THE BIG QUARTER FINAL REVIEW! Champions Cup 2024
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- Опубліковано 13 кві 2024
- Leinster v La Rochelle, Northampton v Bulls, Bordeaux v Harlequins, Toulouse v Exeter
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Rugby artwork in background courtesy of Blair Skivington www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BlrArtGB - Спорт
Wasnt expecting there to be more english sides than french in the semis with the difference in wages. Great effort.
This will not prevent a French team from winning the tournament once again
Watching Quins beat Bordeaux in France; when everyone and their grandmother had written us off felt oh so sweet as a Quins fan. Now we go to Toulouse and DO IT ALL AGAIN in May. #coyq
Winning against Toulouse at Ernest-Wallon ? Good Luck mate.
Only the same irish ref could give you a chance, as he was cleaaaarly sucking off Exeter
Croke Park is an absolutely incredible stadium. It is an amazing honour for any Irish man/women to play there. I have no animosity whatsoever towards our English friends but it is simply unacceptable to lose to an English team there.
It's not an incredible rugby stadium, crowd too far away from the smaller rugby pitch.
Only Cian Healey of this Leinster team has ever played in Croke Park...there hasn't been a rugby match held there in 15 years. So not sure it is more advantageous than the more familiar Aviva in Lansdown Road.
At home with half the Ireland team. Leinster are just excellent but it is advantageous.
An English side wouldn’t be let win in croke park.
It’s definitely advantageous,. Not a guaranteed win but there is thereabouts.
14 years. Last game was a loss to Scotland in the 2010 Six Nations.
But you’re right. Many/most of the players may not have even attended a game in Croke Park, never mind played there.
Totally agree that Jordon Larmour had a terrific game for Leinster and has matured greatly.
His best game maybe? Delighted to see him shine [and I’ve been one of his harshest critics for a while now]
Should have got MOTM for his all round display. Reminded me a bit of Brian O'Driscoll, with his work at the breakdown and in defence.
Also with this history of croke park particularly playing an English team is another emotional driver for the Irish fans and team
That’s not going to have any effect. All of that stuff played out in 07’. It’ll just be about who is the better team on the day and from Leinsters point of view desperately wanting to win another European Cup.
harlequins - toulouse happened during the pool stages, harlequins 19 - 47 toulouse
Was there that day, every Quins fan was gobsmacked that Ahki only got a yellow card for nearly chopping Dino Lambs head off, but I think Quins have developed a lot since then. Besides I prefer to lookout positive rather than dread negatives, we watched Quins beat Bordeaux in France; when everyone and their grandmother had written us off. And now we can go to Toulouse and DO IT ALL AGAIN in May. If we fall short we fall short, but its just been a hell of a ride. And nothing in rugby is ever guaranteed #coyq
Sure but UBB destroyed Saracens, who had destroyed Quins and we all know what happened, so as a french fan i'd say don't make the same mistake ( writing off quins) twice. By any logic Harlequins shouldn't be in semi final yet they are, they shouldn't stand à chance against Toulouse, but i wouldn't bet against them
What a match. Great review mate.
I think that Leinster would have preferred if the semi-final was in the Aviva instead of Croker. The Aviva is their home (after the RDS) and is smaller and more intimate than Croke Park. It would be great if we had 80K in Croke Park, but I think that its more likely be 2/3 full with 50K fans. I'll be there but I think that Northampton are in with a good chance, Leinster won't really feel at home I think.
It will be full, don't worry about that.
Wonderful review. Fair and objective.
Just watched the rest of the weekend looking forward to the next phase.
Pound for pound Leinster the best team. They are pretty much a complete team in all areas. You watch Toulouse and they are an unbelievable attacking team but if you really understand the basics of the game you can see many flaws which Leinster expose every single year. It’s Leinsters year. Northampton will take a big defeat in Croke Park
Toulouse have Dupont, Ntemac, & Ramos... They will score many tries against Leinster. Hope both play a great match. One for the ages.
It's my mere little opinion but I think Leinster already played is final vs LR. They won't play like they did once again.
Croke Park has a huge field - the GAA pitch being so much larger - so the rugby pitch will be isolated further from the stands/crowd and harder to create a cauldron tbh.
Agreed.
Quins had several tries disallowed or muffed. Also one of the Bordeaux tries by 14 looked like a forward pass
Congratulations to the winners and thanks to the losing teams for providing such great sporting entertainment. One thought has come to mind. Leinster and Toulouse are two incredibly scary teams to have to face this season.
great review, thank you. How about some predictions / discussion on the Premiership run in?
