I had not been paying close attention to the European Cup(s), which was probably a good thing for my mental health. Because, while doing the deep and arduous research for this post, I discovered that Ulster’s pool-mates are Bath, Cardiff, Harlequins, Toulouse and Racing 92. (Six in the pool? What’s happened?*)
Well, we’ll probably beat Cardiff.* We might beat Bath and/or Harlequins, but I’d be happier if we weren’t away to them both. Given our form so far this season, I’m not too optimistic. Can only see two French sides going through.
*Apparently what’s happened is that you don’t play all the teams in your pool. We’re not playing Cardiff. Boo! And naturellement, the two French clubs are not playing each other, so won’t have a loss. Who the hell designed this?
If you’d like to frighten yourself about your own favoured side, the pools are here.
Or go here if the Challenge Cup’s your thing.
Onna telly this week
Showing matches that are televised in the UK and Ireland or on popular subscription services. Bold indicates free-to-view. Times are in the UK zone, so adjust as necessary.
Friday 8th December
| Glasgow v Northampton | 20:00 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Connacht v Bordeaux | 20:00 | TNT Sports 2 |
| Clermont v Edinburgh | 20:00 | Viaplay Sports 1 |
Saturday 9th December
| Toulon v Exeter | 13:00 | TNT Sports 3 |
| Black Lion (who they?) v Gloucester | 13:00 | Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Zebre v Cheetahs | 13:00 | epcrugby.com |
| Bath v Ulster | 15:15 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Toulouse v Cardiff | 15:15 | S4C / iPlayer / TNT Sports 3 |
| Castres v Scarlets | 15:15 | epcrugby.com |
| Bulls v Saracens | 17:30 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Munster v Bayonne | 17:30 | RTÉ2 / TNT Sports 3 |
| Ospreys v Treviso | 17:30 | Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Bristol v Lyon | 20:00 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Dragons v Oyonnax | 20:00 | S4C / iPlayer |
Sunday 10th December
| Sale v Stade Français | 13:00 | ITV1 / STV / TNT Sports 1 |
| La Rochelle v Leinster | 15:15 | TNT Sports 1 |
| Leicester v Stormers | 15:15 | TNT Sports 2 |
| Newcastle v Montpellier | 15:15 | Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Racing 92 v Harlequins | 17:30 | TNT Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Far more balanced game than I expected. Munster should still win this (17-10 ATM) but Bayonne (lower mid-table in T14) make life difficult for the Irish .
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Looks like the Bulls have got under Saracens skin – 2Ys and 1R so far ……
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Ok, I liked that from Farrell. Bulls get a warning from the ref and he asks “How come we didn’t get that many warnings before a yellow card?” Ref replies “yours were cynical” and Faz just nods at him.
Bulls then get a yellow on the next play.
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Fucking hell. It’s a bad day to be Irish.
Well done, Bayonne. (It’s 17 all.)
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17-17 at FT.
Bayonne are not Castres. Quite happy for them with a B team. Munster less than impressive.
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Refit – that’s priceless!
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very good result for BAyonne
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Slade – it was actually an honest question from Faz, with no whine or snark in his voice. And he just accepted the answer from the ref. Proud of the lad.
Almost time for the main event – Bristol getting tonked by Lyon.
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Luatua charges down a Lyon clearance. Sinckler gets close and then the ball goes wide. Ibitoye gets on the outside of Semi and give the ball to the other winger to score. Lovely start by Bristol.
Then Vakatawa and Sheedy almost do a Looney Tunes and run straight into each other, fielding the restart. Ball goes dead and Lyon score off the scrum.
Bugger.
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Another Lyon try. Great pass by the 9 in the buildup, almost half the width of the pitch.
7-10 Lyon after 10 mins.
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Bristol did a good job getting back into the game and go in to half time leading 21-10.
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Randall (captain for the night) scores Bristol’s BP try, diving over from a ruck on the try line.
28-10 49mins
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Refit: Bristol going well.
I wasn’t getting at Farrell – just the exchange
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Slade – no, I got your angle on it. I was just providing a little more context.
Wait, did you jinx Bristol? Lyon have made a mighty comeback in this match.
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Bristol snatch the win, Sheedy with a drop goal in the 85th minute!
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Refit – how’s the heart!
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Calming down now BB.
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Congrats, Refit!
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Disappointingly poor game in Sale, riddled with errors. Stade Francais B team rarely see the ball, score 9/5 at the 50th minute. Ball may not have been in play more than 10 minutes.
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Flair – looks like someone heard you…………………
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Managed to catch the last 30 or so of the Perpingan-Lions match. Lots of stoppages and penalties with the Lions pulling away in the end. Good win on the road for us!
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There’s more fighting than rugby going on in La Rochelle. (And, no it’s not coaches this time.)
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30-man dust-up in the LAR / Leinster match.
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TBH, I’m impressed that Matt Carley had a clear list of the things he wanted to check after that. There was stuff happening all over the place.
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One player from each side is spending ten minutes reflecting on his sins.
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Dantey (LAR 12) and McCarthy (LEIN 4) into the bin. Larmour scores from the following Leinster penalty.
