Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

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They are indeed.

Quins struggling a bit. They rested Robshaw against Glaws and lost after it looked like he needed the rest last week when they also lost. Damned if you do, etc. Thumping win by Glasgow over Munster, too. Poor old Zebre nearly won their first match of the season against Embra. That's about half a dozen games this season where they've lost by a handful or a few more points. Their time will come, though they're disadvantaged by the fact that Treviso have the majority of the best locally-based national team.

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Very useful draw for Sale. Looks like Welsh will now have to win everything on the field to get off the bottom. Decent old tussle with Irish, skills not always the best. Daniel Braid has been crucial to their relative improvement. Cipriani stayed on the bench. Diamond is getting that right. Macleod is the future at 10, he's got talent, and he's learning on the job. Shepherd has made 15 his own. Cipriani is likely to wander off into the sunset.

[Havak]

Unfortunately LW are not the only club to have garnered points illegally. You know my views on Saracens - I suspect they would argue the same semantics as tax evasion/avoidance perpetrators do to HMRC but basically I believe the club is run ignoring tiresome rules like the salary cap.

I take it you caught the East Midlands Derby? Best Tigers performance of the season really - some of the phases they strung together were pretty high quality - check Manu's first try.

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Couldn't agree more about Sarries. On another rugby forum I frequent someone was saying the Welsh regions should look at Sarries as a successful business model. Until someone else pointed out Sarries' actual accumulated fiscal losses, said losses not stopping them spending even more money.

Speaking of financial backing, the Melbourne Rebels, the first privately-owned S15 franchise will finish up in the hands of the Victorian Rugby Union. They were funded by the Melbourne Business Establishment - richer than any Sarries backers 10 times over - but the funds have dried up as a result of (a) poor onfield performance and (b) an abysmal off-field culture. Kurtley Beale's recent drunken exploits in SA were only a public example of what's been going on behind the scenes. The likes of James O'Connor have been running the show off the field with little control from coach or administrators.

I didn't see Tigers last week but I gather it was a fine effort. In fact, I've tipped them to nose out the French mob this weekend. Toulon can be scarily good and woefully bad. I fancy Tigers' consistency to top them.

[kittenOFchaos]

Many fascinating contests this weekend that are very difficult to call. Harlequins versus Munster is probably the most difficult one to call IMHO.

Just watching Wasps versus Leinster...Christian Wade has already scored two tries right in front of Lancaster and Gatland

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I'm more confident of Quins over Munster than I am of Tigers over Toulon. Didn't get to see Leinster and Wasps. The reports make it sound like the sort of game for which S15 is so often criticised in the NH.

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Mmmmm. Clermont scary. Didn't see Sarries -v- Ulster. Life's too short to watch Sarries. I gather it was pretty tedious stuff.

[kittenOFchaos]

Mmmmm. Clermont scary. Didn't see Sarries -v- Ulster. Life's too short to watch Sarries. I gather it was pretty tedious stuff.

Scary is seeing Munster back to their old selves. Harlequins were made to look like little boys by players such as Downey, O'Mahony, O'Connell and O'Donnell as Munster raised their intensity at the start of the second half. Munster may have only won by 6 points, but watching it felt far, far more.

Nick Evans was very, very ordinary today. Based on what I've seen of Harlequins recently I think it is safe to say that they won't win the Premiership.

I needed Munster to win by one more point...they did not oblige

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Yes, I've seen Quins three times recently. They've definitely lost their mojo. They were bullied out of it today but they've lost their tempo, rhythm, offloading, etc. And Robshaw proved again today what an ordinary skipper he is when his team needs leadership. POC gave him a lesson in leadership. POC for the Lions. I'd seriously consider Zebo too. Very very talented winger with a very useful left boot.

Well deserved Toulon win. Leicester had nothing to offer in the second half except outstanding defence. And Slater should have been carded, too, for blocking Armitage with his leg. I dread reading what Cockerill will have to say. He will find someone to blame, probably the ref. Clancy let them off lightly. Youngs was good, Flood was dire except for his goal kicking, Manu was invisible. No real threat. But outstanding defence.

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Yep, Cockerill is blaming the ref without actually blaming him. Pity the commentator didn't ask him about Slater's leg block on Armitage. He really is a churlish man.

[Havak]

Not unexpected.

I don't often disagree with you but I thought Toulon were pretty poor given the stellar talent on display - only Wilko won it for them and he was their only player that impressed me at all.

Saracens should eat them alive at twickers though. A nightmare last four for me, Munster for me I think.

[kittenOFchaos]

Not unexpected.

I don't often disagree with you but I thought Toulon were pretty poor given the stellar talent on display - only Wilko won it for them and he was their only player that impressed me at all.

Saracens should eat them alive at twickers though. A nightmare last four for me, Munster for me I think.

Everytime I have watched Toulon I have been disappointed...watching them against Montpellier earlier in the HC...I felt embarrassed for them...they could barely put Sale away at the Salford City Stadium at the depth of our crapitude.

It is really hard to see past Clermont this year, they have it all, it will be fascinating to see how Munster go about it.

In other news, Matthew Tait makes it through another game unbroken, Wilkinson looks delighted with that:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22061023

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Not unexpected.

I don't often disagree with you but I thought Toulon were pretty poor given the stellar talent on display - only Wilko won it for them and he was their only player that impressed me at all.

A-ha. Point of order, Mr Speaker. Note that I didn't say Toulon were impressive. I said it was well-deserved. On the basis that they played the rugby particularly in the second half, they at least created opportunities. Tigers did little but defend. Only some excellent defence kept them out - Thompstone on the right, Ayerza's collar bone on the left. And Cockers wants the judiciary to look at Botha apparently deliberately kneeing Ayerza's collar bone and breaking it in the process of driving for the try line. I kid you not. The man is beneath contempt.

That aside, I think the comp is Clermont's to lose. Being French, they will probably find a way.

Oh, and I was most pleased to see Matty Tait continuing his return to some of his old form. His clean up of the messy ball deep in the 22 and his run to escape trouble were class. Dropped one later on, but well in the black on the day. Hopefully he can stay fit. Very talented player.

[Havak]

I concede the right honourable members point Mr Speaker.

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I thank the Honourable Member for his acceptance of my clarification, Mr Speaker, but await his thoughts on Mr Cockerill's view that Mr Botha should be investigated by the judiciary for deliberately breaking an opponent's collar bone with a knee in the course of driving for the try line.