European Rugby Thread

[Uncle fester]

Had a quick peek at PR to see the reaction and the usual suspect didn't disappoint.

[JM2K6]

Has Mullet declared war yet?

[laurent]

Has Mullet declared war yet?

He is hardly up at this time :P

[Uncle fester]

Has Mullet declared war yet?

Believe he flounced.

[JM2K6]

Has Mullet declared war yet?

Believe he flounced.

Not surprised, at some point it stops being enjoyable and the tide of shit just becomes depressing.

[TheFrog]

If that's the case; & Leinster were prepared to field a team; it's ridiculous to give Montpellier a walkover.

Maybe someone should have a word in the ear of the Irish Government, & make sure some French side can't travel; & thus has to give a walkover ?

Is that really how we want to decide qualification ?

Looks like it won’t be necessary as the French gov might prohibit the T14 teams to travel to the Uk/ IRE.
Clubs are asking for a special authorization.

That would be the European competitions goosed then.

The fair thing would be to call the competition off... but the cost to the clubs would be prohibitive may be?

[Biffer]

All matches involving French clubs postponed

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP:

Bath Rugby v Stade Rochelais
Sale Sharks v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Scarlets v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Toulousain v Wasps
Stade Francais Paris v Bristol Bears

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP:

Worcester Warriors v Biarritz Olympique
London Irish v CA Brive

All to be played at a later date

[sockwithaticket]

Wasps get a couple of breaks with Fifita being fit again and Shields' ban being overturned.

Still a depressingly long list of unavailable players and we're probably going to get slaughtered, but this selection could have been worse.


Unavailable (24): Charlie Atkinson, Ali Crossdale, Tom Cruse, Sebastian de Chaves, Malakai Fekitoa, James Gaskell, Ben Harris, Joe Launchbury, Elliot Millar-Mills, Ryan Mills, Matteo Minozzi, Ben Morris, Paolo Odogwu, Gabriel Oghre, Dan Robson, Will Simonds, Sam Spink, Elliott Stooke, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Jacob Umaga, Theo Vukasinovic, Marcus Watson, Jack Willis, Tom Willis.

Edit - well, scratch that, just seen the announcement. Probably no bad thing for us.

[Torquemada 1420]

Well there goes the majority of the fixture list and another Euro season in turmoil.

[fishfoodie]

All matches involving French clubs postponed

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP:

Bath Rugby v Stade Rochelais
Sale Sharks v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Scarlets v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Toulousain v Wasps
Stade Francais Paris v Bristol Bears

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP:

Worcester Warriors v Biarritz Olympique
London Irish v CA Brive

All to be played at a later date

Does this mean that the Leinster game has no longer been awarded ?, & is now just postponed ?

The Clubs, the Unions, & the media need these games to happen; & just giving walkovers; when the games can still go ahead is idiotic; for all concerned.

Macron needs a kick up the hole; Omicron isn't getting stopped by travel bans.

[Oxbow]

Any chance of Saints game at Ulster being cancelled to stop us getting another kicking?

[Marylandolorian]

On this weekend

Ulster – Northampton (Champions Cup)
Harlequins – Cardiff (Champions Cup)
Glasgow – Exeter (Champions Cup)
Munster – Castres (Champions Cup) > samedi, 21h
Leicester – Connacht (Champions Cup)
Dragons – Lyon (Challenge Cup) > vendredi, 21h
Toulon – Zebre (Challenge Cup) > vendredi, 21h
Gloucester – Benetton (Challenge Cup)

Lost

Montpellier* – Leinster (Champions Cup)
Racing 92* - Ospreys (Champions Cup)
Pau* – Saracens (Challenge Cup)
*won

[Biffer]

On this weekend

Ulster – Northampton (Champions Cup)
Harlequins – Cardiff (Champions Cup)
Glasgow – Exeter (Champions Cup)
Munster – Castres (Champions Cup) > samedi, 21h
Leicester – Connacht (Champions Cup)
Dragons – Lyon (Challenge Cup) > vendredi, 21h
Toulon – Zebre (Challenge Cup) > vendredi, 21h
Gloucester – Benetton (Challenge Cup)

Lost

Montpellier* – Leinster (Champions Cup)
Racing 92* - Ospreys (Champions Cup)
Pau* – Saracens (Challenge Cup)
*won

Lots of reports from reputable journos that all games involving French sides are off, EPCR announcement on the way.

