European Champions Cup [Most Improved]

[wixfjord]

Anyone see Toulouse this year? Their 9 is an absolute gem of a player.

Antoine Dupont? That's the guy who took us apart last season in Castres. Cracking player.

[Fan with smartphone]

Scarlets have a great chance here. Beirne has been superb. Again. This time in the backrow.

[Ruckedtobits]

Great encounter but Scarlets needed the points from the tee. Toulon could be vulnerable next week in Treviso, they have a lot of old legs and lungs in that Squad

[Fan with smartphone]

Well if they don’t get 5 points there things do get interesting. Maybe I’m underestimating Treviso, but Toulon should have enough, they went to their power game today and it’s still formidable. Scarlets were brilliant, considering how much they hampered themselves.

I don’t know the stats of Beirne’s tackles, rucks slowed, rucks contested and turnovers but it felt like they had 2 of him on the pitch. Even his mistakes - he did give away the losing penalty, but could easily have been a penalty out and it was after they’d lost a lot of ground, so to me was a very reasonable decision from him to go for it. Same with his yellow at the end. It probably saved the bonus point. He really was excellent. Would Joe consider him for November / 6 nations? I think he might want to get him involved early, in some capacity, with a view to 2019.

[leinsterforever]

Well if they don’t get 5 points there things do get interesting. Maybe I’m underestimating Treviso, but Toulon should have enough, they went to their power game today and it’s still formidable. Scarlets were brilliant, considering how much they hampered themselves.

I don’t know the stats of Beirne’s tackles, rucks slowed, rucks contested and turnovers but it felt like they had 2 of him on the pitch. Even his mistakes - he did give away the losing penalty, but could easily have been a penalty out and it was after they’d lost a lot of ground, so to me was a very reasonable decision from him to go for it. Same with his yellow at the end. It probably saved the bonus point. He really was excellent. Would Joe consider him for November / 6 nations? I think he might want to get him involved early, in some capacity, with a view to 2019.

Beirne would be the perfect lock/blindside that you ideally need in a RWC 31 given the squad size constraints

[Ruckedtobits]

Well if they don’t get 5 points there things do get interesting. Maybe I’m underestimating Treviso, but Toulon should have enough, they went to their power game today and it’s still formidable. Scarlets were brilliant, considering how much they hampered themselves.

I don’t know the stats of Beirne’s tackles, rucks slowed, rucks contested and turnovers but it felt like they had 2 of him on the pitch. Even his mistakes - he did give away the losing penalty, but could easily have been a penalty out and it was after they’d lost a lot of ground, so to me was a very reasonable decision from him to go for it. Same with his yellow at the end. It probably saved the bonus point. He really was excellent. Would Joe consider him for November / 6 nations? I think he might want to get him involved early, in some capacity, with a view to 2019.

Agreed. He has signed for Munster and the timing of the release of that info was interesting and, IMO, targeted at ensuring his announcement in the AI Squad will not cause consternation.

[simonokeeffe]

Francois Louw going to get a 3 month holiday for gouging

[Ruckedtobits]

Only two stand-out team performances over the weekend and only one lasted 80 minutes. Saracens are back to full power and La Rochelle are not far behind. Exeter's win was top quality because they went behind against a good Glasgow team. Scarlets had an excellent 60 minutes in Toulon, but the game lasts 80 plus.

Obviously we will have a much bigger sample size next weekend but any team with 9 points next Sunday night will be very happy bunnies.

[Ruckedtobits]

Only two stand-out team performances over the weekend and only one lasted 80 minutes. Saracens are back to full power and La Rochelle are not far behind. Exeter's win was top quality because they went behind against a good Glasgow team. Scarlets had an excellent 60 minutes in Toulon, but the game lasts 80 plus.

Obviously we will have a much bigger sample size next weekend but any team with 9 points next Sunday night will be very happy bunnies.

[simonokeeffe]

Francois Louw going to get a 3 month holiday for gouging

and low Louw only gets 3 weeks for blatant eye raking

oh and ROG has 10 week touchline league ban

[cormac]

Scarlets pack getting schooled by Bath

That defeat leaves them on the brink.

