2022/23 Champions/Challenge Cup

[Simian]

The Sale result pretty much sums up for me why England is struggling. English title challengers field full strength side against URC oppos lying at the bottom end of its comp and lose. Second season running where English representation is going to be negligible. Last season I thought it was just one of those things but after the "Celts" comp. being a joke pretty much forever (propped up solely by the Irish), it really looks like it's England that has the sick man now.

Great game, well I would say that. So that was Sale’s regular scrum that was taken to the cleaner’s? I finally saw what the fuss is about with Mason Grady and Priestland had a blinder. Tuilagi did less damage than I feared.

Grady seemed to come of age today, a nice turn off pace and looked assured and pacey was the best Centre on the pitch.

By a fair distance too, I thought

[SaintK]

Leicester the only Prem side through so far although Sarasins and Chiefs should both follow.

Leicester were awful though and beat an even more awful Edinburgh who haven't won on the road for a long time and sit 14 out of 16 in the league. Edinburgh practically gave them the win on Friday night. Mid table Cardiff beat Sale, 2nd top of the Premiership. Quins and Gloucester a bit unlucky?

Interesting games today!

I wouldn't bet against Ospreys turning over Saracens and if Exeter play as badly as the have been recently they'll also get beaten

[C69]

Leicester the only Prem side through so far although Sarasins and Chiefs should both follow.

Leicester were awful though and beat an even more awful Edinburgh who haven't won on the road for a long time and sit 14 out of 16 in the league. Edinburgh practically gave them the win on Friday night. Mid table Cardiff beat Sale, 2nd top of the Premiership. Quins and Gloucester a bit unlucky?

Interesting games today!

I wouldn't bet against Ospreys turning over Saracens and if Exeter play as badly as the have been recently they'll also get beaten

Can't see the Ospreys doing anything tbh, just want to see Anscombe back on the field.

However knowing Welsh rugby and a RWC on the horizon, now is the time they will find form and surprise me.

[Paddington Bear]

Leicester the only Prem side through so far although Sarasins and Chiefs should both follow.

Leicester were awful though and beat an even more awful Edinburgh who haven't won on the road for a long time and sit 14 out of 16 in the league. Edinburgh practically gave them the win on Friday night. Mid table Cardiff beat Sale, 2nd top of the Premiership. Quins and Gloucester a bit unlucky?

Interesting games today!

I wouldn't bet against Ospreys turning over Saracens and if Exeter play as badly as the have been recently they'll also get beaten

Sarries are definite favourites but it is no foregone conclusion. I reckon Exeter will lose by 20 points, they have been dismal the last couple of times I’ve seen them.

In amongst ‘x English team can’t beat/scraped by y average URC side’ we have to also account for Gloucester, a non-entity of an English side, nearly turning over the reigning champions and probably deserving to. Knock out sport is a funny beast.

[SaintK]

Leicester were awful though and beat an even more awful Edinburgh who haven't won on the road for a long time and sit 14 out of 16 in the league. Edinburgh practically gave them the win on Friday night. Mid table Cardiff beat Sale, 2nd top of the Premiership. Quins and Gloucester a bit unlucky?

Interesting games today!

I wouldn't bet against Ospreys turning over Saracens and if Exeter play as badly as the have been recently they'll also get beaten

Sarries are definite favourites but it is no foregone conclusion. I reckon Exeter will lose by 20 points, they have been dismal the last couple of times I’ve seen them.

In amongst ‘x English team can’t beat/scraped by y average URC side’ we have to also account for Gloucester, a non-entity of an English side, nearly turning over the reigning champions and probably deserving to. Knock out sport is a funny beast.

Stop it, you're spoiling Torque's narrative!

[Oxbow]

That makes me happy Langdon is coming to Saints next season.

[ASMO]

Pathetic attempt at a tackle from the Exeter wing

[ASMO]

Too easy, Exeter an absolute shambles

[OomStruisbaai]

Montpellier will have to play much better to win this one.

[ASMO]

That was cretinous by Stooke

[ASMO]

Fuck off is that a red card

[sockwithaticket]

Fuck off is that a red card

Why not?

[OomStruisbaai]

That's the game. Stormers can pack their bags

[fishfoodie]

That's the game. Stormers can pack their bags

Plenty of time for Exeter to fuck this up, & get their own RC

[ASMO]

Fuck off is that a red card

Why not?

Low degree of danger, both players bent, definate wrap and the player was already tackled and at a standstill.

[sockwithaticket]

Fuck off is that a red card

Why not?

Low degree of danger, both players bent, definate wrap and the player was already tackled and at a standstill.

