European Opponent Watch

[JB1973]

If they want to get the locals on board and get some good PR. They could strike a deal with Coventry FC and let them play there rent free for few seasons.

With all that money to spend, will they stick with Dai Young as coach? Wouldn't shock me to see them go for a trio of Gatland/Edwards/ one of howley/king as their post world cup set up

[simonokeeffe]

think we're not far off PRL making a play to scrap relegation to hoard their money further

very sad but Wasps as a club deserve to fall apart now and huge chance theyll be relegated once a strong club like Bristol come up

their home games v Saints, Tigers will be 10k away fans and no home fans

Hmmm, it seems Wasps are set to do anything but fall apart. The Rikoh arena move sees a 20m investment and yesterday they announced a sizeable sponsorship deal with Landrover. They may well be the English Toulon soon enough.

If they get relegated though? even to take a look at league table, London Welsh (de facto relegated), Newcastle and Leicester below them and nobody is any doubt Tigers will turn things around
playing in an empty stadium will make home games harder, it will be a de facto home game for some pretty big teams, may be a high turnover of players and staff this summer

if they fall apart next season theyre relying on Newcastle not improving or Bristol not coming up in a massive upset

theyre talking about future earnings too, ie ones that havent happened yet plus buying the stadium has increased the club debt, so even financially its very tenuous as theyre relying on building up a fanbase overnight, are refunding STH and even Wasps fans are going to find it easier to go to half the away games

[rooster]

Gonna be away for the opening two rounds. Anyone know the best way to stream these on an ipad?

Get a Belkin @TV they cost about £30 on Amazon, plug one end into receiver and other into broadband, download the free app and watch on iPad, android or pc, cheap version of a slingbox and very reliable.

[outcast eddie]

I know its a way off but Quins lost to Leicester at Welford road last night in mostly wet conditions. They didn't even get into Leicesters 22 until the 67th minute!

The Quins scrum was weak, line out poor (although I think they were playing with their third choice hooker) and full back Mike Brown had a game he'd probably like to forget.

[hugonaut]

Castres absolutely whipped in Bordeaux, 59-7 [source: http://www.espn.co.uk/france-top-14-201 ... 32437.html ]. Pretty strong team out for them as well.

[paddyor]

Wasps are at home to 4th place Bath tomorrow. We could be the only team coming into this group on the back of a win. Quins are in the same place as us. 3 w 3 l and 6th in their league(with 2 less BPs). Castres look to be for the wooden spoon in this group. Won't really trouble anyone too much away from home. Wasps have been close losers in most of their games so far, they could be the surprise.

[simonokeeffe]

Castres absolutely whipped in Bordeaux, 59-7 [source: http://www.espn.co.uk/france-top-14-201 ... 32437.html ]. Pretty strong team out for them as well.

think they were missing Kockott and that was about it

[paddyor]

29-5 to Wasps against 12 man bath. 3 stupid yellow cards- spear tackle and 2 trips with one leading to a peno try. 50mins.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Can we teach Fanj how to do that step by next Sunday???

[simonokeeffe]

29-5 to Wasps against 12 man bath. 3 stupid yellow cards- spear tackle and 2 trips with one leading to a peno try. 50mins.

29 22 was it not?

BBC said Wasps conceded 22 unanswered points so nearly threw it away

[paddyor]

29-5 to Wasps against 12 man bath. 3 stupid yellow cards- spear tackle and 2 trips with one leading to a peno try. 50mins.

29 22 was it not?

BBC said Wasps conceded 22 unanswered points so nearly threw it away

I stopped watching at 29-5. Wasps scrum was good, really had Bath under pressure. 12-0 at HT all penos.

[claire_m]

So winning the league a few seasons ago is beginning to look more like a fluke as every month goes by

For some reason, Conor O'Shea decided to make Joe Marler captain this season and to relieve the pressure on Robshaw. The result? Well, Marler can't captain for toffee and Robbo isn't playing to his (usual) high standards. We have no form to speak of; teams we should be beating we're not (with the obvious exception of London Welsh!) and the others? It's a lottery.

