Since there’s nothing else worth watching this weekend (Ulster’s season having finished), Flair99 has some top tips on Top14 matches:
Three intriguing games in France this week-end.
Friday at 20:45: Racing vs Stade Français
The winner gets to the semi, the loser goes on vacation (about time). So Paris vs Paris, about 5kms separate their two stadia. Subplot, Fickou who played 90% of the season for Stade now plays for Racing. Probable winner: Racing.
Saturday 17:45: Biarritz vs Bayonne
Biarritz, ProD2 finalist, host Bayonne, who finished 13th in the T14. About 5kms between the two towns. Winner stays – or climbs – to the T14, loser goes down or remains in ProD2. The biggest game in the Basque country since Asterix. Winner? Who knows, probably Bayonne.
Saturday 20:45: Bordeaux vs Clermont. The other QF.
Probable winner, Bordeaux.
LaR and Toulouse lie in wait.
And so does Galthié who’ll fly to Australia without his skipper (Ollivon sidelined for about 6 months) and all the players involved in the T14 final (they may play only in the third test).
And Deebee7‘s take on the SA squad picked to play the Lions:
Actually in terms of Bok selection, I think Lizo Gqoboka should be in ahead of Coenie Oosthuizen who’s scrummaging technique has always been suspect. As one scribe here put it, he’s been off the Bok radar for so long he may need a visa to get into the camp. Of the newcomers in the Bok set up, I love Joseph Dweba’s all-action style of play, I believe Jasper Wiese has been in excellent form for Tiggers, Wandisile Simelane is a classy operator in an otherwise journeyman Lions outfit, Aphelele Fassi is fast and exciting, whilst Rosko Specman is electric with ball in hand and has great 7s experience. The ones I’m not sure about are Yaw Penxe from the Sharks who has oodles of pace, but little else (so did Mapimpi to be fair before Rassie got his positional play and defence up to scratch) and I have no idea about Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg from Montpellier as a lock.
The squad has been picked with not just the two Georgia and 3 BIL Tests in mind, but also the SA ‘A’ side that will face the Lions, so I think some of the selections are expressly with that in mind – have the players in the Bok bosom, up until the SA ‘A’ match, so that they’re part of the structures and plans should any of them be called upon because of injury in the main squad. My pick for that SA ‘A’ side would be something like this, with F Steyn covering 10, 12 and 15, and Damian Willemse covering 10 and 15 as well. Think I’ve gone 5-3 split which is probably not what Rassie and Nienaber will do, but hey ho. So you could probably drop one of F Steyn or Willemse from the backs and put Rynard Elstadt in as an auxiliary loose forward.
The Lions should deal with that combination fairly easily given that it’s a scratch side, but there are some exciting players who’ll be looking to make a mark for the future and potentially the last two Tests and the 4N after that.
Props:
Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks, 12 caps, 0 pts)
Vincent Koch (Saracens, 21 caps, 0 pts)
Ox Nché (Cell C Sharks, 1 cap, 0 pts)
Coenie Oosthuizen (Sale Sharks, 30 caps, 20 pts)
Hookers:
Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux-Bègles, uncapped)
Scarra Ntubeni (DHL Stormers, 1 cap, 0 pts)
Locks:
Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier, uncapped)
Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers, 3 caps, 0 pts)
Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks, 13 caps, 10 pts) – I believe he’s played largely at lock this season?
Loose forwards:
Dan du Preez (Sale Sharks, 4 caps, 0 pts)
Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo, 6 caps, 0 pts)
Marco van Staden (Bulls, 3 caps, 0 pts)
Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Scrumhalves:
Sanele Nohamba (Cell C Sharks, uncapped)
Cobus Reinach (Montpellier, 14 caps, 30 pts) (difficult choice between him and H Jantjies as to who is 3rd choice behind Faf at the moment)
Flyhalf:
Morne Steyn (Bulls, 66 caps, 736 pts)
Midfielders:
Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles, 46 caps, 60 pts) (Kriel to move to 12 or F Steyn to start there?)
