2015-16 Champions Cup thread

thomond2006

I haven't seen a general thread so here goes.

errlloyd

Ospreys

Surely that is last years Challenge Cup draw?

Thomond spent so long in France he just doesn't take it seriously anymore.

irishbucsfan

errlloyd wrote: »

Surely that is last years Challenge Cup draw?

Thomond out!

Wasps

Pools 1, 3 and especially 5 could throw up interesting qualifiers. Munster should sail through their group. Lot of great fixtures!

thomond2006

errlloyd wrote: »

Surely that is last years Challenge Cup draw?

Thomond spent so long in France he just doesn't take it seriously anymore.

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Thomond out!

Thank you. Thank you very much.

former total

Ospreys

There really are no easy draws there. Clermont are the only team who can be assured of winning their pool. Toulon will be confident enough but away form has been patchy in recent years.

Munster have a relatively handy draw with Treviso and Stade being a bit shaky at the moment, would expect them to top their pool but not guaranteed.

Leinster are third favourites to top their pool. Third. How did it come to this?

former total

Wasps

former total wrote: »

Third. How did it come to this?

Glasgow Warriors

Cmon you Bordeaux Beagles!!

funrunner95

Leinster

Does anyone know when the 5th round fixtures are likely to be finalised? I'm looking to plan a trip to thomond for the stade Francais game

funrunner95

Wasps

funrunner95 wrote: »

Does anyone know when the 5th round fixtures are likely to be finalised? I'm looking to plan a trip to thomond for the stade Francais game

Should be before Christmas, either way you'll have no difficulty getting tickets.

errlloyd

Ospreys

I'll be hoping Glasgow and scarlets perform for a generally strong pro12 showing

former total

Ospreys

Leicester team to play SF tomorrow:

15. Matthew Tait (c); 14. Adam Thompstone, 13. Peter Betham, 12. Matt Smith, 11. Vereniki Goneva; 10. Owen Williams, 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Marcos Ayerza, 2. Tom Youngs, 3. Dan Cole, 4. Mike Williams, 5. Michael Fitzgerald, 6. Tom Croft, 7. Brendon O'Connor, 8. Lachlan McCaffrey
16. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17. Matias Aguero, 18. Fraser Balmain, 19. Dom Barrow, 20. Jordan Crane, 21. Sam Harrison, 22. Seremaia Bai, 23. Telusa Veainu

I know Tigers never really go in for big name players, but that is a deeply ordinary XV.

thomond2006

Have Leicester got lots of injuries or something (Manu Tuilagi and JdV)? There's a lot of unfamiliar names there. The front row looks to be the only unit that screams first choice.

irishbucsfan

thomond2006 wrote: »

Have Leicester got lots of injuries or something (Manu Tuilagi and JdV)? There's a lot of unfamiliar names there. The front row looks to be the only unit that screams first choice.

Ed Slater is injured I think. Tuiilagi and JdV both injured i believe.

It's a pretty strong team outside of that. First choice half backs. Jordan Crane is on the bench in the 2nd row with O'Connor (who just signed from the Blues) making his debut.

aimee1

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Ed Slater is injured I think. Tuiilagi and JdV both injured i believe.

It's a pretty strong team outside of that. First choice half backs. Jordan Crane is on the bench in the 2nd row with O'Connor (who just signed from the Blues) making his debut.

Pretty sure i read the other day that JDV wont play until december

Neil3030

I'm sure the French teams will want to stand up and be counted after their poor showing in the World Cup. Like I'm sure the English teams will want to stand up and be counted after their poor showing in the World Cup. Like I'm sure the Irish provinces will want........


OK so I'm at least sure the winner won't be from Argentina!

stadedublinois

former total wrote: »

Leicester team to play SF tomorrow:

15. Matthew Tait (c); 14. Adam Thompstone, 13. Peter Betham, 12. Matt Smith, 11. Vereniki Goneva; 10. Owen Williams, 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Marcos Ayerza, 2. Tom Youngs, 3. Dan Cole, 4. Mike Williams, 5. Michael Fitzgerald, 6. Tom Croft, 7. Brendon O'Connor, 8. Lachlan McCaffrey
16. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17. Matias Aguero, 18. Fraser Balmain, 19. Dom Barrow, 20. Jordan Crane, 21. Sam Harrison, 22. Seremaia Bai, 23. Telusa Veainu

I know Tigers never really go in for big name players, but that is a deeply ordinary XV.

Stade have named their team too

Bonneval ; Arias, Williams, Bosman, Sinzelle ; (o) Steyn, (m) Dupuy ; Nicolas, Parisse (cap), Sio ; Papé, Gabrillagues ; Oleon, Panis, Taulafo.

Bench:Priso, Zhvania, Slimani, Flanquart, Ross, Tomas, Waisea, Raisuqe.

Quesada was unhappy about having to play the Friday after a Sunday game. There are some injury problems in the forwards. Zhvania (a prop) is filling in as hooker on the bench and Burban and Lakafia (our best flankers) are injured.

It looks like Plisson (no outhalf on the bench but Bosman can play there) and Danty are being rested.

Bridge93

On paper anyway, with the signings other sides have made, Leicester look well down the list of Premiership teams at the minute.

stadedublinois

stadedublinois wrote: »

Stade have named their team too

Bonneval ; Arias, Williams, Bosman, Sinzelle ; (o) Steyn, (m) Dupuy ; Nicolas, Parisse (cap), Sio ; Papé, Gabrillagues ; Oleon, Panis, Taulafo.

Bench:Priso, Zhvania, Slimani, Flanquart, Ross, Tomas, Waisea, Raisuqe.

Quesada was unhappy about having to play the Friday after a Sunday game. There are some injury problems in the forwards. Zhvania (a prop) is filling in as hooker on the bench and Burban and Lakafia (our best flankers) are injured.

