European Rugby Champions Cup

[cormac]

Two English refs for Rds 1 and 2.

Matthew Carley for the Castres match and Luke Pearce for the Montpellier game

[Ruckedtobits]

Ready for lots of Yellow cards so!

[jezzer]

Only watched one Castres game so far but they're the anti-Montpellier. Very well-coached and structured, but with not such good players. A bit error-prone, but there's the bones of a really good team there. Decent defensive system that gets let down by slipped tackles, quite creative in attack but a few too many ambitious offloads. 80% is clicking and when it does they look good. Excellent at the breakdown, make really good decisions about contesting and numbers. Can jackal or ruck over the ball.

Lineout decent, maul decent, scrum suspect. THP looks poor enough. A huge beard on a prop is a definite sign he's compensating.

As an aside, if we were allowed a short term Johnny Foreigner for the back three, we should make a beeline for 30 year old David Smith.

[Ruckedtobits]

Only watched one Castres game so far but they're the anti-Montpellier. Very well-coached and structured, but with not such good players. A bit error-prone, but there's the bones of a really good team there. Decent defensive system that gets let down by slipped tackles, quite creative in attack but a few too many ambitious offloads. 80% is clicking and when it does they look good. Excellent at the breakdown, make really good decisions about contesting and numbers. Can jackal or ruck over the ball.

Lineout decent, maul decent, scrum suspect. THP looks poor enough. A huge beard on a prop is a definite sign he's compensating.

As an aside, if we were allowed a short term Johnny Foreigner for the back three, we should make a beeline for 30 year old David Smith.

+1
Reviewing the Castres squad is quite scary. They have incredible depth of really high calibre forwards. Their Head Coach is ex-Oyannex and very focussed. He recruiting Oyannex place-kicking out-half with weird name and his high % success continues. They also have appointed former NZ winger Sivivatu as Skills Coach. They can play a wide game and recruited well to do so during the summer.

Montpelier and Castres are 3rd and 4th in Top14. By Oct 15th, this Pool will be known as the Pool of Contenders. Watched highlights of Wasps v N'hampton last night and Saints played better than the defeated scoreline.

[jezzer]

Castres halfbacks are better than Montpellier's, from the bit I've watched.
Not surprised there's a Fijian /NZ influence on the back play, they transition very well. Just make errors at crucial times.

The pack looked really well drilled to me. A unit as opposed to Montpellier's roll-call.

[rooster]

All depends on which sides are actually interested

[Kinger83]

Jake White leaving Montpelier. Vern Cotter taking over next season.

http://m.sport24.co.za/sport24/Rugby/mo ... t-20160928

[neiliog93]

Jake White leaving Montpelier. Vern Cotter taking over next season.

http://m.sport24.co.za/sport24/Rugby/mo ... t-20160928

That can only be good news. Bit of unrest.

[simonokeeffe]

Henshaw expects to be back for Castres game at worst, is targeting Munster match for debut

[Ruckedtobits]

Castres go down to Clermont. Facing Montpelier next week, then us. Perfect set-up for us. They can't afford to select soft against Montpelier now, so Espoirs to Leinster with Northampton at home after that.

[neiliog93]

Castres go down to Clermont. Facing Montpelier next week, then us. Perfect set-up for us. They can't afford to select soft against Montpelier now, so Espoirs to Leinster with Northampton at home after that.

Worryingly competitive away at Clermont, 29-19 down at the moment.

[simonokeeffe]

Castres go down to Clermont. Facing Montpelier next week, then us. Perfect set-up for us. They can't afford to select soft against Montpelier now, so Espoirs to Leinster with Northampton at home after that.

Think youre right
From the 5 minutes I saw Castres were getting minced at the scrum and backplay was very scrappy

[neiliog93]

Castres were up 13-11 at half-time, bossing Clermont up front. They kind of fell away in the second half.

