French rugby Updates : Le café du Rugby.

matthew8

Lovely finish by Roko.

matthew8

Red card for Flynn. Toulouse fans must be crying, they really looked better.

19543261

That Bayonne ruck ball is as clean as something that's really clean.

WTO

matthew8 wrote: »

Red card for Flynn. Toulouse fans must be crying, they really looked better.

What was the red for?

matthew8

A whistle is the word you want.

Toulouse, what a shame to see this happen to them. Hopefully they can at least make the European Cup next year. The form themselves and Castres are in leads to relegation.

matthew8

WTO wrote: »

What was the red for?

Some kick or something, was watching another game and only paid attention from when the ref put his hand in his pocket.

matthew8

14 men was no excuse for Toulouse conceding that. Terrible defending.

matthew8

It was a stamp on the ankle. Stepped on it and his foot should have come straight off but didn't.

vienne86

A few possibilities of away wins in the Top 14 this weekend.

iroced

Even when Toulouse starts well and seems to play better they get punished by their fouls and indiscipline...
There are lots of red cards this year in top 14. Don't know if they tightened the rules regarding abusive physicality...

That said there are many complaints in France about tonight's refereeing. Too many calls to the TMO. TMO decisions not always understood. Harsh cards. It's not only (though mainly) coming from ST supporters so... Haven't seen the whole game so can't really say...

I'm not too worried for Toulouse though. Granted they're in a transition phase which will last a few years more. But they remind me of last year Racing. Catastrophic start and they came back like a bullet in the second part of the season. Wouldn't surprise me to witness something similar from les rouges et noirs this year. But long term they will probably have to change Noves at some point and start a real new era for this transition to be actually effective.

Hagz

A red card is so harsh in rugby. The player of course is generally deserving of the punishment, but it's the effect on the team I find harsh. If a player on your team gets red carded early on, your chances of winning become so miniscule.

I'd almost prefer a system whereby if the player is red carded for a dangerous act, he can't come back on the field but you can replace him.

The Lost Sheep

Hagz wrote: »

A red card is so harsh in rugby. The player of course is generally deserving of the punishment, but it's the effect on the team I find harsh. If a player on your team gets red carded early on, your chances of winning become so miniscule.

I'd almost prefer a system whereby if the player is red carded for a dangerous act, he can't come back on the field but you can replace him.

That would be terrible IMO from a refereeing perspective.
A red card can be harsh at times but the effect of it on your team is fair.

Hagz

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

A red card can be harsh at times but the effect of it on your team is fair.

Well I completely disagree with the bolded part. Jared Payne's red card and Sam Warburton's card spring to mind. The effect of a red card on a team is essentially a loss.

But back to Top 14 rugby, Poite made an absolute howler of a call, robbing Toulon of a try based on "double movement". I couldn't believe it.

The Lost Sheep

Hagz wrote: »

Well I completely disagree with the bolded part. Jared Payne's red card and Sam Warburton's card spring to mind. The effect of a red card on a team is essentially a loss.

But back to Top 14 rugby, Poite made an absolute howler of a call, robbing Toulon of a try based on "double movement". I couldn't believe it.

It is entirely fair. What would you have in place other than whats currently in place? Do you have a link to Poite call?

matthew8

What a try by Dupont.

matthew8

matthew8 wrote: »

What a try by Dupont.

He should have been tackled about 3 times on his way to the line.

iroced

Ouch... Looks like we can only get hammered in Mayol. And Fall who dropped the ball which could have denied RCT the TBP. :rolleyes:.. Ah well there are days like that.

matthew8

Ratini in amazing try scoring form. Think that was his 7th this year.

vienne86

Well I was expecting some away wins this weekend.....none so far and just one match (Oyonnax v Clermont) to go tomorrow.

Hagz

So Chris Farrell scored his first try for Grenoble. Great stuff!

shuffol

Hagz wrote: »

So Chris Farrell scored his first try for Grenoble. Great stuff!

Great to see him starting regularly, see Eamonn Sheridan has lost his place at LI.

thomond2006

Toulouse and Castres are the bottom two. Digest that for a second! :eek:

vienne86

thomond2006 wrote: »

Toulouse and Castres are the bottom two. Digest that for a second! :eek:

Oyonnax will probably get thrashed tomorrow, but they are already above Toulouse and Castres.....who have played 7 and lost 5.....never thought I'd see that for Toulouse.

thomond2006

vienne86 wrote: »

Oyonnax will probably get thrashed tomorrow, but they are already above Toulouse and Castres.....who have played 7 and lost 5.....never thought I'd see that for Toulouse.

Oyonnax played tonight, they lost at home to Clermont: 8-19

croket

thomond2006 wrote: »

Toulouse and Castres are the bottom two. Digest that for a second! :eek:

The route of Castres is very similar of Perpignan.
Top14 winners, finalist the following year and then the worries that come

thomond2006

Hagz wrote: »

So Chris Farrell scored his first try for Grenoble. Great stuff!