Wandisile Simelane (Emirates Lions, uncapped)
Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs, 67 caps, 141 pts)
Outside Backs:
Aphelele Fassi (Cell C Sharks, uncapped)
Sbu Nkosi (Cell C Sharks, 11 caps, 40 pts)
Rosko Specman (Toyota Cheetahs, uncapped)
Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers, 6 caps, 5 pts)
Onna telly this week
Friday 11th June
| Brumbies v Highlanders | 10:45 | Rugbypass |
| Zebre v Munster | 18:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Racing 92 v Stade Français | 19:45 | FreeSports / Premier Sports 2 |
| Leinster v Dragons | 20:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
Saturday 12th June
| Rebels v Crusaders | 05:35 | Rugbypass |
| Bues v Western Force | 08:05 | Rugbypass |
| Waratahs v Chiefs | 10:45 | Rugbypass |
| Bath v Northampton | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Bristol v London Irish | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Exeter v Sale | 15:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Harlequins v Newcastle | 15:00 | BT Sport Extra |
| Wasps v Leicester | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
| Stormers v Lions | 15:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Sharks v Bulls | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Bordeaux v Clermont | 19:45 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 13th June
| Scarlets v Edinburgh | 13:00 | Premier Sports 1 | ||
| Ealing Trailfinders v Saracens | 16:30 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Welsh players’ wrists are in danger!
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Welshmen dropping like flies
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Henshaw crashes over!
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Biggar has been good
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Ticht – was just about to say that.
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Owens apparently the captain, Dan acting like the captain. And I don’t mean that in a bad way.
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All pretty competent stuff so far
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Dan always acts like he’s the captain
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True.
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I thought Dan always acted like the ref?
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Ref-captain.
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Suspected dislocated shoulder for AWJ. That could be him out of the tour?
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Ouch. That sucks
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I was wrong – the commentator is Conor McNamara, so wholly Irish.
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One-brain-cell strikes again.
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BB – he doesn’t sound Irish at all, at all.
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That was a lovely try.
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Irish getting revenge on Japan.
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Yay. Didn’t want to see Japan nilled.
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See what happens when all the English come on?
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careful now, you naughty ungulate
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Oh yes I’m naughty
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Distinctly less competent second half
Japan have played some nice stuff
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Distinctly less competent second half
Pure coincidink.
Still, good win!
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Quins start with a penalty try and Jonny (H) goes off for yellow. That annoys Exeter and they get a try back through the try machine that is Jonny (G).
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Proper final atmosphere despite the limited crowd
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Yup, AWJ oot of the tour.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/57623557
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One down, far too many to go…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57625508
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COYQ. Out scoring the chiefs three tries to two. Fabulous hard game at HQ. Can they keep chiefs out of their 22 in the second half? That seems to be the key
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Great try
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great by quins
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Yes. Having stopped horse with a hamstring injury Chiefs kept playing only for Quins to score a fabulous try. 26-14 to Quins
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Oh no that Sam Simmonds is just good. 26-21
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Lynagh has been good
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Chiefs are so strong. Now they are 31-26 ahead
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Marcus Smith and Lewis Lynagh combine to nudge Quins ahead. 33-31
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Well that was a slightly exciting game.
Well done Quins!
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That was quite a match!
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What
A
Game
Well done Quins, commiserations Chiefs, that was a brilliant final
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Congrat Quins. That was a worthy final.
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Unbelievable. Quins repeat the try then give a soft try at the restart but hang on for a 40-38 Victory!
Absolutely marvellous game. Now Joe Marler gets MOTM
Well played Chiefs. Cracking game.
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Joe Marler is good value in the post-match interview.
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Marler is great value
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That damn knee of mine
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Mike “John Terry” Brown there
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I’m delighted that Quins won that, I appreciate good, pragmatic sides, but I love rugby played like Quins play it
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Hancock oot!
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@Thaum – Javid in 😡
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Great, great effort by Quins.
Well done Exeter as well. The loss of Ewers, Skinner and Vermeulen really undermined their forward strategy.
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Refit – true, but at least Javid had the bollocks to resign when told who his advisers would be.
Erm … has he been told this time?
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