On it
I like that Leinster are playing at Croke Park. Other teams get home country advantage, not home stadium. This feels fairer than playing the tie at the Aviva.
I'm not putting down Toulouse they are a terrific team but I wonder how much the heat in the South of France has to do with some of their big scores in their games of late. It was 30 Celsius when they played Exeter. Considering most of us in the UK and Ireland have probably only just turned off the heating it must be a factor.
I agree. The Exeter team were apparently training in multiple layers in the week proceeding the match, to try and replicate the heat. Unfortunately, it was clear that they ran-out of juice in the second half of the match. To be fair, even if they had been properly acclimatized, I doubt they would have beaten a top Toulouse side, but I think the score may have been closer.
You've turned off the heating? Mine is still going full blast.
The semi finals are not played in neutral venues.
I think Quins emphatically deserved the win, Bordeaux were only in the lead once. Scrum time for Quins was a breeding ground for penalties, something I rarely say so assuredly as a Quins fan, they scored two maul tries (one disallowed but still the maul was fantastic for us) and had a solid defence.
At the end of the day it was just about which team had more points, and we just pipped it (didn't even need the umbrellas ;-) ). But Bordeaux when they did get the ball were box office and their tries were phenomenal.
When leinster play they,re top side.wow crazy hard team. Whoever beat,s leinster will know they have to go to hell and back? Seriously good side. Fact.
Fact ? or your opinion.... you decide....
Toulouse looking like champs at this stage. Surprised that no SA team could make the semi's. Is European rugby a step above super pacific rugby?
The Leinster match was affected significantly by scheduling, particularly in the second half. It simply is unfair to expect a team to perform in SA and Europe on successive weekends.
Leinster are back!!
How is it fair that Leinster are going from the Aviva to Croke Park one after the other?
How is it you don't know the rules of the competition. They won the right by being the best in the qualifying rounds. Toulouse are playing theirs in their home ground.
Why not?
Beyond home crowd, Croke Park is not much of an advantage to Leinster, it's not like they ever train or play there. Both teams will have to get used to the extra space behind the posts as the pitch is much longer in Croke Park. Leinster would much prefer to be in the Aviva.
It is absolutely fair. Win all your group games - play knockouts at home.
So, we were told the English league was rubbish. Then when they started getting wins in the comp we were told they wouldn't win in the knockouts. Now England have half the semi-finalists, even if they both lose they've done pretty well really huh!?
No one seemed to take into account the young talent coming through, which may not have been given a chance to shine at a money bags French side or the subsidised Lenster / Ireland team.
Fin Baxter, Porter, Slightholm, Ramm, Hendy all uncapped and putting their hands up from these 2.
I mentioned Wimbush last time Rich, certainly the sort of specimen at 12 that the England side will be watching very closely.
The English league is no rubbish, it's just very badly managed by a bunch of incompetents.
English clubs doing well and both Quins and Northampton play a nice brand of rugby, no begrudging their places in the semis here!
The Lions need POM and Lawes and Big Joe to be enforcers
Guarantee Borthwick won’t take Finn Baxter to NZ this summer.
Why so strongly he won’t take Finn Baxter Mike ? He’s on Englands radar and would have thought he will learn from our golden oldies in the front 3 as much as playing the All blacks. Same way Fin smith has learnt from George Ford during the six nations .
Quins have gone to France and won twice in this competition. Who's to say they can't do it again?
I respect the Harlequins, a good team but, as a Toulouse supporter, I think the Stade toulousain is far more experienced than Bordeaux (they made 2 semis in Top 14 and that's all these last years), and won't commit the same errors. Have a good game anyway from France ;)
An aweful lot of scores in all matches, thats a thing.
So no mention of the fact that the exeter hooker got away with eye gouging arnold? Not only did the 3 refs on the pitch not see it, the vidéo ref also ignored it. When Toulouse staff said they wanted him cited they were told they had no need to do it because the commissionner was on it and then, oups, didn't happen either. You can't help but wonder what the outrage would be if a french player did something like that, all the old stéréotypes about french thuggery and tv directors not showing the replays and all...
I get it refs are human, they can make mistakes, and i'm ok with it, it's part of the game, and i know Toulouse won anyway, and by no small margin, still those double standards are à little too obvious. We know everybody is pissed at the "big money" top 14 clubs winning the trophies, just maybe try keeping the game fair and protect players safety no matter the shirt they are wearing.
With the greatest respect its pronounced cro___ park
Croak as in frog - “Croker” in local parlance I think
Your not lawrence dellagio