If I find a link I'll post it. It was a brilliant try, he ran a good line against the grain on the opposition 22 and beat a defender or two to score.

Morf

Murray Kinsella might do so either.

Usually good for that kind of thing.

thomond2006

There's a really good weekend of fixtures coming up. Every match should be close bar Racing vs Brive. Toulouse host Stade Francais in the late Saturday kickoff, if Toulouse don't win then alarm bells will really kick off. The following week they host Toulon.

Hagz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFksjQ9aYlI

sydneybound

Rémi Talès to be Sexton's replacement at Racing. Good to see a French 10 getting the role.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_9494075,00.html

Winters

Interesting that Gavin Mortimer tweeted that MO ran an article today that said attendances peaked in 2012 and are currently stagnating in the Top14.

Winters

Winters wrote: »

Interesting that Gavin Mortimer tweeted that MO ran an article today that said attendances peaked in 2012 and are currently stagnating in the Top14.

TV takes from attendance. It's why 3pm Premier League games aren't televised.

ssaye2

Ultimate Rugby @ultimaterugby · 6h Midi Olympique newspaper reporting that Ma'a Nonu is on the verge of signing for Top 14 & Heineken Cup Champions Toulon

ssaye2

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/dan-carter-chased-by-top-14-club-racing-metro-20140928-10n47k.html

thomond2006

ssaye2 wrote: »

Ultimate Rugby @ultimaterugby · 6h Midi Olympique newspaper reporting that Ma'a Nonu is on the verge of signing for Top 14 & Heineken Cup Champions Toulon

They could do with another 12 tbh, now that Giteau has basically become a full time 10. I'm not sure about Nonu, he's more of a name than substance at club level. Then again Toulon are the masters of getting performances out of players who appear past their prime. This is obviously the start of the Quatres Fantastiques that Mourad was bleating about months back. Folau keeps getting brought up but honestly I can only see that happening if Halfpenny leaves. I'd expect a big name lock to replace Bakkies who has confirmed he's retiring after RWC, potentially Williams will be done too.

David Smith and Rudi Wulf will be leaving I imagine since they are both non-JIFF. I certainly wouldn't mind either at Munster. Smith is one of the best wingers in the league but won't get a game when Habana comes back. Wulf is a versatile player who is mostly rotating at 13 with Bastareaud.

CatFromHue

Which Nonu?

The All Black one or the guy who was kicked out of the Hurricanes, went to the Blues, then went to the Highlanders, then back to the Blues, and is now back at the Hurricanes?

I wouldn't touch him at club level and I think at one stage none of the NZ Super teams wanted him either.

matthew8

He'll be a lot better at club level without the ABs to worry about. I'd expect him to show up in the big games at the very least.

CatFromHue

I think it's a waste of money by Toulon.

I don't think it's the worry of the AB's that is making his club form bad.

pickarooney

Carter would be an even bigger waste of money. I can't see him playing a full season ever again.

Hagz

Ma'a Nonu would do very well in the NH. That would be a big signing. I hate Toulon.

thomond2006

Hagz wrote: »

Ma'a Nonu would do very well in the NH. That would be a big signing. I hate Toulon.

How can you hate a team with Fernandez Lobbe?

molloyjh

thomond2006 wrote: »

How can you hate a team with Fernandez Lobbe?

Honestly Thomond if Toulon are the future of rugby then I truly despair.

thomond2006

molloyjh wrote: »

Honestly Thomond if Toulon are the future of rugby then I truly despair.

8/30 players in the French squad at the same time, but of course only two of them are Toulon bred and developed (Chiocci and Bruni).

The problem isn't that they don't develop players, they do. The issue is a lack of patience and letting those players leave. Someone like Vosloo being signed as more or less a squad player is a good example of it. You could actually make a decent XV out of the French or foreign youngsters they have developed or are developing.

What I'd like to see them do is reach out to players like Marc Andreu and Yoann Maestri who left Toulon when they were a mess in 2008/09 and try to bring them back. Never allow someone like Gael Fickou to leave, that was an embarrassment. Stop signing foreigners as squad players and give youngsters more time off the bench. They could easily unearth a few more Chioccis (who will be capped by France in November) if they had some patience.

It has to be said that if you look at most other squads in the Top14, Toulon are in good company when it comes to populating squads with non-French players. The promoted clubs in particular have no choice but to look abroad as the majority of French players worth signing are contracted by the time they secure promotion.

sydneybound

Rumours that Airbus might be pulling their Toulouse sponsorship. That would hit Noves side hard if they do pull out. Things are going from bad to worse for them at the moment.

CatFromHue

Any reason why Airbus would pull out?

thomond2006

Airbus are a big employer in Toulouse, that would be a body blow.

thomond2006

THAT BACKROW...

sydneybound

The Georgian captains first game bavk, by god he's some animal!

vienne86

thomond2006 wrote: »

Airbus are a big employer in Toulouse, that would be a body blow.

It's very sad to see Toulouse down at the bottom end of the table. I hope they pull things together.

thomond2006

Chris Farrell starts again this weekend.