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Carley has just told James Ryan to sod off (politely), as he won’t shut up. He will now only communicate with his co-captain Ringrose.
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S’a bit feisty. this one.
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Well, that was an entertaining half! Not so much because of the rugby….
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Ok guys, if I only watch one match on catch up this weekend, which one is going to be the most entertaining ?
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SBT – Leinster v La Rochelle, hands down. :-)
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SBT, Leinster-LaR .
Toulouse were excellent, albeit vs a poor oppo.
The rest was mostly meh.
Racing/Quins later might be good, if only for the indoor game. In La R conditions are difficult.
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There I was, deploring Leinster’s cynicism in going for the kick from their own 10-metre line to run the clock down, and Frawley only goes and knocks it over! What a kick!
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A bit too niggly to my taste, but LaR vs Leinster was excellent given the conditions. We’ll see both these teams in April or May, when their rust will have disappeared.
Carley did well, given the conditions. Don’t know who was Leinster’s captain, but LaR’s was Bourgarit and he’s certainly not captain material. In Farrell mold, whiny and sarcastic, losing his calm.
Now onto Racing.
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Great start in Paris. Quins on fire. Racing lucky to not be lead. Yet.
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Flair
Don’t know who was Leinster’s captain
As Refit said above, Ryan and Ringrose were co-captains until Ryan annoyed Carley, who said he’d only speak to Ringrose.
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Spectacular game in Paris. Quins play a wonderful style of rugby, fast, inventive and furious. What a great advert for the game!
Racing are lucky to be lead only by 3 points.
Wonder if Quins can keep that tempo all game. If they can, there will be very few teams who’ll stop them.
For those who can watch only one game, forget LaR vs Leinster. Try this one instead.
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What a tackle by Smith, in the corner.
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What did I say about the Pool of Death? There is no way we will beat either of these teams.
Agree with Flair that this was the best match of the weekend, by some distance.
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Best saved for last
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Power of the Racing forwards was immense at times with great interplay allowing them to build a good lead in the second half. Quite how Quins satiated in the game is anyone’s guess. Having seen them marmalised by Sarries only a couple of weeks ago great fun to watch – probably best for a neutral. Interesting set of results this week especially for the teams from the lame duck league. Still three more pool rounds to complete
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Smith would do well to spend a couple of years in T14. Then move back in England, being eligible again, and probably lead them. But there are many examples (Mercer being the last one) where he’d be shunned simply for being better than the average lot.
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Not sure it made the media up north, but Jake White was vociferous in his condemnation of fans booing Owen Farrell at Loftus Versfeld this past weekend, saying:
“I am apologising for all the booing of Owen Farrell,” an indignant White said. “It is not who we [the Bulls] are,” he added.
He suggested people have ‘jumped on the Owen Farrell hate bandwagon’ and there is no reason for the animosity towards the Saracens captain. “I don’t understand all the negativity,” White said, adding: “He is an unbelievable player. “What he has achieved in England is phenomenal.”
“I am disappointed [about the booing]. I wanted the people to enjoy the fact that they get to see him play. You equate that to watching Tiger Woods play golf and [Michael] Jordan playing basketball. “I must apologise, because it [booing] is not really who we are.”
Would be good to see other coaches speaking out against targeting of opposition players as well. Would be good to have fans just not do it, more to the point, I suppose!
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Can only hope that Connacht don’t improve for the Irish derbies over the xmas period
They’ll look like world beaters when faced with Munster or Ulster then plumb the depths against anyone else….
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Ryan and Ringrose were co-captains until Ryan annoyed Carley, who said he’d only speak to Ringrose
Found this highly amusing – despite the high hopes of 2018 when he first appeared Ryan – good as he is – isn’t really living up to those expectations.
Looks like Leinster didn’t want to pass him over but equally had no faith in him as sole captain – can see RR as the sole captain before long
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One for Thauma – Kitshoff admits he’s been crap since moving to Ulster:
https://rugby365.com/news-european-cup/kitshoff-gets-wake-up-call-ahead-of-battle-with-kolisi-and-nyakane/
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I didn’t think I’d walk in and we’d just start winning – it doesn’t work like that
Yeah, funny, our scrum didn’t get marmalised last year.
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@Refit, the rumours seldom get this strong if it’s just a matter of an agent looking for a bump in the contract negotiations, so I reckon this time next year will see Big Bill Mata in Bristol colours.
He is an absolutely tremendous player, there are not many international sides in the world that would not be improved by his presence. Edinburgh have done well to hang on to him for so long and having just turned 32 he will be looking for a couple of years of a good wedge before hanging up his rather large boots.
He’s been one of the top earners in Scotland for a few years now, so that will ease the financial burden a little bit for us, and maybe go some ways to persuading Ali Price to stay on in Edinburgh.
If it turns out to be true, I can only “Fare well, Big Bill, it’s been an absolute pleasure”
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Ooh, a combination of Mata and Luatua could be special.
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Would that mean Magnus Bradbury’s off then? Maybe back to Edinburgh.
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