European games round 2

We won't be far away from just trying to pick out the games that will be played

Yeah I know I just copy the info over from the BBC but its a start

Friday 17th Dec (all 20:00)

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
Montpellier v Leinster  Montpellier given 28-0 win after another Covid outbreak
Ulster v Northampton Saints

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
Toulon v Zebre
Dragons v Lyon
Gloucester v Benetton

Saturday 18th Dec
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
Bath v La Rochelle 13:00
Sale v ASM Clermont Auvergne 15:15
Glasgow Warriors v Exeter Chiefs 17:30
Racing 92 v Ospreys 17:30 Racing given 28-0 win after Covid outbreak
Harlequins v Cardiff Rugby 13:00
Munster v Castres 20:00

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
Worcester Warriors v Biarritz Olympique 15:15
Pau v Saracens Pau given 28-0 win after Covid outbreak at Sarries

Sunday 19th Dec
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
Leicester Tigers v Connacht 13:00
Scarlets v Bordeaux Bègles 13:00
Toulouse v Wasps 15:15
Stade Francais v Bristol 17:30

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
London Irish v Brive 15:15

I'm really hoping that we go fully loaded against Bordeaux not only because we need a win but we have the Welsh derbies coming up in the next couple of weeks. Hoping for a good crowd turnout but I have heard that the WAG may be putting restrictions on crowds, possibly limiting them to 500.

I am expecting a big Dragons win tomorrow. 5 points and a James Benjamin hat trick off the bench.

I thank you.

RiscaGame wrote:I am expecting a big Dragons win tomorrow. 5 points and a James Benjamin hat trick off the bench.

I thank you.

Oakdene wrote:I'm really hoping that we go fully loaded against Bordeaux not only because we need a win but we have the Welsh derbies coming up in the next couple of weeks. Hoping for a good crowd turnout but I have heard that the WAG may be putting restrictions on crowds, possibly limiting them to 500.

For some reason I read that as debris...

Looks like the Wasps and Bath games are under threat due to positive covid tests.

Pau v Sarries off with Pau awarded a 28-0 win. Several cases in the Sarries squad.

What sort of team are Cardiff going to be able to put out?

We've ended up playing them pretty regularly in Europe and they're always good games, Cardiff often have the better of us too so either way it'll be nice to get one over them!

yappysnap wrote:What sort of team are Cardiff going to be able to put out?

We've ended up playing them pretty regularly in Europe and they're always good games, Cardiff often have the better of us too so either way it'll be nice to get one over them!

By all accounts it will be a similar side to the one they put out against Toulouse as the players who were isolating in the hotels wont be match fit.

Oakdene wrote:

yappysnap wrote:What sort of team are Cardiff going to be able to put out?

We've ended up playing them pretty regularly in Europe and they're always good games, Cardiff often have the better of us too so either way it'll be nice to get one over them!

By all accounts it will be a similar side to the one they put out against Toulouse as the players who were isolating in the hotels wont be match fit.

Cardiff also have some guys doing double isolation as they isolated in Cardiff sorry South Africa and have been told they have to isolate in the UK too.  So some not even out of isolation yet.

Ulster: Lowry; Gilroy, Hume, McCloskey, McIlroy; Burns, Cooney; Warwick, Herring, M Moore, O'Connor, Henderson (capt); Marcus Rea, Timoney, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Andrew, McGrath, O'Toole, Treadwell, Carter, Jones, Doak, S Moore.

Northampton Saints: Tuala; Sleightholme, Proctor, Dingwall, Skosan; Furbank, Mitchell; Waller, Haywood, Painter, Ribbans, Ratuniyawara; Lawes, Ludlam (capt), Wood.

Replacements: Fish, Iyogun, Carey, Coles, Augustus, James, J Grayson, Hutchinson.

That is a very strong last 5 on the bench for Saints but very surprised that Wood is starting at 8 with Augustus on the bench. He, Augustus, is an 80 minute impact player.

Just saw that. Furbank at 10 should make Eddie Jones happy. Augustus is a beast. I hope Grayson gets some decent game time and does well with it.

The Oracle wrote:

Oakdene wrote:

yappysnap wrote:What sort of team are Cardiff going to be able to put out?

We've ended up playing them pretty regularly in Europe and they're always good games, Cardiff often have the better of us too so either way it'll be nice to get one over them!

