anything can happen!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

I think that the Toulouse "problem" has been around for a couple of years and not just a "bad season".......they have managed to stay up there by hanging on rather than dominating which, I suppose, is testament to the improvement in other teams. I would also consider the possibility that the improvement in the other teams reflects progress and that Noves has not "progressed" at the same rate with his recruitment, tactical and inspiration ability. I cannot see Noves of old ending a season with such a poor front row as he has this season and am aware of and take into account the injury situation.

It is very "nice" to allow the Noves, Fergusons of this world to leave as they determine and to anoint their successors but this is not necessarily in the best and future interests of the club and am not just referring to the present ManU situation!

I tried to give you rep for this post, but I have to spread some around before that as you're the last person I gave some to.
It's all there. This isn't an "accident" for Toulouse, they haven't been dominating quite at all lately, including longer than just 2014.
And yes that front row is just funny.....Johnston must be one of the best Pacific Islander scrummagers in recent years, and he ain't worth too much in that dept. Funny how Pac Islanders just - can't - scrummage.

And since Castres is still alive, which I wouldn't have expected in a thousand years tbh, however good I know they are: I may have to go back on my decision. I really like Castres, so as of right now I'm happy with any of Castres, Toulon or Montypellier lifting the Brennus...I'm back to being a neutral again.

 

[FrenchFan]

I think that the Toulouse "problem" has been around for a couple of years and not just a "bad season".......they have managed to stay up there by hanging on rather than dominating which, I suppose, is testament to the improvement in other teams. I would also consider the possibility that the improvement in the other teams reflects progress and that Noves has not "progressed" at the same rate with his recruitment, tactical and inspiration ability. I cannot see Noves of old ending a season with such a poor front row as he has this season and am aware of and take into account the injury situation.

It is very "nice" to allow the Noves, Fergusons of this world to leave as they determine and to anoint their successors but this is not necessarily in the best and future interests of the club and am not just referring to the present ManU situation!

we're not as dominant as we used to be and thats a reflection of the catch up other clubs have managed in recent years I agree, and honestly that's good for the game. It's also a reflection of the monumental shift underway & the rise of the Parisian teams Toulon & keep an eye on Montpellier & Lyon in years to come (the losers being the Basque & Catalans unfortunately).

there is some inexperience with Servat & Ellisalde who are still new to their job. Servat was still playing last year! They need time to develop. I can't see the
structure changing next season.
I personaly would welcome (not that foreign influence at the club is lacking) a foreign specialist coach from NZ to work with Servat as the club has good connections with New Zealand. But Noves is notoriously very hard to work with & we would need someone who has not just the rugby CV but who can fit in the club here & get on with the personalities. Bru has said Noves is best in the business but working with him is brutal. He used to look forward to the end of season break even more so than when he was a player!

Can't see why Noves shouldn't pick his succession. He is the most qualified to do that and i think he is already working on it. Most likely he will continue working &
developing the current staff. They'll go for a « succession collégiale » when it happens, its the best option in my view. Theres a culture of growing people here which i think is pretty unique in our rugby. There's no outsider with the right credentials if u look around. So a call for change if you don't have a credible plan B is not the answer either.

 

[Tony Manx]

we're not as dominant as we used to be and thats a reflection of the catch up other clubs have managed in recent years I agree, and honestly that's good for the game. It's also a reflection of the monumental shift underway & the rise of the Parisian teams Toulon & keep an eye on Montpellier & Lyon in years to come (the losers being the Basque & Catalans unfortunately).

there is some inexperience with Servat & Ellisalde who are still new to their job. Servat was still playing last year! They need time to develop. I can't see the
structure changing next season.
I personaly would welcome (not that foreign influence at the club is lacking) a foreign specialist coach from NZ to work with Servat as the club has good connections with New Zealand. But Noves is notoriously very hard to work with & we would need someone who has not just the rugby CV but who can fit in the club here & get on with the personalities. Bru has said Noves is best in the business but working with him is brutal. He used to look forward to the end of season break even more so than when he was a player!

Can't see why Noves shouldn't pick his succession. He is the most qualified to do that and i think he is already working on it. Most likely he will continue working &
developing the current staff. They'll go for a « succession collégiale » when it happens, its the best option in my view. Theres a culture of growing people here which i think is pretty unique in our rugby. There's no outsider with the right credentials if u look around. So a call for change if you don't have a credible plan B is not the answer either.

I take the main points being growing management within the club and there is no one to replace him and can see why you say that and that it also works or has worked to a point. I would quote Liverpool as a prime example where the "boot room" ethos brought manager after manager and continued success but then................it has been years since they won anything of significance!

Biarritz is another that believes that anyone who has played for the club has a right to a job at the club and that an ex player is preferential to anyone else and look what happened to us!

Great players such as Servat or Bru do not necessarily make good trainer/managers and I do not think that players should become first team coaches/trainers without a period away from the club to learn their trade where they do not have to deal with men they have been playing with only a few months previously. You can be too close to players and perhaps this is what is wrong with them at the moment?

