Clermont vs Leinster thread and how to delay a plane...

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

First topic message reminder :

So this is the big one, huge one, massive one!
Some are calling this the unofficial final.

Two powerhouses in European Rugby and arguably the best two teams in the competition coming together.

Recent tussles have favoured Leinster who beat Clermont in the Aviva convincingly enouugh and in the RDS by the skin of their teeth with James missing a good few kicks at goal. Clermont beat Leinster in France but the visitors managed to get a crucial LBP.

Huge match ups all over the field.

The entire front rows
Hines vs Thorn
Sexton vs James
Rougerie vs O'Driscoll
Kearney vs Byrne

Home advantage sees Clermont the slight favourites but they have moved the game to Bordeaux.

Thoughts on who can win it?
Team you want to see?
Where the game can be won for each side?
Ref?
Rant?

Let it all come out here.

I have a tiny bit of a huge problem here also:
I (like a fool) decided to go to Budapest this weekend. My return flight leaves at 17:25 Hungarian time (also French time).
My question is...how do I delay a plane......?

[Mickado]

according to one of the Nathan Hines interview I read, there would be approx 2000 Leinster supporters and approx 20000 ASM fans (stadium can accomodate 35000).

Yes, but I have a very big mouth and a massive set of lungs...

Wow, if only you were a woman...

[BoyneRFC]

......walked straight into that one.

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

I was going to do the same thing as you Boyne (until I realised I'd be in Hungary for the weekend!)

I checked ryanair at 55 mins or so when I felt the game was done, and flights were about 120 or so, afterwards........well....Ryanair...enough said.

Glad to hear that we have a good group going over but the French support will be very strong and they are fairly vocal too.
Do us proud Boyne

[rodders]

Fair play Boyne, good for you for keeping the faith in tough times whilst your fellow Leinster 606v2 ers join the Ulster bandwagon in Dublin........ ......

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

We Irish have to stick together! All those big bad French, English, Scottish and Welsh teams to face!

I'd love if we had an all Irish final that would be magical. And of course that Leinster won it and then the Pro12 in another all Irish final.

Dreamland

[rodders]

Pete ... believe in the dream man.... apart from the Leinster winning the final part of course! .....

[BoyneRFC]

Hehehe

Wasnt going to go but heard Dublin would be full of Ulstermen, so I had to plan an escape...

[sean.c]

Doesn't seem to have been posted here yet but Skrela is out. He needs surgery on his thigh.

[Gibson]

Oooh YESSSSS! Bet he plays better than ever now, in that knowledge.

Goodbye ASM. Hello Twickers.

Issssaaa. Issssaaa.Issssaaa.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0426/1224315192700.html

[Mickado]

Fantastic news. What a boost.

Super super Isa!!!!

[Mickado]

Unconfirmed reports on the ASM fan forum that Lee Byrne has broken his finger.

Could be mind games though. That won't work on me... nothing upstairs you see...

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

That wud be a huge boost if he was out and it was wet weather!
Fingers crossed. Pun!

Mick any chance you'd be a gent and text me team announcements and if the worst comes to the worst......score updates?

[BoyneRFC]

OH Isa! Best news all week. A lot of man love for that guy. In the platonic sort of way of course.

[Mickado]

That wud be a huge boost if he was out and it was wet weather!
Fingers crossed. Pun!

Mick any chance you'd be a gent and text me team announcements and if the worst comes to the worst......score updates?

No worries Pete.

[Mickado]

Team announced tomorrow??

[SecretFly]

One year for Isa. Well I hope it turns to a few more than that eventually if IRFU realise they have rules to put in place but also present players (who arrived before rules) who now need to be shown respect.

The new foreign players will know the deal when/if the new rules kick in - but players already here should be allowed to phase themselves out based on whether their team wants them to stay and whether they themselves want to stay or move on.

The new rules should more gradually/less dramatically be bedded down as the new foreign players arrive with their new contract limitations.

Isa staying - great for Leinster. Even better for Isa himself, which is the really pleasing bit for me.

[BoyneRFC]

Team announced tomorrow??

I would have thought so... it follows then that Ulster and Edinburgh should be announced today?

[Mickado]

BUMP! They must both be out today.

[BoyneRFC]

Have to be. Tomorrows just too late. I had to have a few cans last night to help me sleep. Not good.

I'll be like an anti christ come tonight !!!

[Mickado]

Thankfully I’m on the pish tonight and maybe tomorrow. so I’ll have no problem with the sleeping.

For the first time since we knew who we were playing I’m starting to feel confident that we will win. Ready for war here…

[BoyneRFC]

..................

