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Season 5- Episode 16- There’s Two and They Look Great (Champions Cup Round 1)
28 Plays3 years ago
It's another of the latest and greatest from those American rugby knuckleheads. On this episode it is all Champions Cup all the time as we make our way around the comp from Wales to South Africa and much more. We try to pick out the good games, but of course we get side tracked by the terrible service provided by the provider here in the U.S... whose dumb idea was it to give them this competition anyway? We look at how things stand after one week and who can still make a move for the knockouts. Enjoy yourself something cold and join us won't you?
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Send us your thoughts for the show and questions for upcoming shows via e-mail fantasyrugbypodcast@gmail.com. Of course we welcome feedback via e-mail, twitter or by rating/reviewing the pod on Apple Podcast.
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Transcript
Introduction and Banter
00:00:02
Speaker
It is The Fantasy Europeans. My name is Jared Dyke. I wanted to say it's stupid and let's move on, but then you kept going. I'm Ben Glauser. I don't like any way anybody handled that. Collusion. Collusion.
Podcast Kick-off and Rugby Recap Plan
00:00:27
Speaker
Hey everybody, welcome back. It is the Fancy Rugby Yanks. My name is Jared Dyk. I'm Ben Glaser. We're in. Let's go recapping all the Europe action. Well, I don't say it's not even Europe. It's fucking just intercontinental or inter whatever freaking
00:00:45
Speaker
Intercontinental title. Oh yeah. That sounds really dumb. I'm going to withdraw that one. Thank you very much. Continental champion of the world.
Podcast Availability and Nostalgia Talk
00:01:02
Speaker
Find us on your favorite podcast app, share, download, rate, review. I miss macho man.
00:01:12
Speaker
I know we all do so many guys from that era are dead. I know. Gee, I wonder why. Yeah. Nothing to do with the Royds. Nothing to do with the Royds whatsoever. Oh man. As always, we ask you to support our good friend, the fancy where we geek and buy him a copy. You know, he's on hiatus right now, but he is definitely worth it. He's worth the time and he's worth your dollar. I promise or pound or whatever you wish to put it.
00:01:40
Speaker
As always, there's no discrimination on this podcast, nor should there be in sports or in life.
US Gay Marriage Rights Discussion
00:01:45
Speaker
Changing gears, we kind of look at the bad. We'll look a little bit on the good because there is a small victory here in the US for gay marriage rights. Emphasis on small, but you got to take the little steps with the big ones. That's just how it is. Right. I'm frustrated that they kind of leave red state.
00:02:07
Speaker
gay marriage to the wolves in this, that's disappointing. But at the same time, they, you know, in many cases in the past, they've chosen to do absolutely nothing. So at least there's some protection, some availability, and for, you know, for rights, it's just, it's a step forward, even though it's like a, you know, enshrining what we have to make sure when we lose shit, it's not,
00:02:36
Speaker
the worst possible scenario. So that's good. Like at least we get that because she feels like a lot to ask from, from our government these days. Um, so good stuff. Ultimately got it. I mean, I, you know, the cynic in me even has to say good stuff. I'm shocking that I'm cynical about it, but how shocking, how shocking. Yeah. It's
00:02:59
Speaker
Yeah, and I'm skeptical too. There's always these backdoor ways to nix these things, which always concerns me and I'm always concerned about it. It always feels like we have these and then it's like, whoops, we should have written it better. It's like, well, yeah, we knew. Could have fucking told you that. Right.
00:03:20
Speaker
At some point, you got to learn the lesson. And I feel like this is I'm not sure that they've learned it here. So I'm just hopeful. That's all. It's good. Let's let's hope it leads to something and makes it, you know, hopefully makes it harder for people to overturn stuff. Hopefully, hopefully we can ask for some times, unfortunately. Right.
Patreon Updates and Promises
00:03:43
Speaker
Oh, yeah.
00:03:44
Speaker
Patreon, but grab our Patreon. We'll have a prem sheet up to date soon. Boombust is up and it's basically a collage and hodgepodge of information that you probably could find, but I just put in all one nice, pretty little spot. Hopefully everybody can enjoy that a little bit. Maybe I'll get a little bit more advanced next week, but man, this is wild stuff. This is wild stuff.
Champions Cup: Irish vs Montpellier Recap
00:04:14
Speaker
OK, the opening round of Champions Cup. Friday night. Over to Brentford. Do I have the wrong one on? Sorry. Don't don't don't go mess not now. No, you're trying to mess up. There we go. OK, we're just doing OK, because I was like Eddie and Pevac out. That was from last week. No, you know. Yeah, you have the right to have the wrong one. All right. Try again. But anyway. Over to over to the G Tech.
