Le Taupe XIV et la mégalomanie d'un secretaire d'état ripoux

[Torquemada 1420]

OMG. They found a way to disallow that. FM, Fre reffing is a sh*t stain on the face of rugby.

What about the head shot you cheating c**t?

[TheFrog]

F**king ridiculous. Marchand should be redded for arguing with the ref. Instead, the ref agrees to go to the TMO. Who the f**k is reffing this game?

I don't like the law but I think the ref got that wrong, he played the arm first, not the ball

And I think the Captain has the right to a "ref challenge" in France and ask for the video.

[Torquemada 1420]

F**king ridiculous. Marchand should be redded for arguing with the ref. Instead, the ref agrees to go to the TMO. Who the f**k is reffing this game?

I don't like the law but I think the ref got that wrong, he played the arm first, not the ball

And I think the Captain has the right to a "ref challenge" in France and ask for the video.

No. He does not. He has the right to ask for an explanation. Not for a 2 minute screaming session, demanding the decision be reversed.

[Tichtheid]

Castres line out has been really vulnerable

[Torquemada 1420]

Toulouse look likely to get home now with their 16th man.

[Tichtheid]

Toulouse look likely to get home now with their 16th man.

Toulouse's 16th man just got duped for that milked penalty to Castres

[Torquemada 1420]

Really dim by Chilachava.

[Torquemada 1420]

Just deserts methinks. Let's see the ref disallow this one.

[Tichtheid]

Play dull rugby for 77 minutes and nick it in the end.

It all counts and they won't care, but Castres is not a team I'd rush to watch

[Torquemada 1420]

Also why Ramos is a good club pro but never an intl player.

[Torquemada 1420]

Play dull rugby for 77 minutes and nick it in the end.

It all counts and they won't care, but Castres is not a team I'd rush to watch

Tiny resource. They are the epitome of TEAM rugby and all kudos to them for that.

[Tichtheid]

Congratulations Castres.


It's not a game for the romantic mind, is it?

[Torquemada 1420]

Ntamack does the spoiled brat routine. Looks like the comp for FH for France will be won by the biggest pouter.

[Torquemada 1420]

Congratulations Castres.


It's not a game for the romantic mind, is it?

Why not? Minnow victory. And let's not forget it should never have been this close but for the ref.

[Tichtheid]

Congratulations Castres.


It's not a game for the romantic mind, is it?

Why not? Minnow victory. And let's not forget it should never have been this close but for the ref.

That really isn't true, there were many penalties left un-whistled for Toulouse out there.

The disallowed try would have been a bit of a travesty if given, don't listen to anyone who says anything about downward pressure, that is not in the rules, but the key is showing that there is contact from the player on the ball when it first touches the ground. I don't think that was shown.

[Marylandolorian]

Play dull rugby for 77 minutes and nick it in the end.

It all counts and they won't care, but Castres is not a team I'd rush to watch

The final will be even worse If Montpellier wins tomorrow.

[Torquemada 1420]

Congratulations Castres.


It's not a game for the romantic mind, is it?

Why not? Minnow victory. And let's not forget it should never have been this close but for the ref.

That really isn't true, there were many penalties left un-whistled for Toulouse out there.

The disallowed try would have been a bit of a travesty if given, don't listen to anyone who says anything about downward pressure, that is not in the rules, but the key is showing that there is contact from the player on the ball when it first touches the ground. I don't think that was shown.

It was a try. Arnold was red. Faumauina was a yellow. Fre reffing is an abortion.

[Tichtheid]

Why not? Minnow victory. And let's not forget it should never have been this close but for the ref.

That really isn't true, there were many penalties left un-whistled for Toulouse out there.

The disallowed try would have been a bit of a travesty if given, don't listen to anyone who says anything about downward pressure, that is not in the rules, but the key is showing that there is contact from the player on the ball when it first touches the ground. I don't think that was shown.

It was a try. Arnold was red. Faumauina was a yellow. Fre reffing is an abortion.

It wasn't a try.

I think the ref said on-field decision was no try, so the TMO has to show clear grounding of the ball, ie there has to be contact from the player at any point from waist to tip of finger on the ball when the ball is in contact with the ground.

Did the ref say on-field decision was a try?

I can see why someone who wanted Castres to win or Toulouse, ahem, to lose, would think this was bias, but as a neutral I didn't think so.

Arnold should have been a red, no doubt, but these have been walked down across all leagues in recent weeks from what I've seen, at least across the URC, Gallagher Premier and now Top 14.

I also think that post focuses on one team and ignores penalties overlooked from which Castres benefited.

In the cold light of the following day if one goes through a game with a fine-toothed comb it will usually come out that the referee was either correct or at least even-handed.

Except where Leinster and Munster are concerned, oh and the Welsh.

[TheFrog]

Play dull rugby for 77 minutes and nick it in the end.

It all counts and they won't care, but Castres is not a team I'd rush to watch

The final will be even worse If Montpellier wins tomorrow.

Two teams that take the European Champions Cup as a second priority...

[Torquemada 1420]

It wasn't a try.

I think the ref said on-field decision was no try, so the TMO has to show clear grounding of the ball, ie there has to be contact from the player at any point from waist to tip of finger on the ball when the ball is in contact with the ground.

