Pack your suitcases and prepare for Round Two of the European Cup.
Cardiff v Harlequins
Home advantage and Ellis Jenkins won’t do enough for Cardiff against in-form Quins. Quins by 10.
Castres v Munster
No-one will ever know the result of this match as anyone who attempts to watch it will die the most horrible of deaths from boredom, judging by the reverse fixture.
Wasps v Toulouse
Ooh. Toulouse by at least 35.
Ospreys v Racing 92
Surprisingly, Racing 92 are languishing even further down the Top 14 table than Ospreys are in the URC. I still think they’ll win, though – by about 12.
Connacht v Leicester
This could be the surprise of the weekend, possibly depending on the weather. Connacht by 3.
La Rochelle v Bath
Bath to take a Bath. La Rochelle by 20.
Exeter v Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow have been looking the business in their last couple of matches, and Exeter are not what they were last year. Weegies by 6.
Bristol v Stade Français
Neither side setting the world on fire this season, so home players by 4.
Leinster v Montpellier
Despite being toppled off the top of the URC, Leinster remain a team to be very scared of, and are at home. Blue Meanies by 17.
Bordeaux v Scarlets
Ooh là là, les Médocs par approximately neufty.
Northampton v Ulster
Will the return of Baloucoune and Hume mean an Ulster away win? Probably not, but I’m going for Ulster by 7 anyway. (This is why I never win the leagues.)
Clermont v Sale
Oh dear, Yellow Army by 30.
Onna telly this week
Friday 14th January
| Castres v Munster | 20:00 | BT Sport 3 |
| Cardiff v Harlequins | 20:00 | S4C / BT Sport 2 |
Saturday 15th January
| Wasps v Toulouse | 13:00 | Channel 4 / BT Sport 2 |
| Treviso v Dragons | 15:15 | S4C |
| Ospreys v Racing 92 | 15:15 | BT Sport 3 |
| Connacht v Leicester | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 |
| La Rochelle v Bath | 17:30 | BT Sport 3 |
| Exeter v Glasgow | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| Bristol v Stade Français | 20:00 | BT Sport 2 |
Sunday 16th January
| Leinster v Montpellier | 13:00 | BT Sport 2 | ||
| Bordeaux v Scarlets | 15:15 | BT Sport 3 | ||
| Northampton v Ulster | 15:15 | BT Sport 2 | ||
| Clermont v Sale | 17:30 | BT Sport 2 |
Ovally Balls 
I thought Glasgow shot themselves in the foot a bit there, a bit more patience and they would have scored instead of conceding down the other end
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It’s like we still get too excited sometimes when we’re in a position to score. It’s almost like we don’t have any seasoned internationals and Lions in the team to control things.
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Oh, what a lovely start to the 2nd half by Glasgow.
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That’s better! Lovely try!
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Oh bugger.
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WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE DOING????????????????????????????????????????????
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Another bloody collapse on the cards here.
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La Rochelle have been excellent tonight. We haven’t played, but they haven’t allowed us to play. The power has been too much.
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Well done La Rochelle, the better side by a country mile. We had two bits of quality and scored two tries, but that’s nowhere near enough. Way too many mistakes. A try at the end is of little use.
Need Montpellier to get nothing tomorrow.
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Also think whoever was directing the cameras must have been at the pre-game hospitality a bit too much! Angles were all over the place! (Bit like our defence, before someone says it).
And nice to hear that ROG think that teams ‘like us’ are grateful to get two sold-out games a year.
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Grassroots rugby: Old Belvedere Under 8 Reds continue on their merry way with 3 wins and a draw in a rematch v Terenure. Real passing, real support lines today. Terenure not quite so much but they were good and strong. Both sides had made real improvements since their game in November, which is important, and all the kids seem to have had, which is the main point.
Not sure why he was there but the very handsome Rob Kearney was watching. He’s such a dish.