00:04:43
Speaker
It was the result we thought, but maybe not in such the fashion that we thought. The Irish have a good way of staying in matches. Like, you know, they were the win at the death or tie at the death kind of team all last year. And I feel like, you know, the luck of the Irish has run out. Boom. Yeah. There it is. I'll just leave that there. You've gone down that road. Congratulations.
00:05:14
Speaker
Congratulations. Seriously, because they don't have they don't have the finishing that they had. They kept it tight. I thought Montpellier. So, you know, I have I have a little bit of a rankings here. And the Irish are my yuck. They they're really only good enough to barely lose. Montpellier and the other side were like, they're going to be they're tough. But I thought that they could have there were a lot more holes in that defense than they exploited.
00:05:44
Speaker
I thought they were a little disjointed in an attack and kind of let the Irish hang around a little bit. So I was kind of disappointed in Montpellier with that win. Yeah. And you look at some of these names on this, on this sheet, especially in this backline, Reinac, Carbonell, Bridge, Carbisi, Darmon, who's homegrown and played really well. I thought Lamb and Bootier. That is a backline most people will snap your hand off for too.
00:06:08
Speaker
Yes. You know, very much. So to go walk and coming off the bench was helpful, obviously. But yeah, like, um, I'm sorry that, nope, that's not the one I meant. Um, that's the one Jesus Christ. Uh, I'm backwards sometimes. Um, but yeah, it's just around coming in. Sorry. Look at the wrong one. I knew better. Anyway, good, good for them there. Um, in terms of their back line, I, their,
00:06:35
Speaker
The front row is a little Jekyll and Hyde for me. Like I like four letter. I like how us, obviously I like to do a new coffee and I like limits to telly. I even don't mind Langdon to too much, but what was that name there? Langdon or to a new coffee. Oh wow. Yeah, I know. It's so hard to say. On that one. I was like, dude, how are you struggling this badly?
00:07:00
Speaker
Yeah, it was bad. Like, come on, like somebody, somebody, it's got at some point after like the third time when he was clearly not going to stop butchering it and was not also not going to stop saying it. Right. He's got to step in and just be like to we nuke off it.
00:07:15
Speaker
Yeah, do we need a headset on? But yeah, I don't love the I have to say I don't love the hookers either way. Like Landon's kind of like Landon Landon is kind of meh and BPA is not somebody I really care for at all. Like I made that very clear back in his red stays like meh a whole lot of breath for me out of that one. So
00:07:35
Speaker
I think the props they've got bang on, they're, they're in good shape. I think their hook, you know, and obviously they've gone to the, gone to the market and tried to get some, some sort of security for next season, uh, bringing in LCD, but like, honestly, honestly, he's an upgrade though. Like that's, that's, that's the brass tax of it. You know, he has an upgrade between these two. Let's, let's be honest. And as much as we don't love him, he is still, he is still an upgrade for this team, but hopefully they can get around.
00:08:05
Speaker
you know, that little meh part, because they have a very solid team otherwise, and as you predicted, they, you know, they could go deep very easily. Irish, I think this is a good reintroduction for them into this comp. I don't think we need to go too crazy over certain things.
00:08:24
Speaker
I still don't know why they're not starting to cutting himself. I thought he played pretty well when he came on. He played him. Yeah, he was great. And I don't know, but I also don't know why you take off. Oh, it was because I was hurt. He came on hurt. Yeah, you have to come off. Yeah, you think he came off hurt because like I I really want to see cutting himself in the Matt Roderson role with Gonzalez. And I guess even for us all in like.
00:08:49
Speaker
Although Pearson would be better. Like that's that's that's what I want to see. Right. That's the that's the back. And you know, if you got to move. Also, Rob Simmons, when was the last time you saw him play this well?
00:09:03
Speaker
Yeah. He and Coleman both have been kind of banged up. So this was a good kind of reminder that he is a quality international. He really is. Second row. Yeah. I haven't seen that in like three years though. So that's good stuff. This competition brings it out of people sometimes, you know?
00:09:25
Speaker
So yeah, you're right. He played, I thought he played pretty well. I think there was a lot of good things. Gonzalez did everything right up until he had to come off. Score two tries. He threw in a couple of lineouts perfectly, might I add. Yeah. So that, that long one, I was like, that's ballsy. I really was. We're not like.