[Mickado]

I know man. The calm before the storm. Speaking of which, did anyone see the metro newspaper this morning. Fuggin deadly...

[BoyneRFC]

No, but I will...

Why is it so quiet? Is it that these people have proper jobs which require actually working?

[whocares]

Clermont team is out

sorry didnt bother to copy it !

http://www.asm-rugby.com/120427-compo.html

but its basically the same players that we saw against Saracens (bar skrela who is out) . no fly half on the bench meaning that if BJ is out Parra will have another stunt at 10!

[Jenifer McLadyboy]

This is the team rumoured to be announced shortly

15: Rob Kearney
14: Isa Nacewa
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Isaac Boss

1: Cian Healy
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Brad Thorn
6: Sean O'Brien
7: Shane Jennings
8: Jamie Heaslip

16 Sean Cronin
17 Heinke van der Merwe
18 Nathan White
19 Devin Toner
20 Kevin McLaughlin
21 Eoin Reddan
22 Ian Madigan
23 Fergus McFadden

Edit: Official team out. They swapped Jennings and McLaughlin on me. SOB at 6. I have changed it above

[rodders]

If thats the side then Clermont are feiced.

Leinster by 12-15 points. Done deal.

Nothing else to see here .

[Feckless Rogue]

Heard on the radio Boss, Jennings and Healy are starting. O'Brien at 6. You can guess the rest of the team.

[BoyneRFC]

Strongest possible team.

[BoyneRFC]

... perhaps with Reddan on at HT..

[rodders]

....sooo the real question is.......how many minutes (or seconds) before Thorn and Cudmore have their first dust up!

[Mickado]

Finally feeling confident about this game.

Allez les bleus.

[BoyneRFC]

what does the selection say? 2 lineout men and Cronin on the bench- with Reddan...

Keep it tight in the 1st half and run the proverbials off them a la Northampton?

Can anyone see Toner getting game time and if so, at the expense of who?

[Mickado]

Heaslip and O'Brien are options at the lineout as well, not as good but. I don't think ASMs lineout is as good as their scrum so the way i see it, we're looking to "hammer the hammer" as Uncle Dekkie might say. Attack them where they're strongest.

Can see Boss playing flat passes to O'Brien with the intention of causing GBH to Parra and James.

[BoyneRFC]

Can see Boss playing flat passes to O'Brien with the intention of causing GBH to Parra and James.

UUUU I like that...

[whocares]

Can see Boss playing flat passes to O'Brien with the intention of causing GBH to Parra and James.

is that all Leinster has to offer?

[rodders]

Can anyone see Toner getting game time and if so, at the expense of who?

Not if its a close game because it'll weaken your scrum, besides you can't sub your captain and Brad Thorn (aka the Grand Piano ) is a handy fellow for these sort of occaisions....

O'Brien battering Parra is just the ticket I'd say....

[Mickado]

Can see Boss playing flat passes to O'Brien with the intention of causing GBH to Parra and James.

is that all Leinster has to offer?

Yep. that's all we have. Tell Vern Cotter to fortify the fringes of the rucks, no need to defend out wide. We've got nothing out there...

[Mickado]

A worrying lack of banter on here...

Morgan Parra is a douche.

(i realise that to a French person i just called him a shower)

[Submachine]

Une douche de la merde

[BoyneRFC]

Une douche de la merde

Almost correct. Just remove the "la"....

[GunsGerms]

My gut feeling is Clermont will win this one. Obviously I hope Im wrong but heres why:

1.Home advantage
2.Very Settled team. Vern Cotter has been there for 5 years. Longest running coach after Toulouse.
3.Strength in every position. They lose Skrela they gain James for example. Last time Leinster knocked out Clermont in the KO stages James missed lots of kicks. This time he is much fresher due to addition of Skrela plus Parra, kicking machine now takes the kicks.
4.Its their time. They have knocked on the door but never made the final. They will be incredibly hungry.

[BoyneRFC]

My gut feeling is Clermont will win this one. Obviously I hope Im wrong but heres why:

1.Home advantage
2.Very Settled team. Vern Cotter has been there for 5 years. Longest running coach after Toulouse.
3.Strength in every position. They lose Skrela they gain James for example. Last time Leinster knocked out Clermont in the KO stages James missed lots of kicks. This time he is much fresher due to addition of Skrela plus Parra, kicking machine now takes the kicks.
4.Its their time. They have knocked on the door but never made the final. They will be incredibly hungry.

1. It's not realllllly their home though although it is a distinct advantage.
2. Ditto Leinster
3. Ditto Leinster
4. You may have a point here. I don't think Leinster's heart is in this one..

Now, it will be tough, but I think we have every chance.

It really is 50-50, but I think we will win.

