2022/23 Champions/Challenge Cup

[Tichtheid]

I still can't believe we haven't capped Hassell-Collins.

I'd love to know if he's any Irish Grandparents

He's played England 7s, is that not still a capture?

[sockwithaticket]

I'm happy for that Creevy incident to be a red if it always is, but judging it so isn't at all consistent with how we've seen it reffed at international level for the past couple of years or in the Prem and I suspect it won't be reffed that strictly in a lot of other matches we'll see during the Champions cup either.

I still can't believe we haven't capped Hassell-Collins.

I'd love to know if he's any Irish Grandparents

We already let you have Billy Burns, what more do you want?

[Tichtheid]

Another nice try, Ben White did well

[fishfoodie]

I'm happy for that Creevy incident to be a red if it always is, but judging it so isn't at all consistent with how we've seen it reffed at international level for the past couple of years or in the Prem and I suspect it won't be reffed that strictly in a lot of other matches we'll see during the Champions cup either.

I still can't believe we haven't capped Hassell-Collins.

I'd love to know if he's any Irish Grandparents

We already let you have Billy Burns, what more do you want?

Precisely !

[Tichtheid]

Pffft, Sexton will be playing 10 for Ireland long after Burns has retired, he'll be there for the Qatar Rugby World Cup in 2039

[Tichtheid]

That is a play I have no idea about, I can see it can be called either way, tbh.

[sockwithaticket]

Ball's transferred forward to Reinach imo.

[Tichtheid]

Ball's transferred forward to Reinach imo.

I can see that, but by the same token, the Mont player was going backwards at the time so it could well be called flat, I didn't see an arm outreached to transfer the ball

[Tichtheid]

Benetton are leading Stade Francais 9-3 at half time in Paris.

[robmatic]

Benetton are leading Stade Francais 9-3 at half time in Paris.

French teams really don't care about the diddy cup.

[Tichtheid]

Benetton are leading Stade Francais 9-3 at half time in Paris.

French teams really don't care about the diddy cup.

Yeah, I know, and I say fuck them for not caring, I like to see them lose when they put out a thirds, if that is indeed what they've done. The French clubs do more than most to devalue the Challenge Cup.

[Tichtheid]

Having seen him throw to an Edinburgh line out, I'd rather see any flanker thrown in than Mike Willemse - great player in the loose, mind.

[Tichtheid]

Yup, there we go.

[Tichtheid]

Lovely try, quick ball, quick hands, from Montpellier

[Tichtheid]

The man advantage is really starting to tell now, very good patience from Montpellier, just play the basics well and the gaps will appear.

[Tichtheid]

You have to think that's that.

Montpellier are doing all the right things now.


Is everyone watching the football or something?

[Tichtheid]

The impressively-named Chandler Cunningham-South looks the part

[sockwithaticket]

I was eating, so stopped commenting.

The impressively-named Chandler Cunningham-South looks the part

He's got the physique, but when I've seen him for the U20s and Irish in the past he's been prone to bad handling.

[sockwithaticket]

Got to sort scrums out. Montpol are pissing away Irish's precious time here.

Edit - And then that happens. Gut punch.

[Tichtheid]

That is a real shame, brilliant finish apart from the white line

[sockwithaticket]

That's a bit of a sorry way to end things. Didn't need to go for the long ball there, they were making ground steadily while being patient.

[Margin__Walker]

Red card and the screw up at the end of the first half murdered us there in the end.

Creevy's great and all, but he's always got a brain dead card in him.

[Tichtheid]

Red card and the screw up at the end of the first half murdered us there in the end.

Creevy's great and all, but he's always got a brain dead card in him.

It definitely decided the game, the red card, but I do not hold with those who say it spoils the match, especially not for head collisions.

[Tichtheid]

They are talking about Ben White reading the wrong clock - there was a Glasgow v Edinburgh game where the Edinburgh scrum half heard the half time hooter and kicked it out, but in fact it was the horn from a train going by the ground. Glasgow scored from the restart.