00:09:42
Speaker
hooker to be throwing that that was ballsy as hell. But sometimes if you it depends on how loose you are, like sometimes that's the easier one because you just like fuck it. Just chuck it deep. Like, OK, like, yeah, rather than the short one, because that's the one that, you know, it's easier to throw not straight because you're just I just get it to you. Right. Agreed.
00:10:06
Speaker
And Zach Mercer reminding everyone of why he's, you know, why he's coming back.
Bulls vs Leon Performance Analysis
00:10:12
Speaker
He probably wants, wants to get into that white shirt again. He had, Oh, there's another team out. Was it stormers? I think, I think Mercer had more carries than any two stormers combined. Hold on. They weren't carrying much. Yeah.
00:10:31
Speaker
Might have been them. They had, yeah, nine and 10 carries where they're top carries. So that was, uh, warm cheese and, uh, Daimana and they had 19 combined and Mercer had 22. Woof.
00:10:49
Speaker
He did a lot with it too, so. Yeah, he was an annoyance at the very least. And he had nine tackles made with only one missed. Yeah, he was a busy boy. Seven passes. Fuck, dude. Dude. Too offload? Yeah, what a play. What a game. Yeah, he played pretty well. Star of the Master Dessert. Let's jump down to Durbin.
00:11:15
Speaker
Chelsea Sharks and Quinn's. Quinn's are going to have to eventually learn their lesson about spotting teams points and then kind of turning it on because really isn't going to work more often than not. They were jet lagged. Oh, I think that's probably the fact. Awful. Yeah, I think that's probably a fact. Yeah. And that's something you got to run into here. Yeah. Fortunately. Right. I mean, luckily that they know that's kind of out of their system, but it could be a factor again this week, depending on, you know,
00:11:44
Speaker
I think we talked about that post match. Do you fly after the match? Like right after or do you? Yeah, there's lots of ideas around it, which one won, you know? But yeah, get home is the important thing. And yeah, but...
00:11:59
Speaker
Quinn's just looks a step up, except for Andre Esterhazen, who, like, just suddenly decided, you know what, I'm not leaving here with that, like, looking like this. Like, I'm going to put some pride behind my name and do something. And I think the Quinn's responded to that. Yes. Yeah. I think they need someone to just carry them forward for a little bit because, yeah, like you said, they were a little meh for a little while there.
00:12:29
Speaker
Yeah. And that was, uh, and obviously the, the combination of imbinom being an ox being off where huge in a lot of ways, you know, you get two players off of that's a lot timber off the, off the field as well on top of that. So then, yeah, I saw the ox saying, and I was like, Oh, you are in so much trouble, dude. Sure enough. Yep. Sent off. I was like, can't get by. Yeah. So he was earned it. Um, totally.
00:13:00
Speaker
I'm totally, totally, um, my champ is not updating his years. No, it's not. But have you heard of, of, of this, um, Maka Zoli, I'm a pimpy person. Um, yup. Yup. Kind of good. He's new and maybe, you know, he's still, still, still up and coming. No, he's just fucking excellent again. He was, he was quite good.
Leinster vs Racing and Technical Issues
00:13:24
Speaker
He was quite good. And I thought Kerwin Bosch was pretty good too, actually.
00:13:28
Speaker
I thought he handled, I thought he handled the, I know. Yeah, but I thought he handled the team quite well while he was out there. Yeah. And that's kind of part of what annoys me is that like, yeah, he, he, he, yes. Which, you know, excellent, excellent tannery, especially from, from first, um, South Africa that seems to be with the way they liked their tens and their older halfbacks anyway. Um, yeah, I, I have got, like, I think he would, he missed a couple that he should have hit. He did.
00:13:58
Speaker
Um, but did we needed to do, I mean, cause you know, I think Tommy Allen kind of spit the bit in this one. Yeah. Well, at the end at the end, well, Edwards, yeah, killed him. I think you miss two conversions, right? Really just did them in right there. And that turned into the chain. You know, then the Chamberlain try came and they were out of the bonus point area too. So they, they got, they got one.
00:14:23
Speaker
probably should have came away with two and just, you know, the kicks come down to it. So that's why it is, it is important to have somebody on there that can hit their goals. And I know they're not going to have Marcus for a little bit. So they got to figure out what their answer is here. When they need, you know, when Tommy needs to come off because there are going to be times he needs to come off. You know, you can't, the answer can't be, we're not going to take Tommy off. That's not, that's not a thing. Right. That's not, that's not the answer. You can't do that. Nope.
