Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[kittenOFchaos]

I think Treviso are going to mess up my weekend - you did call that one Finbar. I know that Treviso aren't the whipping boys they used to be, but still, WTF is wrong with Biarritz this season?

[finbar]

They've been pretty rubbish till half time. Two tries - the first through the forwards and no one saw the ball grounded but it was given anyway, the second thanks to dire Treviso defence. Treviso are playing at speed with great continuity. They bungled their bonus point try just before half time unfortunately. Biarritz are just ordinary. If Treviso can hold their shape and concentration ...

[finbar]

I think you're safe, kOc. Biarritz have had all the possession in the second half and the pressure is starting to tell on Treviso. They're up 27-26 with 15 to go. But the momentum is all with Biarritz.

[finbar]

Bad luck, kOc. 30-26 to Treviso. But a big big win for Italian rugby. Biarritz dominated the second half but Treviso didn't lose the plot.

Cripes, Saints are copping a pasting. There goes my perfect record!

[finbar]

Damn Irish and Munster! Didn't see Irish but I should have known Munster's spirit, muscle and guile would overpower Scarlets regardless of Munster's missing back three. POC is in mighty form.

Now for this afternoon ...

[kittenOFchaos]

Damn Irish and Munster! Didn't see Irish but I should have known Munster's spirit, muscle and guile would overpower Scarlets regardless of Munster's missing back three. POC is in mighty form.

Now for this afternoon ...

Toulouse, Treviso and Saracens were my downfall - all the rest spot on.

I'm kicking myself for betting against Toulouse given I saw how weak Harlequins scrum was against Wasps. Treviso have been improving alot and Biarritz have been dreadful, so that was another dodgy decision. Ospreys really ought to be beating Saracens however. My wife is now over-sight to my gambling (damn e-mail notification and total over-reaction), perhaps she'll stop me betting against teams like Toulouse



As for today, I'd assume Leinster, Glasgow, Worcester and Exeter. So hard to call Clermont vs Leicester. I'd fancy either a draw or Clermont to win the first half and Leicester to win (simply due to the high odds and that Leicester regularly seem to come good in the second half). If I could only watch two teams in the Heineken, it would be Munster and Leicester - their games are typically epic. Munster seems also a good team to bet on as winning by 3 points - 3 times out of their last 4 Heineken Cup games - that is near on 20-1 each time for something that happens far more often than 20-1. Combine with a few near certainties and £££.

Oh yes, in other news women don't equate spending £5/10 a week on gambling with going out to a restaurant each week. THAT is seen as awesome and not wasteful at all. Also, being "up" is seen as evidence you're completely addicted and out of control already. Also, the fact you're joining new sites to get the freebies is seen as even more worrying as maybe you'll run out of sites - I didn't suggest that she then signs up instead so we can get the freebies that way as I think that wouldn't have helped the situation. Oh well, it stopped her getting bored this weekend - curing her boredom with me watching rugby is FAR more expensive and time-consuming.

We're actually having a great marriage so far, and will continue to do unless I beat her at Scrabble. I think some arguments are good and that she probably likes having to iron out some vices.

[finbar]

She should take your wallet, cut up your credit cards and confiscate your internet connection for betting against Toulouse. You obviously saw Quins -v- Wasps. The metaphorical writing was on the wall for Quins. That they got back into the game was an indictment of Wasps as much as good Quins play. Toulouse did to Quins pretty much what Wasps did in that first half, only Toulouse, unlike Wasps, are pretty much a complete rugby team.

I've seen a lot of Joe Marler lately. I know nothing of propping but it seems to me that he starts way too low, always reaching up, rather than driving straight ahead, hence losing power. I'm sure Havak, one of the unsung heroes of the front row, will correct me if I'm wrong.

EDIT. Scrabble? Cripes, playing Scrabble with a spouse ranks with teaching a spouse to drive for short-cuts to fisticuffs. My missus won't play Scrabble with me. She's copped too many 200-point thumpings. She just won't bother to learn all those meaningless two- and three-letter words that are so essential in the game.

[kittenOFchaos]

My wife scored over 400 last night. That is pretty hard to beat. 'Defecates' was a classy word to put down on the triple word score. This was soon followed by 'sighting' along the top triple. She is a machine. Perhaps you should play her and I'll play your wife.

Finbar - as regarding Toulouse, I don't watch enough French club rugby. I need your advice in that regard - heck, I'd be expecting Toulon to beat Newcastle

[finbar]

Cripes. 400-plus. My best is high 300s. I might stick to humiliating my missus. When she'll play.

Toulon sent out basically a 3rd-grade team. They're not interested in the comp. More concerned with the domestic Top 14.

[kittenOFchaos]

So, half-time and Clermont are 16-5 up. It has to be said that Leceister should be doing better. The Leceister scrum is far better than Clermont's...that may be critical as Leicester start chasing. I still fancy Leceister to win this one IF they can avoid giving away a yellow card.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well Leicester decided to have two men sent to the bin. Pfft.

[finbar]

The Frogs made Leicester look ordinary. The trouble with tipping a team is that you feel dutybound to support them. And I tipped Leicester. So I'm glad that's over. I felt kind of dirty for an hour and a half. Leicester were strong in the scrum but that was it. Limited in attack, giving the ball to the Samoan brothers to run into brick walls, end of story.

Manu is developing a problem with his high tackles. It was one such that led to him trying to punch holes in Chris Ashton's skull after Ashton objected to one. Off the ball on that occasion. Still, he's young. Hopefully he will grow out of it. I have to say, though Leicester are a different proposition at Welford Road - at least they were prior to this season - they're going to have improve massively to worry Clermont next week.

[Havak]

True. Although French sides are a very diferent proposition away form home too. As Biarritz have already proved this weekend?

And we can fall back on the hope that out history of giving Clermont a 50 point pasting at Welford Road might happen again. If porcine airways are still in business.

[finbar]

Biarritz are rubbish, full stop. Toulouse travelled pretty well, but. If I were you I'd be finding a porker and pumping it full of helium.

As a side note, about the only dispiriting thing about Toulouse's performance was watching Y. Jauzion's fading powers. Sad.

[kittenOFchaos]

Bonnaire, Parra and Rougerie were outstanding (particularly Bonnaire) and showed the sort of class they displayed in the RWC Final. Leicester will be back, but today was pretty ineffectual.