[GunsGerms]

I dont see it as 50:50. I give Clermont the edge because its in France and possibly more importantly Wayne Barnes is ref.

Clermont are on paper as good as Leinster. They may not be in Stade Marcel Michelin but they are in France. Leinster wouldnt play this fixture in the RDS if it were a home game for us, it would be in the Aviva which would be as much as an advantage. I expect Clermont to enjoy the same advantage whatever angle you look at it. There have only been a handfull of away winners in the semis. Given that Clermont have as much fire power as Leinster I wouldnt put a cent on Leinster. Have we ever beaten Clermont in France?

Wayne Barnes. Of all the Ireland games he has reffed in recent years Ireland have won one v Wales in the grand slam match. The penalty count was something like 14 to 4 in favour of wales. Similar stats for Irish teams he has reffed in club competitions. He will favour heavily the home team as he tends to do. Did you see France v NZ in the WC '07. Granted it was in Wales butit was Frances WC and they had much more support. He was fairly biased.

For me in such a tight fixture the above factors make Clermont favorite.

Plus when we played Clermont in the quarters a couple of years ago Clermont missed about 8 drop goal and pen ops in a tight game. They have Parra now.

Barnes will penalise Leinster all day and Parra will chip away.

[GunsGerms]

Clermont to win by 8.

31-23

Ulster to sneak their semi.

[whocares]

My gut feeling is Clermont will win this one. Obviously I hope Im wrong but heres why:

1.Home advantage
2.Very Settled team. Vern Cotter has been there for 5 years. Longest running coach after Toulouse.
3.Strength in every position. They lose Skrela they gain James for example. Last time Leinster knocked out Clermont in the KO stages James missed lots of kicks. This time he is much fresher due to addition of Skrela plus Parra, kicking machine now takes the kicks.
4.Its their time. They have knocked on the door but never made the final. They will be incredibly hungry.

5. Nathan Hines (who is getting better game after game like a fine Bordeaux)

[GunsGerms]

Yeah he is good. He likes a bit of trickery, keep an eye on him. He may be neutralised by world cup winner Thorn he may not. Much of this depends on Wayne Barnes.

[BoyneRFC]

Lots of "wills" in the Leinsterbaby. Sounds like you are trying to convince yourself.

Whatever works I suppose. Bu there are other ways of looking at it if you want a spin contest...

1. It;s not at their fortress. French teams historically have come a cropper when they basically thrown home advantage away by playing (or having to play) in a stadium which is not their own...

2. On the ref. He is a biased ref, granted, but he will be wise to and looking out for Hines and Cudmore more than anyone. They have form and reputation.

3. Whist a good player, James IS second choice and I think he can be flakey if rattled. And we will rattle him.

4. They are inexperienced compared to Leinster. 1st SF and all that.

5. They are under more pressure than us, being a "home" fixture" and the fact that it's their centenary year....

6. Schmidt knows ASM. Cotter less so of Leinster, obviously.

...I could go on but I guess you see what I am doing. There's a positive and negative spin you can put on most things.

Bookies cant call it. Pundits cant call it.

It's 50.5 - 49.5 in our favour I'd say (but only cause they play in yellow)

[BoyneRFC]

My gut feeling is Clermont will win this one. Obviously I hope Im wrong but heres why:

1.Home advantage
2.Very Settled team. Vern Cotter has been there for 5 years. Longest running coach after Toulouse.
3.Strength in every position. They lose Skrela they gain James for example. Last time Leinster knocked out Clermont in the KO stages James missed lots of kicks. This time he is much fresher due to addition of Skrela plus Parra, kicking machine now takes the kicks.
4.Its their time. They have knocked on the door but never made the final. They will be incredibly hungry.

5. Nathan Hines (who is getting better game after game like a fine Bordeaux)

Brad Thorn anyone?

[BoyneRFC]

OK I'm off to Bordeaux. Enjoy the match.

Que le meilleur gagne...

[whocares]

My gut feeling is Clermont will win this one. Obviously I hope Im wrong but heres why:

1.Home advantage
2.Very Settled team. Vern Cotter has been there for 5 years. Longest running coach after Toulouse.
3.Strength in every position. They lose Skrela they gain James for example. Last time Leinster knocked out Clermont in the KO stages James missed lots of kicks. This time he is much fresher due to addition of Skrela plus Parra, kicking machine now takes the kicks.
4.Its their time. They have knocked on the door but never made the final. They will be incredibly hungry.

5. Nathan Hines (who is getting better game after game like a fine Bordeaux)

Brad Thorn anyone?

is that the guy who got schooled in the last RWC final by some average frenchmen like Papé? thought it was his last last rugby game ...

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