By all accounts it will be a similar side to the one they put out against Toulouse as the players who were isolating in the hotels wont be match fit.

Cardiff also have some guys doing double isolation as they isolated in Cardiff sorry South Africa and have been told they have to isolate in the UK too.  So some not even out of isolation yet.

Sh*tshow. The academy guys and semi-pro's are getting hyped up a bit aren't they. I watched the game and I cannot see why tbh.

Ospreys also need to get their act together just to be able to keep the score down in Paris. They had many advantages against Sale, some created and some gifted, and still lost. Sale did particularly well at the breakdown and in defence, they absolutely swarmed over everything and it worked a treat. They were just okay everywhere else but didn't have to do a lot anyway.

Leinster side;

15. Jimmy O’Brien (38)
14. Adam Byrne (60)
13. Jamie Osborne (9)
12. Ciarán Frawley (42)
11. James Lowe (57)
10. Ross Byrne (111)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (106)

1. Cian Healy (238)
2. Rónan Kelleher (30)
3. Andrew Porter (82)
4. Ryan Baird (34)
5. James Ryan (53) CAPTAIN
6. Max Deegan (71)
7. Dan Leavy (76)
8. Jack Conan (107)

Replacements:

16. Dan Sheehan (19)
17. Ed Byrne (75)
18. Vakh Abdaladze (14)
19. Devin Toner (271)
20. Jack Dunne (15)
21. Cormac Foley (1)
22. Tommy O’Brien (13)
23. Scott Penny (31)





From Montpellier website;

TITULAIRES
ENZO FORLETTA 1 CIAN HEALY
JÉRÉMIE MAUROUARD 2 RONAN KELLEHER
MOHAMED HAOUAS 3 ANDREW PORTER
MICKAËL CAPELLI 4 RYAN BAIRD
PAUL WILLEMSE 5 JAMES RYAN (CAP.)
NICOLAAS JANSE VAN RENSBURG 6 MAX DEEGAN
KÉLIAN GALLETIER (CAP.) 7 DAN LEAVY
MARCO TAULEIGNE 8 JACK CONAN
GELA APRASIDZE 9 JAMISON GIBSON-PARK
LOUIS FOURSANS 10 ROSS BYRNE
GABRIEL NGANDEBE 11 JAMES LOWE
PIERRE LUCAS 12 CIARAN FRAWLEY
YVAN REILHAC 13 JAMIE OSBORNE
JOSUA VICI 14 ADAM BYRNE
THOMAS DARMON 15 JIMMY O'BRIEN
REMPLAÇANTS
BRANDON PAENGA AMOSA 16 DAN SHEEHAN
ROBERT RODGERS 17 ED BYRNE
MALIK HAMADACHE 18 VAKH ABDALADZE
ZACH MERCER 19 DEVIN TONER
AUBIN EYMERI 20 JACK DUNNE
AXEL BEVIA 21 CORMAC FOLEY
KARL MARTIN 22 TOMMY O'BRIEN
TYLER DUGUID 23 SCOTT PENNY

Leinster going for a 6-2 split on the bench. Frawley probably covering the 10 position. That side is there for the taking.

Anyone know anything about that Montpellier side? I see that they have Karl Martin in the side who was being considered for the Leinster academy at one stage.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Anyone know anything about that Montpellier side? I see that they have Karl Martin in the side who was being considered for the Leinster academy at one stage.

unfortunately no, mate. Can’t get Top 14 on any platform where I live. Two years ago I had Top14 and one or two D2 matches per week.

Zach Mercer was a fringe England back row who didn’t catch EJ’s fancy. Good player.

doctor_grey wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Anyone know anything about that Montpellier side? I see that they have Karl Martin in the side who was being considered for the Leinster academy at one stage.

unfortunately no, mate.  Can’t get Top 14 on any platform where I live.  Two years ago I had Top14 and one or two D2 matches per week.

Zach Mercer was a fringe England back row who didn’t catch EJ’s fancy.  Good player.

It's hard to follow what's happening in the other leagues with ultimate rugby putting everything behind a pay wall.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Anyone know anything about that Montpellier side? I see that they have Karl Martin in the side who was being considered for the Leinster academy at one stage.

unfortunately no, mate.  Can’t get Top 14 on any platform where I live.  Two years ago I had Top14 and one or two D2 matches per week.

