Behold! I bring you tidings of great joy, for this writer hath just finished bloody work for the year, after a massively stressful month. If she had her way, certain developers and project ‘managers’ would be strung up by the bollocks (in festively fetching tinsel, of course) and hung from the top of the big pine tree on the village green.
Now able to turn her attention to much more important matters, she finds that there is another round of the European Cups this weekend.
Since nearly all the home sides lost last weekend, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen this week, but let us hope that trend continues for matches featuring teams whose names end in ‘ster’.
Onna telly this week
Friday 18th December
| Pumas v Cheetahs | 17:00 | Sky Sports Mix |
| Castres v Newcastle | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| Scarlets v Toulon | 19:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| Wasps v Montpellier | 20:00 | BT Sport ? |
Saturday 19th December
| Leinster v Northampton | 13:00 | Channel 4 / BT Sport 2 |
| Gloucester v Ulster | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 |
| Clermont v Munster | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| Sale v Edinburgh | 20:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Bordeaux v Dragons | 20:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Worcester v Ospreys | 20:00 | S4C |
Sunday 20th December
| Harlequins v Racing 92 | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 |
| Connacht v Bristol | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| Cardiff 28 Р0 Stade Fran̤ais |
Ovally Balls 
Slade – about 3 or 4 years ago, I had written Earls off, but he’s had a massive resurgence in form.
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YC for ASM.
Munster still choose to kick the penalty.
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And another YC for ASM just after tve previous one returned.
Try Munster!
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YES Munster!
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Munster have been dominating the entire second half.
Score: 31/ 32.
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ASM keep making ( forced) errors. Only one team on the pitch now.
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Sorry, Flair, and as you know I like Clermont, but we’ve got to have a not-Leinster side still in the competition.
There’s still nearly ten minutes, however.
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And another try for Munster?
Yes.
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Munsteeeeerrrrr!
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Munster worth their win.
ASM have done very little in the second half.
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CJ Stander ‘star du match’.
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CJ Stander is a wonderful player
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teriffic by Munster
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Bravo Munster. Maybe less spectacular than ASM but brilliant
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Munster the only team with Lowell George at Hooker
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I don’t know how Munster pulled that off, but they are quite a special side.
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Mullins didn’t understand that a 2nd point bonus point might be handy for Clermont and that’s why Munster went for the try rather than a kick at 32-31.
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Ah, Scarlets have got the 28-0 win because of Toulouse refusing to play.
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TomP – yes, and also with the amount of time to go, a penalty might not have done, and they were in a good position.
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Line out going well and Clermont a man down. 3 points means you have to play again from your own half.
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Now come on Embra.
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Just caught a snippet of Cotter: and XX has galloped up the pitch like a gazelle … a gazelle that’s let himself go somewhat recently….
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Akker v Duhan in the van der Merwe Brothers Battle.
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Whit?
That went forward about 5m, there was very little momentum
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Hands were back I thought.
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Aye right
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Good try, Dean bit in, poor from him
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Bennett
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That’s why Bennett hasn’t added to his cap tally, he fell out with Townsend over his defence
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Oh dear, Edinburgh.
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Sale well on top
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Duncan Hodge needs to be left in a room with a proverbial bottle of whisky and a revolver
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Edinburgh’s backs seem a little disconnected on both attack and defence.
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We’re going to have to up our game big time, both in defence and attack.
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Just make sure it’s a cheap whisky. Wouldn’t want to waste good stuff on him. Edinburgh have a break then at the next ruck the 9 takes ages to do anything and Sale get back in defence. Just completely killed any momentum they had.
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Give him the horrible Laphroaig that keeps being advertised in these matches.
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BB, Shiel’s natural game is to play fast faster fastest, it’s how he played last season, but Duncan Stodge has got to him
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Dean was very disconnected from Bennett on the Janse van Rensburg try. If he’d got up faster it’d’ve made for a more diffcult pass. He wasn’t, it wasn’t and so on.
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We need to get Mata off and put Luke Crosbie on
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Have to say that Sale haven’t looked particularly wonderful tonight either.
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Although that was better from Embra! Great run from ‘Mish – taking Roman out as well as a bonus!
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Good hands
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We’ve had their scrum on toast all night at least
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Poite smells blood! A yellow is a-coming.
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Somehow Edinburgh lead! Deserved on their second half performance I think.
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Self-destruction in South Manchester.
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That was a great try from Sale, but the offload was forward.
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There is no way they don’t chalk that off
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TF for that, there was a tackle off the ball before it anyway
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Poite doesn’t want to be fannying about with these forward passes.
Melanges and juanes, s’il-te plait.
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