00:14:54
Speaker
Won't spend too much time with rossing lancer and that's not just because we could only watch a half of it. Fucking low rugby. Yeah. Oh man, I was ready to punch things. I'm sorry. Yeah. Cause it was well, cause yeah, we, we had no idea what was going on and it just wasn't like, it was just a blank screen with like,
00:15:20
Speaker
Yeah. I don't know how else to say is like, you'd heard here like a second or two here and there of the audio, but. You know, not even enough to hear a full word and it's like, well, what the fuck are we like? Yeah. Really annoying. Really, really annoying. They got through it half time and all, but damn, it was, it was already gone. It's 20, it was 23 at the halftime for Leinster and they had already done the damage they need to do. Rushing didn't get more than, more than a try. And I think that was way that could over.
00:15:48
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, it was like Finn set him up. Good set up. Good. Good try. But let's start already done the damage and they decided to do more in second half because they were just like, Oh, we're up, you know, we're up 18. Let's just play a little free and loose. Especially when they got that, when they got the fourth try, I was like, there goes that. Yeah. There goes the neighborhood news flash. Josh Fender is good.
00:16:14
Speaker
Yeah, OK. Not sure many of us needed that update. Sorry, I'm, you know, playing the obvious. I get well paid for my insights. So people need to know these things. Yeah, it was it. It was fun to watch the half that we got to watch. And I've actually got it on now because it was fun. But like. It's this is what we're talking about, the whole world watch this, the first half of this match. Anybody here got fucked?
00:16:44
Speaker
Yeah. And that's, and for the expense that this service costs, that is complete bullshit. You know, this is not, this is not a $5 a month service. This is, this thing is way too much money. Right. To be doing that shit. Like go fuck yourself. So bullshit, but just the same. Lenser are obviously humming. So they've got, they, they've obviously got business to finish. They, they came up short last year in the final.
00:17:12
Speaker
then no, no sex and no problem, which is not news for a whole lot of people that have been watching once through it either. So good luck everybody else. Yeah. There. Yeah.
00:17:27
Speaker
I don't know how they're going to, and they have an easy schedule too. If I remember, well, aside from hosting this week, this was, this was the tougher of the, of the, of their four matches going to racing and Ross and couldn't even be, I don't know. Did they do the, they're not allowed to use a lot of fonts this year. I don't know why the hell they weren't doing it there, but, um, I, I clearly don't pay enough attention to top 14, like I should, but right.
00:17:54
Speaker
Yeah, so but still this was their toughest match and they hit it with flying colors. So right They're basically through so good for that. Good luck everybody else the Claremont and Stormers Long trip for the Stormers, but and they put up a goddamn tough fight
00:18:15
Speaker
But eventually Claremont's, I don't want to say that necessarily played better as the match went on, but just their, their big name showed. Right. Rocco being the biggest one in my, in my brain, like Albert R T Rocco just started to just cause nightmares for the Stormers and even started doing that before the rest of the team came along. Right. I feel like Claremont got the same kind of benefit that the, the, the shell she
00:18:43
Speaker
Fucking cell cell, see the sharks. Sorry. We've got against cleanse. We have. Oh, there's two sharks. So but I don't call them the sharks. I can't say. All right. There. So against the sharks.
00:18:56
Speaker
that the Sharks had against the quit. So it was just like, I still don't think they were as convincing as the Sharks were in victory. And I don't think that the Stormers played as good a game as Queens did. So I'm like, each of those teams kind of, I really was unimpressed with either team. It wasn't a pretty match by any means whatsoever. They got them all over try early.
00:19:21
Speaker
And then they never threatened the trial and again, they started kicking penalties. And it's like, this is not a penalty kicking contest. And I get that they're kind of used to that in a lot of ways. But this this competition is a try scoring competition. And they they kind of, you know, the mall was their best way, their best attack. They didn't really have much else.
00:19:45
Speaker
So yeah, I thought that was kind of poor on there, the poor effort from Stormers. Right. And I don't know. I just, I don't think they played very well themselves. Like you said, it was just like, okay, our talent's going to let us win in the end. And it did really. Yeah. I agree. We're going to score try eventually. Okay. We'll score try. That's how we win. You know, Bessie went almost the distance on this one for them. Please don't same thing. Yeah. Hard to really say that. Um,
00:20:14
Speaker
the better team didn't win this because I think they did. But at the same time, like you said that this wasn't a convincing win by any means whatsoever. I think these two teams, yeah, I think these two teams will find out. Obviously everybody will find out a little bit more about, but I think Claremont in particular, we will find out just a little bit more about what they're looking at going forward with the, with this weekend here. Yes, we will.
