Best league in Europe

davyjose

This is the statement that appears when you Google "Wasps Rugby":

London Wasps Rugby Club play in the best league in the Northern Hemisphere - the English Premier League.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/6291733.stm

Disgraceful Rugby. I'm sorry, but I can't see how a full-strength, Leinster side, with our experienced and hugely talented internationals, won't do anything other than embarrass this side. Considering what we did to Llanelli tonight with a well below par side! I won't be convinced otherwise.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/my_club/leinster/6304593.stm

Sangre

In fairness Llanelli were missing 9 internationals.

An Tarbh

So we were missing 6 and McCormack.

Sangre

My point was you can't mentioned are below-par side without mentioning theres.

Diamondmaker

I agree: you cannot compare what an understrength Leinster did to an understrength Scarlets to a situation where a full strenght Leinster play a full stregth Wasps...........away..............in the HEC............after a 6N.......!!!

No real parallels........

Sangre

Anyway to throw my 2c in, Leinster certainly have the ability to beat Wasps. Whether they will or not seems to depend on the alignment of the stars.

Although to their credit Leinster seem to turn it on for the big games, its the lesser games where we usually trip up.

mikedragon32

Sangre wrote:

Leinster seem turn it on for the big games

Were you in Lansdowne Road for the games agains Perpignan, Leicester and Munster?

With reference to the OP, clearly whoever thinks GP is the best league in Europe watches too much Sky Sports.

Sangre

Yes, when I said 'seem' I meant they always win every match. No wonder we're HC champions 4 years running.

mikedragon32

Well if those performaces were turning it on, I'd had to see what you consider being outclassed and outplayed.

Sangre

When were the Leicester, Perignan games?

davyjose

Mike, the quote is from Wasps' own site.
I guess what I was really pointing out was just how dreary English Rugby is right now. If I went to Donnybrook and watched a game that ended 3-3, I'd ask for my money back. I know that Wasps had a bad day, and they are without internationals etc, and i'm well aware they'll get more than 3 points against us, but seeing that result has really eased my nerves, and I expect with the quality we've got, to put them away.
As for the llanelli, I'm sure they were without some of their best players, but we were missing our entire backline.

Crash

Sangre: assume he means the 04/05 season leinster leicester quarter final, one of the most depressing performances i've seen.

Sangre

oh yeah, was thinking of the other one.

Chucky the tree

davyjose wrote:

Disgraceful Rugby. I'm sorry, but I can't see how a full-strength, Leinster side, with our experienced and hugely talented internationals, won't do anything other than embarrass this side.

Is this the same full strength Leinster side that went to to Gloucester a few weeks ago?

Diamondmaker

To make a few direct Irl / Prem comparisons...

Leicester are currently the top team in England and over 2 games against Irish opp this season, have shown themselves to be a better team than the best of the Irish.

Glaws were embarrassed at home by Leinster, who are 3rd in the Prem, but avenged that to a poor away Leinster showing. So its 50:50 against 3rd place.

Now Wasps are 4th, so based on league positions alone Leinster shpuld beat them. If it was at home!
..... but the result is in no way assured to Leinster as its away!
Itll be tight, Leinster can win it and it will be down to whether Wasps can do a Munster and smother us up front and starve the backs of ball.

If they can do that well enough the home adavantage will give them the game in my opinion. It wont be easy our Fwds are improving hugely week by week.
Also Leinster will not be stung by turning up for a 3rd HEC away game and doing a "no show" ( Edinburgh & Glaws ) however. So it will take a very good Wasps game to beat em.
Id say Wasps have to be bookies faves though......

Sangre

There is no way Leinster and Gloucester are 50/50. Seriously, was I the only person watching those games? I can't possible see how the English media are basing a revival on them. Leicester beat Munster yet Munster could have won the game at a number of points e.g. kicking the penalty. They were also camped in the Leicester end for large spells at the end. Now I agree Leicester should have won but it was far from emphatic.
And the Leinster game? Some of the worse reffing I've ever seen. 1st Glaw try was dubios, the last was one was a knock-on. Contepomi could have easily made a try with a BOD try, Kearney could have easily been let in by another ref.

Basically despite the Irish being turned over by the English we could have knicked both games at a number of points.

davyjose

Good point Chucky, and a fair one. The real point I was making was that The GP is sh*te The Leinster/Wasps was secondary.
But having said that (and DM I have to disagree with you about Wasps being favourites, even though we've been muck on the road) I think that Leinster will still take lumps out of Wasps. Yes part of it is a hunch - speculation. I think that Leinster's biggest weakness is complacency though. Certainly over the last few years this has been the case. We were given slim chance against Bath last year. We won in breath-taking manner. That was nothing to what happened in Toulouse however. So going back to Chucky's point, Yes! I do agree it is very possible that we will lose. But the team that will beat us is not Wasps, it's ourselves.

Chucky the tree

I think Wasps will win myself. There defence is rock solid. The weather conditions will be huge. If its raining, i wouldnt give leinster a much of a chance at all.

Should be a great contest though. That and Leciester vs Stade are definitly the two stand out matches.

Crash

Oh come on - we've all seen leinster play fantastic rugby in the rain - to be truly honest, the one team that will beat leinster is leinster. There's something that we manage to do to ourselves on days we really need to turn out properly that is just depressing to watch. Nothing clicks, the backline falls to pieces - but you can't blame weather. And while you can say the opposition were good, most of the time leinster lose you gotta question what the hell they were at in the first place.

davyjose

Exactly. It is all or nothing with Leinster, there never seems to be a mediocre game when we play - just pure class or absolute drivel, but the former happens a lot more than the latter. And when Leinster play their best Rugby they play THE best rugby. Certainly in this hemisphere.

Chucky the tree

Those blue tinted glasses seem to be working anyway.

davyjose

Sorry Chucky, maybe my inferiority complex isn't working properly, but i don't have the same unshakeable doubt about Irish Rugby that you seem to persist with. Whether or not that's wearing blue-tinted glasses I can't say (although why you would make such a ridiculous statement only says to me you've run out of a valid argument), but I'm not going to dismiss a team with the quality Leinster have just because they haven't won every single game we've played in the last year or two.

Chucky the tree

Irish rugby had nothing to do with my comment, leinster rugby did. All this "its only leinster who can beat leinster" arrogance is what gets to me. As if how the opposition play has nothing to do with it.

Dont dismiss them for having not won every match is the last two years, dismiss them for having won absolute nothing of note since 2001.

Diamondmaker

Wasp v Leinster
To Qualify for Semi-Finals
Wasps 5 - 6 Leinster 5 - 6

Paddy Power odds, what does this mean they are the same price?