[Margin__Walker]

On this weekend

Ulster – Northampton (Champions Cup)
Harlequins – Cardiff (Champions Cup)
Glasgow – Exeter (Champions Cup)
Munster – Castres (Champions Cup) > samedi, 21h
Leicester – Connacht (Champions Cup)
Dragons – Lyon (Challenge Cup) > vendredi, 21h
Toulon – Zebre (Challenge Cup) > vendredi, 21h
Gloucester – Benetton (Challenge Cup)

Lost

Montpellier* – Leinster (Champions Cup)
Racing 92* - Ospreys (Champions Cup)
Pau* – Saracens (Challenge Cup)
*won

Lots of reports from reputable journos that all games involving French sides are off, EPCR announcement on the way.

Was announced earlier

https://www.premiershiprugby.com/news/e ... -2-matches

[Biffer]

On this weekend

Ulster – Northampton (Champions Cup)
Harlequins – Cardiff (Champions Cup)
Glasgow – Exeter (Champions Cup)
Munster – Castres (Champions Cup) > samedi, 21h
Leicester – Connacht (Champions Cup)
Dragons – Lyon (Challenge Cup) > vendredi, 21h
Toulon – Zebre (Challenge Cup) > vendredi, 21h
Gloucester – Benetton (Challenge Cup)

Lost

Montpellier* – Leinster (Champions Cup)
Racing 92* - Ospreys (Champions Cup)
Pau* – Saracens (Challenge Cup)
*won

Lots of reports from reputable journos that all games involving French sides are off, EPCR announcement on the way.

Was announced earlier

https://www.premiershiprugby.com/news/e ... -2-matches

Cheers, nothing from EPCR last time I looked, typically shite media management from them!

[earl the beaver]

How on earth have Montpellier been given a 28-0 win when Leinster were happy to travel and play the match?

I think there's more than this than meets the eye.

The 23 they've named may not have tested positive but given the absentees a lot of others during the week did, given it can take 7 days to test positive there is a real chance some of the Leinster players named who have tested negative to date could be carrying it.

[SaintK]

How on earth have Montpellier been given a 28-0 win when Leinster were happy to travel and play the match?

I think there's more than this than meets the eye.

The 23 they've named may not have tested positive but given the absentees a lot of others during the week did, given it can take 7 days to test positive there is a real chance some of the Leinster players named who have tested negative to date could be carrying it.

Ahh, yes I see, thanks.

[fishfoodie]

How on earth have Montpellier been given a 28-0 win when Leinster were happy to travel and play the match?

I think there's more than this than meets the eye.

The 23 they've named may not have tested positive but given the absentees a lot of others during the week did, given it can take 7 days to test positive there is a real chance some of the Leinster players named who have tested negative to date could be carrying it.

Yeah; but that's true of everyone else in the competition too !

Leinster have complied with the rules the EPCR set out to mitigate the risk; & they're still being fucked over.

Montpellier had a number of positives in camp too; but because this was a home game for them; they've gamed a win, they would never have gotten on the pitch.

Its a crock of shit !

If they can postpone other games this weekend; because teams can't travel; why couldn't they postpone this game; because a team wasn't allowed to travel ???

[Lobby]

All matches involving French clubs postponed

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP:

Bath Rugby v Stade Rochelais
Sale Sharks v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Scarlets v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Toulousain v Wasps
Stade Francais Paris v Bristol Bears

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP:

Worcester Warriors v Biarritz Olympique
London Irish v CA Brive

All to be played at a later date

Does this mean that the Leinster game has no longer been awarded ?, & is now just postponed ?

The Clubs, the Unions, & the media need these games to happen; & just giving walkovers; when the games can still go ahead is idiotic; for all concerned.

Macron needs a kick up the hole; Omicron isn't getting stopped by travel bans.

Saw an interesting comment about Macron’s travel ban from a French scientist this morning:

Professor Philippe Froguel, a clinical scientist who works at Lille University Hospital and Imperial College London, said he suspected that the vast majority of Omicron cases in France had been missed. He said: “Nothing coherent or comprehensive has been done in France for Omicron and we don’t know how many cases we have. But for sure we should have thousands of undiagnosed cases.” France, he said, did not do enough sequencing — about 1 per cent of cases — and reported the results with a three-week delay."

[earl the beaver]

How on earth have Montpellier been given a 28-0 win when Leinster were happy to travel and play the match?

I think there's more than this than meets the eye.

The 23 they've named may not have tested positive but given the absentees a lot of others during the week did, given it can take 7 days to test positive there is a real chance some of the Leinster players named who have tested negative to date could be carrying it.

Yeah; but that's true of everyone else in the competition too !