Did the ref say on-field decision was a try?

Now you are using technicalities of refereeing inadequacy to justify what was clearly wrong.

If Palis had carried the ball over the line like a baby and flopped down like a bull seal, the ref would have passed the decision up to the TMO, just in case it could be anulled, if it was scored by the smaller team. It's France. It's always been this way.

FWIW, I would have preferred Toulouse to win. Not least because I don't want MH to do so. But I hate cheats.

[Torquemada 1420]

Play dull rugby for 77 minutes and nick it in the end.

It all counts and they won't care, but Castres is not a team I'd rush to watch

The final will be even worse If Montpellier wins tomorrow.

Two teams that take the European Champions Cup as a second priority...

You keep highlighting that as if it is some moral superiority. Teams are businesses with finite resources (well: most of them anyway) and they have to decide where to allocate them. Most Fre sides have paid lip service to Europe since the comp started.

If you ask ANY Fre side whether they would have the Brennus or HEC, I'd wager they'd ALL say the former.

[Torquemada 1420]

Interestingly, in the FR, 2/3rd went for Castres!

Bernol awarding Dupont and Marchand 3/10: the latter for his behaviour before he went off with the yellow. The more I think about it, it was so unlike Marchand, it was as if he was incensed that the ref had broken the unwritten rule and penalised the big team.

[TheFrog]

Sounds from what I hear on Sud Radio that this second semi final is rather boring and Jalibert is not showing anything that would put him ahead of Flake Ntamack.

[TheFrog]

And Trinh Duc replaces Jalibert. 56min only

[Tichtheid]

Sounds from what I hear on Sud Radio that this second semi final is rather boring and Jalibert is not showing anything that would put him ahead of Flake Ntamack.

Jalibert has just been subbed for TD on 55 minutes

[Slick]

Sounds from what I hear on Sud Radio that this second semi final is rather boring and Jalibert is not showing anything that would put him ahead of Flake Ntamack.

It is a bit dull really. Both defences strong and no one with any wit to break them

[Slick]

How come Jailebert is allowed back on?

[Torquemada 1420]

Sounds from what I hear on Sud Radio that this second semi final is rather boring and Jalibert is not showing anything that would put him ahead of Flake Ntamack.

Other than the skill and vision to score the try to get them back in the game, you are right. He's probably sulking in the changing rooms now like Ntamack.

[Torquemada 1420]

Lucu shows why he's not an intl. Tin-Duck makes a great break and all the space is to the right so he passes blind to 2 men trying to operate in 3m of space

{EDIT} Needing to score a try and Lucu goes blind. Twice more.

[Torquemada 1420]

Sounds from what I hear on Sud Radio that this second semi final is rather boring and Jalibert is not showing anything that would put him ahead of Flake Ntamack.

Jalibert has just been subbed for TD on 55 minutes

Urios is p*ssed off with him.

[Slick]

The wee Georgian 9 that has come on is fantastic to watch

[Torquemada 1420]

The wee Georgian 9 that has come on is fantastic to watch

I have no idea why he does not start every game. Other than MH not wanting to play rugby.

[Torquemada 1420]

Well, "not doing it for the coach. Doing it for the players" worked out well for UBB eh?

{EDIT}
Maybe expediency. Maybe a glimmer of maturity but the analysis of the game was correct at least:
https://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/top-14/2 ... tory.shtml

What might be missing is fitness. In stifling heat and humidity, MH came with a brute force plan whereas UBB had notions of playing and it was the men for Bordeaux who ran out of gas. Maybe the week off was a factor.

Anyway, T14 panned out maybe as it should have. 5th and 6th out in the barrages. 3rd and 4th out in the semi. Let's hope.......

[La soule]

Bummer, I was hoping for a Toulouse v Bègles final.

Both finalists deserve their spot though.

Bègles need more leadership on the field and Toulouse to better managed playing time for some players.

[TheFrog]

Torque will lecture me on the "small" teams setting their priorities as a function of their means, but I have got to say that the two finalists are the two teams I was the least looking forward to see in final.

[TheFrog]

The wee Georgian 9 that has come on is fantastic to watch

Georgia seems to be starting to produce quality backs. I am looking forward to seeing them progressing up the ranks of international rugby.

[TheFrog]

Sounds from what I hear on Sud Radio that this second semi final is rather boring and Jalibert is not showing anything that would put him ahead of Flake Ntamack.

Other than the skill and vision to score the try to get them back in the game, you are right. He's probably sulking in the changing rooms now like Ntamack.

You mean, like Ntamack, he has got the one off flash of fulgurance from time to time that makes people rave about him?

[TheFrog]

Good job by the Top14 Barbarians against England B.

Some guys are knocking hard on the French XV door. Le Garrec, for a start.

[laurent]

Good job by the Top14 Barbarians against England B.

Some guys are knocking hard on the French XV door. Le Garrec, for a start.

It was very close to a French baabaa side.

[Torquemada 1420]

Torque will lecture me on the "small" teams setting their priorities as a function of their means, but I have got to say that the two finalists are the two teams I was the least looking forward to see in final.

Both statements are correct. There are not mutually exclusive.

I might not even bother watching except to hope it's not MH that wins.