[Margin__Walker]

Red card and the screw up at the end of the first half murdered us there in the end.

Creevy's great and all, but he's always got a brain dead card in him.

It definitely decided the game, the red card, but I do not hold with those who say it spoils the match, especially not for head collisions.

Oh sure. It was a clear red. Gave the ref no choice with that one. Had to go

[bok_viking]

Bulls B Team vs Lyon

15 Wandisile Simelane 14 Sibongile Novuka 13 Stedman Gans 12 Marco Jansen van Vuren 11 Stravino Jacobs 10 Morné Steyn (captain) 9 Bernard van der Linde 8 Muller Uys 7 WJ Steenkamp 6 Nizaam Carr 5 Reinhardt Ludwig 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Jacques van Rooyen 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Dylan Smith.

Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels 17 Lizo Gqoboka 18 Sebastian Lombard 19 Janko Swanepoel 20 Phumzile Maqondwana 21 Keagan Johannes 22 Chris Barend Smith 23 Juan Mostert.

As a fan who pays to go watch the game live, I am not to happy with this team, some good players in there but no cohesion as they barely play. Not so confident of a win with this team first out. Even if White says rotation is needed and the Springbok players needed to be given time off, giving the full A team off in one go is a bit arrogant. Hope this team somehow pulls it off somehow. I guess we will see what kind of depth the Bulls have now.

[OomStruisbaai]

Stade Français 24-14 Benetton
The scorers:

For Stade Français:
Tries: Megdoud, Ward, Etien
Cons: Barre 3
Pen: Barre

For Benetton:
Try: Maile
Pens: Umaga 3

Perpignan 5-19 Bristol Bears
The scorers:

For Perpignan:
Try: Shahn

For Bristol Bears:
Tries: Piutau, Harding, Jenkins
Cons: MacGinty 2

[OomStruisbaai]

Bulls B Team vs Lyon

15 Wandisile Simelane 14 Sibongile Novuka 13 Stedman Gans 12 Marco Jansen van Vuren 11 Stravino Jacobs 10 Morné Steyn (captain) 9 Bernard van der Linde 8 Muller Uys 7 WJ Steenkamp 6 Nizaam Carr 5 Reinhardt Ludwig 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Jacques van Rooyen 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Dylan Smith.

Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels 17 Lizo Gqoboka 18 Sebastian Lombard 19 Janko Swanepoel 20 Phumzile Maqondwana 21 Keagan Johannes 22 Chris Barend Smith 23 Juan Mostert.

As a fan who pays to go watch the game live, I am not to happy with this team, some good players in there but no cohesion as they barely play. Not so confident of a win with this team first out. Even if White says rotation is needed and the Springbok players needed to be given time off, giving the full A team off in one go is a bit arrogant. Hope this team somehow pulls it off somehow. I guess we will see what kind of depth the Bulls have now.

You are to hard on him. Stormers rotate every game since the start of the season. They have to even if they drop a match or two. It's a long season ahead and they work with big squads. Powell said on SR also this and the Stormers got it right.

[Torquemada 1420]

Okay. I'm confused. Just noticed the Cheetahs are in the Mickey Mouse but they don't even play in the URC

So when was the last time they even played anybody?

Cheetahs has been invited.
viewtopic.php?p=210463&hilit=Cheetahs#p210463

They played against Emercing Ireland and USA in the Toyota Challenge. The Cheetahs is stronger then any Welsch and Italy frURC teams.

They didn't do that great in their last Pro 14 season, and I doubt that they are stronger than Benetton at the moment. That said, if they give it a decent go in the group stages they will probably go through even if they haven't been playing much, especially if Pau and Scarlets play weak teams.

Pau fielding a 3rd team.

[Sards]

Very surprised by the poor defense in the London Irish game. Both sides

[weegie01]

Angus Fraser on the bench for Glasgow did a year at Stellenbosch. He was very popular with the meisies as he is not only a good looking young man, he made a point of absorbing Afrikaner culture while he was there. The locals lasses were entranced by this Scotsman who could langarm with the best.