00:20:41
Speaker
Going against the Tigers. Yeah, yeah, I guess Lester is well for good, which you got to imagine Lester's going to name a fairly strong lineup for that one. I would assume. It's good Gloucester. Eventually got there, but took a little bit. It did. I just I don't know where to put I never know really where to classify Gloucester because they could be so good.
00:21:09
Speaker
and they could be really bad at any given week. And the problem with this match is I'm not sure if, I mean, it's possible that Gloucester were really good, because Porto were pretty good too. Like it was just such a tough fight. I don't know how to rank either team, how to feel about either team coming out of it. Like it's good for Gloucester that they won, obviously. Obviously, keeps them in line.
00:21:36
Speaker
But it's like, what do I know about them now that it didn't before? I guess that they measure up a little bit better than Bordeaux when they're at King's home.
00:21:45
Speaker
Right. That's what I bear for this one either. So yeah, exactly. So it's like how much how much can you put into that? You know, right. That's you know, that's that that is a that is a question I think that could be asked. And you have to win matches like this to be to be a great team. You have to win matches like that. So Gloucester have that ability. But do they have the ability to win the other matches that they you know, when they
00:22:15
Speaker
This would be a huge test for them. Can they punch up? Yeah, exactly. That's actually in my. Yeah. That'll be what we'll find out a lot this weekend. Right. I think Gloucester's got to stop by Lloyd Evans at fullback. Like, stop playing on the team in general. He's just bad. He is. He really is. You know, you can't tell me he's better than Moyle. Like, you can't. And I'm not saying Moyle's good.
00:22:42
Speaker
I'm not saying oil is good because it's not great. But like there's there's options there. Like there's a potential future there. And like he actually does good things every now and again. Like he'll actually make a fucking excellent run and right and put the team in great position. Sometimes even, you know, put a try over or put someone else over for the try. And it's everything doing that. No, I can stop me.
00:23:12
Speaker
I don't think I had Albertu Isui doing what he did in this match on my bingo board, but.
00:23:18
Speaker
He wasn't, as soon as he came on, he actually, whatever it was about him coming on, just amped things up. And that's what seemed to help spur things towards a win for Foster. He's like the, well, okay, I'm not doing this on purpose, but he's like, he's like the tag team player that, you know, gets, you know, the partner gets tagged in and just goes ape shit for her. Yeah, he came in early, didn't he? He came in like half, didn't he? Where'd he come? Did he come in? Yeah. Damn close.
00:23:45
Speaker
Let me see. Yeah, just before halftime, because Cameron Jordan had to go off. Yeah, that's right. And he just came in like a fucking wrecking ball. Yeah, he really did. So good on him. If they get that out of him every time, then they got a good shot at doing some damage this season. Right. I thought Bordeaux did a good job of bottling up Carreras too. I mean, he tested them.
00:24:13
Speaker
Um, they, if they let them, if they let them, so yeah, they definitely had to keep an eye on him. And how much does Charlie Chapman love scoring at home? Clearly. I mean, you want to make yourself a legend in these folks eyes, like score big tries at home. These, and he's done that a couple of times now he's doing it. Second big one for sure. Yeah. That is like.
00:24:38
Speaker
Yeah, that is how you can do yourself to the home crowd for sure. And hopefully I'd like to see him do it a little bit more. This is what he's been missing in the premise here. Maybe that'll spur him onto the season that we were thinking he was going to have from here on. So we'll see. So I saw an interesting thing today on the Twitters that
00:25:01
Speaker
It was obviously an Irish supporter and someone who living in Ireland, just guessing based on their name, saying about Tom Willis is actually Irish eligible and that maybe he'd be willing to come to Ireland next fall. They have a plethora of back rows. Why does he need to be doing that?
00:25:26
Speaker
Cause he's never going to get a shot at England. Well, new coach, we'll see. And yeah, and who knows, but he'd be like, I mean, I, I like Caitlin Doris, Jack Conan, but I think I'd rather have a Tom Willison. Yeah. But then you have, you have O'Donohue, you have Coombs, you have Tony, you have Pendergast. Like you, you've got players there. Like there's a log jam in Ireland as much as there is in England. There's, there's nerd.
