2024/2025 Not Heineken Cup

[Torquemada 1420]

Exeter's idea of defending is beyond embarrassing.

[Tichtheid]

That is terrible from Exeter, really poor.

[Tichtheid]

That is terrible from Exeter, really poor.

Ulster - "Hold my beer"

[Uncle fester]

All Leinster second rows for both teams

Roux was at Leinster?

For about 5 minutes

[Dan54]

Well watched that game9Or about 50 minutes or so) this morning. Was live here about 9am, so handy time.
Conclusion was although I enjoyed waht I saw in general, the defnce of both teams kind of ruined the game. I loved some of the tries, but just getannoyed when so many basic errors in defence. I know they happen etc, but one or 2 of them looked as if the players didn't know what they were supposed to do, and even worse maybe just came from basic no communication between players.

[OomStruisbaai]

Sharks are through to the play offs. Just need to keep their loss under 28.

[Torquemada 1420]

Sharks are through to the play offs. Just need to keep their loss under 28.

Not a given.

[JM2K6]

Well watched that game9Or about 50 minutes or so) this morning. Was live here about 9am, so handy time.
Conclusion was although I enjoyed waht I saw in general, the defnce of both teams kind of ruined the game. I loved some of the tries, but just getannoyed when so many basic errors in defence. I know they happen etc, but one or 2 of them looked as if the players didn't know what they were supposed to do, and even worse maybe just came from basic no communication between players.

Exeter have been a genuine disaster this season and that was largely a second team. Frankly amazed it was 17-17 at half time.

[Kawazaki]

Rob Baxter will get his usual free pass from the rugby media and it will be somebody else's fault.

[PCPhil]

That's no way to speak about a future England coach.

[TheNatalShark]

Sharks are through to the play offs. Just need to keep their loss under 28.

The format is so dumb I'm not even paying attention to how it works. So there is a last 16, vast majority of teams qualify? So dumb.

Anyway, if the 2/3s of the injured team are back by April, and Plum has a better grip of the team, then it is good I guess.

[SaintK]

Rob Baxter will get his usual free pass from the rugby media and it will be somebody else's fault.

He and the coaching team have been there far too long. It needs a complete clear out though that won’t happen while Rowe is the majority shareholder

[JM2K6]

That may be true, but I'm pretty sure Exeter are running on a restricted budget, they've lost almost everyone that formed the successful side of the last decade, and it's extremely hard to halt a slide like that.

With all that in mind, them losing away in Europe with a second team where they were competitive for half of it barely registers in their list of woes this season.

I will say that sides are finding out pretty quickly that the recent relatively cheap Welsh signings are largely not worth it. Bristol have done well with them. Outside of that, IFW, Tomos Williams, and maybe Anscombe have been successes in the premiership. Jarrod Evans at Quins is a good second choice even if he's not quite at the standard his fans thought.

Joe Hawkins, Dafydd Jenkins, Iestyn Harris (recently retired), Oli Burrows at Exeter; Wyn Jones, Dillon Evans, Leigh Halfpenny at Quins, and a bunch of even lesser known journeymen have been largely making up the numbers.

[SaintK]

That may be true, but I'm pretty sure Exeter are running on a restricted budget, they've lost almost everyone that formed the successful side of the last decade, and it's extremely hard to halt a slide like that.

With all that in mind, them losing away in Europe with a second team where they were competitive for half of it barely registers in their list of woes this season.

I will say that sides are finding out pretty quickly that the recent relatively cheap Welsh signings are largely not worth it. Bristol have done well with them. Outside of that, IFW, Tomos Williams, and maybe Anscombe have been successes in the premiership. Jarrod Evans at Quins is a good second choice even if he's not quite at the standard his fans thought.

Joe Hawkins, Dafydd Jenkins, Iestyn Harris (recently retired), Oli Burrows at Exeter; Wyn Jones, Dillon Evans, Leigh Halfpenny at Quins, and a bunch of even lesser known journeymen have been largely making up the numbers.

That's true. Vermeulen is due to head for Japan at the end of the season which will leave just Slade and Yeandle (who rarely starts a game now) from the double winning team.
As well as the Welsh signings, I'm not sure plucking players from unversities in the BUCS competition is a long term answer either

[fishfoodie]

Well watched that game9Or about 50 minutes or so) this morning. Was live here about 9am, so handy time.
Conclusion was although I enjoyed waht I saw in general, the defnce of both teams kind of ruined the game. I loved some of the tries, but just getannoyed when so many basic errors in defence. I know they happen etc, but one or 2 of them looked as if the players didn't know what they were supposed to do, and even worse maybe just came from basic no communication between players.

Exeter have been a genuine disaster this season and that was largely a second team. Frankly amazed it was 17-17 at half time.

Ulster haven't exactly been tearing up trees lately, so it was a bit of a cripple fight.

[dpedin]

That may be true, but I'm pretty sure Exeter are running on a restricted budget, they've lost almost everyone that formed the successful side of the last decade, and it's extremely hard to halt a slide like that.

With all that in mind, them losing away in Europe with a second team where they were competitive for half of it barely registers in their list of woes this season.

I will say that sides are finding out pretty quickly that the recent relatively cheap Welsh signings are largely not worth it. Bristol have done well with them. Outside of that, IFW, Tomos Williams, and maybe Anscombe have been successes in the premiership. Jarrod Evans at Quins is a good second choice even if he's not quite at the standard his fans thought.

