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Heineken European Cup 2012

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Bardon

Bardon

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Looking forward to the 1st round of games starting this Friday. Will be cheering for all the Irish provices. Very interested to see how my team, Leinster, go expecially with BoD now out for about 6 months.

Also wondering if the Welsh players can carry their WC form into this and make a real impact this year.

All in all should be a great weekend of rugby.
 
W

WhoDaresWin

Guest
Bardon said:
Looking forward to the 1st round of games starting this Friday. Will be cheering for all the Irish provices. Very interested to see how my team, Leinster, go expecially with BoD now out for about 6 months.

Also wondering if the Welsh players can carry their WC form into this and make a real impact this year.

All in all should be a great weekend of rugby.
Click to expand...
a big fan of Clermont, so will be keen to see how they go this season.
 
qwerty51

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Cardiff up against Racing first up. Can't wait, Warburton's first game back and it's against the French!
 
Dan54

Dan54

David Wilson (68)
Yep I looking forward to it too Bardon, haven't really got a team I follow, so can just enjoy whoever goes well.
 
Lee Grant

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
WhoDaresWin said:
a big fan of Clermont, so will be keen to see how they go this season.
Click to expand...

Me too. They have been going well this year except for a blip at SdF last weekend though they weren't playing all their best players. I like the way Regan King (always one of my favourite players) has settled in and Sivivatu should cause some mischief when he starts playing, not that the other Fiijian winger Murimurivalu is a dud.

The scrum seems to be going better this year even though they have lost LHP Domingo for 6 months. On paper they should win their pool but one of their bugbears is winning away from home and their game in Belfast tonight should give us a clue if that favouritism is warranted. Ulster look out of sorts in the Pro12 but Ravenhill is a real fortress for them.

The other big name team in the pool, Leicester, hasn't been that flash this season especially, strangely, at home. But these fellows know what a HC is all about and they will push Clermont.

The England team I follow, London Irish, should be there or there abouts in the playoffs too in a different pool.

The big game of the round is Munster v. Northampton (the losing finalists last season). Munster is my main team in Europe and is doing OK in the Pro12 so far but they lost their HC mojo last season. Their backrow was aging, and this year Wallace is out for yonks, Quinlan has retired and Leamy, who was in the RWC, has been benched. O'Mahony, Ronan and Coughlan are fine players but at the minute they don't have the clout of the other 3 - or what they had a few years ago.

The Munster scrum is looking better this year and it looks like BJ Botha has made a difference - but let's see. It's a must win for Munster at home against their biggest rivals in the pool.
 
qwerty51

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Great away win by Cardiff. Did it without Roberts who went off after 10 as well.

Northampton to beat Munster
 
Lee Grant

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Harlequins 25 Connacht 17

That was a good effort from the unfashionable poor cousins of Irish rugby but it was not enough against Quins who have won 6 premiership games on the trot. Connacht showed commendable character and courage plus a willingness to use the ball but in the end the composure and experience of Quins in big games was too much for them. Their losing effort was all the more meritorious because it was their first game in the Heineken Cup and because they had lost some of their key players this season to sexier clubs.

Nick Evans of Quins may not be the greatest All Black who ever was but at this level, and in the slower European game, he is a more valuable player than he was in Super rugby. He and fellows like LHP Joe Marler (MOTM) and skipper 7. Robshaw (a possibility to be the new England captain) gave them the edge and got them home.
 
Manuel

Manuel

Herbert Moran (7)
I'm quite excited about this year's cup. There are a few teams, especially french, that have enough quality and depth to be competitive both locally and in Europe. I'll be cheering for all the french teams, although I'm a little less fond of Racing and Clermont. Right now I'm really enjoying Montpellier's game, I hope the bench proves good enough when they come on.
Toulouse to win this year. Allez les toulousains !
 
Bardon

Bardon

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Leinster came away with a very good draw today. Montpellier were the better side for much of the game. Gorgodze was easily the stand out player, very impressive performance. But HEC pool stages are all about getting something away and winning at home.

Proud of the way Connacht performed. They've really improved over the last couple of years. They may cause some upsets yet in their pool.

Edinburgh caused an upset against London Irish. So I'd say it's advantage Cardiff Blues in pool 2.

Currently watching Ulster against Clermont. So much exciting rugby to watch, I love this game!
 
Bardon

Bardon

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Wow what a finish to Muster v Northampton. 40 odd phases then a drop goal with the last kick of the game to win it.
 
qwerty51

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Setanta Sports have most of the games, some live some delayed. They also show the 3 pro comps and the Amlin Cup. I'd recommend it ($10 a month) to any serious rugby fan here.
 
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