Tigers v Stade Francais (A) - Champions Cup - Sunday 17th December 2023 - KO:5-30pm

[TigerFeetSteve]

Ok normally soak up a win for an evening before moving on, but think we need to look forward to next week soon after that one.

So the injuries to Henderson and Scott, plus Wiese came off with 15 to go for a HIA (unknown if he passed or they just left him off). Steward also took a knock at one point having lots of strapping, plus Bassett also getting strapped up. I think all of those maybe should have the week off next week, no injury risks for me. Liebenberg also needs his week off.

Shillcock
Watson
Porter
Kelly
Kata
Pollard
Youngs
Whitcombe
Montoya
Heyes
Martin
Chessum
Rogerson
Reffell
Hatherall

Dolly
Van Wyk
Cole
Wells
Ilione
Whiteley
Atkinson
Brown

[sam16111986]

I'd have Porter on the wing instead of Kata personally though I think we'll go with OHC again ahead of either on the wing.

[mol2]

The highlight of the game had to be Heyes run down the wing, absolutely flattening the tackler.

OK they got called back for a knock on but it does make you wonder why they don't use him a bit more in the loose?

[Ze Stade Fan]

Oi Toigers !

Ze Stade Fan here present. Have to work. With my bare hands. Still would you like some pubs and restaurants advise should you be travelling to the City-of-lights-and-dogs-doo-all-over-the-pavement ?

[trendylfj]

Oi Toigers !

Ze Stade Fan here present. Have to work. With my bare hands. Still would you like some pubs and restaurants advise should you be travelling to the City-of-lights-and-dogs-doo-all-over-the-pavement ?

Good to hear from you again ZSF - I am sorry but we can't make it next week so you dog doo will have to stay where it is but thanks for the offer - will miss the beers in the deux stade bar so will have to make do with TIGER

[Rugbygramps]

Definitely a game we can get something out of and hopefully a seasons worth of unforced errors will have been left at MWWR yesterday.
I’m not going to hazard a guess at the team.
IMO anyone that picked up a knock yesterday, Wiese Scott, Steward shouldn’t travel I also think Montoya playing the full 80 is telling, but it may have been to protect Vanes.
The other consideration may be the short turn round before Exeter. With the game not finishing till Sunday evening, you’re looking at something like, Monday rest/travel, Tuesday and Wednesday training, Thursday day off, Friday travel down to Exeter

[CrumblingTerrace]

There'll be some battered bodies after that one, but the way our fixtures fall means we need to go full-on in the first two games.

La Rochelle have to travel to Cape Town next and you'd assume Stormers will bring back the big guns. If (big if) round 2 goes our way, we could find ourselves travelling to western France to play a team that's 0/2 and who's attention is drifting back to the Top 14.

[TigerFeetSteve]

There'll be some battered bodies after that one, but the way our fixtures fall means we need to go full-on in the first two games.

La Rochelle have to travel to Cape Town next and you'd assume Stormers will bring back the big guns. If (big if) round 2 goes our way, we could find ourselves travelling to western France to play a team that's 0/2 and who's attention is drifting back to the Top 14.

Problem is it's 4 from 6 through to the Knock Outs....

So even with an 0 from 2 record La Rochelle would know that even 1 victory against us or Sale may see them through, and 2 wins assures it, especially with them being the only losing team to pick up a LBP there is no real way they are out of contention after next weekend.

[RagingBull]

I would say this is a must win game for us if we want to progress in Europe
Leinster at home and La Rochelle away is gonna be near impossible wins I feel.

If Wiese is fit I would start him with Hatherll at 6 if he's needs a little rest put him on the bench.
1. Cronin, 2. Montoya, 3. Heyes
4. Carter, 5. Chessum
6. Hanro, 7. Reffell, 8. Hatherell
9. Youngs, 10. Pollard
12. Kelly, 13. Porter
11. OHC, 14. Watson, 15. Shillcock

16. Vanes, 17. Whitcombe, 18. Cole
19. Martin, 20. Wiese
21. Whiteley, 22. Kata, 23. Brown

[Rugbygramps]

There'll be some battered bodies after that one, but the way our fixtures fall means we need to go full-on in the first two games.

La Rochelle have to travel to Cape Town next and you'd assume Stormers will bring back the big guns. If (big if) round 2 goes our way, we could find ourselves travelling to western France to play a team that's 0/2 and who's attention is drifting back to the Top 14.

Problem is it's 4 from 6 through to the Knock Outs....

