Heineken Cup 2021/22

[riocard911]

The LAR maul and particularly their scrum will pose problems for us. Both teams represent different styles: our ball carriers look to go around, theirs to go thru opposition players.

They'll try to involve us in an arm wrestle. We'll hope to play with speed and tire their heavies out.

I just hope our guys can handle the Mediterranean heat. Just checked the weather forecast for Marseille; the prediction is a dry 26 degrees.

[Dave Cahill]

La Revanche!

[carlow man]

The otb will be obsessed with this! Rog, woody, fiona hayes and quinlan will be desperate for lar to win given their hero is up against us! Turning it into some sort of munster v leinster nonsense!!!

[hugonaut]

LAR are much better than they showed today but I don’t think they’re as good as last year. They just don’t seem as solid or have the cutting edge out wide that they showed against us. Their back three were just spectators today but tore us apart last year. Lots of really skilful moments from both sides but then they undid it by being disjointed or doing something stupid.

I think they’ll up their game for the final but based on yesterday we have more weapons to attack them with this time.

They're definitely not as good as last year.

Skelton is HUGELY missed. On his day, and he has proven himself to be a big game player, he's just about the best second row in the world ... certainly in the top three with Etzebeth and Itoje. He has an enormous impact on matches. He gets over the gainline every single carry, he offloads out of contact, he takes minimum of two tacklers to take him down ... and then he gives you a massive scrum, he's one of the best maulers in the world, and he's an absolute forklift in the lineout.

Last year, they had Sazy and Skelton together in the row – a combination of a great player with a great captain. Sazy is a real Mr. Rugby in La Rochelle. He has played more than 300 games for them and has been captain forever. But as a player he's getting on to 36 years old, and he's never played international rugby. He's a 'glue' player [as Leo Cullen referred to Ross Molony yesterday], but you still need to have big pieces to glue together.

Beyond him, Kevin Gourdon had to retire earlier this year [doctors discovered an issue with his heart] and he was just a cracking rugby player. You brought him on for anybody, even Alldritt or Vito, and there's little-to-no drop-off. He was another big totem in La Rochelle; he was playing for them back in ProD2 before they got promoted, and was the first player to be capped from there in forever.

I think they miss Doumayrou a lot as well. He's with Montpellier now, but he was a big part of La Rochelle's side for four years ... a clever, tough and well-organised centre who rarely made a bad decision on the field.

[carlow man]

The otb will be obsessed with this! Keith wood, fiona hayes and quinlan will be desperate for lar to win given their hero is up against us! Turning it into some sort of munster v leinster nonsense!!! Plus those 2 clowns presenting it who are supposed to be non biased yet can't hide their disappointment when their beloved munster get put back in their box when it comes to the big games. All of munster will be shouting for the frenchies.

[ronk]

Great. Another opportunity for the Irish media to make this all about Munster.

Prendergast as incoming backs coach for Munster.

Whoever won, it wouldn't have changed much.

[Oldschool]

Probably the difference between the two teams was Zebo's absence.

[riocard911]

Probably the difference between the two teams was Zebo's absence.

Stop. You're killing me!!!

[blockhead]

We sure Skelton is out?
Matt Williams is sure he'll be back in time, he just has a slight sprain.

[jezzer]

Kerr Barlow looks like he has a broken hand. I suppose they'll confirm what it is tomorrow.

I thought they showed a total absence of control and leadership on the field. If we can take them away from their power-led Plan A, there doesn't seem to be a ton of problem solving going on between their ears.

Their pack's handling ability, to go with their sheer size, is probably the only positive that shone in their performance today. Otherwise, they were really very poor in just about all facets.

[SoupyNorman]

Great. Another opportunity for the Irish media to make this all about Munster.

Prendergast as incoming backs coach for Munster.

Whoever won, it wouldn't have changed much.

Anyway going to push the Denis Leamy angle for the Munster fans. Sure it be nice to have a recent Heineken Cup winning Coach on their books for next season.

[Oldschool]

Probably the difference between the two teams was Zebo's absence.

Stop. You're killing me!!!

We need a "straight face" emoji

[Theleinsterlad]

We sure Skelton is out?
Matt Williams is sure he'll be back in time, he just has a slight sprain.

RoG said in his press conference on Friday that skeltons season was looking like it was over and that they would be lucky to get him back for the start of next season in September

[enby]

I need some advice please. To whom do you address complaints about radio? In a disgraceful act of calumny I heard our opponents in the Final referred to on RTE as "La Rochelle" rather than "Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle". This kind of thing is a shameful lapse in broadcasting standards. The dogs in the street know that our opponents should only be called "La Rochelle" on the airwaves after a defeat.

[Oldschoolsocks]

I need some advice please. To whom do you address complaints about radio? In a disgraceful act of calumny I heard our opponents in the Final referred to on RTE as "La Rochelle" rather than "Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle". This kind of thing is a shameful lapse in broadcasting standards. The dogs in the street know that our opponents should only be called "La Rochelle" on the airwaves after a defeat.

La Rogelle

[Oldschoolsocks]

Great. Another opportunity for the Irish media to make this all about Munster.

Prendergast as incoming backs coach for Munster.

Whoever won, it wouldn't have changed much.

Anyway going to push the Denis Leamy angle for the Munster fans. Sure it be nice to have a recent Heineken Cup winning Coach on their books for next season.

I get the feeling you’re setting me up for a fall boss

[Dexter]

I need some advice please. To whom do you address complaints about radio? In a disgraceful act of calumny I heard our opponents in the Final referred to on RTE as "La Rochelle" rather than "Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle". This kind of thing is a shameful lapse in broadcasting standards. The dogs in the street know that our opponents should only be called "La Rochelle" on the airwaves after a defeat.

Particularly after they changed the name of the club from "Stade Rochelais" to "Ronan O'Garas' La Rochelle".
Totally unprofessional and unacceptable from RTE. Tut tut

[Degz]

They've a big Top 14 home game against Stade on Saturday at 5:15pm, whilst our players will have their feet up. They can't really afford to rest anyone.

[curates_egg]

The LAR maul and particularly their scrum will pose problems for us. Both teams represent different styles: our ball carriers look to go around, theirs to go thru opposition players.

They'll try to involve us in an arm wrestle. We'll hope to play with speed and tire their heavies out.

I just hope our guys can handle the Mediterranean heat. Just checked the weather forecast for Marseille; the prediction is a dry 26 degrees.

Their scrum was poor at times yesterday. They are full of beef though, so will no doubt pose us a problem there, if we let them.
Their maul was very impressive however.

All three French teams in the semis had real discipline problems. I really hope that continues.
West also had a horrendous case of the yips yesterday.

[enby]

Their "management" of the time when Racing were down to 13 was truly atrocious. I know we didn't score v 14 either side of HT but at least we put Toulouse under some pressure in that time. La Rochelle on the other hand played like novices and were extremely fortunate that 2 missed kicks prevented them from actually losing the yellow card periods. All very surprising from a team coached by someone as canny as ROG