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 
Disappointing lack of judgment from the good people of Swindon. Not as if they’re alone though.
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Sbt – this is one for everyone else
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That’s an amazing shirt Joe is wearing.
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Everyone is busy watching JRE and my work here is done.
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@Craigs – Not everyone. Miley swears too much to watch it with a self-isolating four-year-old.
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Love Miley, but not enough to watch 2 hours of her being interviewed. And what’s with that tattoo of what looks like a kid’s drawing of an alien on her arm?
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JRE? Java Runtime Environment? My life is dominated by too many TLAs
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Trisk – Joe Rogan Experience.
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Just had an argument with someone on twitter. Tbh it makes me appreciate the arguments we have on here. It also makes me want go outside and pay someone to kick me inna bags.
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Why not do both?
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Everyone is busy queuing up to kick Craigs inna bags for money and his work here is done.
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Reminds me of this
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Tomp/CMW – I need a lie down.
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Huw Jones to Quins.
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He had been going to Bayonne, apparently. I wonder why he then chose to move to the new Premiership Champions?
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ok plebs: time for The Kid and Them Coconuts!
……there, that feels better!
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Decent old match between Spain and Croatia unfolding here!
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Smith, Dombrandt, Slade and others added to England squad
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Deebs
extra time coming – do Croatia have the wind now?
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Croatia took the lead through a comical own goal, then conceded three as Spain stepped on the gas and then scored two in the last five minutes to drag the match into extra time. Which so far they’re having by far the better of.
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Pick that one out.
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Slade, they’re DOMINATING so far, which means they’ll probably lose, in the tragic tradition of our erstwhile muse.
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Luis Enrique is the Gus Pichot of soccer.
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And on cue Spain score! Too scared to ask my Basque mates if they’re hapoy or not.
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5-3 now.
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The slo mo image of the Spain coach dry humping the ribcage of his assistant in celebration is possibly not needed. But seems to have inspired the players to score a 5th.
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And so nearly a sixth. Inspiration comes in all forms, it seems.
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Kenny Cunningham on Irish telly is pleased that Spain don’t get a 6th. “6-3 is a tennis score and there’s no place for that.” Earlier he’d described a potential 5-5 as “beyond the pale”, more “like an ice hockey score”.
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I’m assuming he’ll like his rugby games suitably low scoring as well then.
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I’d love to see a nil-nil and always appreciate a Tchaikovsky, but probably both teams in the twenties is about right.
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Extra time has been brilliant in both the games it has been needed in so far. Very unusual. The chance Croatia missed at the start of extra time swung the game today completely. Good save, but he should probably score nine times out of ten.
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BB, He was happy(ish) with 5-3, which is a very high-scoring game – the second most goals in a European Championship finals game ever, so perhaps a 40-24, to pick a score out of the ether, thriller would suit him in rugby.
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Plus, he was a defender so probably not so happy to see loads and loads of goals.
In a way he’s right
SPAIN 5 – CROATIA 3
… SPAIN 6 (SIX) – CROATIA 3
is what you’d expect to see on the vidiprinter.
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More importantly, France 0-1 SWITZERLAND! Not sure the Swiss will keep France scoreless for another 45, despite being pretty organised in defence. Must say I’ve enjoyed this tournament much more than most on the whole. Seems to be far more attacking intent by most sides, a bit of swagger and a lot less rolling about and clutching at ankles.
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Terrible mis-kick from 4 metres out for Switzerland means they miss out on a 2nd.
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Penalty to Switzerland. The line is in the area.
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Lloris saves. Big big save.
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Two minutes later Benzema scores to make it 1-1.
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Fantastic finish by Benzema. Really first-rate.
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Oh, how a match can turn.
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And like that Benzema makes it 2.
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The second goal was good as well with excellent build-up play.
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“a lot less rolling about and clutching at ankles.”
There’s plenty of it, but the referees aren’t taking much notice of it.
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I think the Swiss mis-kick earlier on was down to a touch from the French defender. Switzerland would have been better off not getting the penalty.
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A beauty from Pogba. Superb goal.
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Bugger. I was enjoying that game, but we’ve got a power cut, so I’m following the mbm.
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Jimmy Hill would have called that Pogba goal a toe poke
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CMW, the game’s been pretty fast so I haven’t seen a replay. It certainly game across quick from Embolo.
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To be fair to Jimmy Hill, he was an absolute prick.
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Smashing cross, smashing header. 3-2.
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