Mercer might have bent his knees a bit, but he was not bent at the hips, which is what refs want to see, and he was hitting forward and up. Not passive enough to be deemed low degree of danger (which I think is bollocks, abused by refs and in need of removal from the framework anyway).

It's a perfect example of the sort of tackle some refs will give a yellow over and others a red. It should be a red every time imo.

[LenCohen]

No wonder some French teams don't bother their arse about Europe, some of these ref decisions are scandalous

[ASMO]

Another thing they need to look at. Exeter cheating at the ruck, caused an accidental knock on so the try was rightly ruled out, yet Montpelier lost 2 minutes of time due to that cheating so net result, Exeter rewarded.

[LenCohen]

Was an absolute bs call all round

[sockwithaticket]

With the Sandy Park crowd having started up that fucking chant again, I hope Montpellier get the score.

[JM2K6]

It was a knock on by the laws but Neville takes far, far too long on decisions.

I thought the red was a yellow as I didn't really see the high degree of danger, it was pretty static and looked soft in real time. However he was upright and hitting up and hit him direct in the head so there's very little grounds for complaint.

Good to see Exeter's reserve team doing so well against such a highly rated French team. No one told them of the narrative I guess, news travels slow down there.

Big finish here. Brace missed a blatant penalty at the ruck, Langdon in the side with a diving shoulder into the back of an Exeter player - absolutely blatant stuff, ridiculous. Goes back to the discussion earlier about how rucks are refereed these days, it's an absolute nonsense.

[OomStruisbaai]

Xtra time?

[ASMO]

Xtra time?

10 mins each way

[Torquemada 1420]

Just in and 2 things I guess could have been predicted:
a) MH with a red card. Only surprise it's not Haouas.
b) English club struggling to beat oppos playing with 14 men for an age.

[JM2K6]

Just in and 2 things I guess could have been predicted:
a) MH with a red card. Only surprise it's not Haouas.
b) English club struggling to beat oppos playing with 14 men for an age.

Since when did 14 men make a huge difference? It's extremely common in rugby.

Exeter have been good despite an on paper gulf between the sides.

[OomStruisbaai]

Technology difficulties this side. Keep us updated

[JM2K6]

Exeter with a huge maul but held up when it seemed like scoring was inevitable.

E: no idea why Yeandle broke off there. Bizarre decision, that's entirely his fault it's not been scored

[Torquemada 1420]

Just in and 2 things I guess could have been predicted:
a) MH with a red card. Only surprise it's not Haouas.
b) English club struggling to beat oppos playing with 14 men for an age.

Since when did 14 men make a huge difference? It's extremely common in rugby.

Exeter have been good despite an on paper gulf between the sides.

I assume you mean the paper gulf in Exeter's favour?

Because MH have been absolutely dire in T14 all season. Worst side to watch too..

As an aside, just how TF do you fail to ground there having mauled past the line?

[JM2K6]

Just in and 2 things I guess could have been predicted:
a) MH with a red card. Only surprise it's not Haouas.
b) English club struggling to beat oppos playing with 14 men for an age.

Since when did 14 men make a huge difference? It's extremely common in rugby.

Exeter have been good despite an on paper gulf between the sides.

I assume you mean the paper gulf in Exeter's favour?

Because MH have been absolutely dire in T14 all season. Worst side to watch too..

As an aside, just how TF do you fail to ground there having mauled past the line?

I have never seen several of these Exeter players before. They are a poor side having a poor season again and this is far from their first XV.

Montpellier are the T14 champions with a star studded squad.

[Slick]

Just seen the red, that’s very weak

Edit: but a very careless position to get himself in

[Torquemada 1420]

FFS, Exeter are going to end up screwing my GS picks for the FR

[Torquemada 1420]

I have never seen several of these Exeter players before. They are a poor side having a poor season again and this is far from their first XV.

Montpellier are the T14 champions with a star studded squad.

None of us can work out how these rugby-cancer, merc ****s won the T14. I guess that really sums up the ridiculously attritional nature of it as a comp. But this lot are absolutely the perfect example of rugby being a team game.

Pity Toulon were stupid enough to expel Carbonel.

{EDIT} And that's why.

[JM2K6]

Sam Simmonds with the classic attempt to buy a penalty when not able to lift the ball and the ref doesn't fall for it. One of the random hobos wearing Exeter shirts in the midfield makes a bad defensive call and Montpellier walk in the try.

Yeandle has cost them the game, I think.

[OomStruisbaai]

How much time?

[JM2K6]

How much time?

3 minutes, Montpellier with all the momentum

[Torquemada 1420]

How much time?

Not enough.

[fishfoodie]

26 - 33 3min to go

[OomStruisbaai]

Cheers

[Torquemada 1420]

Kerrist: 14 men now running rings around Exeter

[Torquemada 1420]

TFFT