00:25:53
Speaker
There is. I just thought it was funny. It's a matter of choosing which one you want to fight for, I guess. Right. I never thought of that as being an option for him. So I thought that was kind of interesting, is all. Yeah, no way. I think there's just as much of a law jam in Ireland as there is in England. So it's a matter of which place would you like to fight for your place for? Well, at this point with
00:26:11
Speaker
Simmons leaving that's like one less person in the comp, you know, for for the new code, you know, depending on the new coach. So either way, it'll be interesting to see what happens with him because he was he was some kind of OK in this match. Yes, he was. Yeah, he was very good. Familiar grounds. He knows his he knows his place. He knows the drill. Yep. All right. Let's go down to what this verse felt. Bulls and Leon.
00:26:40
Speaker
I, I think a lot of people in Leon would tell you that this isn't a shock, but, and maybe in the top 14, but I don't know. Both of it was absolutely spectacular in this match. Like just covering everything. Yeah. Couple tries to go with it. Like, wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Yeah. Not sure I had that one on my car, but damn. Pretty good.
00:27:06
Speaker
Yeah, they were they were in my, you know, impressive in in defeat category here. Mm hmm. Like they, you know, so a little bit of surprise, squeaky bum time. And really, it's just that the bulls, the bulls are in my second tier, by the way, there's only so I have the tits that are at the top bulls are looking good. They're the only team in that are in that because they looked fucking good. I don't know how else to describe them. They like they just kept scoring.
00:27:35
Speaker
They're like, okay, it's going to count. They didn't start their normal team. Right? Which is terrifying. Yes, it is. It's quite. I don't know if they're going to go and go the whole, you know, mail this competition in. But like these players are not doing that. I can tell you that much right now. Mm hmm. Right. Oh, they're making the most of their time to policy. I'm going to look this up right now because I was trying to think about it before and I got sidetracked.
00:28:03
Speaker
He's older than me. He's like 37. Nice. Yeah. Love it. Yeah. The frigging lid is a dead demo, unfortunately. But yeah, dude, this is like an angel's wonder. Keeps going. I don't understand it, but hey, whatever. Found the fountain of you somewhere. Just don't be shy about the sarin, not everyone's smile. Yeah. And more to stain, turn it back to clock as well.
00:28:32
Speaker
Again, we're not like, everybody was saying, Nope, shouldn't be in this game. Look fine to me. Did all right. Look fine to me. Yeah. Just distributed. He did. He had zero carries for zero meters. He just got the ball and he was doing. Nope. Foot to foot to ball or pass like no, nowhere in between. No, he understand who he is. And that's, that's perfect. You can do a lot of damage with a, with a
00:29:00
Speaker
guy that knows who he is, as long as he does it well. Right. Yeah. Good on him. Yeah. And Leon, I think, are another team that are just going to probably end up kind of setting this on the back burner, unfortunately, with Sykes, because they do have some great players that I love to watch, like, Colton's in this team, Tapafinua, Kritan, you know, Nakatasi. Players I do really like watching and just,
00:29:30
Speaker
Yeah, it'd be too bad to see them mail this one in just after the first loss, but I hate the sense. I don't know. Yeah, we'll see what's going to happen. We'll see. Yeah, especially both Saracen's made it depends on right. Just.
00:29:42
Speaker
I don't know what, how they're going to react to that. That'll be the
Saracens vs Edinburgh: Key Performances
00:29:45
Speaker
interesting thing. Maybe they say, you know what? Let's just try to fuck Saracens. Cause they may, they may. Yeah. Like, you know, we, we, we don't think we can win this, but like, you know, jamming up their ass while we're on our way out the door and, and going to give them, you know, give them one last hell. And then something like that. You know, maybe, maybe on the way trip, we, yeah. Have fun boys. Yeah. Some of the young, young lads out there. Have fun storming the castle.
00:30:13
Speaker
Won't spend too much time on lower shell and saints. What we thought would happen happened. Yeah. You don't seem to have no attack. Well, no, I'm sorry. States don't stop anybody. And that can turn into a bad point where you basically can't attack because they're just like, you can't stop us. So we don't give a shit. Exactly. And like they just bottle them up. The saints really just, yeah. It's like, okay, we'll defend wide because you have to run wide now.
00:30:42
Speaker
Yeah. Well, now we can't really run through you. Yeah. Here's your problem. Yeah. And well, obviously the lower shell defending champs, they have no, no thoughts about giving this thing up easily. So it'll be, we'll be up to some of the bigger units to take these guys down. Cause I don't think anybody like my captain's going to be able to do it.
00:31:08
Speaker
Don't need to spend too much time on the match from Cast either, because as close-ish as the match looks on paper, like, Cast were never in this. They really weren't. No. They really weren't. They were. They were awful. They were. Right. Dave, you were scored two tries in this fucking game. That's what you need to know. Right. And they were. That's what kind of game this is. Yeah. The Exeter were just like.
