Champions Cup 2019/20

aloooof · 16-10-2020 2:28pm

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Would like to see Exeter win for Steenson and Whitten. And in fact, 'cause they're just simply the good guys.

Someone pointed out on the 42.ie comments that when Steenson joined, they were in the English championship. He (and later Whitten) have been at the heart of that team's journey. Clearly given their heart and soul to that team and slogged, season in, season out.

Fair play.

It's pretty incredible to be fair.

Personally, I didn't really mind either way (other than shouting for Racing due to the Munster connections) but the recent Covid-related stuff from Baxter and Nowell has kinda soured me on them a little.

thomond2006 · 16-10-2020 2:41pm

aloooof wrote: »

It's pretty incredible to be fair.

Personally, I didn't really mind either way (other than shouting for Racing due to the Munster connections) but the recent Covid-related stuff from Baxter and Nowell has kinda soured me on them a little.

Not just the current Munster connections but we have fond memories of an otherwise horrible time for the club when Racing were all class when Anthony Foley passed away.

Eod100 · 16-10-2020 5:16pm

aloooof wrote: »

It's pretty incredible to be fair.

Personally, I didn't really mind either way (other than shouting for Racing due to the Munster connections) but the recent Covid-related stuff from Baxter and Nowell has kinda soured me on them a little.

I missed the covid stuff with Exeter. What was that about again?

Leinstertomas · 16-10-2020 5:20pm

Eod100 wrote: »

I missed the covid stuff with Exeter. What was that about again?

Baxter called for end to testing- (right before several teams experienced large outbreaks)
Nowell said any fans who wanted to attend games should be allowed
Slade was posting conspiracy theories on some social media platform

Not the brightest bunch

ScrubsfanChris · 16-10-2020 8:04pm

That was a quick start from Bristol :pac:

pickarooney · 16-10-2020 8:15pm

Mad game this. I've the window open and can hear the crowd from the stadium outside

lawrencesummers · 16-10-2020 8:31pm

A pat lamb try if ever there was one
Probably won’t count though.

thomond2006 · 16-10-2020 8:31pm

pickarooney wrote: »

Mad game this. I've the window open and can hear the crowd from the stadium outside

Love Aix!

razorblunt · 16-10-2020 8:40pm

As much as I’d like to see Bristol win it’s always enjoyable watching an English team lose in Europe on BT.

The comms blatantly ignore pd the forward pass for Bristols try that was ruled out for ... a forward pass.
Monye saying the angle clearly showing the forward pass was actually the worst angle to judge it. Repeated nonsense.

sydthebeat · 16-10-2020 8:51pm

Brace being quite harsh on bears at the break down, there's side entry all over the place for Toulon

razorblunt · 16-10-2020 8:57pm

He pinged a tackle last the ruck early and then never again.

Not sure why BOD is over in the studio, presumably that will be him “restricting movements” once back in Dublin?

lawrencesummers · 16-10-2020 8:57pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

Brace being quite harsh on bears at the break down, there's side entry all over the place for Toulon

And a mountain of really obvious offside

Buer · 16-10-2020 9:01pm

Yeah some very harsh calls on Bristol. I don't really get why some rate him so highly. I find him very inconsistent and he seems to be inconsistent in applying the laws evenly.

Bristol have nobody to blame but themselves for being behind though. Two disallowed tries which were very much their own fault.

razorblunt · 16-10-2020 9:09pm

Good few of Toulon’s tackles have been high.

lawrencesummers · 16-10-2020 9:17pm

I can’t recall sinkler ever playing a game before (under a different coach) where he didn’t try an act the bollocks in the game.

Lam really has him focused on just playing rugby and leaving the nonsense he goes on with behind.

Buer · 16-10-2020 9:32pm

lawrencesummers wrote: »

I can’t recall sinkler ever playing a game before (under a different coach) where he didn’t try an act the bollocks in the game.

Lam really has him focused on just playing rugby and leaving the nonsense he goes on with behind.

He's good at acting the bollocks. He gets under the skin of the opposition and unsettles them. It also gets the odd penalty. Sinckler being squeaky clean is Sinckler being less useful to his team.

lawrencesummers · 16-10-2020 9:34pm

Buer wrote: »

He's good at acting the bollocks. He gets under the skin of the opposition and unsettles them. It also gets the odd penalty. Sinckler being squeaky clean is Sinckler being less useful to his team.

He gets more wound up at times than the people he is trying to wind up, He had a fine game tonight, didn’t give away any penalties for a change.

lawrencesummers · 16-10-2020 9:51pm

Very impressive win for Bristol.

Lam is a brilliant coach, probably the finest that exists out there currently, he has taken a squad of players added a Small bit of high profile Quality like sinkler and Radradra, worked with some long serving club men, inspired some second and third choice players into the first team Like sheedy, Malins, Woolmore and gotten a good contribution from some veterans like Aofa.

They are not a complete team that can challenge for a league yet but they are well able to beat anyone on their day and are great to watch.

sydthebeat · 16-10-2020 9:54pm

Delighted

Buer · 16-10-2020 10:15pm

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Very impressive win for Bristol.

Lam is a brilliant coach, probably the finest that exists out there currently, he has taken a squad of players added a Small bit of high profile Quality like sinkler and Radradra, worked with some long serving club men, inspired some second and third choice players into the first team Like sheedy, Malins, Woolmore and gotten a good contribution from some veterans like Aofa.

They are not a complete team that can challenge for a league yet but they are well able to beat anyone on their day and are great to watch.

Let's be honest, Bristol have spent big money. Yes they have some locally developed lads but they have a very significant number of proven players or highly rated guys taken from elsewhere.

Afoa, Sinckler, Attwood, Earl, Luatua, Hughes, Piutau, Radradra, Morahan.... these were all well established players with test caps when they signed them.

Lam has done a great job as he has to fight fire with fire in the GP but he has a very significant chequebook to work with. Only 4 guys from their 23 are from their own set up.

Lam's best ability is to identify guys who haven't fully delivered due to a backlog elsewhere like Malins but he clearly had the talent and was very highly rated in Saracens where he was already getting significant game time.

I'm not sure Lam can take a team to another level but this is a huge achievement for Bristol in isolation.