Champions Cup 2020 / 21

[FLIP]

My view is Toulouse have beaten LAR twice this season, home and away, and so clearly know how to unlock them. They'll do so in a manner which will change the media narrative.. again. We'll be talking about how we need fast wingers with good twitch muscles instead of 6ft6 20 stone second rows.

[limecat]

My view is Toulouse have beaten LAR twice this season, home and away, and so clearly know how to unlock them. They'll do so in a manner which will change the media narrative.. again. We'll be talking about how we need fast wingers with good twitch muscles instead of 6ft6 20 stone second rows.

In 2009 Munster had beaten us at home and away in the league before we meet them in Croke Park...

[FLIP]

My view is Toulouse have beaten LAR twice this season, home and away, and so clearly know how to unlock them. They'll do so in a manner which will change the media narrative.. again. We'll be talking about how we need fast wingers with good twitch muscles instead of 6ft6 20 stone second rows.

In 2009 Munster had beaten us at home and away in the league before we meet them in Croke Park...

And you're completely right, but I don't think the media and Toulouse will be downplaying LAR at all. The new Toulouse aren't riding on the glory of years gone by, but instead trying to start their own success.

[fourthirtythree]

Skelton was a bit of a bad boy too when Botia got sent off.

[IanD]

If this is the pinnacle of rugby we are screwed.

[fourthirtythree]

Jouez phooey.

Keep Ball Slow.

[fourthirtythree]

Every la Rochelle kick is a contestable, against us they booted the leather off the ball. Says a lot about their opinion of our back three.

[Logorrhea]

Skelton was a bit of a bad boy too when Botia got sent off.

In his defense, he just stood there and whatshisface ran into him.

[fourthirtythree]

Skelton was a bit of a bad boy too when Botia got sent off.

In his defense, he just stood there and whatshisface ran into him.

Oh, not then. Ntamack deserved a card for stupidity running into a building left out on the pitch like that.

No, when Botia got the red Skelton clattered into another Toulouse player, off the ball, and from behind.
Their maul is great but other than that la Rochelle are really making this a tough watch. The current rule interpretation which punishes possession a lot to blame too.

[Fan with smartphone]

Could Toulouse have played worse?

[Ruckedtobits]

Forwards win matches and backs (and place kicker) decide by how much.

A turgid final with no evidence of RO'G / Gibbes coaching fingerprints.

Tough to lose Botia but his defensive style is always a risk.

Fifth star for Stade Toulousaine but not their most illustrious.

[Dexter]

As mentioned earlier, Current law interpretation means teams don't really want the ball too much. Until that changes we're going to continue to see finals and big games as bad as this one.

[Dexter]

Forwards win matches and backs (and place kicker) decide by how much.

A turgid final with no evidence of RO'G / Gibbes coaching fingerprints.

Tough to lose Botia but his defensive style is always a risk.

Fifth star for Stade Toulousaine but not their most illustrious.

I'm not sure any of their finals have been particularly good games. At least 3 have been all French, so rubbish games as a result. I can't say I remember them all though.

[Fan with smartphone]

As mentioned earlier, Current law interpretation means teams don't really want the ball too much. Until that changes we're going to continue to see finals and big games as bad as this one.

Point taken, but the mindsets taking kicks early on when either team had dominance... god neither team deserved it today and it felt like a case of which team wouldn’t beat themselves.

[fourthirtythree]

They were right to take the kicks though. It's a final.

You can see why the media loves Ronan. He's a great performer. Of the game didn't suit them because it was too slow.... Well why slow it down like they did? Thought he did well by bringing the blame on the coaches for Botia.

Also thought the penalty at the end wasn't. The ref was quite kind on the jackler but there were elbows on the ground there

[Logorrhea]

Forwards win matches and backs (and place kicker) decide by how much.

A turgid final with no evidence of RO'G / Gibbes coaching fingerprints.

Tough to lose Botia but his defensive style is always a risk.

Fifth star for Stade Toulousaine but not their most illustrious.

Finals are about winning, not entertaining.
You're right, but I doubt very much if there has ever been a winner that cared.

[fourthirtythree]

The star won't come with a footnote*


*Boring final. Plus Covid.

[hugonaut]

- 7/8 [87.5% success rate] placekicks from Ihaia West [and a dropgoal] against us in the semi-final.
- 3/6 [50% success rate] placekicks from Ihaia West [and no dropgoal] against Toulouse in the final.

You can't get closer than hitting the post three times, but that's the nature of sport. You draw lines and limits that define what's level and what's illegal, what counts as a score and what counts as nothing.