As someone alluded to above, if Evans is injured, there isn't a plan B, but that was always the case, since the day we signed him. (Not wanting to mention 'that game', I still believe if we had accepted Evans was injured and not played him at all, the result may have been different, and if not, well there wouldn't have been the cr@p that followed.)

Mike Brown isn't playing to his usual standard and the backs don't seem to have clicked. The jury's still out on Yarde. In good news (hurrah! There is some!) George Lowe played last weekend, for the first time in nearly a year. Hopefully he can continue his return from injury. Danny Care missed the Leicester game as he has just become a daddy, so hopefully he'll be firing on all cylinders Friday.

As said above, we haven't coped well with Kohn's retirement. Kennedy also left us and we haven't really replaced them. We have a history (since Deano at any rate) of signing the academy players and occasionally topping them up with foreigners etc. that said, our forays into the transfer market over the last few years are nothing to really write home about, they're generally underwhelming.

I am dreading Friday's game and I fear our European cup might be over this weekend. I don't want to be doom & gloom, but it's hard to see where the next win will come.

In other news, Olly Kohn hasn't vanished from the Stoop. He has a hog roast company, the Jolly Hog, which has taken over all of the catering at the stoop for this season. He has been joined by Black and Red, Chris Robshaw's coffee shop in Winchester. I haven't been to the stoop this season (I went pre-season, but not since) so can't comment on the food this season, but it sounds like an improvement!

I shall see you all in December; I'll be the one watching through closed fingers!

[outcast eddie]

On the plus side Claire, you start with a home game, Castres aren't exactly ripping it up this season either and there's a lot on here who'd swap Conor for O' Connor.

TBH I don't see that there's much between any of the teams in our group this year, on their day all can be effective but all are in the doldrums at the moment. Anything can happen.

We've got some mean burgers on at the RDS lately too so you can watch the game through greasy, ketchupy, guinnessy fingers, (although we get accused of just being about pies, beers and wins in the Irish media lately).

[Tricky Dicky]

So winning the league a few seasons ago is beginning to look more like a fluke as every month goes by

For some reason, Conor O'Shea decided to make Joe Marler captain this season and to relieve the pressure on Robshaw. The result? Well, Marler can't captain for toffee and Robbo isn't playing to his (usual) high standards. We have no form to speak of; teams we should be beating we're not (with the obvious exception of London Welsh!) and the others? It's a lottery.

As someone alluded to above, if Evans is injured, there isn't a plan B, but that was always the case, since the day we signed him. (Not wanting to mention 'that game', I still believe if we had accepted Evans was injured and not played him at all, the result may have been different, and if not, well there wouldn't have been the cr@p that followed.)

Mike Brown isn't playing to his usual standard and the backs don't seem to have clicked. The jury's still out on Yarde. In good news (hurrah! There is some!) George Lowe played last weekend, for the first time in nearly a year. Hopefully he can continue his return from injury. Danny Care missed the Leicester game as he has just become a daddy, so hopefully he'll be firing on all cylinders Friday.

As said above, we haven't coped well with Kohn's retirement. Kennedy also left us and we haven't really replaced them. We have a history (since Deano at any rate) of signing the academy players and occasionally topping them up with foreigners etc. that said, our forays into the transfer market over the last few years are nothing to really write home about, they're generally underwhelming.

I am dreading Friday's game and I fear our European cup might be over this weekend. I don't want to be doom & gloom, but it's hard to see where the next win will come.

In other news, Olly Kohn hasn't vanished from the Stoop. He has a hog roast company, the Jolly Hog, which has taken over all of the catering at the stoop for this season. He has been joined by Black and Red, Chris Robshaw's coffee shop in Winchester. I haven't been to the stoop this season (I went pre-season, but not since) so can't comment on the food this season, but it sounds like an improvement!

