French rugby Updates : Le café du Rugby.

thomond2006

.ak wrote: »

Anyone heard about the Willie Mason twitter mess? Pretty hilarious stuff, considering his excuses for some of the tweets coming out of his account.

Anyway looks like Toulon have released him. Total flop.... Pity, he looked pretty good in that Barbar's game.

He was labelled "The Tourist" quite early into this Toulon career. He's actually been gone from RCT for a few months. The club weren't bothered to make a public statement about it, he left that bad an impression it seems.

He got off the bench for one Top14 game and was apparently so bad that he was never going to be picked again.

As a Toulon fan I was really looking forward to see how he would link with Wilkinson and Giteau in the backline, as you said his cameos for the Barbarians showed what he could do.

CatFromHue

The commentator in the Brive Lanelli game just said that Joe Rokocoko was voted the biggest dud import in the Top 14. Which reminded me of one of his quotes when he was thinking of leaving NZ "I will probably go somewhere, though. I'll be looking to balance some good money with a good lifestyle, too. It's a matter of finding your comfort zone.".

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=10723629

I think he may have said something about going somewhere with a beach but I can't find the quote!

ray jay

I'd be interested to hear what the reaction in France was to Toulouse's defeat to Edinburgh.

nc6000

ray jay wrote: »

I'd be interested to hear what the reaction in France was to Toulouse's defeat to Edinburgh.

I thought Toulouse were shocking against Edinburgh. Two extra men late in the first half and they kept kicking the ball away.

Podge_irl

Anyone know what the general opinion in France is with regards the Leinster-Clermont game and how they see it going?

4PP

smurphy29

Someone on LF reported back from the Clermont forum. Basically, they think Leinster are fantastic and wish Jonny Sexton was French! Someone said Leinster are the Barcelona of rugby or some such. There's a bit of a love-in between the fans after the 29-28 in the RDS and we all exchanged scarves after and some of the Clermont fans stripped in the Anglesea stand (!). There's a lot of respect between the two sets of fans, and the general feeling is they can't wait for what will be a cracking game. I don't think either will be talking up their chances too much, as each is wary of the opponent's strengths.

durkadurka

My memories of the clermont fans is that they were plastered in a good way and they were all poking me in the ribs as I tried to carry three pints back from the bar. They were funny feckers

totallegend

Podge_irl wrote: »

Anyone know what the general opinion in France is with regards the Leinster-Clermont game and how they see it going?

I've been on cybervulcans.net, a Clermont fans forum. TBH, it's like boards.ie, mostly reasonable posters who see it being very close and then the occasional loose cannon saying things like:

"ils vont venir avec beaucoup d'arrogance , pour eux Clermont n'existe pas et Bordeaux c'est pas un forteresse !"

(They'll come full of arrogance, for them Clermont doesn't exist and Bordeaux is not a fortress)
http://www.cybervulcans.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=51013&st=15

Consensus on there seems to be that Clermont will bring 20,000 people to Bordeaux...

totallegend

Clermont have looked to patch up their threadbare squad by re-signing Napolioni Nalaga on a two-year deal from next season onwards.
http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/Nalaga-de-retour/275811

CiaranMT

Now that's just being greedy.

iroced

ray jay wrote: »

I'd be interested to hear what the reaction in France was to Toulouse's defeat to Edinburgh.

Media reaction was exaggeratively negative like French rugby real level (after a very disappointing 6N - I know no connectio but they mixed up everything :rolleyes: -) is the Amlin Cup with 4 French clubs in the semis. Clermont being "the tree that hides the forest" as we say in French... That's quite ridiculous because had Toulouse won in Edinburgh French media would be all about how great we are and how the Top 14 is the best championship in the universe with 6 teams in the European competitions semi-final.

Anyway, Toulouse is surprisingly poor at the moment. True they are paying a heavy tribute to the 6N (they lost Medard and Clerc) but that doesn't explain it all... Ah they can't always win. But I won't rule them out of the Brennus race as the Top 14 semis will be in Toulouse this year.

yimrsg

George Smith is lining up for Stade Francais at 12 against Toulon in the Challenge Cup semi final. Not sure what Cheika's thinking as he'll be up against Giteau.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_7706514,00.html

iroced

Well. Top 14 is back tonight. And a few "hot" games to come regarding the current rankings... Notably Brive - Bordeaux Bègles for the relegation battle and Racing-Métro - Stade Français for the play-off.

Important game for Montpellier tonight to secure a home quarter-final.


