Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[finbar]

Ah well, four Biarritz tries in the second half, three of them from Treviso errors. For whatever bizarre reason, the Treviso scrummy, who'd used the howling gale cleverly in the first half, decided to try to box-kick into it in the second half. It was blowing back over his head. Good Treviso effort with 14 men for three-quarters of the match. Biarritz really are a shadow of what they used to be. They've played a lot of mindless, clumsy rugby over the past fortnight.

[Havak]

Any club can lose the plot at times. It is how you react that defines you. BO will be back as a force I suspect.

So Mark McCall, whose Saracens side now have a formidable pack, thinks scrummaging should be made more important again. Not a dicky bird on that front in the decade where their pack (Hill aside) was quite average and benefitting from the immasculation of the scrum in the laws.

Tigers still have a decent pack though we have had better - and I've felt since the IRB first started tinkering with the laws in the early 90s that the scrum should have remained more important. Typical of his club though isn't it? Blatant self interest. Contemptible both on and off the pitch these days -and yet it used to be such a great club.

Then again they did beat an even more contemptible club yesterday so fair play to them for that on field achievement.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, it is nearly impossible to predict things at the moment.

Racing Metro beating Irish away - Irish with everything to play for, Racing with nothing to play for and yet the French win it.

Likewise last night - Cardiff Blues have never lost at Murryfield to Edinburgh. Nice time to start (though encouraging for Scottish rugby).

I did predict the draw between Montpellier and Glasgow however amongst a few other results, but all to no avail.

As a rugby fan, I'm loving as it goes to show how unpredictable and exciting sport it. As someone placing a stake it is infuriating (I can only imagine what some of the coaches are thinking). On the basis that things are topsy turvey I'll have Northampton caring enough to beat Castres, Toulouse losing to Harlequins, but Munster will always beat the Scarlets - probably by 3 points

[finbar]

Impossible to predict? I put Leicester's win yesterday down entirely to Rugby God punishing me for tipping Tigers the other week and therefore having to support them. Some things are just too much against the order of nature and must be punished. An unforgiving deity She is. That aside, how Clermont missed Rougerie. The result was fair enough given the scoop forward that set up the Clermont try.

Leinster were scarily good for 70 minutes against Bath. Top of their form. Though Bath were embarrassingly deficient. Sir Ian has a job on his hands there. Donald revealed himself to be what he really is - a journeyman 10, devoid of guile and imagination. I hate to think what they're paying him. What a waste. Leinster should be equally embarrassed by their last 10 minutes when they switched off completely, letting Bath rack up points to finish with a scoreline that flattered them massively. They won't want to do it against Toulouse.

[kittenOFchaos]

Of course I'm 3 for 3 when I'm not putting any money on. Make that 4/4 as I'd have backed Sale over Agen. Worse still, I'd have put Munster to win by 1-7. I actually find this very amusing - mark my words, one day I'm going to get it VERY, VERY right.

Instead, I was off with the wife to get her checked out by the mid-wife. I wouldn't mind so much, but the attempt to take a blood sample resulted in my wife fainting and nearly fitting. So after all that, we've still to get blood out of her. Took her to a fancy pub for a hearty meal - don't want her collapsing all over the place. Therefore I've not seen any rugby today.

[finbar]

Priorities, priorities. Some things are more important than rugby. Not many, mind you, but some.

Mighty Quins effort yesterday. Toulouse had their chances and blew them. Sooner or later Toulouse will realise that McAlister is nowhere near a quality 10. He is, at best, a 12. Nick Evans handed him his posterior on a plate. That Conor O'Shea chappie seems to have a coaching way about him.

[Havak]

And yet in the same role at Exiles he achieved next to nothing. It is a fickle sport all right.

[finbar]

The coaching to turn them around from the home defeat was a feat. It's also a case of cattle. Irish looked briefly pretty good under T. Booth but are now cack.

[Havak]

And before Booth the lad recently sacked by England had them playing some nice rugby. Exiles seem to flatter to deceive a great deal.

I would say Cockerills turn around of Tigers is worthy of the same acknowledgement personally. But then I would.

It is hard to say how much of it is that French sides simply don't (historically) travel well?

[finbar]

The thing with the chap recently sacked by England is that he managed to bring nothing to England of what he apparently brought to Irish. I suspect that he was usually outvoted/overwhelmed by the forwards-oriented rest of the coaching team.

The Leicester turnaround was indeed a strong one, though going home is an enormous boost, regardless of whether the French travel well or not. Choofing off to the enemy camp - Toulouse, at that - and turning things around doesn't often happen. That said, some of Noves' starting selections weren't helpful. Perhaps a touch of "we've already done the hard work" crept into the thinking.

[Havak]

Always possible - or the wind changed direction. I find it hard to fathom French sporting psychology. Or indeed French psychology.

[finbar]

Yes, but think what the French have given us over the years for which we should be eternally grateful ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Edith Piaf!

[Havak]

And an honourable mention to Bree - to which I am rather partial.

[kittenOFchaos]

It is hard to say how much of it is that French sides simply don't (historically) travel well?

Toulouse didn't travel well to Toulouse?

[Havak]

They often do not do so.

So Patterson has gone then. A huge loss to them given their limited ability to score tries (over the last decade or so)?