2013-4 Heineken Cup Discussion Thread

matthew8

That is why you don't want a prop on the wing! That was absolute butchery from Waller.

matthew8

Looks like Northampton could spend the rest of the match down here.

matthew8

Finally a try from Northampton. Their power is crazy.

ScrubsfanChris

Northampton try, 8 minutes left, game over.........

16 - 25

matthew8

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Northampton try, 8 minutes left, game over.........

16 - 25

Looks like game over alright, but this Bath back line is hard to write off.

matthew8

More Northampton butchery there but they might have the try yet! Stephen Myler tops off the perfect night with a great interception.

shuffol

forward pass

Dave_The_Sheep

That's a foot, surely.

Buer

Does Foden take the ball from in front of Burrell?

matthew8

Buer wrote: »

Does Foden take the ball from in front of Burrell?

I thought it was ripped backwards, but how did Burrell not score.

Buer

matthew8 wrote: »

I thought it was ripped backwards, but how did Burrell not score.

He really did his best to butcher it. If he had just popped it up it was a simple touchdown. He did everything in his power to make sure the ball didn't reach the goal area.

ScrubsfanChris

Another Northampton try

Redo91

Ya that confirms it. Ford has contributed to a 14 point swing between the sides. 3 easy missed penalties and he is after throwing an intercepted pass which resulted in a try.

ScrubsfanChris

Northampton are winning this half 24 - 3 :eek:

wowy

Buer wrote: »

Does Foden take the ball from in front of Burrell?

But they were in the deadball area, so ahead of the Bath tryline so would it be a forward pass?

Edit.

Nevermind, Law 12 seems to be forward is towards the deadball line. I thought it was only forward if it was towards the tryline.

matthew8

There are very few sides in Europe who can live with Northampton playing at this level. Their big problem seems to be consistency, especially in the last few months.

Buer

matthew8 wrote: »

There are very few sides in Europe who can live with Northampton playing at this level. Their big problem seems to be consistency, especially in the last few months.

They've had a really good season, let down by a couple of bad performances. Their final tally in the Premiership would have earned them top spot every other season since 2003/04. Saracens just have had a freakish, record breaking campaign.

A bit more cohesion and less injury problems and they would have gotten out of their HEC pool also. Burrell threw an intercept in Castres which cost them the game. If they won, they'd have been in a completely different situation for the rest of the campaign.

I wouldn't be surprised if they repeat Leinster's showing last season by winning the ACC and their domestic league.

freyners

Buer wrote: »

They've had a really good season, let down by a couple of bad performances. Their final tally in the Premiership would have earned them top spot every other season since 2003/04. Saracens just have had a freakish, record breaking campaign.

A bit more cohesion and less injury problems and they would have gotten out of their HEC pool also. Burrell threw an intercept in Castres which cost them the game. If they won, they'd have been in a completely different situation for the rest of the campaign.

I wouldn't be surprised if they repeat Leinster's showing last season by winning the ACC and their domestic league.

I hope so, can stomach Saints winning far easier than Sarries

CatFromHue

Healy, POC, and POM made the TG4 HEC team of the season.

ssaye2

http://www.thescore.ie/steffon-armitage-erc-player-year-1486523-May2014/

Obv award goes to

.ak

ssaye2 wrote: »

http://www.thescore.ie/steffon-armitage-erc-player-year-1486523-May2014/

Obv award goes to

Delighted for him tbh, seems a very likeable chap and had a massive season.

molloyjh

.ak wrote: »

Delighted for him tbh, seems a very likeable chap and had a massive season.

"You had 4 turnovers in that game, what do you say to that"?

"I wish I had gotten 5!"

19543261

83 carries
77 tackles
19 turnovers
20 defenders beaten

I know what we like to say around here about stats.. but those are some pretty numbers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RISLAF3WhJo

lovely chap!

thomond2006

England only pick players with non-English clubs in "exceptional circumstances". Steffon Armitage has to be considered that at this stage. He had a quiet season last year when the preferred backrow was Rossouw-Lobbe-Masoe but he has really stepped up since Masoe's injury.

At the very least he would be a superb impact player off the bench at international level. You'd wonder if he regrets getting his few caps as he would be a starter with France if he was eligible.

awec

He played Vunipola off the park. Without question he outshone him by a mile.

How many times was Vunipola turned over?

thomond2006

awec wrote: »

He played Vunipola off the park. Without question he outshone him by a mile.

How many times was Vunipola turned over?

Vunipola left the pitch right after the final whistle. You could see Wilkinson trying to follow him.

darragh_haven

thomond2006 wrote: »

Vunipola left the pitch right after the final whistle. You could see Wilkinson trying to follow him.

I saw that in the highlights. Vunipola didn't even look behind him when Wilkinson tapped his arm. He must have been just pi55ed of with how bad he performed

Buer

Is this Billy or Mako? Because Billy was really good. He constantly got over the gain line and got past the first defender. Carried like a tank. Was turned over a couple of times but that was as much to do with the fact that he was getting on the ball a huge amount.

Grandpa Hassan

Buer wrote: »

Is this Billy or Mako? Because Billy was really good. He constantly got over the gain line and got past the first defender. Carried like a tank. Was turned over a couple of times but that was as much to do with the fact that he was getting on the ball a huge amount.

