Heineken Cup 2020/21

[Serb]

Jalibert is a super outhalf. Core to everything Bordeaux do. Bordeaux’s discipline has been awful though — 17 penalties conceded in 60 minute so far. They would be winning this if they could cut that out.

[wixfjord]

Bordeaux haven't managed this well at all.

On this showing, would have no fear of Toulouse.

[Dave Cahill]

Bordeaux haven't managed this well at all.

On this showing, would have no fear of Toulouse.

I dunno, their ability to play anti-rugby is pretty impressive - shows they have that arrow in their quiver

[wixfjord]

Bordeaux haven't managed this well at all.

On this showing, would have no fear of Toulouse.

I dunno, their ability to play anti-rugby is pretty impressive - shows they have that arrow in their quiver

Jaysus I'm not too impressed. They've been very sloppy.

[fourthirtythree]

Bordeaux haven't managed this well at all.

On this showing, would have no fear of Toulouse.

I dunno, their ability to play anti-rugby is pretty impressive - shows they have that arrow in their quiver

Their ability to play rugby on the other hand hasn't been impressive.

[fourthirtythree]

And of course Dupont scores!

[Serb]

Yeah, that’s game over, Toulouse are in the final. Would be incredible to have the five star showdown with them.

[Dave Cahill]

Bordeaux haven't managed this well at all.

On this showing, would have no fear of Toulouse.

I dunno, their ability to play anti-rugby is pretty impressive - shows they have that arrow in their quiver

Their ability to play rugby on the other hand hasn't been impressive.

Did the dupont try come as you were typing that - sods law!

You are correct though.

[fourthirtythree]

Clicked submit and Akhi did the steps thing! TBF Toulouse have looked the pedigree this year.

[riocard911]

Bordeaux haven't managed this well at all.

On this showing, would have no fear of Toulouse.

I dunno, their ability to play anti-rugby is pretty impressive - shows they have that arrow in their quiver

100%. Soaked up all the pressure in the first half. Went up a gear in the second. Never looked worried. Job done. Will take some performance to beat them, whoever they meet in the final.

[Ruckedtobits]

Barnes was one-eyed all match. Officiating like that screws any competition.

[Dexter]

Barnes was one-eyed all match. Officiating like that screws any competition.

Thought the same. Some consistency would have been nice.

[tingman]

Barnes was one-eyed all match. Officiating like that screws any competition.

Although in fairness the Del Boy French is coming along nicely

[riocard911]

Barnes was one-eyed all match. Officiating like that screws any competition.

Although in fairness the Del Boy French is coming along nicely

I admire Barnes for making use of the French he has, imperfect as it is, in public. Takes a lot of courage. People are too afraid of making mistakes in a new language, but actually, you gotta make the mistakes - and wince, laugh at yourself, whatever - to learn and advance.

[fourthirtythree]

Barnes was one-eyed all match. Officiating like that screws any competition.

Although in fairness the Del Boy French is coming along nicely

I admire Barnes for making use of the French he has, imperfect as it is, in public. Takes a lot of courage. People are too afraid of making mistakes in a new language, but actually, you gotta make the mistakes - and wince, laugh at yourself, whatever - to learn and advance.

I don't. He does it in an exaggerated English accent. I know that as far back as medieval times English people boasted of not pronouncing foreign right, and Latin as a Lingua Franca among scholars did not extend to England where they chose to pronounce Latin as if it were English rendering it mutually incomprehensible. His order to French players yesterday "trank-will, trank-will" was a perfect expression of English cultural arrogance. It was genuinely incomprehensible to the players unless they spoke English and translated in their heads.

He'd be better off not pretending. Or committing. What he does is useless to anyone but himself.

[Oldschool]

It's tran keel

[Oldschoolsocks]

Barnes was one-eyed all match. Officiating like that screws any competition.

Although in fairness the Del Boy French is coming along nicely

I admire Barnes for making use of the French he has, imperfect as it is, in public. Takes a lot of courage. People are too afraid of making mistakes in a new language, but actually, you gotta make the mistakes - and wince, laugh at yourself, whatever - to learn and advance.

to be fair, at least it stops him making mistakes in English, so there's that...

[Degz]

Anyone wants tickets for the final, I've two going spare

[backrower8]

Barnes was one-eyed all match. Officiating like that screws any competition.

Although in fairness the Del Boy French is coming along nicely

I admire Barnes for making use of the French he has, imperfect as it is, in public. Takes a lot of courage. People are too afraid of making mistakes in a new language, but actually, you gotta make the mistakes - and wince, laugh at yourself, whatever - to learn and advance.

Surely it is not about how to improve your French while on-the-job and all about delivering the most effective refereeing performance possible. I wonder did the French teams feel better served by his pidgin French than had he spoken English.

For me Barnes has crossed over to the Nigel Owens school of refereeing, wherein he has too large a profile during the game. I don't think celebrity referees is a good thing. Good on-field communication yes, essential, profile building on and off the pitch with interviews, social media accounts and smart-alec remarks (typically belittling players) for the world to hear is not in the better interests of the game in my view.

In what other sports do referees have such personas? Soccer referees seem much more low key (although they aren't miced-up), as do tennis and cricket umpires.

[fourthirtythree]

It's tran keel

Tron Key.

What he said is incomprehensible to a French speaker who doesn't have good English.