Top 14 Barrage

[neill_m]

Top 14 finished yesterday. Playoffs are:

Fri May 31 8pm Racing 92 v La Rochelle
Sat Jun 1 4pm Lyon v Montpellier

Sat Jun 8 8pm Toulouse v Racing 92/La Rochelle
Sun Jun 9 3:30pm Clermont v Lyon/Montpellier

Neutral venue for semi finals - Bordeaux

Sat Jun 15 8pm The Final

[Ruckedtobits]

Each one of those will be a serious contest and I certainly wouldn't like to run a book on them.

[kermischocolate]

Why is the final so late this year? Finished end of May last year?

[cormac]

Why is the final so late this year? Finished end of May last year?

no Summer tour

[kermischocolate]

Why is the final so late this year? Finished end of May last year?

no Summer tour

Aah. Did they start later this year, or just have more in season breaks?

[neill_m]

Why is the final so late this year? Finished end of May last year?

no Summer tour

Aah. Did they start later this year, or just have more in season breaks?

Started same weekend, more in season breaks.

[neill_m]

Starts tonight with Racing 92 v La Rochelle (8pm Irish Time, Sky Sports Action) at the Stade Yves du Manoir as the Disco Arena is not available.

[cormac]

Racing 92 appear to have fielded a prop at full-back.

[neill_m]

Deserved win for La Rochelle 19-13. Racing 92 were pretty average.

Toulouse v La Rochelle next Saturday.

[Ruckedtobits]

Deserved win for La Rochelle 19-13. Racing 92 were pretty average.

Toulouse v La Rochelle next Saturday.

Really good game and fairly extraordinary that Racing 92, who were playing a home Play-off game, had hired the Arena for 3 days of Concerts and played the game at the old Stade Colombiers in Yves des Manoir, on grass. Advantage La Rochelle.

Racing 92 conceded numerous penalties in the first half and La Rochelle took all four in range and led 0-12.

Racing pressured them at the beginning of each half but the La Rochelle response in the 3rd quarter was a wondrous team try starting from a line-out just outside their 22m line, roliing maul, running maul, fabulous handling up the right wing, a quick ruck, poor pass, great pick-up and fantastic cross-kick, catch and try. 3-19 and almost game over.

Well done Jonno Gibbes. A great success and creating a great opportunity for your Club.

[blockhead]

Deserved win for La Rochelle 19-13. Racing 92 were pretty average.

Toulouse v La Rochelle next Saturday.

Really good game and fairly extraordinary that Racing 92, who were playing a home Play-off game, had hired the Arena for 3 days of Concerts and played the game at the old Stade Colombiers in Yves des Manoir, on grass. Advantage La Rochelle.

Racing 92 conceded numerous penalties in the first half and La Rochelle took all four in range and led 0-12.

Racing pressured them at the beginning of each half but the La Rochelle response in the 3rd quarter was a wondrous team try starting from a line-out just outside their 22m line, roliing maul, running maul, fabulous handling up the right wing, a quick ruck, poor pass, great pick-up and fantastic cross-kick, catch and try. 3-19 and almost game over.

Well done Jonno Gibbes. A great success and creating a great opportunity for your Club.

Mad. Mad, mad, mad!

[paddyor]

Any Zeebs highlights? He’s been making a tool of himself on twatter.

[neill_m]

Deserved win for La Rochelle 19-13. Racing 92 were pretty average.

Toulouse v La Rochelle next Saturday.

Really good game and fairly extraordinary that Racing 92, who were playing a home Play-off game, had hired the Arena for 3 days of Concerts and played the game at the old Stade Colombiers in Yves des Manoir, on grass. Advantage La Rochelle.

Racing 92 conceded numerous penalties in the first half and La Rochelle took all four in range and led 0-12.

Racing pressured them at the beginning of each half but the La Rochelle response in the 3rd quarter was a wondrous team try starting from a line-out just outside their 22m line, roliing maul, running maul, fabulous handling up the right wing, a quick ruck, poor pass, great pick-up and fantastic cross-kick, catch and try. 3-19 and almost game over.

Well done Jonno Gibbes. A great success and creating a great opportunity for your Club.

Indeed crazy they would give up their advantage of the indoor environment and the 4G pitch.

[neill_m]

Would fancy Toulouse to beat La Rochelle next Saturday. From a Heineken angle, if Montpellier beat Lyon tomorrow, R92 will be in Pot 4 for the draw!

[neill_m]

Lyon 21-16 Montpellier today.

Montpellier into Pot 4 of Heineken Draw of 2019/20.

Sat June 8 8pm Toulouse v La Rochelle
Sun June 9 3:30pm Clermont v Lyon

[neill_m]

Toulouse 20-6 La Rochelle tonight.

[neill_m]

Clermont 33-13 Lyon today. Final on Saturday night.

As with the Premiership and Pro 14, the best 2 sides have reached the final.

[Ruckedtobits]

Clermont 33-13 Lyon today. Final on Saturday night.

As with the Premiership and Pro 14, the best 2 sides have reached the final.

But Oh Boy, was that S/F a total bore. Just as Nigel Owens always has the capacity to turn big games into dramatic entertainment M.Poite has the capacity to compress any prospect of entertainment out of any contest. He certainly succeeded with this strategy in the 2nd half of this game.

[Dave Cahill]

Well that was a surprise to absolutely no one.

[Ruckedtobits]

Well that was a surprise to absolutely no one.

Let's hope that M. Garces discovers how to referee two tough front-rows before RWC19. Alternatively, let's hope that we have him as Referee if we play S Africa.

Great display by Dupont at 9 for Toulouse and by Kolbe & Huget in taking their two tries. Clermont attacked magnificently in pulses but could not maintain momentum in attack beyond about 10 phases and usually ended up turning over the ball as they ran out of attackers.

Litle doubt however that there are still a lot of top-quality French rugby players who could be competitive in Japan if they can come together as L'equipe.