Toulon Blues

Toulon: Delon Armitage, Rudi Wulf, Mathieu Bastareaud, Maxime Mermoz, Alexis Palisson, Jonny Wilkinson (capt), Frédéric Michalak, Chris Masoe, Steffon Armitage, Pierrick Gunther, Nick Kennedy, Jocelino Suta, Carl Hayman, Jean-Charles Orioli, Xavier Chiocci

Replacements: Sébastien Bruno, Florian Fresia, Simon Shaw. Davit Kubriashvili, Joe Van Niekerk, Matt Giteau, David Smith, Nicolas Durand

Cardiff Blues: Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, Gavin Evans, Jamie Roberts, Harry Robinson, Rhys Patchell, Lewis Jones; Sam Hobbs, Rhys Williams, Beniot Bourrust, James Down, Lou Reed, Josh Navidi (capt), Sam Warburton, Robin Copeland.

Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Nathan Trevett, Scott Andrews, Macauley Cook, Luke Hamilton, Gareth Davies, Ceri Sweeney, Owen Williams

Halfpenny and Cuthbert return from injury to start. Tovey is unavailable to travel due to his puppy chewing up his passport, otherwise I assume he would be there instead of Sweeney. Bradley Davies is out injured but forunately Toulon have found it within their hearts to rest Bakkies Botha.

Puppy chewing passport, not that old chesnut lol

Same mutt probably ate his homework too...!

Good looking Blues team, but that Toulon team is just ridiculous.

Still, I think the Blues could give them a fair game if they are up for it.

wales606 wrote:Good looking Blues team, but that Toulon team is just ridiculous.

Still, I think the Blues could give them a fair game if they are up for it.

Seven times the budget no home grown talent, three french born players in the starting xv.

maestegmafia wrote:

wales606 wrote:Good looking Blues team, but that Toulon team is just ridiculous.

Still, I think the Blues could give them a fair game if they are up for it.

Seven times the budget no home grown talent, three french born players in the starting xv.

We all know that Toulon are a bought team, but why make stuff like this up?

Of the starting XV Bastareaud, Mermoz, Palisson, Michalak, Chiocci (homegrown), Orioli (homegrown) & Gunther (homegrown) were all born in France, with Suta born on a French island territory.

gelodge wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

wales606 wrote:Good looking Blues team, but that Toulon team is just ridiculous.

Still, I think the Blues could give them a fair game if they are up for it.

Seven times the budget no home grown talent, three french born players in the starting xv.

We all know that Toulon are a bought team, but why make stuff like this up?

Bastareaud, Mermoz, Palisson, Michalak, Chiocci (homegrown), Orioli (homegrown) & Gunther (homegrown) were all born in France, with Suta born on a French island territory.

Make what up?

Basteraud played for Massy as a kid, then went to Stade, now at Toulon, not home grown
Mermoz and Michelak were from the toulouse academy
Palisson was a Brive academy player and for most of his senior career
Suta is a repatriated Polynesian.

Chiocci, Orioli and Gunther are from the Cote D'Azur so I guess you could call them home grown.

OMG what will madge do?
Sheridan and Jenkins not playing!! how will he try and build up that pretend rivalry between them two? the one he has been so desperately trying.

viewtothegym wrote:OMG what will madge do?
Sheridan and Jenkins not playing!! how will he try and build up that pretend rivalry between them two? the one he has been so desperately trying.

Gethin is injured apparently. Although before he was injured he was barely ever playing :/

maestegmafia wrote:

gelodge wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

wales606 wrote:Good looking Blues team, but that Toulon team is just ridiculous.

Still, I think the Blues could give them a fair game if they are up for it.

Seven times the budget no home grown talent, three french born players in the starting xv.

We all know that Toulon are a bought team, but why make stuff like this up?

Bastareaud, Mermoz, Palisson, Michalak, Chiocci (homegrown), Orioli (homegrown) & Gunther (homegrown) were all born in France, with Suta born on a French island territory.

Make what up?

Basteraud played for Massy as a kid, then went to Stade, now at Toulon, not home grown
Mermoz and Michelak were from the toulouse academy
Palisson was a Brive academy player and for most of his senior career
Suta is a repatriated Polynesian.

Chiocci, Orioli and Gunther are from the Cote D'Azur so I guess you could call them home grown.

maestegmafia wrote:"no home grown talent, three french born players in the starting xv

As I pointed out and you have now admitted, in the starting XV there are in fact 7 French born players (8 born in French territories), 3 of whom are homegrown (they came through the Toulon academy).

Shaw, Kubriashvili, Van Niekerk and Giteau on the bench.

How much money is too much?

The Tovey story is an absolute classic. I would feel sorry for him but he's a bit of a plum!!!

Is the Blues match starting (on SKY Sports) at 1:35 PM UK time?

George Carlin wrote:Shaw, Kubriashvili, Van Niekerk and Giteau on the bench.

How much money is too much?

Smit, habana and russowe as well as classens on the way. A joke of a club. They take everything from the game and give nothing back.

Still can't see them winning the HC thou, nothing beats a real club with players who play for pride.

viewtothegym wrote:Still can't see them winning the HC thou, nothing beats a real club with players who play for pride.

This, and i will support any side that face this fake club.

viewtothegym wrote:Still can't see them winning the HC thou, nothing beats a real club with players who play for pride.

I don't think I would ever support them in a final, no matter who they were playing. Teams like Ulster and Clermont deserve a HC.

viewtothegym wrote:OMG what will madge do?
Sheridan and Jenkins not playing!! how will he try and build up that pretend rivalry between them two? the one he has been so desperately trying.

viewtothegym

Sheridan is not playing because he probably needs a rest. After carrying Gethin Jenkins since he arrived.

