Heineken Cup R2 - Saracens v Racing Metro

A few friends and myself heading over to Brussels for the weekend. Should be a good game and never been to the King Baudouin Stadium so looking forward to it!

Well thats enough about rugby, any advice on the good spots in Brussels to hit before or after the game? Any idea if there are many/any good rugby pubs to watch the other games?

Do you think that playing away from home will make much of a differnce for Sarries.

As shown last weekend they can and will destory teams up front. Think they will pick up another 4-5 pts here too. Though it must nearly be closer for Metro fans than it is for Sarries fans.

I think Sarries will top the group but need to work on the backs play a bit more when they are ahead and open up.

Petethepete can't say I know sorry.

Brendan I admire your optimism but I am very wary of Racing Metro.

Playing away shouldn't make any difference to Saracens.

Racing Metro have the 2nd least amount of points conceded in the Top 14 this season. 9 tries conceded in 8 games is very good. 3rd best in the Top 14. Joint 2nd lowest try count with 5 in 8 games.

Those stats sound Saracens-esque.

Saracens have the 2nd least amount of tries scored in the AP with 6 in 6 games.

Least amount of tries conceded and points - 5 and 81 respectively in the AP in 6 games.

Munster had the upper hand in the first 20 mins playing sarries style rugby. Sarries will be fine and will be top headinging into the double header.

If Sarries play like they did at Murrayfield they will muller RM in a similar way they did Edinburgh.

Please try to return Kelly Brown in pristine condition for the AI's please chaps

Ruggerradge and Brendan I am little bit worried that you are talking up Saracens.

Saracens should win but I am taking nothing for granted. I didn't take Edinburgh for granted either.

Kelly Brown will hopefully come out of the game unscathed with his reputation further enhanced again.

Shame you Scots didn't send Richie Gray down to us. Could have got in him good shape for the AIs too. He's one of the players that was on my wish list before he signed for Sale.

Admittedly I think he was on pretty much every club's wish list!

By the way I still don't know what a salary cap is.

Only reason Munster lost that match is because they took the pressure off Racing just as they were closing the game out. Saracens wont't do that.

Barkley is a poor fly half for anything other then shots at goal and either charge down or Farrel should do better then him at getting the backs in to the game.

Please though Saracens, do score a try early or I can see this being an utter snooze fest!

Chargedown Charlie will have fun if that's the case yappysnap.

True we do need an early try.

I still have nightmares about Sireli Bobo.

Three cheers for Sireli Bobo - very good,very good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FgchHlaSQE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzZ2cf-3R7Q

Does anybody know how many 'home'fans are travelling to this one?

beshocked wrote:Three cheers for Sireli Bobo - very good,very good.

You even sound like the good doctor when I pass that comment through a screen reader

Why are Saracens playing "at home" in Brussels??

John Cregan wrote:Why are Saracens playing "at home" in Brussels??

Mainly because until January they do not have a home ground.

According to the unofficial Sarries website they are expecting over 27k attendance which if true would be good.

I am not sure how many of them will be Belgian,French or English but if true it's a pretty good attendance. I don't know if there are any discounts etc but getting to Brussels isn't bad all from London or Paris.

Probably would have only had 5-6k at VR.

LT I know you might have your theories but nope I am not the good doctor.

VR was not available any way, so good for everyone.

Try the Belgian Beer Museum in the Town Hall Square - haven't been for a while but last time I was in Brussells it was cheaper to buy an admission ticket and get the "free" beer at the end of the tour, than to buy a beer in the bars around it - and you learn something! A few people just bought half a dozen admissions and went straight to the bar

Other than that most of the bars are pretty good in the old part of the city.

You could always go and put a brick through the window of the European Parliament. Interfering muppets..

Jimpy wrote:You could always go and put a brick through the window of the European Parliament. Interfering muppets..

I think that was number 2 on the Daily Mails "10 things to do in Brussells" list.

