Toulon / Clermont

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Armpitage has to be the biggest arsehole in world rugby.

I don't usually slag players off but he's a blight on our game. Saw an interview with him last week where he said he'd changed etc etc...he hasn't. He's a scumbag.

[Hippo]

What a classless pr!*k. Allez Clermont

[Leinster Exile]

Je-ay-sus , another self imploding act by clermont. Sivavutu's last pass was the laziest most pathetic least accurate thing I have seen from a professional rugby player this year

[Maradona10]

That game was a blight on rugby, it really was. Clermont's game plan looked like Declan Kidney at his finest - give it to the Sivivatu. Toulon only won because they played slightly more intelligently. Leinster would definitely have beaten either of those teams.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

What was the point of sending Skrela on? Aside from his one drop goal attempt, he went into hiding. Clermont had a ridiculous amount of chances to go for a drop but completely bottled it. I feel for Sivivatu, the last play was awful but he was outstanding in the rest of the game.

They seemed to lose all composure in the last ten minutes. Didn't seem to be any direction to their play and made some very silly errors.

Gutted for them but they've only themselves to blame. Think Fofana running the ball before the try was a mistake. He could have moved it or kicked it but he was always going to be isolated if he ran and didn't make a clean break and it wasn't the percentage play.

I really hate the fact that Delon Armitage is now a European champion.

[leinsterfan100]

Well at least clermont and toulon are now in tier one, so we cant play them in group stages.

[dropkick]

That game was a blight on rugby, it really was. Clermont's game plan looked like Declan Kidney at his finest - give it to the Sivivatu. Toulon only won because they played slightly more intelligently. Leinster would definitely have beaten either of those teams.

I fully agree.

Clermont were easily the better team but they did some really stupid things.

[artaneboy]

Well, now that the Evil Empire has control of the rugby universe, we need our heros to reclaim the title in 2013- '14. I couldn't tolerate that shower of outright mercenaries- some of them thugs and bullies to dominate the HC. Can't see many others having the talent, brains and grit to down them.

[Ruckedtobits]

Undoubtedly, if anybody ever doubted it, we got the best half of the Cotter - Schmidt coaching partnership. IMO, that game was lost by Cotter who refused to substitute in his back-row and front-row at about 50-55 mins when it was apparent to anybody watching the game objectively that Toulon had no capacity to score except off Clermont mistakes. The pace that Clermont were able to put in the game in possession was the best way to beat a Toulon team loaded with individual strength but very little tactical awareness. When Cotter did decide to use his bench he panicked by replacing Parra and Brock James leaving him with nobody who could take points from pressure in the last 10 minutes.

And Wayne Barnes validated everything bad said about him when he refuised to flag Michelac's kick in the face within 2 metres of him on the left touchline on 22m with less than 5 mins to go.

Poor Clermont, there only hope is the old adage that "you have to lose one to win one". They have certainly done the first part of that.

We will now have to suffer the Jonny W chorus of why he must be brought out to the Lions Tour. For me, that game was perfect proof as to why Jonno10 is the best in the NH at present

[domhnallj]

Why Cotter thought that Skrela was going to turn the game for him is a mystery. Perhaps James was punched out but Skrela is so friggin slow.. Hard luck Clermont.

[enby]

Amazed that nobody has commented upon the truly atrocious performance of Rolland, who plumbed Poitesque depths in one eyedness. Clermont were awarded one penalty in the Toulon half. Toulon were allowed to deploy lazy runners with impunity making Parra's life a misery. In the 58th minute he was clearly impeded by a prone player who made no effort to roll away resulting in a turnover and s soft Toulon prnalty. 6 point turnaround there alone.

[Vamos los azules]

We will now have to suffer the Jonny W chorus of why he must be brought out to the Lions Tour. For me, that game was perfect proof as to why Jonno10 is the best in the NH at present

But Wilkinson wouldn't be called up to usurp Sexton, who pretty much the whole world has nailed on as test starter. The consideration really is whether he is a better option than Farrell and Hogg if, heaven forbid, Sexton were to get injured.

[lummix]

You can't win a big tournament without a good out half, clermont should have learned that by now. When they were on top James looked a million dollars but when the going got tuff he vanished then was taken off after he bottled going for a drop goal. Skrella is a clown. Clermont should take whatever money they have and buy a solid out half if they want to win heniken cup, maybe even convince "gwan rodge" to postpone his retirement.
Look at the winners and who their out half was, good heads on them who can manage a game...
Wilko
Sexton
Rog
King
All the way back to la Maison at brive and Grayson

[sid]

Ended up going to the game. Those Clermont chants are still in my head.

I'm still trying to figure out how exactly Toulon won. I guess all I can really say is that Clermont seemed to have a gameplan which involved refusing to take chances at all costs.

It's pretty depressing that Delon Armitage now has a HEC medal, but at least Wilko does too; I'm really happy for him.

[dropkick]

Amazed that nobody has commented upon the truly atrocious performance of Rolland, who plumbed Poitesque depths in one eyedness. Clermont were awarded one penalty in the Toulon half. Toulon were allowed to deploy lazy runners with impunity making Parra's life a misery. In the 58th minute he was clearly impeded by a prone player who made no effort to roll away resulting in a turnover and s soft Toulon prnalty. 6 point turnaround there alone.

I don't think Rolland was biased like Poite but he favours the defense. They were talking about it on the rugby club last night and mentioned him and the weather as two big factors. They were right.

[John23]

Ended up going to the game. Those Clermont chants are still in my head.

I'm still trying to figure out how exactly Toulon won. I guess all I can really say is that Clermont seemed to have a gameplan which involved refusing to take chances at all costs.

It's pretty depressing that Delon Armitage now has a HEC medal, but at least Wilko does too; I'm really happy for him.

I too went to the game with junior. I said to John23 the younger at around 60 mins that Clermont will somehow contrive to lose this game. Then to cap it all when the Muppets XV Hall of Famer went over for his try, all I wanted to do was go home and have a shower to cleanse me. I just felt filthy having been in the same stadium as those f@@king mercenaries.

[ribs]

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

[shark_sandwich]

A disappointing game overall - wish Clermont won as they at least tried to play a bit of Rugby and before I say anymore I will say they have been far and away the best team in Europe this year. However, between Delon Armitage's lack of sportsmanship today for Toulon and the lack of fight and bottle shown by Clermont, particularly David Skrela who should have been DEMANDING the set up for a drop goal when there were multiple chances to do so in the last few phases - I left this game realising just how lucky we are to have the type of players we have playing at Leinster and in Ireland overall. Players of character who will take on responsibility on the pitch and will step forward in the clutch (to use a basketball expression).

We do tend to put the quality of our support down but the lack of noise from the famous and admittedly friendly ASM crowd in the last 15 mins was deafening. We may not have the catchiest chants but our reading of the play is excellent which leads to our support being present and loudest when the team needs it most. So in conclusion, the real winner today was Leinster, we're Great!

[TrapperChamonix]

Does Rocky get a winners medal?

[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.