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......?

[Artful_Dodger]

NO TRY

[red_stag]

OMFG

[Feckless Rogue]

I nearly can't watch.

[Knowsit17]

Eat up the clock and belt it into the crowd.

[Golden]

Holy lord my nerves

[wales606]

PENALTY CLERMONT.

ONE LAST CHANCE

What a finish!

[eirebilly]

Jeebus!!!!!!!!

[wales606]

Another penalty...maybe 2 chances then

[Knowsit17]

Jaysus, this is tense!

[wales606]

Yellow card surely? If its that close to the line

[eirebilly]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Guest]

Great work by Leinster. Poor control by Clermont though.

[Rory_Gallagher]

O'Brien just won Leinster the game with a steal! GREAT WIN!

[eirebilly]

What a match!!!!!!!!

Heartbreak for Clermont

[Knowsit17]

Game over, well played Leinster. Game of the season!

[Gibson]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!

Best team Europe has EVER seen. Yo!

[BigTrevsbigmac]

Great game there no one deserved to lose.

Should have been the final.

[wales606]

Leinster have done it!

Bit of an iffy penalty if you ask me.

Leinster vs Ulster final it is.

What a finish, heartbreak for Clermont.

[eirebilly]

Who was the Clermont player attacking Cullens head at the posts? That was seriously poor.

[Guest]

Delighted for Gibson and Mickado. See you at HQ lads.

[Guest]

That was great work by O'Brien. Fair play.

Leinster played a great first 20 of the second half, but I honestly think they are lucky to win this.

They could have, and perhaps should have, played that game for 20 mins down to 14 men.

A great game though, the passion and heart on show was phenomenal

Fofana must be feeling sick. So close to getting the winning score for them.

But still, unreal defence right there at the end by Leinster, da iawn

[Notch]

Unbelievable! Wayne Barnes better get out of dodge because Clermont fans are not gonna be happy with his refusal to go to the pocket, but boy do Leinster deserve to win that game. Amazing turn around, amazing second half from Leinster.

Now let's see Leinster get battered in the Pro12 playoffs whilst Ulster wrap their players in cotton wool. McLaughs- you've got the most famous ambush in the history of the European Rugby Cup to plan. Bring. It. On!

[Knowsit17]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!

Best team Europe has EVER seen. Yo!

Toulouse excepted

Definitely legends now though.

[Feckless Rogue]

Unbelievable. I feel so sorry for Clermont. Sometimes neither side really deserves to lose but one has to. It was the ten points in the first 10 minutes of the first half and the epic defence in the end that won it. Vintage Leinster.

Leinsters finest hour I think.

[asoreleftshoulder]

Wow seriously lucky as well as great defense,I'm shaking like a leaf after that.

[SecretFly]

Leinster didn't play great in a noisy caldron devoted to Clermont... but I think they deserved a game of luck

Wonderful! All Ireland final.

[Feckless Rogue]

Look at the Clermont fans singing and cheering their team. Brilliant supporters.

[Gibson]

Delighted for Gibson and Mickado. See you at HQ lads.

Love you Rev. Expect a big sloppy kiss in Laaandaahn me Welsh darlin.

Im still shaking. But I BELIEVED!

Ulster lads and Lassies. Isnt this just a dream for us both?

[Artful_Dodger]

I'm happy the HC is staying in Ireland and looking forward to an absolute belter in the final - congrats Leinster.

[Gibson]

Unbelievable. I feel so sorry for Clermont. Sometimes neither side really deserves to lose but one has to. It was the ten points in the first 10 minutes of the first half and the epic defence in the end that won it. Vintage Leinster.

Leinsters finest hour I think.

No thinking about it bud. That was the best team out there and at home. Our nous and belief took us home in the end.

Oh man, I cant stop shaking.

The HC is the best comp on the Planet.

[Notch]

Gibbo

We'll have a pint in London, and shake hands, and just enjoy the day- as two passionate tribes of rugby people enjoying the sport we love. Then Ulster will win. It's going to be great

[dublin_dave]

See you in london lads. get tge f@ck in. need a nap

[SecretFly]

Terrible Heart Health competition, this Heineken Cup! It should have a goverment health warning attached.

[Gibson]

Just got a message from Ummm, He said "Thanks Ulster & Leinster. HC for Connacht next year".

4 Proud Provinces of Ireland.

[Gibson]

Gibbo

We'll have a pint in London, and shake hands, and just enjoy the day- as two passionate tribes of rugby people enjoying the sport we love. Then Ulster will win. It's going to be great

Cheers bud. It will be a Titanic (skuse pun) struggle.

[SecretFly]

Just got a message from Ummm, He said "Thanks Ulster & Leinster. HC for Connacht next year".

4 Proud Provinces of Ireland.

I was thinking that too - Connacht in again. Great weekend all round.

[thomh]

Anyone else think the try should have been given? I thought he was touching the ball when it touched the ground (so no knock on), and that he got downward pressure.

Congratulations Leinster though. Three finals in four years is unbelievable. Should be a great game this time as well.

[majesticimperialman]

What a hard fought game by Leinster, i do feel they was very luycky not to have had atleast 3 yellow cards today.