[blockhead]

The terrible conditions suited the bosh team for sure.

[fourthirtythree]

The terrible conditions suited the bosh team for sure.

Yeah, Scarlets did better as the weather got better last year. Tonight it was terrible, and they weren't the team for that.

Some great fielding in the conditions on display. Didn't see all the match but very impressed with Halfpenny (i'd him written off a couple of years ago) and Priestland whom I have also held poor opinions of in the past. As they lost their scrum dominance and their lineout came unstuck you just couldn't see Scarlets running their way out of it. Real pity for them that the weather was so wrong for their game.

May take another few years/a revolution before the Welsh realise that the English aren't all that.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Beirne excellent again, this time at 8. He didn't carry like a natural 8 but still had some good rumbles. His defence (he had one superb tackle on Watson after being stepped in open country), breakdown work and skills (one nice offload and another basketball pass under pressure) were all excellent.

I still hope that our stable of second rows will be good enough that we won't NEED him, but he really is an excellent player and has far exceeded the ability that I thought he had, and I say that has someone who thought he was pretty decent for the A team. Himself and Kleyn will be an excellent combination if they both stay fit.

[Dave Cahill]

I think this might have been a match where Beirne was too much of a footballer in a game for heavy horse

[Fan with smartphone]

Yeah that was true of the Scarlets generally. They’ll regret saving Gareth Davies for this game as the conditions didn’t suit him either at all. They missed him early v Toulon and whilst he is a great scrum half, box kicking is down his list of virtues. Also had Scott Williams on the bench who could’ve provided a bit of go forward in the backline, Parkes would have better suited the better conditions in France.

It’s a bad result for them, but I still give them a chance. They are capable of beating Toulon at home, Bath away and taking 10 off treviso but they have to be disappointed with last night. As bad as conditions were, their ball carrying and energy were just poor. I guess 5 day turnaround and travel were against them. Add in the weather and probably didn’t get the rub of the green from Poite (the try aside). Nothing really worked in their favour, although they’ve got to look at themselves. As they saying goes - things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out, so fair play to Bath.

Still thought Beirne was very good as you say LRIP. He wasn’t a dominant carrier, but fought well to make positive yards every time and he was as usual a threat on the ground. Must have been frustrated when he won a penalty in midfield and their open side tapped it for a gain of 10 metres. He also made a very good decision on the Scarlets try, with his pass and the way he skipped one in the line. I just think he is high class. The Scarlets themselves raised the question is he big enough to play international second row? I think he is but it’s true he is more a footballer than a heavy horse. He and Kleyn is a complimentary partnership, no doubt about it though. They’ll have Wincherly, who is also light for a second row, so they could do with another big lock. Has always been chat of bringing Dillane back, but not sure that’s quite what they’ll need.

[OTT]

I am watching/listening to a link on rugbypass and it is during the half time where t is just the commentators talking and the abuse Ben Whitehouse is getting is ridiculous. d!%khead, clueless etc etc. It is the BT lads Ugo Monye and Ben Kay I think and other commentators I guess from other stations and probably sound technicians, f%~king idiot he was called just there, gas stuff.

Clermont vs Northampton game.

[paddyor]

Laying into the organizers for putting him in charge.

[Ruckedtobits]

Treviso giving Toulon one hell of a game, 17-18 in last quarter for the French.

[simonokeeffe]

I am watching/listening to a link on rugbypass and it is during the half time where t is just the commentators talking and the abuse Ben Whitehouse is getting is ridiculous. d!%khead, clueless etc etc. It is the BT lads Ugo Monye and Ben Kay I think and other commentators I guess from other stations and probably sound technicians, f%~king idiot he was called just there, gas stuff.

Clermont vs Northampton game.

Wish I'd caught that
He denied Hartley a blindingly obviously legitimate try and then later carded him for accidentally slapping someone in the face whilst clearing out a different player altogether

Hard not to laugh