Zach Mercer was a fringe England back row who didn’t catch EJ’s fancy.  Good player.

It's hard to follow what's happening in the other leagues with ultimate rugby putting everything behind a pay wall.

I agree. Every league is harder to follow because almost everything is behind a paywall. The Premiership is one paywall, URC is another (just took advantage of a half price sale), the southern hemisphere is a third paywall, and then there is Amazon.

doctor_grey wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Anyone know anything about that Montpellier side? I see that they have Karl Martin in the side who was being considered for the Leinster academy at one stage.

unfortunately no, mate.  Can’t get Top 14 on any platform where I live.  Two years ago I had Top14 and one or two D2 matches per week.

Zach Mercer was a fringe England back row who didn’t catch EJ’s fancy.  Good player.

Zach Mercer has apparently hit the ground running in France. He's a very good ball carrier, explosive but isn't the biggest. Would probably have some caps if he was Irish as he's the type of backrow they like. Eddie likes his backrows bigger normally, unless they are an openside.

They seem to be missing quite a few of the players I'd associate with them. No Garbisi and no Pollard at 10. Serfontaine, Vincent and Doumaryou none are included at centre etc.

Think Leinster will win at a canter.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Anyone know anything about that Montpellier side? I see that they have Karl Martin in the side who was being considered for the Leinster academy at one stage.

unfortunately no, mate.  Can’t get Top 14 on any platform where I live.  Two years ago I had Top14 and one or two D2 matches per week.

Zach Mercer was a fringe England back row who didn’t catch EJ’s fancy.  Good player.

Zach Mercer has apparently hit the ground running in France. He's a very good ball carrier, explosive but isn't the biggest. Would probably have some caps if he was Irish as he's the type of backrow they like. Eddie likes his backrows bigger normally, unless they are an openside.

They seem to be missing quite a few of the players I'd associate with them. No Garbisi and no Pollard at 10. Serfontaine, Vincent and Doumaryou none are included at centre etc.

Think Leinster will win at a canter.

The game has been called off, the tournament is a farce again this year unfortunately.

Gloucester vs Benetton

Gloucester: Evans; Rees-Zammit, Harris, Twelvetrees, May; Hastings, Meehan; Rapava-Ruskin, Singleton, Gotovtsev, Clarke, Alemanno, Reid, Ludlow (c), Ackermann.

Replacements: Walker, Ford-Robinson, Balmain, Davidson, Clement, Varney, Kveseladze, Moyle.

Benetton: Pani; Padovani, Mononcello, Riera, Ioane; Smith, Braley; Lamaro, Zuliani, Negri, Ruzza, Herbst, Pasquali, Lucchesi, Gallo.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Anyone know anything about that Montpellier side? I see that they have Karl Martin in the side who was being considered for the Leinster academy at one stage.

unfortunately no, mate.  Can’t get Top 14 on any platform where I live.  Two years ago I had Top14 and one or two D2 matches per week.

Zach Mercer was a fringe England back row who didn’t catch EJ’s fancy.  Good player.

Zach Mercer has apparently hit the ground running in France. He's a very good ball carrier, explosive but isn't the biggest. Would probably have some caps if he was Irish as he's the type of backrow they like. Eddie likes his backrows bigger normally, unless they are an openside.

They seem to be missing quite a few of the players I'd associate with them. No Garbisi and no Pollard at 10. Serfontaine, Vincent and Doumaryou none are included at centre etc.

Think Leinster will win at a canter.

The game has been called off, the tournament is a farce again this year unfortunately.

Yep was a farce last week when we had to forfeit our game against Bristol.

It will be empty stadiums again pretty soon I suspect. BJ will have to show he is doing something after last nights result.

With the new format a loss is not the end of the road.

Two wins and you are through and as the last 16 is 2 leg it is not that important where you finish.
This first phase is little more than the weeding out of the poorer trams.

Unless a team has really bad luck they should qualify regardless

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:It will be empty stadiums again pretty soon I suspect. BJ will have to show he is doing something after last nights result.

The problem he has is that his party is split hence the nearly 100 that voted against him in the week. More measures won't necessarily help him as Tory leader, it's a business first party and the knock on effect of empty stadiums is bad for business. Is media pals will want maximum atmosphere for the Christmas sporting calendar.

geoff999rugby wrote:With the new format a loss is not the end of the road.