But then again a win is a win and by hook or crook Leinster went their to win, and that is what they did. So Well played Leinster.

[SecretFly]

Anyone else think the try should have been given? I thought he was touching the ball when it touched the ground (so no knock on), and that he got downward pressure.

Congratulations Leinster though. Three finals in four years is unbelievable. Should be a great game this time as well.

I thought it would be given - not because I thought it was good, but increasingly I'm seeing these 'tries' being given where hands are touching the ball on the way down but Not (in my opinion) applying anything that could be described as downward pressure in a courtroom. I can't remember the games but I think I've witnesses two or three very suspect (hand in the right area let's give it) tries this season.

I think they'll have to tighten up there - it's becoming yet another 'grey' area in an increasingly 'grey area game.

Having said that, had I been a Clermont fan I'd probably have wanted it and taken it . But seriously, they'll have to decide whether they want a distinctive put-down or merely a ball-touching-hand as proof for tries.

[mankiaow]

"Clermont have had too many dropped passes in the mid field. Every time they've been in a good position, they've taken all the momentum out of their own game."

And who do you think is responsible for that? I think you'll find that messrs D'arcy and O'Driscoll have just proven themselves again on the toughest of stages - a top class French team away in a HC semi final.

Why does anyone think that top class coaches persevere with D'arcy? Obviously he plays better with O'Driscoll (and who wouldn't?) but he does so much more around the field than he is given credit for.

Leinster's biggest advantage is the quality of their defence - they have a self-belief that is based on their ability to keep teams out and D'arcy is an integral part of that.

[Artful_Dodger]

Just got a message from Ummm, He said "Thanks Ulster & Leinster. HC for Connacht next year".

4 Proud Provinces of Ireland.

Ulster repaying Connacht for putting us in the QF's by beating Harlequins

[Pot Hale]

Anyone else think the try should have been given? I thought he was touching the ball when it touched the ground (so no knock on), and that he got downward pressure.
.

No. He wasn't touching it. He didn't get downward pressure.

[Guest]

"Clermont have had too many dropped passes in the mid field. Every time they've been in a good position, they've taken all the momentum out of their own game."

And who do you think is responsible for that? I think you'll find that messrs D'arcy and O'Driscoll have just proven themselves again on the toughest of stages - a top class French team away in a HC semi final.

Why does anyone think that top class coaches persevere with D'arcy? Obviously he plays better with O'Driscoll (and who wouldn't?) but he does so much more around the field than he is given credit for.

Leinster's biggest advantage is the quality of their defence - they have a self-belief that is based on their ability to keep teams out and D'arcy is an integral part of that.

Not really, the passing in the 9-10-12 axis was just poor, no reason for the passes not to go to hand at all. Parra was excellent at sniping around the fringes, but not at passing further out.

[mankiaow]

I think you'll find that passes don't go to hand when players are under pressure or don't have enough time. In high pressure games top players have an ability to overcome that pressure. By the same token a team that is well organised with players who have the required defensive capailities, tend to win out in the end.

'Passing was just poor' and 'no reason for passes to go to hand' for what is a top French side is a pointless comment.

[Rava]

Just got a message from Ummm, He said "Thanks Ulster & Leinster. HC for Connacht next year".

4 Proud Provinces of Ireland.

+1

[Guest]

I think you'll find that passes don't go to hand when players are under pressure or don't have enough time. In high pressure games top players have an ability to overcome that pressure. By the same token a team that is well organised with players who have the required defensive capailities, tend to win out in the end.

'Passing was just poor' and 'no reason for passes to go to hand' for what is a top French side is a pointless comment.

Mankiaow - very true passes don't go to hand when under pressure, but often it happened when there was little to no pressure on the Clermont players, it was simply poor skills. Whether taht was down to nerves or what I don't know. Reading other media streams, I'm certainly not the only one to notice this, so hardly pointless

[kunu]

well either they were being put under enough pressure through the way in which they were being forced to play, or through defense aggression, or they were dropping it on purpose... nerves arise through pressure. there was of course reasons for passes not to go to hand, these are among the best midfield players in the world...

[Guest]

and sometimes, tis just poor handling

[SecretFly]

I can't speak for Clermont nerves - they were the side chasing something they've never had and that tends to losen things up and should have, and probably eventually did, give them the fire to chase down Leinster's winning score. They had nothing to lose and showed it by almost taking the victory in the end.

Leinster, on the other hand, were almost destroyed by nerves - what they could gain (another title, 3 wins in four years) and how it might all be taken from them by a bad performance overall or moments of individual lack of composure or defensive shape.
Leinster looked like a team that had a lot of mental baggage to overcome, along with the not too cozy challenge of a top Top14 side at 'home'! The nerves almost proved their ondoing as they seldom got into a rhythm throughout the entire game.

That was a very nervy Leinster out there and, for me, it makes the win all the sweeter.

[mankiaow]

The game is multi-faceted which, for me, is the beauty of it. It's pointless to observe one aspect without considering what brought it about. The suggestion that one team are responsible for their own demise in a game like that, at this level, is not realistic.

So back it up all you want but you are not considering the full picture.

Will Greenwood, who knows a thing or two about centre-play at the highest level, agrees with me.

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