Champion's Cup: Covid bowl edition

[Kawazaki]

We're a team in excellent form with an outside chance of premiership success, a decent chance of the knock outs at least, and we had a great shot at the challenge cup. Why sacrifice our best shot at a trophy? It's pathetic. Some rotation could've been acceptable but that was surrendering the tournament entirely from the off.

The harshest truth is also that Quins don't get many chances to actually win trophies. It seems criminal to me that they'd eschew the best chance they have to win something to gamble on a very very long shot instead. And when has not playing ever benefited a team in form to continue that form anyway? We all know how this script plays out from here don't we...

[Torquemada 1420]

We're a team in excellent form with an outside chance of premiership success, a decent chance of the knock outs at least, and we had a great shot at the challenge cup. Why sacrifice our best shot at a trophy? It's pathetic. Some rotation could've been acceptable but that was surrendering the tournament entirely from the off.

Mike Brown's had enough. He's off to a team that wants to win.

[JM2K6]

We're a team in excellent form with an outside chance of premiership success, a decent chance of the knock outs at least, and we had a great shot at the challenge cup. Why sacrifice our best shot at a trophy? It's pathetic. Some rotation could've been acceptable but that was surrendering the tournament entirely from the off.

Mike Brown's had enough. He's off to a team that wants to win.

Mike Brown was canned off by Quins in December, so...

[SaintK]

How was that now reviewed? Smashed him in the head

Not ssure he's even been cited. Stone cold red card. WTF was the TMO doing?
[media] [/media]

[laurent]

How was that now reviewed? Smashed him in the head

Not ssure he's even been cited. Stone cold red card. WTF was the TMO doing?
[media] [/media]

Compensating for Brace ?

[Raggs]

I believe the ref called it as ball out and hands on, so he can be tackled, but that still shouldn't allow for a shoulder with force to the head. No mitigation either, it's not as though Faf suddenly dropped.

[Marylandolorian]

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS QUARTER-FINALS
(Kick-off times are local)

Saturday 10 April
A La Rochelle v Sale Sharks, Stade Marcel-Deflandre (16.00)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)

B Exeter Chiefs v Leinster Rugby, Sandy Park (17.30)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (Fra)

Sunday 11 April
C Bordeaux-Bègles v Racing 92, Stade Chaban-Delmas (13.30)
Referee: Matthew Carley (Eng)

D ASM Clermont Auvergne v Toulouse, Stade Marcel-Michelin (16.00)
Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)


Who plays who for the semis , winners AB or AC etc.?

[ScarfaceClaw]

How was that now reviewed? Smashed him in the head

Not ssure he's even been cited. Stone cold red card. WTF was the TMO doing?
[media] [/media]

Bloody hell. That’s as red as anything seen in the 6N.

[Torquemada 1420]

We're a team in excellent form with an outside chance of premiership success, a decent chance of the knock outs at least, and we had a great shot at the challenge cup. Why sacrifice our best shot at a trophy? It's pathetic. Some rotation could've been acceptable but that was surrendering the tournament entirely from the off.

Mike Brown's had enough. He's off to a team that wants to win.

Mike Brown was canned off by Quins in December, so...

December? Every article on the matter is a few days old only. You have insider knowledge?

https://www.quins.co.uk/news/mike-brown ... easons-end

{EDIT} OK. Got it. He was told back in Dec. Pretty crappy treatment.

[sockwithaticket]

Champions Cup quarter-finals

Saturday 10 April:

La Rochelle v Sale Sharks, Stade Marcel-Deflandre (16.00)
beIN SPORTS / France 2 / BT Sport / C4 / Virgin Media

Exeter Chiefs v Leinster Rugby, Sandy Park (17.30)
BT Sport / beIN SPORTS

Sunday 11 April:

Bordeaux-Bègles v Racing 92, Stade Chaban-Delmas (13.30)
beIN SPORTS / BT Sport

ASM Clermont Auvergne v Toulouse, Stade Marcel-Michelin (16.00)
France 2 / beIN SPORTS / BT Sport


Challenge Cup quarter-finals

Friday 9 April:

Bath Rugby v London Irish, Recreation Ground (20.00)
BT Sport / beIN SPORTS

Saturday 10 April:

Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons, Mattioli Woods Welford Road (12.30)
BT Sport / beIN SPORTS

Northampton Saints v Ulster Rugby, Franklin’s Gardens (20.00)
BT Sport / beIN SPORTS

Montpellier v Benetton Rugby, GGL Stadium (21.00)
France 4 / beIN SPORTS / BT Sport

[Paddington Bear]

Genuine question - are they going to play the UK games this weekend? The first rugby match I ever went to was cancelled because Diana died, I remember Michael Lynagh standing outside Vicarage Road handing out programmes apologetically.

[sockwithaticket]

Hadn't checked the news today until your comment.

I'd be disappointed if the games were called off. It's sad the old Phil's gone, but no more so than when anyone passes. Admittedly, I'm a republican and others in positions of sway may feel differently.

[Paddington Bear]

I think they'd definitely call them off for the Queen's death (Lords have insurance for this happening during a Test Match). Grand National tomorrow as well.

