Champions Cup Round 3

For games where there is no thread

Watching Exter v Gloucester. Is it a case of with a non English ref the Exter plan doesn't work. Only getting a draw for two home games is very bad.

I started watching half way through and and to check it was Gloucester who was bossing it

Apparently Bath have banned the flying of Leinster flags at the Rec game today due to the flags "failing health and safety tests".

The Bath flags have however passed the rigorous health and safety standards.

Dangerous flags!

https://www.balls.ie/rugby/bath-leinster-402427?fbclid=IwAR2OczoymeXlX3POOOi9_bsyVoPkz23PXLeQlmTeGuXdjSXfL-XZUHuoLxI

That's the end of Exeter's European campaign. By the standards they set themselves, this isn't a hard group. They'll have to put it all into the Premiership now. From an England perspective, I don't mind if their England players get a slightly shorter season.

Rugby Fan wrote:That's the end of Exeter's European campaign. By the standards they set themselves, this isn't a hard group. They'll have to put it all into the Premiership now. From an England perspective, I don't mind if their England players get a slightly shorter season.

To be fair they have Munster who have been Semi finalist and are one of the smartest teams there (which is what makes Europe so hard. Add in the French Champions and the most improved English team of the last 2/3 years it wasn't the easiest group.

Funny to see the the game in the red and both teams are going to play on so could be 90+

Exeter lose two games in two weeks to English teams. Gloucester doing much better than expected.

I know it's the Voldemort Cup (The one we don't talk about) Treviso beat Quinn's at the death but England Bolter (maybe) Dombrandt grabs a brace following on from last week

There's been a few instances in the bath Leinster game where Leinster players are falling to the floor immediately after taking high balls. Negating any tackle and getting some pens. Clever play and the result May be teams stop kicking as much.

Soft red card against Bordeaux vs Sale in the Voldemort Cup. Deliberate knee to the back by Cazeaux, though seemed more like a yellow to me as not a huge amount of force in my view from the sofa in the living room. Though I am happy we should be top of one table by the end of the day.

Sale running away with it now 4 tries to 1. 10 - 24 half time

No 7&1/2 wrote:There's been a few instances in the bath Leinster game where Leinster players are falling to the floor immediately after taking high balls. Negating any tackle and getting some pens. Clever play and the result May be teams stop kicking as much.

If World Rugby are going to referee certain offences so strictly they need to bring in rules to prevent teams exploiting them.
1) Players jumping in the air unnecessarily to receive passes
2) Players jumping into the tackle
3) Players going to ground to avoid being tackled
4) Player running with their head at knee height. One of the Munster backs did this constantly when they played Gloucester.

On another topic; how does Sexton get away with constantly gobbing off to the ref. The first time he did it the ref took him aside and told him that they could not swap jobs. He then carried on shouting at the ref throughout the match. He should have been yellowed the second time. On one occasion he tried to get a Bath player a yellow card. I thought World Rugby guidance is that calling for a yellow should be penalised.

Brendan wrote:

Rugby Fan wrote:That's the end of Exeter's European campaign. By the standards they set themselves, this isn't a hard group. They'll have to put it all into the Premiership now. From an England perspective, I don't mind if their England players get a slightly shorter season.

To be fair they have Munster who have been Semi finalist and are one of the smartest teams there (which is what makes Europe so hard.  Add in the French Champions and the most improved English team of the last 2/3 years it wasn't the easiest group.

No but they'll feel they'd done enough to win the first two games but let themselves down and ended up with three points instead of eight.

Losing the home game against Glaws will also roads some questions. Sandy Park is a fortress in the AP, having it breached by an English team in Europe will hurt.

Exiledinborders wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:There's been a few instances in the bath Leinster game where Leinster players are falling to the floor immediately after taking high balls. Negating any tackle and getting some pens. Clever play and the result May be teams stop kicking as much.

If World Rugby are going to referee certain offences so strictly they need to bring in rules to prevent teams exploiting them.
1) Players jumping in the air unnecessarily to receive passes
2) Players jumping into the tackle
3) Players going to ground to avoid being tackled
4) Player running with their head at knee height. One of the Munster backs did this constantly when they played Gloucester.

On another topic; how does Sexton get away with constantly gobbing off to the ref. The first time he did it the ref took him aside and told him that they could not swap jobs. He then carried on shouting at the ref throughout the match. He should have been yellowed the second time. On one occasion he tried to get a Bath player a yellow card. I thought World Rugby guidance is that calling for a yellow should be penalised.

He’s Irish
Wuurrrld Playa of de yearr
Plays for Leinster
He’s Irish.

Nuff said. Stop with da whingin.

Never a truer definition of 'how' in my lifetime.

Looks like it was all about the wind in the Saracens game. Blues had a half-time lead but haven't scored in the second half, while Saracens have added 40 points.

Rugby Fan wrote:Looks like it was all about the wind in the Saracens game. Blues had a half-time lead but haven't scored in the second half, while Saracens have added 40 points.

It was all about Sarries being a far better team. Even though they were down at half-time I had no doubt they would win pretty easily.