Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[kittenOFchaos]

1. Pro 12 teams likely to leave their pool: Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Edinburgh/Cardiff Blues and maybe Ospreys too. At this stage it is likely that only Harlequins and Saracens will represent the Aviva. The Pro-12 is likely to dominate the knock-out stages in terms of participation this year...the 'Top 14' likely to provide only 2 teams.

2. Plenty of whipping boys in the Premiership - Wasps/Newcastle and to some extent Bath and Worcester.

3. The Irish also have plenty of players abroad they're also going to put new limits on foreigner players to ensure strength in depth in all positions: http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/r...rs-177998.html

Currently Munster, Leinster and Ulster have in total 16 non-Irish qualified players. So, on average 5-6 - clearly their players are largely Irish. Think of even a lowly Aviva Premiership like Sale Sharks - we've got 18 non-English qualified players, you guys at Leceister 11, Saracens 17. So, I think my point is WELL made.

TBH I can't believe you describe Munster as a 'moderate' side.

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Well, Munster are arguably moderate relative to what they were a couple of years ago. But they'll be back. Whether the likes of Wasps will be is a different matter. Cue Havak sticking another pin in his Wasps doll. I find the League comparisons a bit pointless, but I'd've thought the bottom-end Celtic teams would succumb to the bottom-end Prem teams. Connacht's existence mystifies me. I don't know the ins and outs of the Irish system but Connacht seem to exist as a feeder organisation for the other provinces.

Strange captaincy from Robshaw yesterday, calling for a scrum in lieu of a certain three points in a close game, then calling for another scrum. Having won a couple of scrums, a rare thing for Quins, it went to the skipper's head. Mike Brown continues to impress. Apparentlty he's been working with a sprint coach. He's certainly picked up a yard in pace, something he always needed. But I can't warm to him. Foden was outstanding in most facets for Saints.

In a quarter century of watching Tigers I've seen them destroyed like that only a handful of times and every time there has been an underlying malaise In a quarter century of watching Tigers I've seen them destroyed like that only a handful of times and every time there has been an underlying malaise (indeed such implosions have often been the end of coaches as I remember Deano being pushed after Stade handed us our butts at home). I think messir Cockerill needs to start looking over his shoulder - the board doesn't tolerate failure for very long at Welford Road.

Do you mean trouble at mill or that it has been the trigger for change? It doesn't strike me that Cockers has improved Leicester to any degree over his time. In fact, the several episodes of losing the plot this season are a backward step. There's also a feeling of sameness across this squad. Solid without any standouts. Maybe that's been the Leicester way over the years, but a game-breaker or two wouldn't go astray.

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Sarries got the job done. They seem to have found a promising very young scrummy in Spencer. Ironically, it was Stringer, who came on for the kid, who nearly cost Sarries the game. And the Sarries scrum went from powerful to not so when Matt Stevens came on.

I watched Leinster -v- Glasgow online. Never seen Firhill before, what a funny little ground it is. Looks about three feet wide. Leinster never found any rhythm, must be hard on that wee playing surface, Glasgow fought personfully and arguably could have won if they hadn't ignored a couple of massive overlaps. I imagine that's Leinster's poor game for the year.

[kittenOFchaos]

Sarries got the job done. They seem to have found a promising very young scrummy in Spencer. Ironically, it was Stringer, who came on for the kid, who nearly cost Sarries the game. And the Sarries scrum went from powerful to not so when Matt Stevens came on.

I watched Leinster -v- Glasgow online. Never seen Firhill before, what a funny little ground it is. Looks about three feet wide. Leinster never found any rhythm, must be hard on that wee playing surface, Glasgow fought personfully and arguably could have won if they hadn't ignored a couple of massive overlaps. I imagine that's Leinster's poor game for the year.

Richie Gray will be at home at Edgeley Park - we've also got a tiny pitch. It is ridiculous that different top-level rugby teams can have different sized pitches.