Went to the clubhouse afterwards and then for a bit watched the Under 10 or Under 11s, not sure which, playing against St Marys. This was famous rugby player heaven. Ollie Campbell was there. And in the match we watched one of the St Marys coaches was Malcolm O’Kelly. Old Belvedere’s coaches have a slightly tougher job as two of the parents watching on have some experience. One was Andy Farrell and the other, not standing with him, was Mike Catt.
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Really enjoyed Ulster’s efforts last night – well done for hanging on!
That and Leinster make Ireland 6Ns favorites for me.
Ireland, France, England, Scotland or Wales, Italy.
There.
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Ireland have to go to both Paris and London. I can see them winning one but both’ll be really tough.
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Stade Français 10 – 17 Connacht at HT.
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Tomp
Perhaps 1 win + a LBP will be enough?
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Sale vs Ospreys is not a classic. Not helped by the fact that Ospreys have had 3 players off for HIAs, one off for a serious injury and another one just off for a blood injury. Sale have scored two tries but bolloxed 3 others.
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SF’s hooker has just come back on after his yellow card, swore at the ref and has now earned a red.
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…. And Connacht promptly score again.
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Good call by Barnes, though I think the SF player didn’t swear directly at him but said: “I had the fucking ball”. Deserved red.
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I didn’t follow the details but it seems Toulouse won’t make the final rounds mostly for not playing? That’d be a shame as they were quite entertaining before covid stopped them from playing.
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Excellent play by Connaught, 4th try.
31 to 20 for the Irish.
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Flair – hadn’t heard that about Toulouse. Commentators earlier were saying that someone who does well to get in the top 16 might find themselves with the bad luck of facing Toulouse.
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In fact, they’ve just said again that Toulouse are the main beneficiaries of Connacht winning this (leaves them in 7th place).
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They’re through, flair. Unless Stade can rustle up a 35 point win and Wasps get a minimum of 2 match points in Limerick. If neither of those happen they play Ulster. If one happens, they meet Racing.
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Ooh. I might have to be cheering on Wasps!
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Thanks Tomp and Thaum.
I’d rather watch Toulouse, even away in Ulster, later than see a mediocre team like Montpellier or Stade Français (here insert your least favourite home nations team) qualify at their expense for questionable interpretations of the various covid rules.
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Looks like Connacht are going to throw this one away too.
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I do not want to be playing Toulouse, Flair!
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Stunning. With a man down, and 5 minutes to play Stade now lead 34/31.
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Thaum, it’d be a great game!
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Round of 16 is two-legged, thaum, so you can beat them twice.
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This is bonkers!
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Oh hell, TomP/Flair.
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The past ten minutes in Paris have been great fun. Both teams going at it.
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Leinster’s points difference, which includes a 28-0 “defeat” in the reckoning, is higher than the points scored by any other team in the tournament.
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Stade do it.
I can’t speake!
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Toulouse guaranteed qualification. If Wasps get a match point and avoid defeat by 19 points, they go through at Stade’s expense
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Connacht’ll play Leinster.
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Tomp, if Wasps get 2 points ( two BPs for instance) don’t they qualify ahead of Toulouse as well?
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Flair – yes. Come on Wasps!
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@Thaum – risking an Iks stare there.
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Wikipedia has all the necessary info, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021%E2%80%9322_European_Rugby_Champions_Cup
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Wasn’t it TCod with the stare? Iks is a Dragons fan, so won’t know about playing in Europe…
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Refit – you mean Tcod, shurely? He can stare all he likes. Munster are already through.
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@BB & Thaum, you’re right, memory fail on my part 🤦♂️
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Wasps are shit.
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From.that wiki link, I reckon Wasps only need one point to qualify or am I missing something?
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Yes, but 2 points to take the no. 7 spot from Toulouse!
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What an arm wrestle, fantastic défense on their line from Munster with one man down.
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What’s the incentive for Munster ?
If they finish third, they’d play Bordeaux rather than Connaught? Not sure they’d gain much…
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