It was Mako that stormed off down the tunnell, with JW trying to call him back. He had an absolute stinker of a game

Grandpa Hassan

In other news, Stefan Armitage not picked for the NZ tour, and therefore not in the frame for a WC place. Just as he was being named European player of the year. Not an exceptional enough circumstance by Lancaster's reckoning. Would have seriously strengthened the squad (though I understand that he has a reputation for being disruptive and petulant if things don't go his way, like being dropped or rested for a game)

Podge_irl

Grandpa Hassan wrote: »

In other news, Stefan Armitage not picked for the NZ tour, and therefore not in the frame for a WC place. Just as he was being named European player of the year. Not an exceptional enough circumstance by Lancaster's reckoning. Would have seriously strengthened the squad (though I understand that he has a reputation for being disruptive and petulant if things don't go his way, like being dropped or rested for a game)

Exceptional circumstances was never (to my understanding) meant to mean a player being exceptionally good. It was meant to cover injury crises and the like.

Grimebox

Crazy decision

Buer

On merit, he has to be in there. However, if Lancaster has put in place an unwritten rule that he doesn't select foreign based players then I fully understand him not selecting him. He can't break that rule now because the guy has had a great season; it would undermine the whole point.

awec

Just saw this on UAFC and thought it was interesting enough, if not pretty meaningless.

The cumulative points total of group stage games over the past 4 seasons:

Ulster 91 pts (won 20 lost 4 BP 11)
Clermont 91 pts (won 19 lost 5 BP 15)
Leinster 90 pts
Munster 84 pts
Toulouse 82 pts
Leicester 80 pts

Grimebox

Buer wrote: »

On merit, he has to be in there. However, if Lancaster has put in place an unwritten rule that he doesn't select foreign based players then I fully understand him not selecting him. He can't break that rule now because the guy has had a great season; it would undermine the whole point.

I didn't realise Lancaster did that rule.

former legend

awec wrote: »

Just saw this on UAFC and thought it was interesting enough, if not pretty meaningless.

The cumulative points total of group stage games over the past 4 seasons:

Ulster 91 pts (won 20 lost 4 BP 11)
Clermont 91 pts (won 19 lost 5 BP 15)
Leinster 90 pts
Munster 84 pts
Toulouse 82 pts
Leicester 80 pts

On a related note, the final ever ERC rankings will look like this:

1. Leinster 33 pts
2. Toulon 32 pts
3. Clermont 27 pts
4. Munster 22 pts
5. Ulster 22 pts
6. Saracens 21 pts
7. Northampton 20 pts
8. Toulouse 20 pts

awec

Also notice that there is no Toulon in my list. They weren't in it one of the years!

And in my list only 1 of the teams has actually won it in that timeframe.

Riskymove

former legend wrote: »

On a related note, the final ever ERC rankings will look like this:

1. Leinster 33 pts
2. Toulon 32 pts
3. Clermont 27 pts
4. Munster 22 pts
5. Ulster 22 pts
6. Saracens 21 pts
7. Northampton 20 pts
8. Toulouse 20 pts

so Saracens or Northampton will be among the top 3 seeds for enxt year as oppossed to 6 and 7

Glasgow or Castres could be in the top 3 despite hardly featuring in HEC knock outs

Leinster and Toulon would be the only ones in the same on either system

Podge_irl

former legend wrote: »

On a related note, the final ever ERC rankings will look like this:

1. Leinster 33 pts
2. Toulon 32 pts
3. Clermont 27 pts
4. Munster 22 pts
5. Ulster 22 pts
6. Saracens 21 pts
7. Northampton 20 pts
8. Toulouse 20 pts

WOOOOOOOO

Suck it Toulon.

Riskymove

never mind

Christy42

awec wrote: »

Also notice that there is no Toulon in my list. They weren't in it one of the years!

And in my list only 1 of the teams has actually won it in that timeframe.

In fairness only 2 teams have won it over the last 4 years.

former legend

Riskymove wrote: »

actually...base don what is on the ERC website these points are wrong

Toulon would be 32 alright, but Leinster would only be 30

5 + 6 + 11 + 11 = 33.

How did you get 30?

Podge_irl

Riskymove wrote: »

actually...base don what is on the ERC website these points are wrong

Toulon would be 32 alright, but Leinster would only be 29

Leinster would be on 11 + 11 + 6 + 5 = 33

Riskymove

former legend wrote: »

5 + 6 + 11 + 11 = 33.

How did you get 30?

sorry you are correct

irishbucsfan

Anyone want to count up all the points from the beginning of the tournament? Would be interesting to see who comes out on top!

Podge_irl

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Anyone want to count up all the points from the beginning of the tournament? Would be interesting to see who comes out on top!

Presumably Toulouse or Munster. I think Munster would probably edge it actually.

Riskymove

Podge_irl wrote: »

Presumably Toulouse or Munster. I think Munster would probably edge it actually.

if we are taslking about points from the group stage only, Leicester and Leinster must also come out well.

Podge_irl

Riskymove wrote: »

if we are taslking about points from the group stage only, Leicester and Leinster must also come out well.

I assume he means ranking points. It's a question of whether Munster's huge haul of semi-finals and near-continual qualification out of the groups beats out Toulouse's extra victories. I'd imagine it does. (though definitely not arsed checking!)

Riskymove

well....of the 5 I looked at:

Munster 299
Toulouse 295
Leinster 284
Leicester 265
Ulster 205


Bear in mind Leciester were not in it on two occassions and the points system changed in 2004