Leinster have complied with the rules the EPCR set out to mitigate the risk; & they're still being fucked over.

Montpellier had a number of positives in camp too; but because this was a home game for them; they've gamed a win, they would never have gotten on the pitch.

Its a crock of shit !

If they can postpone other games this weekend; because teams can't travel; why couldn't they postpone this game; because a team wasn't allowed to travel ???

But the other teams aren't missing what 8 or 9 players through positive tests?

[earl the beaver]

All matches involving French clubs postponed

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP:

Bath Rugby v Stade Rochelais
Sale Sharks v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Scarlets v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Toulousain v Wasps
Stade Francais Paris v Bristol Bears

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP:

Worcester Warriors v Biarritz Olympique
London Irish v CA Brive

All to be played at a later date

Does this mean that the Leinster game has no longer been awarded ?, & is now just postponed ?

The Clubs, the Unions, & the media need these games to happen; & just giving walkovers; when the games can still go ahead is idiotic; for all concerned.

Macron needs a kick up the hole; Omicron isn't getting stopped by travel bans.

Saw an interesting comment about Macron’s travel ban from a French scientist this morning:

Professor Philippe Froguel, a clinical scientist who works at Lille University Hospital and Imperial College London, said he suspected that the vast majority of Omicron cases in France had been missed. He said: “Nothing coherent or comprehensive has been done in France for Omicron and we don’t know how many cases we have. But for sure we should have thousands of undiagnosed cases.” France, he said, did not do enough sequencing — about 1 per cent of cases — and reported the results with a three-week delay."

The travel ban is political, it's purely because of the issues between the UK and French governments over fishing/migrants etc.

France already has Omicron, they have more people in hospital than the UK, they've not banned travel from other countries with confirmed Omicron in the community.

[Slick]

All about Ireland again.

[Marylandolorian]

The travel ban is political, it's purely because of the issues between the UK and French governments over fishing/migrants etc.

France already has Omicron, they have more people in hospital than the UK, they've not banned travel from other countries with confirmed Omicron in the community.

Absolutely, almost every decision made by most governments in regard of Covid has been political.
Also, you forgot the nuke Subs and Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc)

[SaintK]

Common sense.

BRAD SHIELDS’ FOUR-week ban after a red card against Munster in the Champions Cup last weekend has been overturned after an appeal.
The Wasps captain was sent off by referee Romain Poite for a high tackle on Dave Kilcoyne in the first half of Munster’s bonus-point win against Coventry last weekend.
Shields was then handed a four-week ban by an independent disciplinary panel.
However, Wasps and Shields appealed that suspension and it has now been struck off.
An independent appeal committee has ruled that Shields’ actions should only have resulted in a yellow card due to “on-field mitigation.”
The Wasps back row – who played in the second row last weekend due to injuries and Covid cases at the English club – is now free to play immediately.

https://www.the42.ie/brad-shields-muns ... Dec2021/

[sockwithaticket]

Common sense.

BRAD SHIELDS’ FOUR-week ban after a red card against Munster in the Champions Cup last weekend has been overturned after an appeal.
The Wasps captain was sent off by referee Romain Poite for a high tackle on Dave Kilcoyne in the first half of Munster’s bonus-point win against Coventry last weekend.
Shields was then handed a four-week ban by an independent disciplinary panel.
However, Wasps and Shields appealed that suspension and it has now been struck off.
An independent appeal committee has ruled that Shields’ actions should only have resulted in a yellow card due to “on-field mitigation.”
The Wasps back row – who played in the second row last weekend due to injuries and Covid cases at the English club – is now free to play immediately.

https://www.the42.ie/brad-shields-muns ... Dec2021/

Yeah I mentioned it in the now moot Wasps team announcement, right decision. Ridiculous that the disciplinary panel needed us to appeal the decisions before conceding it was a yellow offence, but at least Brad's now available for the next block of Prem games.

[Niegs]

Common sense.

BRAD SHIELDS’ FOUR-week ban after a red card against Munster in the Champions Cup last weekend has been overturned after an appeal.
The Wasps captain was sent off by referee Romain Poite for a high tackle on Dave Kilcoyne in the first half of Munster’s bonus-point win against Coventry last weekend.
Shields was then handed a four-week ban by an independent disciplinary panel.
However, Wasps and Shields appealed that suspension and it has now been struck off.
An independent appeal committee has ruled that Shields’ actions should only have resulted in a yellow card due to “on-field mitigation.”
The Wasps back row – who played in the second row last weekend due to injuries and Covid cases at the English club – is now free to play immediately.

https://www.the42.ie/brad-shields-muns ... Dec2021/

Yeah I mentioned it in the now moot Wasps team announcement, right decision. Ridiculous that the disciplinary panel needed us to appeal the decisions before conceding it was a yellow offence, but at least Brad's now available for the next block of Prem games.

