NPR

ASMO wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 2:57 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 2:53 pm Raises an interesting speculation: which Sale turns out next week both in terms of squad and performance?

With nothing to play for, i wouldn't bet against it being an "inexperienced" side

Will make for an interesting atmosphere in the Braz household

Maybe Sarries to squeak through at home to Castres, Munster will likely lose to Northampton away would see Sarries qualify.

ASMO wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 2:59 pm Maybe Sarries to squeak through at home to Castres, Munster will likely lose to Northampton away would see Sarries qualify.

Depends what Saints' backline ends up like with their injuries.

Toulon were well worth the bonus point win, won the physical battle and showed some razor sharp attacking too. Good to watch and they look extremely difficult to beat at home.

Annoyed by us bombing multiple tries, probably one of our better attacking performances this season but the error count continues to kill us. Ultimately that's the biggest indictment of this team, the skills are way below where they used to be.

We know that English clubs aren't going to match too many French sides in terms of size and power, but for Quins it's made harder because our only natural 12 has completely failed to step up, so we're shoehorning a 13 in that position and hoping for the best. Result: we can't stop midfield runners at source, which is lethal. Lovely to see Waghorn come on and absolutely melt a couple of people, but it'd be a big ask for him to make the step up this season.

Shame we were missing most of our locks and Isgro, but the errors aren't going to magically go away when they return.

ASMO wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 2:14 pm Dombrandt having a mare, got melted by Isa in the tackle and just shit the bed on a certain try

It's irritating because he had already put Murley away for what should've been a cracking try and he clearly made the wrong call. Whatever about him getting mashed by Isa, who then did the same to Hammond, because that's life and it's going to happen when a guy who made his name melting people in the Rugby Championship is getting a head of steam.

I will say that "having a mare" doesn't look like that, though. Dombrandt made more carries (16) than anyone else , more tackles (25/2) than anyone else by a mile, more metres (62) than any other forward (and more than any Toulon player), and actually made an impact at the breakdown. Gave away some penalties and made a couple of errors, but that ledger is heavily weighted in his favour. Same with Murley - he should've nailed that first try but he was a big positive for Quins overall.

Baxter is getting flogged after Marler's retirement, Walker is getting flogged after Jibulu's injury, Lamositele is a waste of a signing, Launchbury & Hammond are a dreadful combo and miles off Lewies/Herbst/Lamb, Porter's form has dropped off, Care is a thousand years old, David lacks physicality and Green is just back from injury. Can't fault the attitude in most matches but there are structural problems in the squad at the moment.

At least 3 times this season I have forgotten that Jordie Barrett signed for Leinster and each time I laugh in disbelief when I remember

Lard Arse's fitness fails him again

Why oh why when teams have a 3 on 1 overlap do they then toss a miss pass and let the defence just slide over and make the tackle

At some point Leinster might cop a yellow.

ASMO wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:42 pm Why oh why when teams have a 3 on 1 overlap do they then toss a miss pass and let the defence just slide over and make the tackle

What do they get coached? And how often is the miss pass level or even behind the runner too?

Brilliant playing of the ref by Leinster. Take the 3 and in the ref's mind the clock is reset on the counter towards a yellow.

Lard Arse misses his tackle and..........

Colombe on and so Leinster will win a pen at every scrum.

Hilarious how Hastoy stopped and then so did everyone else for a moment

How the fuck did Nowell get away with that ????

As a general observation, of the English players in France
- the fwds (excepting Vunipola) are doing a good job. In the case of Ribbans, exceptional.
- the backs are gash with the exception of Nowell who fits in with LaR's particular "style" of play.

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:55 pm How the fuck did Nowell get away with that ????

Lots of whining by the Irish players forever after but he clearly went for the ball with 2 hands.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:52 pm Colombe on and so Leinster will win a pen at every scrum.

Looked more like Colombe being too long.

This is shite.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:58 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:55 pm How the fuck did Nowell get away with that ????

Lots of whining by the Irish players forever after but he clearly went for the ball with 2 hands.

Using two hands didn't make it a serious attempt to catch, if it did we'd never see deliberate knock-ons given, because all the players would just use two hands.

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:30 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:58 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:55 pm How the fuck did Nowell get away with that ????

Lots of whining by the Irish players forever after but he clearly went for the ball with 2 hands.

Using two hands didn't make it a serious attempt to catch, if it did we'd never see deliberate knock-ons given, because all the players would just use two hands.

Don't be daft. They get pinged precisely because they don't get close enough to use both hands and there's no clear attempt to catch it.

Bristol - Benetton has been a bit of a try fest so far if anyone's getting bored by the 'premium' fixture.

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:30 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:30 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:58 pm

Lots of whining by the Irish players forever after but he clearly went for the ball with 2 hands.

Using two hands didn't make it a serious attempt to catch, if it did we'd never see deliberate knock-ons given, because all the players would just use two hands.

Don't be daft. They get pinged precisely because they don't get close enough to use both hands and there's no clear attempt to catch it.

Well for this one it was 98% block the pass, & 2% attempt to catch.

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:33 pm

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:30 pm

fishfoodie wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:30 pm

Using two hands didn't make it a serious attempt to catch, if it did we'd never see deliberate knock-ons given, because all the players would just use two hands.

Don't be daft. They get pinged precisely because they don't get close enough to use both hands and there's no clear attempt to catch it.

Well for this one it was 98% block the pass, & 2% attempt to catch.

Yeah righto

lmao this is dreadful

Lovely bit of work on the wing from La Rochelle

Finally a bit of class.

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:38 pm lmao this is dreadful

Given the two teams history it was unlikely to be a classic; I think Leinster would have always been happy with a 0 - 3 win

Hastoy really has repeatedly shit the bed today. Kicking that ball away was a disastrous decision.

TMO is on drugs

Brizzle scrape a fortunate win against Ben Elton, god how shyte are English teams in Europe.

Also on drugs, the Irish commentators

Appropriate ending - LaR panic and attempt a drop goal immediately with no setup, it gets charged down, then they produce about 20 phases of zero creativity or thought and eventually throw a forward pass under little pressure while the commentators try and make out that this was a classic for the ages.

Thank fuck that's over

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 5:07 pm Also on drugs, the Irish commentators

I'm not sure if they're watching the same match, but the comms team always have to big up the shite they're broadcasting

ASMO wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 5:06 pm Brizzle scrape a fortunate win against Ben Elton, god how shyte are English teams in Europe.

Fortunate? They had the lead almost all game.

Lamaro not realising he's on live TV and starting his post-game interview with "Fuck me"

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 5:13 pm

ASMO wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 5:06 pm Brizzle scrape a fortunate win against Ben Elton, god how shyte are English teams in Europe.

Fortunate? They had the lead almost all game.

Benetton had a couple of tries chalked off that could quite easily have been given. Particularly the last one on about minute 77.

ASMO wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2025 5:06 pm Brizzle scrape a fortunate win against Ben Elton, god how shyte are English teams in Europe.

Ben Elton

Ah, that good old rock solid Bath lineout.

Got a fairly low res stream but the commentators calling Max Ojomoh Ollie Lawrence is not a good look

De Glanville with the lovely hair and the strangely simple finish.