Toulon / Clermont

[fourthirtythree]

Seriously physical game, not sure any irish team would have lived with it. One mistake gave Toulon free run to try line, but Clermont had no urgency and set up the drop goal easily only for Skela to chicken out. Reckon Brock would have got it. Good atmosphere Irish silent but a few beers did wonders for the French

Do you think? Teams always turn up trying to do that to Leinster. It usually doesnt' work. I think we'd have torn Toulon a new one. No subtlety, no invention, bosh bosh bosh.

Clermont were trying really hard not to score at the time, the time when they did set him up it wasn't on and they shouldn't have. Lack of composure. They showed flashes of invention but not enough unfortunately.

[Sauvignon Blank]

Very physical game. I enjoyed it. Credit Toulon they launched into CA from the off, had a very limited gameplan but managed to snatch it.

CA played all the rugby and basically fannyed about in the Toulon 22, feel for their fans but their team let them down big time yesterday. They didnt deserve it in the end for that alone.

Johnny Wilko's kicking was immense but his overall play was average IMO. How many times did he kick aimlessly to a CA player? crazy how they didn't conced more points.

Enjoyable game IMO but a word on both sets of fans, shocking turnout by both.

Toulon...all 1000 of them..very quiet.
CA....4/5000? max, only sang when they had a decent score on the board, very nice,polite people but how some Leinster fans fawn/drool over them is a mystery to me. They were quiet for most of the game. Compare that to us 09 and 11.

BTW Armitage is a c**t.

Irish dancing entertainment was top notch!!

Congrats Toulon but Leinster would have breezed that final yesterday had we been there, no question.

[nc6000]

I can't believe that Armitage scumbag won the Heineken Cup, we were only a couple of rows from the pitch and I was disgusted to see him walk past me waving. Let's not forget Nick Kennedy either after his carry on which got Jennings cited and suspended.

[artaneboy]

I can't believe that Armitage scumbag won the Heineken Cup, we were only a couple of rows from the pitch and I was disgusted to see him walk past me waving. Let's not forget Nick Kennedy either after his carry on which got Jennings cited and suspended.

Let's not co conflate their flaws. Kennedy was sneaky, but in the final analysis contrite- a bit. As to that other bucko......

[fourthirtythree]

They were both pretty good yesterday also. Just sayin'

[artaneboy]

They were both pretty good yesterday also. Just sayin'

Oh they certainly were!! That's the really annoying part...

[Donny B.]

Sad for Clermont for blowing the match and can't stand Delon, but was in the middle of the Toulon support wearing a yellow t-shirt and their fans were actually lovely. So happy for them and Jonny and good sorts like Lobbe.

Though it improved in the second half, the first forty minutes was one of the most mundane games I've ever seen.

[sid]

Seriously physical game, not sure any irish team would have lived with it.

Have you forgotten that we won the competition three times in the last four years?

[Jolly Jumper]

Two things to say :

-I laugh out loud when I see people claiming that Leinster fans would have cheered the team louder than ever in the last 15 minutes of the game, unlike ASM fans did. I was in the Aviva stadium in december when Leinster lost against Clermont, the blue fans where quiet as f%~k during the whole game. I was in Cardiff in the 2011 final, Leinster fans were quiet as f%~k? during the first half. My point is not to blame you for being quiet in harsh moments, but please don't pretend to be something you are not.

-I also laugh when I see people claiming that Leinster would have won this game easy. You are obvioulsy missing few things regarding Toulon game plan, and regarding their insanely good defense and their huge density. Clermont made a few mistakes f%~ked up the last ten minutes of the game, but the level they played during the game would have been enough to beat any other team in Europe, including Leinster (especially without BOD-D'Arcy).

[Sauvignon Blank]

Two things to say :

-I laugh out loud when I see people claiming that Leinster fans would have cheered the team louder than ever in the last 15 minutes of the game, unlike ASM fans did. I was in the Aviva stadium in december when Leinster lost against Clermont, the blue fans where quiet as f%~k during the whole game. I was in Cardiff in the 2011 final, Leinster fans were quiet as f%~k during the first half. My point is not to blame you for being quiet in harsh moments, but please don't pretend to be something you are not.

-I also laugh when I see people claiming that Leinster would have won this game easy. You are obvioulsy missing few things regarding Toulon game plan, and regarding their insanely good defense and their huge density. Clermont made a few mistakes f%~ked up the last ten minutes of the game, but the level they played during the game would have been enough to beat any other team in Europe, including Leinster (especially without BOD-D'Arcy).

