Rugby - Laissez la balle, Bleus!

[Havak]

Ironically given our comments about him last week the nose was central to driving Wasps on against Leinster - it is the best and hungriest I have seen him since the 2005 play off final.

Yes and yes to the other question. Varndell is quite hard to put a finger on. Super fast, very talented but prone to make the odd howlers and still shaky in defence. His finishing ability alone makes it worth the side carrying his negative aspects.

His marker on the killer try yesterday was Mirco Bergamasco - no slouch - and he left him for dead.

[finbar]

Thought it was him. Bit of a show boater, too.

[LDiCesare]

Bergamasco had just entered the game and Varndell had quite some space when he got the ball. His try was made before, by the centers and all the time spent moving the Stade's defense to and fro.
A nice match anyway, with a huge Hernandez indeed. This fullback is awesome, I just wish he weren't argentinan so we wouldn't have to face him in the World Cup.
Bad day for the French, with Biarritz losing by 1 point too. Though the Biarrots deserved a victory more than the Stade Francais in my opinion. Northampton have been lucky that Yachvili blundered and the full back hadn't been covered by his winger when moving into the attack line.

[Havak]

In case Finbar didn't see it Yachvilli threw a lose pass that got intercepted and ended up letting Northampton win what was a rather poor game all round.

Hernandez made a huge hit on Tuilagi - on the whole the Argentine had a great game. Dare I suggest he made it closer than it should have been.

Space for varndell? Well he had got just behind his man when he took the pass but it was a straight foot race at that point - and Tom has such massive acceleration off the mark that Bergamasco was left clutching at empty air.

And the show boating must make his coaches scream. For me put the ball down then make the pointing gesture!

[Joe Kick Ass]

Read in the local rag this morning that tiggers are after Hook...

[Joe Kick Ass]

(Not that it'll happen mind...)

[finbar]

Have they no shame?

How on earth do clubs like Northampton, crap in their own competition, manage to get so far in other comps? It happens so often.

[Havak]

If Tigers are serious can Ospreys really hold onto him though?

In all seriousness I think it unlikely - why sign a player that will be missing every time Wales play? We have that problem in spades with our England players now. Now if we get linked with Dan Carter I will be impressed.

Well Finbar - Saints were in the weakest group. Biarritz beat them home and away in that group. Due to seedings they drew Biarritz again. And the French side failed to turn up.

I just don't see Saints stopping Wasps.

[finbar]

Be a shame if D. Gibson left Leicester. It would prevent the combination of a fine, local, homegrown centre pairing of D. Gibson and A. Mauger.

EDIT. I also notice J**** being sensible again. I wish he'd stop it. It denies he was ever part of English rugby.

[Joe Kick Ass]

Ospreys are the best regional setup in Wales atm. I don't particularly see them as struggling to hold onto their top players this summer; they've just taken our scrum half for £200k a year - to sit on the bench.

Course, scrapping the Heineken for next year could soon change that...

Watched Scarlets 53 - 11 Borders tonight. Scarlets looking pretty good, with nearly 90 points in their last two Magners fixtures, either side of that Munster win.

Leinster also lost, so the league is shaping up rather nicely. Again, it might be an even more interesting prospect next year, if it's not going to be overlooked for ERC competitions...

Oh, and I think there was some sort of match on tonight in England. Couple of GP clubs playing or whatever...peripheral at best...nothing significant I don't think...

[Joe Kick Ass]

Oh, and another thing...if the English clubs want out of the Heineken, then let them out now, and just send the cup to Stradey.

[Havak]

I have a feeling it would be more likely to go to Thomond Park again. Oh - you meant this season??

Mauger has been signed as a direct replacement for Gibson who is going into coaching.

Hipkiss, Smith and Erinle will be the ones playing alongside him as it stands.

Did you see Croft’s try from Friday night Finbar? Broke the first tackle and just kept on going afterwards. We have developed a good one there

Was the Jonno thing his comments on coaching? Not sure if he is ready yet and wants to only take the right role for the right reason when he feels it is right for him? Lots of ‘rights’ there…

they've just taken our scrum half for £200k a year - to sit on the bench.

No salary cap in Wales then?

I’m sure that’s more than any single Tigers player is on for straight wages.

We are still not scared of them – we know we can beat them having done so many times. Ditto Scarlets.

nothing significant I don't think...

The only real significance for me is that I just like beating the Manx (Sale-Stockport-Paris-Cardiff- Sharks) at their place. Only a Welsh lads boot and a dodgy ref decision kept them in the game too.

Wasps are outside the play off places by the way – and their two remaining fixtures are Saints at home then Tigers at Welford Road.

[MOBIUS]

I really hope the European Cups can be kept in some semblance of how they are - I've been privileged to see some great games both at the Arms Park and the Millennium Stadium this season...

The whole issue seems to be a mixture of pig-headedness (England) and opportunism (France) which seriously threatens the smaller countries in the pocket! Especially for example at a time when club rugby in Wales had seemed to finally stabilise and emerge from its recent doldrums...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Did you see Croft’s try from Friday night Finbar? Broke the first tackle and just kept on going afterwards. We have developed a good one there

Told you so. No, it wasn't shown. Sky Italy has a scattergun approach to showing matches. Some weekends it's chockers with Super 14 and premiership games, other weekends it's only one game, either Super 14 or premiership. Not sure why. Sky Sports Extra is their, as it were, spare channel, and it's frequently not showing anything.

And S. Larkham to Toulouse after the World Cup.

[Havak]

Not to mention that one Owen Finnegan has signed a short term deal with Tigers for the World Cup period.

Shame you missed the Croft try.

The whole issue seems to be a mixture of pig-headedness (England) and opportunism (France) which seriously threatens the smaller countries in the pocket!

Sure – the Clubs in England should simply let the RFU dictate everything when it owns none of the assets actually involved in the tournament but retains all the English shares in ERC Ltd.

ERC Ltd has needed re-organising for a long time (the clubs do not receive appropriate remuneration for the fixtures) and the Club-RFU conflict needs resolving once and for all. The RFU dropped the ball back in 95 when they had the chance to contract players centrally but passed on it as they had the strange idea they could continue not paying the players. The clubs stepped into that breach and contracted the players and here we are 12 years later with the RFU still moaning and whining about how unfair it is they have been left victims of their own arrogant decisions.

It’s in the long term interests of the minor nations that this does get sorted. And if that means the farce of second tier English clubs competing next year so be it – at least a Welsh side might finally lift the cup (though Munster would become red hot favourites in these circumstances).

It also shows quite nicely that Rob Andrew – as a poacher turned gamekeeper – has been an utter disaster. His brief was to improve relations with the clubs and look where we are just six months later.