So even with an 0 from 2 record La Rochelle would know that even 1 victory against us or Sale may see them through, and 2 wins assures it, especially with them being the only losing team to pick up a LBP there is no real way they are out of contention after next weekend.

They said yesterday that it is the 4 pool winners and then the next 12 best teams, which I took to mean 12 across the 4 pools

[Rugbygramps]

I would say this is a must win game for us if we want to progress in Europe
Leinster at home and La Rochelle away is gonna be near impossible wins I feel.

If Wiese is fit I would start him with Hatherll at 6 if he's needs a little rest put him on the bench.
1. Cronin, 2. Montoya, 3. Heyes
4. Carter, 5. Chessum
6. Hanro, 7. Reffell, 8. Hatherell
9. Youngs, 10. Pollard
12. Kelly, 13. Porter
11. OHC, 14. Watson, 15. Shillcock

16. Vanes, 17. Whitcombe, 18. Cole
19. Martin, 20. Wiese
21. Whiteley, 22. Kata, 23. Brown

Would you then pick who was left standing, don’t mean that negatively but it will be another physical game, for Exeter.
They are at home to Munster on Sunday who are really needing a win

[Ze Stade Fan]

Poooooor Stade Français, put to the sword by the ferocious Sharks!

Any chance of taming the mighty Toigers? Hm. Errrrr...

Abramishvili (only 20 a promising loosehead) Ivaldi (great hooker looks like a convict. A Russian convict) Paul Alo Emile (has to get back to his best form, unbeatable then)
Gabrillagues (captain - a true Parisian, can deliver 20+ tackles in a match. What exactly do you mean by "ball"?) JJ Van der Mescht : Huge Saffa. Unleash him 5 meters from the tryline.
Macalou (Hoooooo !) (a mighty athlete and fast too, will he have recovered from injury?) Hirigoyen (the pride of the Basque country) Briatte (great man on the pitch and at the karaoke after the match)
Weber (Kiwi, quickly adapting to France) or maybe Kockott (me ref?)
Segonds (had a bad day against Sale, capable of much better) or maybe Henry (I'll doubt he'll be fit)
Etien (a tiger to tame the Tigers) Ward (our finest) Marchant (that sounds like a French name after all, huh Joe?) Laloi (20 years old, has already scored)
Barré (could play in Blue soon)

I can't do the replacements, my lunch break is nearly over. See you for the coffee break.

[CrumblingTerrace]

I agree with @RagingBull about the mission impossible of La Rochelle and Leinster, but...

In the current financial climate, it's also imperative that we simply play as many European games - ideally at WR - as we can. It could be the difference between profit and loss at year-end.

[Tigerbeat]

There'll be some battered bodies after that one, but the way our fixtures fall means we need to go full-on in the first two games.

La Rochelle have to travel to Cape Town next and you'd assume Stormers will bring back the big guns. If (big if) round 2 goes our way, we could find ourselves travelling to western France to play a team that's 0/2 and who's attention is drifting back to the Top 14.

Problem is it's 4 from 6 through to the Knock Outs....

So even with an 0 from 2 record La Rochelle would know that even 1 victory against us or Sale may see them through, and 2 wins assures it, especially with them being the only losing team to pick up a LBP there is no real way they are out of contention after next weekend.

They said yesterday that it is the 4 pool winners and then the next 12 best teams, which I took to mean 12 across the 4 pools

https://www.epcrugby.com/champions-cup/ ... -cup-rules

Round of 16

2.6 The four highest-ranked clubs in each pool will qualify for the Round of 16. All clubs will thereafter be ranked in descending order based firstly on their ranking in their pool and subsequently on the number of match points they have accumulated, to create an overall ranking from 1 to 16.

The pool winners will be ranked 1 to 4, the second-placed clubs will be ranked 5 to 8, the third-placed clubs will be ranked 9 to 12, and the fourth-placed clubs will be ranked 13 to 16. The Round of 16 will thereafter be played over one match as follows:

R16 1: Number 1-ranked club v Number 16-ranked club
R16 2: Number 2-ranked club v Number 15-ranked club
R16 3: Number 3-ranked club v Number 14-ranked club
R16 4: Number 4-ranked club v Number 13-ranked club
R16 5: Number 5-ranked club v Number 12-ranked club
R16 6: Number 6-ranked club v Number 11-ranked club
R16 7: Number 7-ranked club v Number 10-ranked club
R16 8: Number 8-ranked club v Number 9-ranked club

NB The clubs ranked numbers 1 to 8 will have home advantage in the Round of 16.

[Tigerbeat]

In short, Tigers need to finish in top two to secure a home knockout game.......more likely to be away if they qualify