I do take you point that there should be a suitable capable alternative but if he dropped dead he would have to be replaced and there is no point just keeping him on that basis whilst the club disappears down the tube (which could happen)!

 

[Draggs]

well I can see Clermont putting a number on Castres, not anything ridiculous but a good big win despite some difficulty...and then, if Clermont stay true to themselves, fall face flat in the semis again against Montypellier.

Wow, nice one Ewis... Classic

 

[Big Ewis]

Great players such as Servat or Bru do not necessarily make good trainer/managers and I do not think that players should become first team coaches/trainers without a period away from the club to learn their trade where they do not have to deal with men they have been playing with only a few months previously. You can be too close to players and perhaps this is what is wrong with them at the moment?

that's exactly right. And you're right as well about the vicinity of coaches who were players just recently. Perhaps a certain distance is necessary between the coaches and the players.

Wow, nice one Ewis... Classic

Thank you.

About Toulouse and their style:
it's interesting because Toulouse and France the national side are radically different in one regard in particular. Toulouse really can produce some game: they've reached the 30-point mark a bunch of times this season, or even 40. They do have the know-how and the athletes to achieve a velvet style of play, they can string fantastic bits of play, and for long periods of time, put try after try after try on some poor team some remote afternoon. But their problem isn't choking, it's flat-out, 100% pure inconsistency in its sheering form.
France on the contrary atm aren't inconsistent, as they are classically heralded. This PSA era has actually seen them fairly consistent. They may have lost a bunch of games in 2013, but they were never actually God awful, even in that second test 30-0 blowout in NZ if you actually watch the game. And they weren't ever different from game to game. They just played the exact same "thing", as it isn't a style: a sum of individuals, each one trying to win his personal matchup.

So when ppl think Toulouse and France share common symptoms, and since France has a lot of its players coming from Toulouse, ppl immediately put the inconsistency label on both.
Toulouse HAVE produced the play, so it isn't that they don't know how to play anymore or can't put plays together. And at times, like the Connacht home game, they may not put in all the heart and underestimate their foes. But most of the time, it's neither of choking or whatever template you'd want to stick on there. It's just....nobody's home. They go on auto-pilot.
Naming the rising the level of play of surrounding teams in the Top 14 doesn't justify this; it's another topic with other results. But Toulouse have GOT to be the most inconsistent team in the Top 14.

 

[gaston le gaff]

So nothing new the annual 1/4 final play off against Castres is now a semi final play off, it would have been nice to beat Clermont to get to the final but it will now have to Castres.!!!!!!!!!! the fact that this is the 4th year in a row, 3 x 1/4 final and now a semi on Sat. at the moment its 2 to 1 against us except when we beat them, we go to the final so this year we shall make it 2-2 and be in the final to play hopefully Racing (one can dream)
The Clermont saga goes on and on, how can a team play such great rugby all season then shut up shop and play that badly????????, Against Sarries it was Sarries who played out of their skins but yesterday Castres were good but not brillint and
Clermont !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the light was on but nobody was at home !!!!!!!! very difficult to understand, well we will have to wait nearly 5 yrs minimum before someone breaks Clermonts record of 77 home wins.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FrenchFan]

So nothing new the annual 1/4 final play off against Castres is now a semi final play off, it would have been nice to beat Clermont to get to the final but it will now have to Castres.!!!!!!!!!! the fact that this is the 4th year in a row, 3 x 1/4 final and now a semi on Sat. at the moment its 2 to 1 against us except when we beat them, we go to the final so this year we shall make it 2-2 and be in the final to play hopefully Racing (one can dream)
The Clermont saga goes on and on, how can a team play such great rugby all season then shut up shop and play that badly????????, Against Sarries it was Sarries who played out of their skins but yesterday Castres were good but not brillint and
Clermont !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the light was on but nobody was at home !!!!!!!! very difficult to understand, well we will have to wait nearly 5 yrs minimum before someone breaks Clermonts record of 77 home wins.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

writing had been on the wall for Clermont this season. With Cotter leaving star players like Sivivatu leaving & their home record finally broken it's the end of a great cycle for them. Azema will have some job on his hands next season..

 

[HornetsCoach]

Granted that Clermont was never really into this game - Castres had done its homework - quite impressive on the defense - kept it up with two men down - and with Kockott's kicking...interested to see what the semis will bring.

 

[Big Ewis]

The Clermont saga goes on and on, how can a team play such great rugby all season then shut up shop and play that badly????????, Against Sarries it was Sarries who played out of their skins but yesterday Castres were good but not brillint

ah yes the Saracens played an awesome game, but Clermont was just as bad, if not worse then. Their defense was absolutely horrendous that H Cup game, at least they held Castres to just one score yesterday night when Castres were on-form attacking wise.

