Babbling 'brook

God for a game that has no ranking points or RWC seedings at stake, that's a very conservative selection by Farrell, but then I didn't expect any better. I'm not going to go over the whole Cooney debate, except to say a couple of dud games at the beginning of the season for Ulster has meant he's cas...

Correct me if I'm wrong but Sexton's central contract runs out next June. Is a severely cash-strapped IRFU going to give a 35-36yo a new central contract - really can't see it. Likewise, the idea of taking a 38yo back to a RWC in 2023 is nonsense, many props are able to play at the top level into th...

I know all the arguments but I really am disappointed to see so many non-Irish players in the Irish squad. Playing for your country internationally is more than a job and it lessens the integrity of the team as well as denying Irish players the opportunity to represent their country. I don’t buy th...

Marmion has to be the form 9 in the country now, with JGP not that far behind. But we all know that Murrray will get the nod when Farrell picks his team for the first international with Marmion on the bench. Cooney has to rediscover last year's form if he's to be in contention, sorry but Luke McG is...

You can never beat the welsh enough Some good a lot bad. Inability to work out how to play the ref was telling. Worked the tries well. Fineen and gav coming of age Could be a huge result for the conference So true. I don't think the Scarlets looked close to scoring a try over 80 minutes. As I write...

Does anybody else have the same problems with Now TV as I have. Used it successfully to watch Leinster-Saracens game (groan) with a £10 day pass. Done exactly the same today to watch Exeter-Toulouse, paid my £10 but still being told that I need to buy the day pass - just like the one I bought half a...

Yep he hasn't been firing on all cylinders and his inclusion probably wouldn't have changed the result but Fardy was badly missed. When you know you're going to be in a dogfight then you include a dog with a bit of devil in the team and Fardy has that in loads. Realistically all Dev provides now is ...

Thank god for TG4, listening to commentary I can just about follow as gaeilge is better than 80 mins of F!cking Toland in English

It's a sad indication of the state of reffing in the Pro14 that only one ref (Owens) and one assistant (Brace) makes it on to the RWC 2019 refs panel. For Ireland, we've gone from a time where we had loads of international refs to now having just one (Brace) deemed worthy of running the line - not e...

Big question is the 3 into 2 conundrum of Lowe-Fardy-JGP. You've three potentiual combos - a repeat of Fardy-Lowe from Sunday, Fardy-JGP and Lowe-JGP After how they played v Toulouse, hard to see how Lowe and Fardy can be excluded. Lowe has something special that others in his position don't have an...

Have to say I'm surprised PP have us 11-8 favourites to win the ERC with Sarries on 13-8, Munster 5-1 and Toulouse 6-1. If you were going solely on this weekend's performances I'd have Sarries as strong favourites - thought they were pretty awesome v Glasgow. FWIW, bookies have a 7 point spread for ...

Serb wrote:Great result for us. No easy semis but home advantage is huge. Presume Holmes will also be banned for the game.

Wouldn't think so, match is in 3 weeks, I'd say he'll get a couple of weeks ban at most

I'm probably in a minority of 1, but is playing a resurgent Toulouse at home necessarily better than playing a bunch of show ponies like Racing away. Fair focks to Toulouse for winning playing a man short for 60 mins but Racing were shockingly bad, showing all the worst traits of French rugby while ...

Everybody can have bad games and I can forgive them for those. But we really have to look at Sexton - not just because he's playing badly but because of his attitude. Nothing ever seems to be his fault, mouthing to his own team mates, generally behaving a spoiled bollix. That said you don't just go ...

Only ones to benefit from that game are David Kilcoyne and John Ryan - McGrath and Porter were very poor - hope for their sakes Joe doesn't spend too much time looking at the video

Simply cant understand how the Scots keep persevering with Laidlaw, he's grade A useless - and apart from goal kicking he offers feck all. Can understand why with Price, Pyrgos and Hildago-Clyne, Townsend keeps picking him

Oldschool wrote:Very difficult to see anything but a home win for all the quarterfinalists.
The Racing v Toulouse being the one that's most up for grabs.

Bookies have Munster beating Edinburgh away

Bookies don't agree, latest odds from PP Leinster 5-4 Saracens 9-4 Racing 9-2 Munster 7-1 Toulouse 16-1 Edinburgh 25-1 Glasgow 66-1 Ulster 100-1 1/3 odds for each way - winners and runner-up Not sure I'd have Munster 7-1 for an away game, Edinburgh looked pretty decent on Friday night and Munster sc...

For what it's worth, latest odd from PP

Leinster 5-4
Saracens 9-4
Racing 9-2
Munster 7-1
Toulouse 16-1
Edinburgh 25-1
Glasgow 66-1
Ulster 100-1

tomthefan wrote:Wish I could have chosen a commentator other than, Ryle (can you believe it?) nuuuuuugent

On Jesus, not to mention Keith Wood, thought Austin Healey is a one-eyed idiot but Woody takes the first prize on this one