It looks like Plisson (no outhalf on the bench but Bosman can play there) and Danty are being rested.

Plisson, Danty and Sempéré are actually all out injured or ill.

thomond2006

15 Delon Armitage; 14. Josua Tuisova, 13. Mathieu Bastareaud, 12. Maxime Mermoz, 11. Bryan Habana; 10. Quade Cooper, 9. Jonathan Pelissie;
1. Xavier Chiocci, 2. Anthony Etrillard, 3. Levan Chilachava, 4. Samu Manoa, 5. Romain Taofifenua, 6. Juan Smith (c), 7. Juan Fernandez Lobbe, 8. Steffon Armitage

16. Bastien Soury, 17. Florian Fresia, 18. Mohamed Boughanmi, 19. Duane Vermeulen, 20. Theo Belan, 21. Tom Taylor, 22. Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 23. Konstantine Mikautadze

Duane Vermeulen makes his Toulon debut.

Bridge93

What channel is tonight's game on?

vienne86

Scarlets

Bridge93 wrote: »

What channel is tonight's game on?

BT Europe. Channel 414 on the Sky platform in HD. Channel 426 in SD.

Hagz

Was Betham not allowed to pick that up? He knocked it on?

EDIT: Yep. Silly mistake from Lacey.

vienne86

Scarlets

You'd never think Stade are French champions!

vienne86

Scarlets

Completely against the run of play, Stade get the first points on the board with a try - poor defence by Leicester.

errlloyd

Ospreys

Try was class

vienne86

Scarlets

And Steyn has just slotted a penalty from somewhere around the halfway line!

Wasps

Munster really should have a field day in this pool. No way they should be at risk at home.

errlloyd

Ospreys

That really should not have been given. Runner was ahead.

vienne86

Scarlets

errlloyd wrote: »

That really should not have been given. Runner was ahead.

Not impressed with Lacey tonight.

errlloyd

Ospreys

vienne86 wrote: »

Not impressed with Lacey tonight.

I don't know the specifics of the rule of I'm honest, but it was American football style blocking.

vienne86

Scarlets

Some lovely offloading there from Stade for their second try.

errlloyd

Ospreys

vienne86 wrote: »

Some lovely offloading there from Stade for their second try.

Really class. A good few borderline forward.

vienne86

Scarlets

Nice try there thanks to quick thinking by Ben Youngs for the BP for Leicester.

errlloyd

Ospreys

Penalty should be reversed for Tom Young charge.

molloyjh

Nice try there from Stade. Has to be given.

vienne86

Scarlets

molloyjh wrote: »

Nice try there from Stade. Has to be given.

Lovely try. Stade could have done with the conversion.

molloyjh

vienne86 wrote: »

Lovely try. Stade could have done with the conversion.

Either way they need another score to get anything from the game.

awec

Racing v Glasgow game tomorrow will surely be off.

Wouldn't be surprised if all the games in France are called off.

ScrubsfanChris

Will the Racing v Glasgow match go ahead tomorrow anyone think?

bilston

awec wrote: »

Racing v Glasgow game tomorrow will surely be off.

Wouldn't be surprised if all the games in France are called off.

Whereabouts in France is Oyannax?

Hollande has declared a state of emergency and France has closed its borders. There is no way the games will go on.

errlloyd

Ospreys

bilston wrote: »

Whereabouts in France is Oyannax?

Hollande has declared a state of emergency and France has closed its borders. There is no way the games will go on.

Vaguely near Lyon somewhere up in the alps.

awec

bilston wrote: »

Whereabouts in France is Oyannax?

Hollande has declared a state of emergency and France has closed its borders. There is no way the games will go on.

Miles from Paris, it's close to Geneva in Switzerland.

vienne86

Scarlets

Racing game will surely be off. I would have thought Oyonnax would not be affected, but a lot of things could be shut down in France tomorrow.

Awful stuff.

bilston

errlloyd wrote: »

Vaguely near Lyon somewhere up in the alps.

So nowhere near Paris. The Racing game will absolutely be postponed.

bilston

vienne86 wrote: »

Racing game will surely be off. I would have thought Oyonnax would not be affected, but a lot of things could be shut down in France tomorrow.

Awful stuff.

I think if they are shutting their borders and imposing a state of emergency then pretty much any public gathering will be cancelled. But we'll see, in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter if the game goes ahead.

vienne86

Scarlets

bilston wrote: »

I think if they are shutting their borders and imposing a state of emergency then pretty much any public gathering will be cancelled. But we'll see, in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter if the game goes ahead.

You are right. A game of rugby is a minor matter in this awful situation. I think no gathering will go ahead in or near Paris tomorrow......the rest of the country? Well, who knows.

Rightwing

Deleted User wrote: »

Munster really should have a field day in this pool. No way they should be at risk at home.

Should, but won't. Irish rugby is on a downward spiral

vienne86

Scarlets

Rightwing wrote: »

Should, but won't. Irish rugby is on a downward spiral

On the basis of what I saw on TV in Welford Road this evening, I think Munster will do very nicely in their pool.

Rightwing

vienne86 wrote: »

On the basis of what I saw on TV in Welford Road this evening, I think Munster will do very nicely in their pool.

Hopefully you are right, but I wouldn't be too confident on any Irish team beating them, not that they are great themselves.

bilston

vienne86 wrote: »

On the basis of what I saw on TV in Welford Road this evening, I think Munster will do very nicely in their pool.

Aye I only watched the first half tonight but I saw nothing from either team that should worry Munster, or any Irish province for that matter. Obviously Leicester seemed to turn it on in the second half a bit but on paper anyway they don't look strong at all. Good front row, snappy 9, big wingers but it's far from a vintage Leicester team.