Two wins and you are through and as the last 16 is 2 leg it is not that important where you finish.
This first phase is little more than the weeding out of the poorer trams.

Unless a team has really bad luck they should qualify regardless

That's assuming they don't keep giving french home sides 5 point wins. Would imagine it will get harder to qualify at that point purely because everyone will have wins and the french sides banked 5 points without teams getting a chance to pick up any losing bonus points.

I'd be pretty annoyed as a fan if my side failed to qualify to a side that benefited from automatic 5 point wins. Granted Racing would probably have eased through anyway but Montpellier could have been out of qualification running by round 3. Now they genuinely could make the knockout stages at the costs of someone else.

Only positive from my side is this is unlikely to have affected the Welsh Teams who simply don't deserve knockout rugby in Europe as we have all been poor for one reason or another. Not so sure I could say the same if I was English or Irish at this point.

Bernard Jackman has just tweeted

All French teams who were due to travel this weekend for #ChampionsCup Rugby games have now decided not to.

That's Bath, Sale, Scarlets, London Irish, Dragons - he was only definite about UK matches

Having said that some teams are already here so who knows what is going on
Also Murray Kinsella says it is under consideration

Ospreys have pulled out of their trip too. 28-0 5 point win awarded to Racing.

geoff999rugby wrote:Bernard Jackman has just tweeted

All French teams who were due to travel this weekend for #ChampionsCup Rugby games have now decided not to.

That's Bath, Sale, Scarlets, London Irish, Dragons - he was only definite about UK matches

Having said that some teams are already here so who knows what is going on
Also Murray Kinsella says it is under consideration

LI are in the Challenge Cup - is it the same for this tournament as well?

Ah - just found this:

Following a meeting of the EPCR Board today (Friday, 17 December) it has been decided that due to current exceptional circumstances, Round 2 matches in the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup between French and UK clubs scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday are postponed.

So I wonder if this means the Ospreys and Sarries matches will now be rescheduled too rather than a 28-0 win awarded to the French clubs?

Dragons v Lyon is definitely on. Lyon were in the air when Jackman tweeted that.

Heaf wrote:So I wonder if this means the Ospreys and Sarries matches will now be rescheduled too rather than a 28-0 win awarded to the French clubs?

They can’t be rescheduled!

Heaf wrote:Ah - just found this:

Following a meeting of the EPCR Board today (Friday, 17 December) it has been decided that due to current exceptional circumstances, Round 2 matches in the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup between French and UK clubs scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday are postponed.

What a joke competition. As it's the French teams they've decided not to award a 28-0 win to the oppoisiton. How annoyed must all the teams be who were told to forfeit.

You reap what you sow

Many (including on here) wanted the management of the European competitions to be moved away from Dublin even if it meant the move to Switzerland made France the dominant party.

This has resulted in a big drop in sponsorship money from the sole tournament sponsor and
now Covid related decisions to suit the French

Be careful what you wish for

Ah right, so games can be postponed and rescheduled now? Not what I was told in round 1

They had better do the right thing by Saracens, Leinster and Ospreys then (Scarlets too?)

Really, should just cancel and start again next season. They won't because of the money but this is not going to get much better by the next round of Euro games.

All those teams who were told to forefeit games and handed losses need to have those overturned, they cannot decide torearrange for some and not for all.

No idea when they are planning to play these games but if they have times for some then they have to do it for all.

And if they are planning to go to 1 legged last 16 matches to accomodate this then it is even more important all those teams be allowed to play their matches so they have a chance to get home draws.

The Oracle wrote:Ah right, so games can be postponed and rescheduled now? Not what I was told in round 1

Exactly - nothing like making it up as you go along eh?

On the bright side, my team Dragons’ game is going ahead currently at home and we’re looking especially garbage against what I can only assume is a very much second string Lyon side!

Big Stu McCloskey's game is over, hamstring issue. Ulster leading 14-6 at the moment, Stuart Moore on

Ulster playing some lovely rugby but giving away pens to let Saints stay in this

Really interesting game this. Ulster have had all the attacking highlights but fold under very little pressure and cough up penalties in their own half.

That last play a good summary of the half, Ulster get pressure and into Saints 22 then completely mess it up.

Iain Henderson off with an injury, just when we got him abck too, hope that isn't too serious