EUROPEAN SEMI FINALS

[Tigers86asw]

On the issue of discipline I watched the game again yesterday and Lavanini’s penalty I swear was given just because it was him. Happy to be corrected but it seemed to me he was just running towards the ball. I suppose it raise the question of whether refs pre judge teams with bad disciplinary records.

[Scott1]

At the time I thought it was Lavinini but upon rewatching it was very harsh!

[Crofty]

Was it an Ulster Player? I thought it was one of the touch judges who called it in on the ref mic?

Not sure mate. I think someone called it as an Ulster player during the game. Yes just chased it up,Crofty posted he heard Ulster call it.

I heard someone call it myself, just with the fact the assistant refs are mic'ed up I assumed it was the assistant not a player as we could hear them clearer

Didn't sound like it does when it's the person wearing the mic, it had the usual lack of "bassines" that voices picked up from elsewhere do.

[Crofty]

On the issue of discipline I watched the game again yesterday and Lavanini’s penalty I swear was given just because it was him. Happy to be corrected but it seemed to me he was just running towards the ball. I suppose it raise the question of whether refs pre judge teams with bad disciplinary records.

They almost certainly do, they are human after all, and that it's not really talked about publicly is one of the downsidesof our sport's, on the whole very positive if occasionally excessive, absolute deference to him (or her) with the whistle...

[OakhamTiger32]

At the time I thought it was Lavinini but upon rewatching it was very harsh!

Agreed. I was fuming at him giving away such a stupid needless penalty but having seen it again it was very harsh

[sam16111986]

At the time I thought it was Lavinini but upon rewatching it was very harsh!

Agreed. I was fuming at him giving away such a stupid needless penalty but having seen it again it was very harsh

I thought the Ulster player milked it rather well to buy a penalty when his team were under pressure. Definitely thought it should have been our penalty as there was absolutely no reason to shove Lavanini into the path of Steward and effectively take the player out in the air. Dangerous play and a penalty surely.

[Tigers86asw]

At the time I thought it was Lavinini but upon rewatching it was very harsh!

Agreed. I was fuming at him giving away such a stupid needless penalty but having seen it again it was very harsh

I thought the Ulster player milked it rather well to buy a penalty when his team were under pressure. Definitely thought it should have been our penalty as there was absolutely no reason to shove Lavanini into the path of Steward and effectively take the player out in the air. Dangerous play and a penalty surely.

Glad I’m not alone on this one!

[Scott1]

Good point about pushing him into Steward!

[OakhamTiger32]

Good point about pushing him into Steward!

Just watched the incident again and I really can’t see how the referee has pinged Lavanini there

I’m just glad that decision/try wasn’t the match winning score!

[kk20gb30]

Kind of ironic..
Twickenham named as venue for the Euro Finals replacing Marseilles with the result being an all French Champions Cup Final between La Rochelle and Toulouse .
Such is life......

[kk20gb30]

Quality of domestic opposition hampering Leinster chances in Europe according to Brian O'Driscoll :

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... l-20525945

[ourla]

Quality of domestic opposition hampering Leinster chances in Europe according to Brian O'Driscoll :

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... l-20525945

So how did they manage to win it in 2017/18 and get to the final in 2018/19?

[RagingBull]

Quality of domestic opposition hampering Leinster chances in Europe according to Brian O'Driscoll :

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... l-20525945

So how did they manage to win it in 2017/18 and get to the final in 2018/19?

I do think the pro 14 has gone downhill since then.
One of those the top 3 teams have progressed whilst the mid table teams dropped to the bottom of the table teams standards.
Teams like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Treviso have suffered a lot this season.

Of the 8 teams that qualified to the champions cup next season only 3 teams had a positive win/loss record.

[ourla]

Quality of domestic opposition hampering Leinster chances in Europe according to Brian O'Driscoll :

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... l-20525945

So how did they manage to win it in 2017/18 and get to the final in 2018/19?

I do think the pro 14 has gone downhill since then.
One of those the top 3 teams have progressed whilst the mid table teams dropped to the bottom of the table teams standards.
Teams like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Treviso have suffered a lot this season.

Of the 8 teams that qualified to the champions cup next season only 3 teams had a positive win/loss record.

But he says "Leinster have won the PRO14 the last few years at a canter" so I don't think he's just talking about the last two seasons... which have been massively affected by the pandemic... for everyone.

Many of the reasons the Pro14 is relatively weak is intrinsic to the unions and organisation involved. Which, not so long back we were told were strengths.

I think the pendulum swings this way and that - and when it does the pundits tell you the relative failure is for the same reason it was relatively successful not so long back.

[Cagey Tiger]

Don't forget that they normally have at least 4 pool games against English and French teams to get battle hardened. This year should have been 6 (v Montpellier, Saints and Wasps) but only got 2. Along with a curtailed Pro14, its no surprise if they were undercooked this season.