Joe Hawkins, Dafydd Jenkins, Iestyn Harris (recently retired), Oli Burrows at Exeter; Wyn Jones, Dillon Evans, Leigh Halfpenny at Quins, and a bunch of even lesser known journeymen have been largely making up the numbers.

Even allowing for it being a 2nd choice Exeter team the level of organization and motivation was just awful and reflects very badly on the coaching team. They were hardly playing a top class Ulster team who tried hard to let Exeter make a match of it. Good to see Cooney add a real touch of class to the game when he came on, real top player and would do a turn for a lot of teams at the moment if he leaves Ulster as expected.

[Kawazaki]

Rob Baxter will get his usual free pass from the rugby media and it will be somebody else's fault.

Exhibit A

...they've lost almost everyone that formed the successful side of the last decade, and it's extremely hard to halt a slide like that.

[Torquemada 1420]

Stade's discipline up to its current standard again.

[Slick]

Just turned off the Bulls game, SF absolutely pathetic.

[ASMO]

Is this Stade 2nd or 3rd xv?

[Torquemada 1420]

Is this Stade 2nd or 3rd xv?

Half way between the 2. My cousin's bf is on the bench and he rarely gets 1st team game time.

[Torquemada 1420]

Just turned off the Bulls game, SF absolutely pathetic.

An accurate advert for this comp.

[OomStruisbaai]

Small crowd.

[OomStruisbaai]

Bulls scrum totally dominating

[JM2K6]

That may be true, but I'm pretty sure Exeter are running on a restricted budget, they've lost almost everyone that formed the successful side of the last decade, and it's extremely hard to halt a slide like that.

With all that in mind, them losing away in Europe with a second team where they were competitive for half of it barely registers in their list of woes this season.

I will say that sides are finding out pretty quickly that the recent relatively cheap Welsh signings are largely not worth it. Bristol have done well with them. Outside of that, IFW, Tomos Williams, and maybe Anscombe have been successes in the premiership. Jarrod Evans at Quins is a good second choice even if he's not quite at the standard his fans thought.

Joe Hawkins, Dafydd Jenkins, Iestyn Harris (recently retired), Oli Burrows at Exeter; Wyn Jones, Dillon Evans, Leigh Halfpenny at Quins, and a bunch of even lesser known journeymen have been largely making up the numbers.

Even allowing for it being a 2nd choice Exeter team the level of organization and motivation was just awful and reflects very badly on the coaching team. They were hardly playing a top class Ulster team who tried hard to let Exeter make a match of it. Good to see Cooney add a real touch of class to the game when he came on, real top player and would do a turn for a lot of teams at the moment if he leaves Ulster as expected.

It's a random team selection in a competition they cannot care about at this stage, and they're a proud club getting properly pounded every week. Of course the organisation and motivation is lacking.

[Biffer]

Just turned off the Bulls game, SF absolutely pathetic.

An accurate advert for this comp.

I remember the spivs telling us they’d get rid of dead rubber games with their new format competition.

[Torquemada 1420]

Just turned off the Bulls game, SF absolutely pathetic.

An accurate advert for this comp.

I remember the spivs telling us they’d get rid of dead rubber games with their new format competition.

The "spivs" are the dead rubbers. Not going to erase themselves.

[Kawazaki]

Just turned off the Bulls game, SF absolutely pathetic.

An accurate advert for this comp.

I remember the spivs telling us they’d get rid of dead rubber games with their new format competition.

Scotland contribute a grand total of two sides full of plastic Jocks. You should grateful for what you get.

[ASMO]

I am struggling to remember if i have ever seen a team less interested in being on being on the pitch than this Stade team.

[Biffer]

An accurate advert for this comp.

I remember the spivs telling us they’d get rid of dead rubber games with their new format competition.

Scotland contribute a grand total of two sides full of plastic Jocks. You should grateful for what you get.

More than you ever contribute on here.

[GrahamWa]

Rank game last night, worse first game up today. The majority of competition pool matches are rotten and the top rank v bottom rank in the next phase will be just as pish.

When you think a win would put SF into the next phase, WTF.

[Sandstorm]

Fucking Loftus DJ just keeps on spinning the decks. Cnut.

[C T]

How is home quarters/semis decided? Just trying to figure out why the group stages have got pish.

[Biffer]

How is home quarters/semis decided? Just trying to figure out why the group stages have got pish.

Top eight seed get home tie in the last 16

[fishfoodie]

Oh Mitchell, that's shocking

[Oxbow]

Are you effing blind touch judge?

[Kawazaki]

Wow pass from Fin Smith.

That's what top 10s do, they make those around them tick.

[Torquemada 1420]

Wow pass from Fin Smith.

That's what top 10s do, they make those around them tick.

Which is the opposite of what Belleau is doing for ASM. Started very promising in his career but is sooooooo slow not that even front rowers are quick by comparison.

[Slick]

An accurate advert for this comp.

I remember the spivs telling us they’d get rid of dead rubber games with their new format competition.

Scotland contribute a grand total of two sides full of plastic Jocks. You should grateful for what you get.

You are an extremely odd chap. Disappear or get banned, come back reasonable for a couple of weeks then just regress into some bitter man child before getting banned or leaving again. I’d think you were a teenager if you hadn’t been doing the same routine for 20 years. Just odd.

[Torquemada 1420]

Raka you f**kwit