HEC Opponent watch

[cormac]

Re Blaney for Bath last I read he was looking to move to Dublin or London to combine work experience in finance with playing for a club

For the competition overall, just to be paranoid, as final is in Twickenham a home team for the final always seems to get a home semi final

My guess for quarters: Munster, Cardiff (home), Leinster (home), Leicester & Clermont (at least one away), Saracens, Toulose (home), Quinns (away)
Semis: Leinster, Toulose, Quinns (home), Munster/Saracens

Everyone seems to think Clermont will make the qf when Scarletts and Edinburgh have got away wins and try bp. I think it is likely they will end with 18 - 19 pts with a losing bp in Leicester or bp against ulster home or Airone away to look for - none gauranteed.

I can't see Scarlets winning in Limerick, and they could well be turned over at home (very lightweight front 5 even if the rest of the team is top class) by Munster and Castres away still to come for them. Edinburgh will lose home and away to Cardiff and in Paris, Visser can't win every match for them. Clermont will win remaining home games and bonus in Italy which gives them 19 before any other bonuses but could well be them on top of the pool and Leicester hoping for best runners up.

RE Bath away games, what year was it we won with 2 tries in last 2 minutes? Can't find highlights on YouTube. Do remember Barnes being sick as a dog and still insisting on giving MoM to Lee Mears as great H cup debut despite the comeback, plus Leinster's first try was from a Mears overthrow to Jennings on their own line

2004-05

[simonokeeffe]

Cheers

Bath Have signed the USA's hooker but more injuries, Moody off with a shoulder problem at weekend and Dave Attwood stretchered off with a serious looking injury

[borders]

The Bath website do not appear to have any tickets left for this game. Maybe, I am doing something wrong. I live in London and may be able to go. thank you

[Broken Wing]

Ref's anounced.

Bath V Leinster: Jerome Garces
Leinster V Bath: Roman Poite

[Donny B.]

Ref's anounced.

Bath V Leinster: Jerome Garces
Leinster V Bath: Roman Poite

That's not too bad. Would have been concerned if we had Poite away but he's not too bad at home. I like Garces as a ref.

[wixfjord]

I see that Rory Lamont has joined Glasgow too.
Good addition to their squad.

I presume he'll he be allowed into their HEC squad in January?

[Scott]

I like Garces as a ref.

I give it a month

[bluemagic]

I like Garces as a ref.

I give it a month

Wasn't he the one that reffed Leinster Munster? I thought he was awful, didn't let the game flow at all! Have way too many penalties

[slum]

some pretty important names missing from the Bath starting lineup for tmw

Tom Biggs (hand), Stephen Donald (hip), Lewis Moody (shoulder) and Mark McMillan (knee) are all unavailable for selection due to injury.

[Donny B.]

I like Garces as a ref.

I give it a month

Wasn't he the one that reffed Leinster Munster? I thought he was awful, didn't let the game flow at all! Have way too many penalties

Nope that was Pascal Gauzere. He was shite alright.

From what I've seen of Garces, he looks the best of the current crop of French refs.

But Scott, it mightn't even last a month if his performance displeases me next week!!

[Ruckedtobits]

Based on the ESPN coverage of Worcester v Bath on last Friday week, it will be a miracle if Moody plays against us. He is carrying a shoulder injury which looks the double of BOD. He was in severe pain and total left arm / shoulder weakness for 40 of the 45 minutes he stayed on the pitch. Word on English rugby websites is that he has had this since the 6N but kept it quiet to keep the English captaincy in RWC2011. English management nursed him through training in RWC2011 but with total fall-out from RFU Report fiasco, he felt that he had to play every available match for Bath. Bad call for them and him. Good result for Leinster.

They also lost their big second-row Atwood in that game to a head / neck injury sustained in a tackle / ruck situation. If they lose him also they miss a lot of physical presence and experience from their pack.

The key factor however in our game against Bath will be their front-five. Their experienced Props are fairly old and immobile -certainly when the pace of a game picks up. Their young guns at prop and hooker are very inexperienced and Ross, Healy / VdM, Strauss/ Cronin could have a feild day with lots of straight arm decisions is Bath go with them.

However, don't rule Montpelier out of the equation yet. Very comprehensive win against Lyon on Wednesday night with 9 changes in their 23. They are up to 8th in Top 14 and a bonus point victory away from 5th. If they are unbeaten between now and our home game against them, they will be a serious proposition

It may be tempting fate, but at this point it is very hard to see where Bath can hurt us .....if we show up and play to our standards

[simonokeeffe]

Bath lost 13-16 at home to Sale, let a ten nothing half time lead slip

[slum]

interesting to see Montpellier way back up the top14 table to 8th place - and only 3 points outside a playoff place

[Donny B.]

interesting to see Montpellier way back up the top14 table to 8th place - and only 3 points outside a playoff place

Well they're a fine team and things were always going to improve for them once they got their players back from the World Cup.

[slum]

interesting to see Montpellier way back up the top14 table to 8th place - and only 3 points outside a playoff place

Well they're a fine team and things were always going to improve for them once they got their players back from the World Cup.

absolutely. and an excellent coach too.

[simonokeeffe]

I see that Rory Lamont has joined Glasgow too.
Good addition to their squad.

I presume he'll he be allowed into their HEC squad in January?

He'll be keen to get stuck in after being in the doldrums in Toulon but still they've no front row, back row or wings

[glenageary]

interesting to see Montpellier way back up the top14 table to 8th place - and only 3 points outside a playoff place

Well they're a fine team and things were always going to improve for them once they got their players back from the World Cup.

absolutely. and an excellent coach too.

They were unlucky to loose against bath - they made some woeful mistakes - we could have easily has lose to them too - thank god we woke up at the end

[TerenureJim]

We don't seem to have a thread on the Aviva Premiership so thought I'd slot this in here from today's Indo and makes for curious reading as to how at sea the entire elite end of English rugby is with this rubbish being allowed to occur:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/a ... 54569.html

[fourthirtythree]

We don't seem to have a thread on the Aviva Premiership so thought I'd slot this in here from today's Indo and makes for curious reading as to how at sea the entire elite end of English rugby is with this rubbish being allowed to occur:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/a ... 54569.html

Keep it up lads. Your rugby sure isn't entertaining so you have to do something to keep people interested.

[ribs]

We don't seem to have a thread on the Aviva Premiership so thought I'd slot this in here from today's Indo and makes for curious reading as to how at sea the entire elite end of English rugby is with this rubbish being allowed to occur:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/a ... 54569.html

Keep it up lads. Your rugby sure isn't entertaining so you have to do something to keep people interested.

I can vaguely recall an Irish international tackling by the dreadlocks but can't remember who or where - against NZ perhaps?