[SaintK]

Genuine question - are they going to play the UK games this weekend? The first rugby match I ever went to was cancelled because Diana died, I remember Michael Lynagh standing outside Vicarage Road handing out programmes apologetically.

Wouldn't have thought so
There's only one English team playing at home in the Champions Cup and i would imagine Leinster will have already travelled.
Not sure there is any room left in the fixture calendar to rearrange matches at this stage

[Torquemada 1420]

Genuine question - are they going to play the UK games this weekend? The first rugby match I ever went to was cancelled because Diana died, I remember Michael Lynagh standing outside Vicarage Road handing out programmes apologetically.

Wouldn't have thought so
There's only one English team playing at home in the Champions Cup and i would imagine Leinster will have already travelled.
Not sure there is any room left in the fixture calendar to rearrange matches at this stage

24 - 0 win to Leinster then? Seems a fitting legacy.

[ASMO]

FFS 2 mins silence for that racist old cunt?

[ASMO]

7 - 7 Bath Irish, both giving it a lash

[ASMO]

Watson so much better at 15, Elliot who?

[sockwithaticket]

Watson so much better at 15, Elliot who?

I'd like to see him try and go round people a bit more when runnin the ball back, though that's a complaint I have of many modern fullbacks. Always seem to run into men rather than towards space with kick returns.

[ASMO]

Watson so much better at 15, Elliot who?

I'd like to see him try and go round people a bit more when runnin the ball back, though that's a complaint I have of many modern fullbacks. Always seem to run into men rather than towards space with kick returns.

He tends to run at gaps creating uncertainty for the tacklers

[sockwithaticket]

So far in defence Cokanasiga's barely done anything to stop Creevy scoring and given away a pen for a lazy high tackle...

[Margin__Walker]

Hate those tries. Pick up from the base with three players pre bound together. How do you stop that legally?

[sockwithaticket]

Hate those tries. Pick up from the base with three players pre bound together. How do you stop that legally?

The only hope is to get on the ball and make it hard to ground.

[ASMO]

Hate those tries. Pick up from the base with three players pre bound together. How do you stop that legally?

You just described Exeters game plan

[ASMO]

So far in defence Cokanasiga's barely done anything to stop Creevy scoring and given away a pen for a lazy high tackle...

And on cue, he rips possesion in defence

[Margin__Walker]

Hate those tries. Pick up from the base with three players pre bound together. How do you stop that legally?

You just described Exeters game plan

Yeah, pretty much.

Anyway, LI will need to pull it out the bag a bit here. Pack looking a bit underpowered as expected without the likes of Mafi, Coleman and Goodrick-Clark

[sockwithaticket]

Irish clinging on a bit at the moment, but that was a crucial bit of D to keep them in the game.

Bloody great clearance from Loader given the position he was put in.

[Margin__Walker]

Hate those tries. Pick up from the base with three players pre bound together. How do you stop that legally?

And again. SOB even tackled by the support player there FFS

[Raggs]

Disagree with commentary about the Use it at the maul. You've had 2 goes already, if Use it, becomes a 3rd go, when you stop going forwards, is that another Use it call, and if you go forwards is that a 4th go?

[Margin__Walker]

Last line out sums up the game for LI. Error after error. Never mind

[sockwithaticket]

McPhillips pulling the strings surprisingly well for Leicester so far.

Put up a wonderrful steepling kick that stopped just outside the Falcons 22 and gave Potter the opportunity to win it back.

Hartley on comms, presumably to balance out Healy's Tigers bias.

[sockwithaticket]

Tigers with a pen try at the maul after a couple of attempts and Mark Wilson to the bin.

From the restart Murimurivalu brings it back at Falcons and Wigglesworth gets them pinned back in their 22.

Early days and it's looking fairly ominous for the Falcons.

[sockwithaticket]

Falcons seem to have weathered the early storm now. Been a bit since Leicester scored and only 12 points between them on the scoreboard.

Need to do something to change Poite's mind at the scrum, though... comms are saying each one's 50/50, but the Frenchman is only giving pens in one direction.

[sockwithaticket]

Lovely try from Newcastle with a string of offloads out of the tackle. Game on.

[sockwithaticket]

An ugly scoreline in the end for NEwcastle, but they'd kept it close until a couple of late cards in the final 10 undid them.

Tigers become the first Challenge Cup semi-finalists.

[duke]

An ugly scoreline in the end for NEwcastle, but they'd kept it close until a couple of late cards in the final 10 undid them.

Tigers become the first Challenge Cup semi-finalists.

Shurely shome mishtake unless Bath don’t count?

[sockwithaticket]

An ugly scoreline in the end for NEwcastle, but they'd kept it close until a couple of late cards in the final 10 undid them.

Tigers become the first Challenge Cup semi-finalists.

Shurely shome mishtake unless Bath don’t count?

I may have forgotten that last night's game was for the baby cup.

[Torquemada 1420]

Brace robbing French sides for a change

[sockwithaticket]

That was lovely. Aldritt scores, but the swerve and offload from Vito is pornhub material.

[sockwithaticket]

Slightly fortuitous intercept, but it's good to see La Rochelle on top.