Here's the situation and the games to come.

GW 25

04/05
20:45 - Montpellier - Biarritz

05/05
14:00 - Toulon - Toulouse
14:15 - Bayonne - Agen
14:15 - Brive - Bordeaux Bègles
14:15 - Castres - Clermont
14:15 - Perpignan - Lyon
16:15 - Racing-Métro - Stade Français

_______________

GW 26

12/05
14:30 - Agen - Racing-Métro
14:30 - Biarritz - Stade Français
14:30 - Bordeaux Bègles - Perpignan
14:30 - Castres - Bayonne
14:30 - Clermont - Brive
14:30 - Lyon - Toulon
14:30 - Toulouse - Montpellier

Wexfordboy89

came across Lesley Vainikolo`s profile page on la rocelle look at his nationality

http://www.staderochelais.com/joueur/vainikolo

you will have to translate the page into english

iroced

La Rochelle still actually battling for the promotion in TOP 14. They should qualify for the Pro D2 play off. Only thing now is will it be a home or away game.

iroced

Montpellier : 23 - Biarritz :16.
2 tries to 1.

We struggled to pass Biarritz defense and didn't play well 2 or 3 break away that could have resulted in more tries. We'll have to support Clermont tomorrow in Castres as our last game being in Toulouse it's gonna be hard to keep the 3rd/4th position for a home QF.

Action of the game was Amorosino counterattack from behind our posts that was stopped a couple of metres from Biarritz try line. Fantastic inspiration from the Argentine. It's a shame we couldn't convert it. It would have been the try of the season !

irishbucsfan

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

came across Lesley Vainikolo`s profile page on la rocelle look at his nationality

http://www.staderochelais.com/joueur/vainikolo

you will have to translate the page into english

Says English doesn't it? He's a capped English international so I dunno if that's supposed to be odd?

funky penguin

That's what I thought as well, but you actually have to hit the google translate thing.

thomond2006

Bayonne got a huge result, bonus point win at home to Agen, which puts them 5 points of Brive who lost today. Bayonne as good as safe.

iroced

thomond2006 wrote: »

Bayonne got a huge result, bonus point win at home to Agen, which puts them 5 points of Brive who lost today. Bayonne as good as safe.

Yeah, it's pretty much all done and dusted now. Bar a miraculous BPW away to Clermont while Bayonne would sink in Castres, Brive are down. Same situation for Stade Francais away to BIarritz (while Racing will play in Agen) for QF position.

The last thing left to play is the home advantage for the QF. Toulon and Castres (respectively away to Lyon and home to Bayonne) are the evident favorites for 3rd and 4th position. Unless Montpellier can win in Toulouse... I don't really expect it TBH. As Galthié said it's already an achievement to qualify for Top 14 QF after our disastrous start.

Wexfordboy89

just read that david mcgowen from la rocelle is retiring because of injuries

http://rugby-transfers.blogspot.com/2012/05/la-rochelle-announce-10-new-players-and.html

GerM

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

just read that david mcgowen from la rocelle is retiring because of injuries

http://rugby-transfers.blogspot.com/2012/05/la-rochelle-announce-10-new-players-and.html

Shame. A talented player that never really got the chance to deliver on his potential. 18 months ago he had the world at his feet. He was starting in a side in the T14 with the season just beginning but injuries really took their toll. I believe it was a few blows to the head and concussions that sealed the deal and not the long standing shoulder injuries. Going to head off to the States for a while, I believe. Best of luck to him.

Wexfordboy89

michael cheika has been sacked as stade boss

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/16600/7758023/Stade-exit-for-Cheika

PhatPiggins

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

michael cheika has been sacked as stade boss

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/16600/7758023/Stade-exit-for-Cheika

Would have given him another year myself. Stade were a shambles when he took over and they have been making decent progress. The problem I see for the traditional powers of Biarritz and Stade is the arrival of all the 'new money' teams. You have to really work for a playoff spot in the T14 these days.

thomond2006

Castres vs Montpellier in the first match de barrage on ESPN right now

Castres 3-0 up, Monty have missed a few kicks.

thomond2006

Castres 13-0 up

vienne86

Castres 31 Montpellier 15. Not a great match - lots of errors - and I had been looking forward to it. I thought Montpellier were pretty awful.

duckysauce

vienne86 wrote: »

Castres 31 Montpellier 15. Not a great match - lots of errors - and I had been looking forward to it. I thought Montpellier were pretty awful.

yep and the ref was muck

thomond2006