Were you laughing yesterday per chance?

[domhnallj]

Probably choking the chicken over their huge density

[RoboProp]

Two things to say :

-I laugh out loud when I see people claiming that Leinster fans would have cheered the team louder than ever in the last 15 minutes of the game, unlike ASM fans did. I was in the Aviva stadium in december when Leinster lost against Clermont, the blue fans where quiet as f%~k during the whole game. I was in Cardiff in the 2011 final, Leinster fans were quiet as f%~k during the first half. My point is not to blame you for being quiet in harsh moments, but please don't pretend to be something you are not.

-I also laugh when I see people claiming that Leinster would have won this game easy. You are obvioulsy missing few things regarding Toulon game plan, and regarding their insanely good defense and their huge density. Clermont made a few mistakes f%~ked up the last ten minutes of the game, but the level they played during the game would have been enough to beat any other team in Europe, including Leinster (especially without BOD-D'Arcy).

Were you laughing yesterday per chance?

Well they claim that they are the jolly jumper it'd be BS name if they were otherwise:-D

[VGE]

http://www.popnsport.com/actus/111359/r ... r-twitter/


Au revoir.

[illthinkofsomething]

Two things to say :

-I laugh out loud when I see people claiming that Leinster fans would have cheered the team louder than ever in the last 15 minutes of the game, unlike ASM fans did. I was in the Aviva stadium in december when Leinster lost against Clermont, the blue fans where quiet as f%~k during the whole game. I was in Cardiff in the 2011 final, Leinster fans were quiet as f%~k during the first half. My point is not to blame you for being quiet in harsh moments, but please don't pretend to be something you are not.

-I also laugh when I see people claiming that Leinster would have won this game easy. You are obvioulsy missing few things regarding Toulon game plan, and regarding their insanely good defense and their huge density. Clermont made a few mistakes f%~ked up the last ten minutes of the game, but the level they played during the game would have been enough to beat any other team in Europe, including Leinster (especially without BOD-D'Arcy).

Were you laughing yesterday per chance?

I tend to be quiet at games but am always delighted to see other Leinsterati giving it sox and I think there is a strong arguement to be made for a three time winner playing at home getting past HC final newbies....winning is a learned art. Would have liked to see ASM win but am glad to see Leinster's unbeaten HC campaign record intact.

[fourthirtythree]

Clermont fans got the smell of death yesterday, just as we did in our home game against them. Hard to pretend to believe.

And yeah, still think I've seen that Toulon game plan roll into Dublin many's a time and slinking off home with its tail between its legs.

[D2 Blue]

Clermont fans got the smell of death yesterday, just as we did in our home game against them. Hard to pretend to believe.

And yeah, still think I've seen that Toulon game plan roll into Dublin many's a time and slinking off home with its tail between its legs.

That thought occurred to me about Clermont too yesterday. I particularly remember that feeling in the December home game. You kinda know when its not going to be a good day. In December Clermont looked like they could pick off scores at will.

But they looked so nervous yesterday. Even after the tries, i had the feeling that Toulon could haul themselves back in. Easy to say after the fact, of course, but Clermont just didnt seem to have that swagger about them. As for the drop goal attempt at the end, that was sheer panic. They had a second chance at it and if they had any composure they would have set about the maul again for a final attempt. Dare I say it, ifs and buts and all, but if say Leinster or Munster were in that position, would they have messed up too? Possibly not.

[artaneboy]

http://www.popnsport.com/actus/111359/r ... r-twitter/


Au revoir.

Really sorry you couldn't close the deal yesterday. You were the better team. Your route- nah... duty now, is to come back and win it! Just not next year as I'm planning that Leinster will following our 'sabbatical' this season.

As to that exchange on Twitter between Delon Armitage and Brian Moore!!! Jaysus, who have thought Brian Moore would be our standard bearer for decency??

[kendalgerty]

I have to say my heart was broken for Clermont. I surprised myself how gutted I was after the match.

They are almost like a tragic Shakespearian charcater, so much to admire and such greatness within them, but their fatal flaw just keeps haunting them.

Once Toulon got the try and the lead, I just got that sinking feeling. No matter how many lineouts they had in the oppo 22 in the last 10 minutes I never felt they were going to score. The pictures of their team leaders slumped in their seats on the bench when the match was stilll there for the having said it all. Shades of New Zealand in 2007.

[limecat]

[jezzer]

That's a banning offence, straight up.
Has there EVER been a bigger pr!*k in world rugby than Armitage? I don't understand how he gets away without being lamped every couple of games.