[Ruckedtobits]

Toulon take Montpelier apart and hold them tryless. Montpelier now host Castres next weekend and that will be a car crash upfront. These are the circumstances of which we must take advantage. Selection for Munster and Castres must inspire the entire Squad that we have the best available 23 for each game and that each player has total confidence in those alongside him.

For me, the selection against Castres should be:
15. Kirchner; 14. Isa; 13; Ringrose; 12. Henshaw; 11. Kearney; 10. Sexton; 9. JGP; 1. McGrath; 2. Cronin; 3. Furlong; 4. M Kearney; 5. Dev; 6. Leavy; 7. JVdF; 8. Jamie.

Bench: Cian, Treacy, Ross, Molony, Ruddock, L McGrath, Carberry, McFadden

[jezzer]

Think we're getting Castres and Montpellier both at a good time. Gives us a bit of a boost, but will still be two hard games.

[cormac]

Euro squad announced. 41 players this season. Ed Byrne, Tom Daly, Barry Daly and Billy Dardis the senior squad members not to make the cut. Carbery, Nick McCarthy, O'Loughlin and Porter the academy players in the squad.

LHP - Dooley, Healy, McGrath, Porter
THP - Bent, Furlong, Ross
Hooker - Byrne, Cronin, Strauss, Tracy
2nd Row - Kearney, McCarthy, Molony, Nagle, Toner, Triggs
Flanker - Leavy, Murphy, O'Brien, Ruddock, Ryan, vd Flier
No. 8 - Conan, Heaslip
SH - Gibson-Park, McCarthy, McGrath
FH - Carbery, Marsh, Sexton
Centre - Henshaw, O'Loughlin, Reid, Ringrose
Back 3 - Byrne, Kearney D, Kearney R, Kirchner, McFadden, Nacewa

[molloyjh]

Euro squad announced. 41 players this season. Ed Byrne, Tom Daly, Barry Daly and Billy Dardis the senior squad members not to make the cut. Carbery, Nick McCarthy, O'Loughlin and Porter the academy players in the squad.

LHP - Dooley, Healy, McGrath, Porter
THP - Bent, Furlong, Ross
Hooker - Byrne, Cronin, Strauss, Tracy
2nd Row - Kearney, McCarthy, Molony, Nagle, Toner, Triggs
Flanker - Leavy, Murphy, O'Brien, Ruddock, Ryan, vd Flier
No. 8 - Conan, Heaslip
SH - Gibson-Park, McCarthy, McGrath
FH - Carbery, Marsh, Sexton
Centre - Henshaw, O'Loughlin, Reid, Ringrose
Back 3 - Byrne, Kearney D, Kearney R, Kirchner, McFadden, Nacewa

Interesting to see Porter in there. Having 4 LHs, especially when Bent can play there too, is a lot. Ross Byrne is the only other notable omission from that.

[backrower8]

Just the 7 from St Michael's College in that European Rugby Champions Cup squad. 1 in 6 players (1in 4 of the backs) is pretty good going for a school half the size of Belvo and Rock.

[goreyguy]

Just the 7 from St Michael's College in that European Rugby Champions Cup squad. 1 in 6 players (1in 4 of the backs) is pretty good going for a school half the size of Belvo and Rock.

Well IMO they are the best school in the province for developing talent, with only Blackrock as the only real competition.

[riocard911]

Just the 7 from St Michael's College in that European Rugby Champions Cup squad. 1 in 6 players (1in 4 of the backs) is pretty good going for a school half the size of Belvo and Rock.

Well IMO they are the best school in the province for developing talent, with only Blackrock as the only real competition.

Jaysus, it always come back to the old school tie... And sure why wouldn't it, I suppose. Didn't Ollie in the history of Leinster rugby video even admit, that nothing in one's rugby career - and he a Triple Crown winner, Lions tourist, and tour victor in Oz - tops being presented with the Senior Cup by your Ma in front of all your school pals on Paddy's Day.