In retrospect, Castres' 23 again:
Le XV de départ du CO : Dulin ; Grosso, Cabannes, Lamerat, Evans ; (o) Tales (cap) ; (m) Kockott ; Caballero, Claassen, Faasalele ; Capo Ortega, Gray ; Herrera, Bonello, Taumoepeau.
Remplaçants : Mach, Forestier, Samson, Bornman, Garcia, Kirkpatrick, Bai, Lazar.

I fear if Castres go far this year again, and Kockott plays this well the whole way, that we'll poach him for absolute sure and see him wear no.9 by November.
But Castres are really a beautiful team. They don't rely on international power, and have some excellent "local" talent. Cabannes and Lamerat at midfield were very good, and Grosso has worked his way into the main rotation at the wing, and he's one heck of a winger, have always said that. Pretty darn underrated.
They actually did it. They broke the record, they broke the legend.

And for Montypellier, tbh, I'd fear the outcome of this next semi-final gaston. Castres came out of almost nowhere last year and claimed not just the 1/4, not just the 1/2, but the very bouclier de Brennus. This year they've surprised even more by breaking the mythical record in Michelin, after a discreet, again, regular season. They're very resourceful, and the exact opposite of chokers, it seems they get stronger the closer they are to the Brennus and play extremely focused but also expansively. They aren't afraid of attacking and taking risks (which is what Clermont were yesterday). It seems like 'they ain't come this far for nothin' sort of a thing, and they're once again underdogs going into this next one and tbh I think the pressure is on Montypellier. Castres can play a super tough game and be proud of breaking a legendary record and having come far again, while Montypellier were first in the Top 14 just some time ago and second now, having had the luxury of preparing for a 1/2F only.

I don't think Castres being the reigning champs has any true significance that would apply pressure for them. They're still just Castres. Barely made it to the playoffs again, being barely 6th. They're still a medium-sized Top 14 budget, with a good roster but nothing extraordinary on paper. They're still...just the Castres Olympique
The difference though this year, is that Montypellier will take them very, very, very seriously. We know what they can do at this stage, and their character as a side, and we've seen what they just accomplished in the Volcano.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Another extremely tough game for Montypellier BUT, this is the 4th time we play play-offs against Castres and even though Castres are a great team Montypellier will play their wide attacking game which will find holes in the Castres defence, they will play like Clermont did in the last 10 mins but Montpellier will do this from the ko we have prepared well for this semi and trust me Galthie has weighed up any disadvantages that Montypellier may have. Whether Nagusa is fit, but i doubt it this will give us a small handicap as he is a match winner but we have other good wingers.
I honestly believe that this is our year and i said this after the win in Toulouse not when we reached the semi i also said we would win away at Oyonnax and Grenoble which we did and i still firmly believe it we can carry the Bouclier back to Montypellier.. The team which i see 2/3 times a week are so confident and playing as never before, even Mamuka who never declares anything to the press says we are going to win and who would argue with the Mighty Mamuka!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I almost forgot!!!!!!!!!!!!! my dearest B E Your punishment is.............................
You again changed your vest after showing allegience to Montypellier for the playoffs after Clermont were beaten, so every post that you write on the semis and final, will contain the following statement from you..........
I support Montypellier and they will be TOP 14 CHAMPIONS.!!!!!!!!!
obviously if we were to lose next weekend which we will not your punishment comes to an end!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

fair points there about your cherished Montypellier....but I'm sorry, I cannot submit to your punishment for it puts my (greatly respected) integrity at peril. Although I do think it is possible, I still can't be that confident about it, and you'd have me go down in your own sinking ship ! Of course on the other hand, I do support Montypellier, and they WILL be Top 14 champions....eventually !
OK, fine...punishment accepted after all, and in application as of this message. :ranting:

I support Montypellier and they will be TOP 14 CHAMPIONS.!!!!!!!!!

 

[FrenchFan]

yeah beware BE at that rate you might end up cheering for...Toulon!!!!!!!!! being une girouette, a turn-coat does have its down side!!!!!!! :lol:

 

[Big Ewis]

yeah beware BE at that rate you might end up cheering for...Toulon!!!!!!!!! being une girouette, a turn-coat does have its down side!!!!!!! :lol:

nothin wrong with cheering for Toulon. In fact my house is in the Var in France, so the RCT is the closest thing I've got as funny as it may sound. I'm just a Toulouse fan because I love what they stand for in France and am a fan of a ton of their players. And my grandfather's from there, so...
It's Racing Métro I can't wrap my mind around...unless you're from up there, or you're like stormer and you like that there are some guys from your nation, I can't see how you can be a fan of theirs...
I appreciate and respect any of the last 3 teams (bar Racing) genuinely. I do have a soft spot for Castres. You've got to love how they won it last year against all possible odds, and how they just show up when the time comes, and again it's not like they've got a million huge names or a million foreigners. Well coached too.

I support Montypellier and they will be TOP 14 CHAMPIONS.!!!!!!!!!

 

[goodNumber10]

Anyone going up to lille for the Semi's?