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It is too. Sale has that tiny in-goal area, doesn't it? About three feet deep? Seemingly. Pitches should be standardised but it's difficult with established grounds. Where does the additional space come from? I remember quite a few years ago the Wallabies accused an oppo of deliberately narrowing a pitch. Can't remember the oppo. More than likely England.

Very very sad news about Selorm Kuadey.

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The RFU engage a firm of headhunters to find the new coach. There isn't an emoticon to do justice to this. The RFU, supposedly the peak rugby body, apparently doesn't know (a) who's available; or (b) their respective talents. Given that they've already sounded out the likes of Nick Mallett and others, why are they now wasting what will be a shedload of money? You'd have to think they're covering their a$ses in case it happens that the wrong person is appointed. You'd also have to think that the ongoing job is a toss up between the incumbent - Lancaster, if he does well - and Nick Mallett, if he's interested.

[kittenOFchaos]

So, an interesting weekend of rugby coming up. Predictions gentlemen

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I want to see the teams first.

Gee, the Irish 6N squad is a disappointment compared with Lancaster's effort. About as conservative as Kidney could possibly be. There's some fine young talent in the Wolfhounds and a couple of serious young talents who didn't even make the Wolfhounds.

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Oh well, I'll tip regardless of teams, apart from knowing Mallinder has dropped Ashton for being a prat.

Quins, Toulouse, Bath (with no confidence), Leinster, Leicester, Clermont, Saints, Castres (with no confidence), Sarries, Biarritz (with no confidence), Blues, Edinburgh.

Back the oppo in each case and you'll earn a motza.

[kittenOFchaos]

Oh well, I'll tip regardless of teams, apart from knowing Mallinder has dropped Ashton for being a prat.

Quins, Toulouse, Bath (with no confidence), Leinster, Leicester, Clermont, Saints, Castres (with no confidence), Sarries, Biarritz (with no confidence), Blues, Edinburgh.

Back the oppo in each case and you'll earn a motza.

Hehe, I'm backing Sale, Quins, Toulouse, Glasgow, Leinster, Ulster (4-1), Leicester, Scarlets, Munster, Ospreys, Saracens, Cardiff Blues, Edinburgh. I will also put a side bet with similar choices but have Glasgow and Bath drawing to get huge odds.

I agree with you that Declan Kidney hasn't picked on form and whilst they'll probably tank England, they'll lose to France as always.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, I'm kicking myself. I didn't particularly fancy Sale, liked the odds on Brive (they were written off) and yet I got all excited by all the advertising by Sale.

The final nails going into our Challenge Cup campaign - it was also a dreadful game. Bah!

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Ulster over Clermont is brave, even at 4/1. At least three of the matches are toss of the coin for me.

[kittenOFchaos]

Meh, I always seem to throw money away on Friday and make it back later in the weekend.

I did consider Gloucester...but Connacht. Rabo12 showing it's class. Quins...beaten by a heroic performance by the men in green.

Remarkable - to be fair Sky's pundits on Thursday night did indicate these results even though they're just said that you can't predict these events - you kind of did on Thursday! So, I've got all my predictions wrong so far.

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Glaws had nothing to lose, basically played 7s rugby, Toulouse just made too many fundamental errors when they should have been taking control. Their Fijian winger might have winged heels but he's a defensive nightmare and Glaws exploited him superbly. And Poitrenaud had a mare. When two of your back three are foul ups waiting to happen, especially against the speed of Glaws, you're in big trouble. And precisely what was going through Poux's head is a mystery. Warned for going early, he kept going early, again and again. Very costly penalties. Servat looked like he wanted to throttle him. But it looks like Toulouse still go through courtesy of Quins blowing it against Connacht. And, I think, it clears the way for Ulster to go through, too. I could have believed Glaws winning - they had nothing to lose, and Toulouse have been as poor as they've been good this HC - but who could have tipped Connacht?

[kittenOFchaos]

Where is Havak?