Is this the worse decision in European Cup history ??

Morgan Parra what a plank Penalty in front of the posts, 15 metres out
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/rugby-union/10142668/parras-quick-tap-blunder-costs-clermont (Sorry, there's a 30 second advert for the Royal Rumble)

To make matters worse, they knew they only need a LBP apparently
http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/10142679/fritz-lee-players-knew-we-only-needed-losing-bp

I really, really hate it when rugby players say "obviously" all the time

Not sure if he knew but someone should have followed that kind of things. Always amazed by the lack of professionalism in French rugby for that sort of things. Not the first not the last time as well.
Hope Parra is not anywhere the French 23 as well, he looked really out of sort compared to the opposite SH and I dont buy in the leadership and experience excuse anymore.

In hindsight this still remains as the biggest French blunder of the European rugby history:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17rmz_poitrenaud-finale-h-cup_fun

whocares wrote:In hindsight this still remains as the biggest French blunder of the European rugby history:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17rmz_poitrenaud-finale-h-cup_fun

Quite right. Puts Farrell's little faux pas in perspective.

There doesn't seem to be much of a reaction to suggest the players knew they could've got through with an LBP.

whocares wrote:In hindsight this still remains as the biggest French blunder of the European rugby history:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17rmz_poitrenaud-finale-h-cup_fun

A moment of true beauty. Loved seeing that again!

whocares

Think you are right about Para, Machinaud has been playing so well for Racing he deserves to get the nod as starting 9 and I would have Bezy on the bench as his play has really helped galvanize the Toulouse back line, in the Top 14 anyway.
On another note that must surely be the last game Bardy plays for Clermont? Yellow carded 2 minutes after his introduction, putting the team on the back foot from which Bordeaux got their last try. He has done it time and again over the last three seasons and they must surely invest in another openside flanker, if there isn't one coming through the academy.

Thought that Bordeaux. SH Serin was excellent too, first time I saw him and was very impressed

doctor_grey wrote:

whocares wrote:In hindsight this still remains as the biggest French blunder of the European rugby history:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17rmz_poitrenaud-finale-h-cup_fun

A moment of true beauty.  Loved seeing that again!

I was there. We'd bought some corporate hospitality tickets and a bunch of clients dropped out at short notice so we ended up rounding up everyone we could so they wouldn't go to waste. One guy on our team brought his cousins. I brought a mate who had nothing to do with our market. It was a great game.

as Jamie Cudmore tweeted #bringbackvern (and Joe too )

whocares wrote:as Jamie Cudmore tweeted #bringbackvern (and Joe too )

Clermont are like Leinster. What happens when your team is very successful? The coaches move on to bigger things and you go backwards.

Poorfour wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

whocares wrote:In hindsight this still remains as the biggest French blunder of the European rugby history:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17rmz_poitrenaud-finale-h-cup_fun

A moment of true beauty.  Loved seeing that again!

I was there. We'd bought some corporate hospitality tickets and a bunch of clients dropped out at short notice so we ended up rounding up everyone we could so they wouldn't go to waste. One guy on our team brought his cousins. I brought a mate who had nothing to do with our market. It was a great game.

Sounds like you just made my Christmas card list.

whocares wrote:Not sure if he knew but someone should have followed that kind of things. Always amazed by the lack of professionalism in French rugby for that sort of things. Not the first not the last time as well.
Hope Parra is not anywhere the French 23 as well, he looked really out of sort compared to the opposite SH and I dont buy in the leadership and experience excuse anymore.

When you say you are not sure if he knew - knew what?

He knew time was up. He knew they were nine points behind. He knew that a penalty would get them a losing bonus point. He knew a converted try would get them the same; a losing bonus point. What is it that the coaches were meant to tell him - that a penalty in front of the posts is more likely to score the required three points than a tap and go?

If he need to be told that he should not be playing rugby.

That was Parra and some of the coaching staff said after the game...they were not sure if a LBP would get them through (at the end of the day a try would have been the same but maybe they were hoping for a converted try and a last minute DG or penalty)... hence why I blame the coaches first. I think in the heat of the action, Parra did not really bother to analyse the situation (fwiw Chouly is the captain and can be blamed too) ...symptomatic of a team who plays like headless chickens and lacks leadership and composure at all times.

Poorfour wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

whocares wrote:In hindsight this still remains as the biggest French blunder of the European rugby history:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17rmz_poitrenaud-finale-h-cup_fun

A moment of true beauty.  Loved seeing that again!

I was there. We'd bought some corporate hospitality tickets and a bunch of clients dropped out at short notice so we ended up rounding up everyone we could so they wouldn't go to waste. One guy on our team brought his cousins. I brought a mate who had nothing to do with our market. It was a great game.

Lucky!
That was one of the real iconic matches in Euro Rugby history.

If Parra thought they had to score twice, then taking the easy DG penalty in front of the posts was obviously the thing to do as it would have taken less time and they would have got the ball back on the restart.

It is always daft watching teams who need two scores going for the hardest one first with hardly any time left on the clock. They should always go for the easy one and then they can go into overtime as long as it takes to get the try - no time pressure on the conversion either.

Parra's decision was right up there with Robshaw's ineptitude for similar reasons.

sensisball wrote:whocares

Think you are right about Para, Machinaud has been playing so well for Racing he deserves to get the nod as starting 9 and I would have Bezy on the bench as his play has really helped galvanize the Toulouse back line, in the Top 14 anyway.
On another note that must surely be the last game Bardy plays for Clermont? Yellow carded 2 minutes after his introduction, putting the team on the back foot from which Bordeaux got their last try. He has done it time and again over the last three seasons and they must surely invest in another openside flanker, if there isn't one coming through the academy.

Parra is out injured now. Bezy, Machenaud and Serin will certainly be interesting to follow.
As for Bardy it's not like they discovered he's a penalty machine and yellow card magnet... Coaches could have opted for Gerondeau instead (who has been great since the start of the season) or even Yato who are both better backrowers but were watching the game in the stadium.