00:31:35
Speaker
were allowed to do whatever they, you know, play their game and their game. Like, so, you know, I get, I'd like to. Oh, I'm sorry. He didn't only score one, but he almost, he almost, he almost got the other. Right. It's like Mary still scored one. It's bad enough. Right. And it's like the Exeter are like, you know, the, I thought that, you know, 27 points is a good mark for how well Exeter played, which was.
00:32:03
Speaker
If you get especially against basically air because they basically got to do what they wanted to do.
00:32:10
Speaker
And they just don't want to score too many points as it is. So yeah, they got 27, you know, in a practice game, like I don't, I'm not impressed. Put it that way. Like you want. Okay. Congratulations. Like asked for a fucking awful. Right. They got a lucky draw. Let's be honest about this. Right. Tells that certainly in the first off, because they had cast away who weren't going to really hang in this competition necessarily. Cause that's just how they approach this competition. And now they have the balls coming to Devin. So.
00:32:41
Speaker
Yeah, it's gonna be they're gonna be able to probably coast to two wins in this and we'll see what happens after that. Unless the Bulls bring their if the if the Bulls bring curly guard into I'm gonna I'm gonna have fun watching this because I hope he just torches like so like Noel.
00:32:58
Speaker
Right. And I don't see why they wouldn't. I feel like they they so here's my thinking on this, that they rested some of the players that they they want to play this week, this week after the travel so that they're arrested. Yeah, they may travel, but it's not like they played and then traveled and then play again. They I feel like that may be what what Bulls did, because again, we all. I don't know, like you said, they probably weren't going to. So I think they're there. I'm going with that they're strategizing.
00:33:28
Speaker
Perhaps. And that Bulls are going to rock up for this one because it's their one role. Actually, no, they'll travel again, but not until the new year, not till the new year. And then they'll be playing a disinterested host team that doesn't want to be in the competition anymore. Likely. So if, you know, if they're smart, that's how they're playing it. Yeah, I'd say so. Or they or they're just playing it conservatively. I don't know. We'll find out.
00:33:53
Speaker
Soon enough. Soon enough. Yeah, don't need to spend too much time with what happened at the AJ Bell sale in Ulster, Ulster blanked, very poor from Ulster. I'm not going to take it away from sale either. They took no chances and did well. Right. Had a couple lucky bounces, but it worked.
00:34:12
Speaker
To me, it's, it was a pretty standard sale match. Kind of the same thing as, as Exeter. Like if, if sale could have the match that they wanted, it would look like this where the opponent doesn't really bring much and they can just choke them out and take the ball and put it over them. They just, and ulcers attack was just lackluster to say the least. Like that might be being nice, honestly.
00:34:35
Speaker
So it's, yeah. Yeah. sale did the job that needed to that was in front of them. You can't really blame them for that. Right.
00:34:45
Speaker
Exactly. They played what was in front of them and wasn't much in front of them. So yeah, sailor in my like, I don't know what the hell they were. It was unconvincing and big, like how you can have a six try 39 nothing win that is kind of unconvincing.
Sale vs Ulster: A Convincing Win
00:34:59
Speaker
I mean, I realized that it's, it's, it's based on the competition, right? Like, eh, I need to see more to think you're going to hang with like,
00:35:09
Speaker
Uh, uh, Leinster or even a Montpellier. Yeah. Don't, don't start writing their name into those books. Yeah. Please. I know people are trying to anoint them early, early contenders like, yeah, give it a minute. They're really good against bad teams. Yeah. They can make themselves really good against bad teams. They're not that good against good teams. And that's, that's what they need to sort out. So I'm not, I'm not rushing on them yet. Just hold the phone. There's kids. Right.
00:35:35
Speaker
I mean, I felt that same way kind of with Lester, although Lester last year were more of a just they were a little bit of a wagon. Sale aren't really a wagon. They're kind of there. There's there's clear kinks in the armor. Well, let's go replace you and I know. I know. Been there. You and I know. So next day I'm up in Varnet.
00:35:58
Speaker
Saracen's Edinburgh, Saracen's get all they could handle from Edinburgh, so I give the Scotsman credit. That could have easily just been something that they, and they brought a good team. It's not like they brought a B team either. They brought a really good team. I feel like Saracen's brought a little B-ish in the backs anyway. It was slow. It was outside of, you know, outside of Farrell that was like daily and that was it, as much of like an attacking threat.