Wales best prop. Pugh, cannot even make the starting team for Toulon.

Toulon have always had the largest proportion of overseas players back to the days of Tana Umaga,Andrew Merthens,Jerry Collins.Matfield,Smit,Botha.NOW look at the stream of trophies in there cabinet ZILCH or next to,a Billionaires plaything tax loss [probably].
Top 14 has been a joke for years 55% France qualified players,it may help or hinder there CLUB Scene.BUT can you really say it`s helped the NATIONAL side consistently,or the BOKS using recycled NH players.
Teams competing for SH stars,many looking likely to go bankrupt to support them.In the Squad 2012/13 of 35 ,17 players are overseas imports with another 4 or 5 in pipeline if the rumour mill is correct

majesticimperialman wrote:

viewtothegym wrote:OMG what will madge do?
Sheridan and Jenkins not playing!! how will he try and build up that pretend rivalry between them two? the one he has been so desperately trying.

viewtothegym

Sheridan is not playing because he probably needs a rest. After carrying Gethin Jenkins since he arrived.

Wales best prop. Pugh, cannot even make the starting team for Toulon.

No, Adam Jones is by far Wales best prop and possibly their greatest ever.

Gavin Evans has withdrawn from the team.

Owen Williams starts at 13, Daffydd Hewitt moves onto the bench.

Bad news for Wales, Bradley Davies has suffered ligament damage and requires surgery

Excellent start for the Blues and Warburton

Halfpenny going to take the penalty, hope he is warmed up...

0 - 3

1 minute played.

First Blues scrum...

...free kick Blues

Keeping away from Hayman no1

Robert also involved early, good signs

Second Blues scrum, early hit Blues

Blues 1 - 1 Hayman

Wilkinson has made 2 handling errors already

Some good play from the Blues brings them into the Toulon half, the Blues knock on trying to turn the ball over

Blues scrum no3...

...collapse reset, Blues looking decent though...

...ball not in, reset, Blues not binding...

...penalty Toulon

Blues 1 - 2 Hayman

Toulon break the line, but a fantastic tackle from Halfpenny on Palisson stops a try, Toulon knock on

Blues scrum no4...

...collapse, reset...

...Blues get the penalty, Toulon no1 not binding

Blues 2 - 2 - Hayman

Toulon knock on after Patchell's kick

Blues scrum no5 (Toulon still havent had any scrums)...

...Blues ket it away

Owen Williams makes an excellent break in midfield, steps the cover and offloads to Halfpenny.

Halfpenny TRY

0 - 8

Fantastic try , Owen Williams knows how to break in midfield

Toulon win the restart and hold on to possession, several physical phases and Wolf goes over.

7 - 8

Tap tackle on Roberts prevent the Blues from breaking the line close to the Toulon line.

Toulon win the penalty on the floor to clear.

This is a good game so far.

I'm not a big fan of Toulon either, but in terms of foreign contingent, Toulon have 8 French born players in their starting 15 this weekend, Clermont also have 8, and Ulster had 9 Irish born players in their 15 last night. It would seem unfortunately that most (though gladly not all) of the sides that are serious contenders at European level have a fair number of imports bulking their ranks.

Blues scrum no 6...

Blues get is out...but then give away a penalty, still, they won the scrum

Blues 4 - 2 Hayman

Toulon power over after opting for the lineout

12 - 8

Fair play, Roberts is having a big game on the gain line. Some brutal tackles coming in from Toulon. Navidi almost got his rtb cage ripped out

Blues scrum no7...

...Penalty to Toulon...

Blues 4 - 3 Hayman

Toulon still yet to have a scrum.

Robin Copeland pretending to be a winger and runs and kicks it from his 22 too Toulons.

606, that was never a try. No way he could see that. Cheats always cheating us in europe.

Toulon handling error butchers a 4 on 2.

Blues scrum no8...

...penalty Toulon...

Blues 4 - Hayman 4

Morgannwg wrote:606, that was never a try. No way he could see that. Cheats always cheating us in europe.

The ref was in a far better position than the camera.

Michalak's quick switch of play confuses the Blues defence on the blindside.

19 - 8

Blues scrum no9...

...Copeland clears at the back...

Blues 5 - 4 Hayman

They missed a Toulon knock-on long before that punt, or just blatantly ignored it. And Michalak kicks a Blues player on the floor. How obvious do the officials want to make their bias?

Wilkinson can kick miles, from near his 22 to the Blues line.

Blues steal the crucial lineout to end the first half.

HT - 19 - 8

Pretty good Blues performance considering.

Navidi, Patchell, Roberts, Halfpenny and Warburton doing very well

Missed penalty kick and the bounce of the ball gives Toulon a TBP

Mermoz with the try

That was poor.

24 - 8

bollix, thats prob put us to bed.

Scott Andrews on

Cuthbert limping a bit

kingjohn7 wrote:bollix, thats prob put us to bed.

I didn't expect to win this game, if we can keep Toulon from scoring many more and strike back ourselves I will be fairly happy considering we are out of this competition already.

Toulon's first scrum of the game after 50 minutes.

Warburton the only Blues player with a handling error

Basteuroud smashes through and Pallison picks a great line. Try.

31 - 8

Commentators just said that Toulon havent been beaten at home for a long, long time.

I wouldn't consider 5 days that long.

Although in fairness, before last weekend, it had been a long, long time.