What would have been the mitigation? I thought he basically stood tall and put a shoulder in (or was run into at that height?).

Edit... found the full match with the slo-mo replays, should start at that moment:


Funny how from behind Shields' back it looks like shot to the jaw. From behind Kilcoyne's back, doesn't look as bad. If they're saying the Munster player 'dipped', I don't think I'd go that far. I thought they were trying to punish and change this sort of thing - standing tall in the tackle, encouraging a bend at the waist.

[sockwithaticket]

Common sense.

https://www.the42.ie/brad-shields-muns ... Dec2021/

Yeah I mentioned it in the now moot Wasps team announcement, right decision. Ridiculous that the disciplinary panel needed us to appeal the decisions before conceding it was a yellow offence, but at least Brad's now available for the next block of Prem games.

What would have been the mitigation? I thought he basically stood tall and put a shoulder in (or was run into at that height?).

Haven't see the official line, but I'd be leading with the examples of similar offences that have been given yellows rather than reds this season.

Edit - for clarity, I think that offence should still be a red. However, if others are being yellowed for that behaviour, I want my club treated the same.

[TheFrog]

The travel ban is political, it's purely because of the issues between the UK and French governments over fishing/migrants etc.

France already has Omicron, they have more people in hospital than the UK, they've not banned travel from other countries with confirmed Omicron in the community.

Absolutely, almost every decision made by most governments in regard of Covid has been political.
Also, you forgot the nuke Subs and Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc)

I understand Macron going after the UK, but why does O'Macron punish Ireland?

[JM2K6]

Common sense.

https://www.the42.ie/brad-shields-muns ... Dec2021/

Yeah I mentioned it in the now moot Wasps team announcement, right decision. Ridiculous that the disciplinary panel needed us to appeal the decisions before conceding it was a yellow offence, but at least Brad's now available for the next block of Prem games.

What would have been the mitigation? I thought he basically stood tall and put a shoulder in (or was run into at that height?).

Edit... found the full match with the slo-mo replays, should start at that moment:


Funny how from behind Shields' back it looks like shot to the jaw. From behind Kilcoyne's back, doesn't look as bad. If they're saying the Munster player 'dipped', I don't think I'd go that far. I thought they were trying to punish and change this sort of thing - standing tall in the tackle, encouraging a bend at the waist.

Surprised they overturned that.

[petej]

Does this mean that the Leinster game has no longer been awarded ?, & is now just postponed ?

The Clubs, the Unions, & the media need these games to happen; & just giving walkovers; when the games can still go ahead is idiotic; for all concerned.

Macron needs a kick up the hole; Omicron isn't getting stopped by travel bans.

Saw an interesting comment about Macron’s travel ban from a French scientist this morning:

Professor Philippe Froguel, a clinical scientist who works at Lille University Hospital and Imperial College London, said he suspected that the vast majority of Omicron cases in France had been missed. He said: “Nothing coherent or comprehensive has been done in France for Omicron and we don’t know how many cases we have. But for sure we should have thousands of undiagnosed cases.” France, he said, did not do enough sequencing — about 1 per cent of cases — and reported the results with a three-week delay."

The travel ban is political, it's purely because of the issues between the UK and French governments over fishing/migrants etc.

France already has Omicron, they have more people in hospital than the UK, they've not banned travel from other countries with confirmed Omicron in the community.

If Denmark has it France definitely does.

[Tichtheid]

Honking defence from Northampton

[Oxbow]

It's going to be a long night.

[Torquemada 1420]

Ulster play really nice rugby but Saints defending stinking for 2nd week on the trot.

[Oxbow]

Fuck's sake.

[Torquemada 1420]

Ball was never reaching the Ulster player even if Mitchell hadn't batted it down.

[Torquemada 1420]

Abysmal by Skosan.

[Tichtheid]

That shows the vagaries of rugby, how the fuck are Saints still in the game? They were third best in that half.

[SaintK]

That shows the vagaries of rugby, how the fuck are Saints still in the game? They were third best in that half.

Quite!!!

[fishfoodie]

I hope Waller is okay !

The midwife that delivered Marty got a hernia lifting him

[Tichtheid]

Not sure the three points is the best option here, build the position even if you don’t score from the line out