[SaintK]

Cheetahs has been invited.
viewtopic.php?p=210463&hilit=Cheetahs#p210463

They played against Emercing Ireland and USA in the Toyota Challenge. The Cheetahs is stronger then any Welsch and Italy frURC teams.

They didn't do that great in their last Pro 14 season, and I doubt that they are stronger than Benetton at the moment. That said, if they give it a decent go in the group stages they will probably go through even if they haven't been playing much, especially if Pau and Scarlets play weak teams.

Pau fielding a 3rd team.

Even for a home match?

[Paddington Bear]

They didn't do that great in their last Pro 14 season, and I doubt that they are stronger than Benetton at the moment. That said, if they give it a decent go in the group stages they will probably go through even if they haven't been playing much, especially if Pau and Scarlets play weak teams.

Pau fielding a 3rd team.

Even for a home match?

My recollection of these games back from when Sarries were crap was that winning over in France in the Challenge Cup would be the highlight of the season, followed by dicking them in Watford with the obligatory two away fans having turned up.

[bok_viking]

Bulls B Team vs Lyon

15 Wandisile Simelane 14 Sibongile Novuka 13 Stedman Gans 12 Marco Jansen van Vuren 11 Stravino Jacobs 10 Morné Steyn (captain) 9 Bernard van der Linde 8 Muller Uys 7 WJ Steenkamp 6 Nizaam Carr 5 Reinhardt Ludwig 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Jacques van Rooyen 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Dylan Smith.

Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels 17 Lizo Gqoboka 18 Sebastian Lombard 19 Janko Swanepoel 20 Phumzile Maqondwana 21 Keagan Johannes 22 Chris Barend Smith 23 Juan Mostert.

As a fan who pays to go watch the game live, I am not to happy with this team, some good players in there but no cohesion as they barely play. Not so confident of a win with this team first out. Even if White says rotation is needed and the Springbok players needed to be given time off, giving the full A team off in one go is a bit arrogant. Hope this team somehow pulls it off somehow. I guess we will see what kind of depth the Bulls have now.

You are to hard on him. Stormers rotate every game since the start of the season. They have to even if they drop a match or two. It's a long season ahead and they work with big squads. Powell said on SR also this and the Stormers got it right.

Maybe but I would rather he does a half/half rest of the first team. But the bulls have a bunch of very good youngsters as can be seen with their dominance of the age group competitions in last few years. So hope the few playing today take their chances. Its just frustrating not to have a stronger team for our first European game, to lay down a marker. But I guess if this team do win, it will be quite a big marker. Got to look at the positives.
I can imagine the crowd will be small today, bad time of the year to play rugby on the highveld, crowd wise, all the highvelders are doing their yearly migration to the coast this time of year. There is a big chance that the game against the Sharks on New Years in Kings Park will have more Bulls supporters than Sharks. It is a good time of the year for the Bulls to play their away games against the Sharks and stormers as all the fans will be down there

[Torquemada 1420]

They didn't do that great in their last Pro 14 season, and I doubt that they are stronger than Benetton at the moment. That said, if they give it a decent go in the group stages they will probably go through even if they haven't been playing much, especially if Pau and Scarlets play weak teams.

Pau fielding a 3rd team.

Even for a home match?

Yup.

[Torquemada 1420]

Pau fielding a 3rd team.

Even for a home match?

My recollection of these games back from when Sarries were crap was that winning over in France in the Challenge Cup would be the highlight of the season, followed by dicking them in Watford with the obligatory two away fans having turned up.

One of them being me

[Torquemada 1420]

Awesome discipline by Racing early on. Not.

{E1} Russell with aimless kick from turnover.

[fishfoodie]

Awesome discipline by Racing early on. Not.

and they get their just reward, & now the ref is already warning them with only minutes gone

0 - 7

[fishfoodie]

Racing averaging a penalty a minute now

[sockwithaticket]

Bassett with a try for Quims.