Interesting game and location. The return fixture will be played in Lille so almost a neutral ground as well. plenty of bars to drink local beers in brussels : from a cheap(ish) pint of jupiler on the grand place to old fashioned places like cafe la becasse neraby where you can taste typical lambic, gueuze or kriek type of beers to more fashionable bars like café belga. can make a good night out and I am not risking going there otherwise might miss the game!

well just been announced that the return fixture in january will be will played in Nantes now...not so easy to get to.

racing team for brussels :

Hernandez; Fall, Bergamasco, Estebanez, Imhoff; Barkley, Machenaud; Le Roux, Cronje (cap), Battut; Van Der Merwe, Ghezal; Ducalcon, Szarzewski, Lo Cicero.

bench: Noirot, Ben Arous, Orlandi, Metz, Jané, Matadigo, Descons, Germain.

only real change is the return of Estebanez at 12 which pushed hernandez to 15 and Fall to the wing.

Also you must try the Kwak beer - not only does it taste superb it comes in an very unsual glass - you may lose your shoe !

I'm not much of an expert on Racing, would you say that's a weakened side whocares?

gowales wrote:I'm not much of an expert on Racing, would you say that's a weakened side whocares?

this is the best they could field right now.
they have 11 players injured though but out them only Chavancy (centre), Wisniewski (FH/FB) and maybe Dambielle/ belie (FH) and Vakatawa (centre) would have made the 1st XV. at least explains the lack of creativity in their last games.

on other news...
Racing has announced they will change the whole coaching staff and get rid of Quesada, berbizier etc at the end of the season...at the same time Castres coaching duo (laurent labit and laurent travers) announced they will leave at the end of the season... bit odd as doesnt seem to do both teams any good.

whocares wrote:

gowales wrote:I'm not much of an expert on Racing, would you say that's a weakened side whocares?

this is the best they could field right now.
they have 11 players injured though but out them only Chavancy (centre), Wisniewski (FH/FB) and maybe Dambielle/ belie (FH) and Vakatawa (centre) would have made the 1st XV. at least explains the lack of creativity in their last games.

on other news...
Racing has announced they will change the whole coaching staff and get rid of Quesada, berbizier etc at the end of the season...at the same time Castres coaching duo (laurent labit and laurent travers) announced they will leave at the end of the season... bit odd as doesnt seem to do both teams any good.

Thanks.

Interesting that, maybe they're going for it then.

anyone know how many tickets were sold?

Saracens running away with it here currently 17-3 with 30 mins gone in the first half.

Borthwick and centurion Wyles the scorers.

Racing Metro are a shadow of the side from last week. Abysmal. Should be a five pointer to the London-based club.

Racing now down to 14 men. How many points can they rack up in next ten minutes?

Hodgson gets the first three. 20-3.

Oh bollix. This game is over, and probably a bonus for Sarries. Positives, mean the Racing could be out of it by the time we play them in January. Negatives Sarries will also get another chance to rack up 5 points against them.

Still plenty of time to go yet. Metro could pull something out of the bag...

yappysnap wrote:Still plenty of time to go yet. Metro could pull something out of the bag...

You mean: Saracens could do a Mumster and allow Metro could pull something out of the bag...

So who are the side in red? Seriously, Sarries are transformed. I didn't see the Edinburgh game but I've enjoyed that 40 minutes more than every game I've seen Sarries play in the last two seasons put together. I love the depth they are keeping in attack and the way they varying going through the middle (the off-loading game is back for the first time in years) and going wide.

And I have to admit Barritt has played well. Let's see if they can keep it up.

Rubbish from Owens clearly chickened out ....bit of a homer.

Another homer decision from Owens...he isnt even trying to be transparent...

eh???

Decent enough win from Saracens, really should have got the bonus point though. Did some of the subs come on a bit early? The Saracens mangement will have tough selection decisions to make when their backrow injured finally come back.

DOD, you are kidding right?

Second half fell away a bit but still a decent win and performance. I hope Sarries are intending the change in style to be permanent - I think the way they were playing last season would have had no chance of winning the AP this season, let alone the HEC.