Challenge Cup

[liveinhope]

Whilst it is a relief that we have a home tie against Bayonne in the last 16 there must be considerable concern that a win plus a home win for Sharks v Zebre would mean we would require to travel straight back to SA the next weekend for a QF-and having only just returned from two weeks in SA earlier in the week.Ridiculous! Players would be out on their feet and have ahuge knock on impact to our URC chances.
Not sure how this sort of thing can be resolved if SA sides remain in both competitions.

[bignose]

Not sure how this sort of thing can be resolved if SA sides remain in both competitions.

It can be resolved by winning all our games in future seasons and thus avoiding having to travel anywhere in the cup competitions

[liveinhope]

Yes there is that!
But it could be a serious problem (and two home wins are more than likely).We don't have the resources of a Leinster to send out a competitive reserve squad (and no doubt restricted by European registration rules on numbers) so players could be flying back to SA with a week of getting home from a fortnight out there.
Equally given the SA trip follows the week after the end of the 6N I suspect quite a few of our top players won't be making the trip out for the URC matches in late March anyway.

[Pitfitter1105]

Seriously hoping for a Zebre win v Sharks, that would would make life easier.

[bignose]

Seriously hoping for a Zebre win v Sharks, that would would make life easier.

Beating Bayonne is not a given

[Pitfitter1105]

Thinking positively, if not why bother turning up.

[The Feral Goat]

Why put up high balls in this wind, it is a lottery for both sides and bayonne clearly happy with broken play.

Presumably VDM is being told to hold wide but why not get him coming in off set piece plays.

We are just shovelling it out to a static forward to trundle up. Dull rubbish

[The Feral Goat]

Better second half but we need a lot more of it. Duncan weir in comms is right we need to back ourselves more and keep.getting it to our weapons.

[Pitfitter1105]

Need a 10, and forwards running onto passes out of the breakdown, and a contract out on CBusby.

[The Feral Goat]

Need a 10, and forwards running onto passes out of the breakdown, and a contract out on CBusby.

I dont often watch ER games live on Tv as at matches but thought Healy was good tonight in second half in particular, he mixed his game up ran a bit, kicked well from tee and hand in tricky conditions.

I think the issue is more structural we look miles better playing at pace but dont do it very often or are not set to play quick.

Too many forwards receiving the ball standing still so need 2/3 carries to get back to gain line. Then we look to go wide but have not really stressed the oppo defence so ball shuffled along line. Or ball is available quick but we are not reset or coming round corner ready to go quick so everything slows and resets. I suspect we are a relatively easy team to analyse and defend against.

It was a win and we are in the QF some good individual performances Ashman, Currie, Watson and goosen but given we will be without Mata and Nel at very least next year go forward will be an even bigger concern. The really good teams are all so well drilled and no exactly how they want to play we look confused still.

[dolf_lundgren]

Nothng to argue with there. I agree it was a better game from Healy, but we still lack any sign of a plan in attack, which is not his fault. His kicking was very good and he took the ball to the line well. The kick from the pen on half way after Vellacotts try was as good as you will see anywhere.

The reffing was a bit of a lottery, the scrums were maddening, I dont think i haver seen a loosehead go up in the air, then down on his knees, while going backwards and still be given the penalty. It was just bizarre and not a surprise he was hooked before the ref figured out what was going on. I get he will have been saying that Nel was driving up, but that is kind of the point of scrummaging!

Jake Henry impressed again, looks to be full on confidence and running. Currie took his try really well, but otherwise the centres only get the ball when no-one else wants to play with it.

[liveinhope]

Thank goodness Jake Henry has really stepped up to the mark given Boffelli appears to be out for "weeks" according to the latest from Everitt.No other back three players fit although sounds like Harry Paterson might be back by the Scarlets match and Cammy Scott looked good at 15 at the start of the season v the Dragons.
Nothing in Everitt's interview as to whether either/both of Schoemann or Venter will be travelling to SA. Big ask for De Bruin to scrum at LH against the likes of Ox Niche!

[Pitfitter1105]

No method of watching the game this weekend? Checked ecpr site and don’t appear to be streaming any matches, shame as I thought the €5 ish to be good value.

[bignose]

No method of watching the game this weekend? Checked ecpr site and don’t appear to be streaming any matches, shame as I thought the €5 ish to be good value.

https://www.wheresthematch.com/live-rugby-union-on-tv/ says Discovery+ and "TNT Sports TBC"

[Pitfitter1105]

Saw those but we don’t subscribe to either. In the past bought games on a one off basis from the organisers.