Rugby - 6 Nations, Heineken Cup, You Can't Beat A Northern Hemisphere Winter!

[Havak]

By the end of the trip my kidneys and liver would probably have disagreed.

[finbar]

Thought Munster were no better than solid against Perpignan who battled hard with not much possession. Their tries were mainly opportunistic. But at least they tried to play some rugby. Munster settled for kicking and territory. And their scrum looks problematic, too.

Ospreys had a training run against an embarrassing Viadana. I don't think I've ever seen such a soft defensive effort. Ospreys were walking through tackles.

[kittenOFchaos]

Woohoo Sale with a bonus point victory against Quins. Finally our season has started

As for the Wasps debacle...the referee is taking the flak for not having been more forceful with Wasps e.g you MUST play or forfeit. I knew Wasps would get away with it. They'll have been within the letter of the law, but not within the spirit...they aren't stupid.

[finbar]

Yes, Sale have been working towards a win. Good on them. Quins still haven't adjusted to life post-Deano. Shame.

Cripes, Leicester enjoyed their most flattering scoreline in their long history. Seventy eight minutes of tacticless rugby, poor skills and even poorer defence, completely outplayed by a very good Clermont effort, only for some Lote endeavour down the touch line, followed by some Youngs insanity in midfield that luckily - for Youngs - Clermont fumbled or they would have certainly have scored, freeing Toby Flood to throw one of the biggest forward passes in rugby history, to distort the scoreline.

I don't know what's going on at Leicester. Maybe they're missing their foul-mouthed coach. It took Toby Flood 33 minutes - I looked at the clock - to stop, for a while anyway, roosting kicks deep into Clermont's 22, so deep that no runner had a hope of chasing to apply pressure. Why bother, Toby? What does it achieve? It only confirms for me that he isn't a quality #10. He doesn't have a tactical brain in his head. He doesn't start thinking till the ball arrives in his hands. A quality #10 never stops thinking. Brock James, a solid #10 at best, showed him the way.

With Leicester applying absolutely no pressure, Clermont were laughing. Every time they got their mitts on the ball they carved through Leicester's defence. Aaron Mauger has forgotten how to tackle. And Deacon has forgotten how to catch a rugby ball from a restart. Tuiliagi saw a lot more ball than Lote - not in structured play but fielding the ball at the back - but seemed content to run it straight back into contact. Lote only saw the ball when he physically went and got it and showed some glimpses of what he can do.

Clermont should worry that they lost focus later in the game but Leicester should contemplate the fact that only luck and some improvisation let them get within a bull's roar. Maybe it would have been better for the club in the longer term if they'd been pasted.

[kittenOFchaos]

How many weeks suspension?

Why aren't there fines for this sort of behaviour? £20000 fine would put people off gouging.

[finbar]

Good heavens. Is that what it appears to be? If so, we're watching a couple of years on the sidelines.

[Havak]

There is no defence is there?

What the hell was he thinking?

I turned off our game at 35-9 for all the reason Finbar has observed. So nearly choked when I saw the final score.

And we still might win next weekend!

[finbar]

Lucky you turned off. You'd have been even more embarrassed by the mostly sheer luck that got them as close as they finished up. The thing is, Clermont were very very good until they lost focus. Next week will be interesting. If Toby continues with his aimless kicks so deep into the oppo 22, and the Leicester defence is as poor again, their backs could have fun.

[LDiCesare]

Dupuy seems to have been out of his mind. I don't know how one can act calmly the way he did. I could understand (not approve) violent acts when you're being attacked but here that's just silly. He doesn't seem to poke the fingers in the eyes at first, but he comes back afterwards. Worse, the prop here:

The Stade Français should discipline its players to begin with.
Shame for Dupuy to waste his carreer that way. The Irish player seems well, but there's little reason to expect anything but a very harsh sanction.

[finbar]

I wouldn't underestimate the effects on the psyche of having to wear pink.

[Havak]

I did see the tries later - nice to see a bit of Lote quality and as for that audacious superb pass from Youngs - well you are actually quite right it was really stupidity that paid off in entirely the wrong direction.

I doubt you will see the same game plan at Welford Road. And even when Tigers are playing poorly it is not an easy place to visit. Plus I will be relying on the fact (cliche) that French sides often travel poorly. Or maybe I'm just hoping we can't be that woeful again.

Dupuy should not have left us - no emotional baggage with our away kit.

As for Wasps - the darling poster boys of the RFU - they were never going to be punished. They would have tied PR up in litigation past the date of the final - they made it clear they wouldn't accept any punishment without contesting it legally.

[kittenOFchaos]

Sourced from the wonderful rugbydump.com

Harlequins Vs Sale

Some glorious tries.

[LDiCesare]

I wouldn't underestimate the effects on the psyche of having to wear pink.

Yes, I think I can understand that. It's probably his best line of defense too.

[LDiCesare]

Damn double posts.

[finbar]

There's no such thing as too much of a good thing, LdiC.

I doubt you will see the same game plan at Welford Road.

You mean garbage defence and non-existent skills were part of a game plan?