I shall see you all in December; I'll be the one watching through closed fingers!

What I didn't understand about that 'Bloodgate' game was why Quins didn't get Danny Care in position for a drop-goal instead of giving it to Evans, who was on one leg. Care's good at drop-goals and had got a nice one the previous week

[claire_m]

What I didn't understand about that 'Bloodgate' game was why Quins didn't get Danny Care in position for a drop-goal instead of giving it to Evans, who was on one leg. Care's good at drop-goals and had got a nice one the previous week

No idea! But then I'd not have selected Evans in the 22. It's one of those things that we'll never know!

I guess Europe has come at a good time, it'll be a welcome distraction to the premiership. I wish you luck against the Pests and I look forward to watching the game through greasy fingers at the Aviva. Plane tickets booked today

[outcast eddie]

Oh yeah... forgot it was in the Aviva, another reason for Quins fans to be happy.

[simonokeeffe]

from watching highlights of Quinns game against Tigers they really dont have a tighthead that doesnt scrummage like a rusty accordion

[simonokeeffe]

Castres Olympique v Quinns

Geoffrey Palis, Max Evans, Christopher Tuatara, Thomas Combezou, Remi Grosso, Remi Tales (capt), Rory Kockott
Saimone Taumoepeau, Brice Mach, Yohan Montes, Richie Gray, Piula Faasalele, Ibrahim Diarra, William Whetton, Jannie Bornman

Marc-Antoine Rallier, Mihaita Lazar, Paea Faanunu, Mathieu Babillot, Christophe Samson, Julien Dumora, Romain Cabannes, Cedric Garcia

Compare to their last home game

Castres: 15 Geoffrey Palis, 14 Max Evans, 13 Remi Lamerat, 12 Romain Cabannes (c), 11 Romain Martial, 10 Daniel Kirkpatrick, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Yannick Caballero, 6 Piula Fa'asalele, 5 Rodrigo Capo Ortega, 4 Christophe Samson, 3 Paea Fa'anunu, 2 Brice Mach, 1 Mihaita Lazar
Replacements: 16 Marc-Antoine Rallier, 17 Saimone Taumoepeau, 18 Richie Gray, 19 Jannie Bornman, 20 Cedric Garcia, 21 Thomas Combezou, 22 Julien Dumora, 23 Karena Wihongi

And last league game

Castres: 15 Geoffrey Palis, 14 Max Evans, 13 Romain Cabannes, 12 Thomas Combezou, 11 Romain Martial, 10 Remi Tales, 9 Cedric Garcia, 8 Johnnie Beattie, 7 Ibrahim Diarra, 6 Jannie Bornman, 5 Christophe Samson, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Paea Fa'anunu, 2 Brice Mach, 1 Mihaita Lazar
Replacements: 16 Marc-Antoine Rallier, 17 Saimone Taumoepeau, 18 Yohan Montes, 19 Piula Fa'aselele, 20 William Whetton, 21 Yannick Caballero, 22 Julien Dumora, 23 Remy Grosso

[Donny B.]

Castres Olympique v Quinns

Geoffrey Palis, Max Evans, Christopher Tuatara, Thomas Combezou, Remi Grosso, Remi Tales (capt), Rory Kockott
Saimone Taumoepeau, Brice Mach, Yohan Montes, Richie Gray, Piula Faasalele, Ibrahim Diarra, William Whetton, Jannie Bornman

Marc-Antoine Rallier, Mihaita Lazar, Paea Faanunu, Mathieu Babillot, Christophe Samson, Julien Dumora, Romain Cabannes, Cedric Garcia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqKN8uYLENQ

[simonokeeffe]

my guess now is theyll rotate the 7 or so first choice players who are starting this weekend out of the team for us, might be strong enough bench but dont think we'll see repeat of last years game where they politely took off all the good players

in further good news of further discord in Castres, Remi Tales is going to be stripped of the captaincy if news of his move next season to Racing becomes official