00:36:28
Speaker
And I think that, feel like that showed on the scoreboard. Like they, they should have been, they should have rocked Edinburgh, which we've, we've, you know, we've seen them sweep Scottish based teams and, you know, playing two different ways, you know, just outrunning them and out, out, out physically in them. And this kind of was a little bit of neither. Yeah. But it's just played well enough to, to put up more points. And luckily, you know, the, the Edinburgh fight at the end didn't, didn't take it from him, but.
00:36:57
Speaker
No, I mean, James Lang owes everyone beers. Everybody beers. Oh, man, that was bad. That was so bad. It's like, Oh, where did he used to play? Quinn's. Yeah, it's like, that's why you don't play with Quinn's anymore. Probably not. That shit would not fly with. Oh, no, no, no. Awful.
00:37:21
Speaker
I'm sure he got rinsed in tape this week, like, just absolutely destroyed in film review. Right. And that was it. Once that happened, I was like, all right, well, this game's over. Yeah, when they can capitalize on that, I feel good. I'm just like, yeah, we actually might have this. Not a big deal. And that and the fact that Stuart McNally can fucking throw a lineup to save his life was also pretty awesome.
00:37:44
Speaker
And then they actually want to line out when he was out in the yellow card. Yeah, Jamie Ritchie. Jamie Ritchie threw it in like clean too. Oh man. So loads of credit to Edinburgh for the way they played and they really did try and bring us in. Really? Yeah. Yeah. They started hot and they got them to burn and try right off the bat and you know, really signaled they weren't going away. And whatever little ill disciplines that Saracen showed, they made him pay because Bafelli's obviously, uh,
00:38:12
Speaker
international quality goal kicker and he did not disappoint on that whatsoever.
00:38:20
Speaker
It was, um, it's a good bonus point for Edinburgh. They probably need to bring one more try to the fight. Obviously. And when they got over the line, uh, then sometimes that's just that minor difference between going for pens and going for, going for, you know, uh, a try. Right. And I also kind of, you know, we, we, we made fun of him and I kind of want to do it again today or again at this point is for James Lang, he was incredibly busy.
00:38:48
Speaker
But it wasn't good, busy. No. Right. So that's you know, that's to me that that's the difference. It's like, OK, he asserted himself a lot. He was he was around the ball. He was he did like he tried to do a lot of things. He just didn't do much. And that's like, yeah, that. You know, just an instance of that, where I saw a lot more, you know, I heard his name a lot, but nothing good was happening. Right. And just.
00:39:17
Speaker
guy. Although, but here's the thing, though, and it's going to come up in the fantasy corner, but he's actually someone that I would look at this week because they're not playing. I mean, it's it's it's one thing to to try to do that much against Saracens. But they're playing on who they're playing. I just had it and I lost it.
00:39:41
Speaker
And Hoyland also kind of... Oh, they're playing cast. Yeah, playing cast. And Hoyland also didn't do them any favors either. He probably could have finished that try before Lang had a moment to screw it up as well. Exactly. So it's like... But if Lang's that busy against cast, he'll probably put over two tries himself. So... He'll put over a try, no doubt. Right. I can... I would bet that, yeah. So that's just kind of where I am on that. It's like you have to take the opposition into consideration and Saracens are very good, especially against midfield, so...
Munster vs Toulouse: Strategy and Conditions
00:40:11
Speaker
But at the same time, it wasn't Tom our opinions. Fuck up like that. No. Luke Crosby would be somebody I would look at this week as well. He was busy in a good way, I thought.
00:40:28
Speaker
Monster and Toulouse. If you could see it. I did not watch this match. I did. It was. Okay. It was a first on the final score and I was like, I'm good. I've seen enough rugby. I don't need to watch an 18 to 13 match. No, it was, it was actually, it was actually a very, I mean, it was as tight and competitive as you would expect a 13 to 18 match between a Monster and Toulouse who remember each other in the knockouts last year as well. And went all the way down to those kicks.
00:40:57
Speaker
Pretty wild game. We were talking about names before, like, I don't know who was sitting second chair in the BT broadcast over there, but they kept calling Christoph Ridley, Matt Carley. No, I don't like Christoph Ridley and I don't love Matt Carley either, but like, come on, like, get the guy's name right. That's part of your homework, is it not? Did I miss that part? Because they deserve to be mistaken for each other. No, push comes to shove. I'd rather have Carley, honestly.
00:41:28
Speaker
I mean, ultimately, you know, the one thing I've noticed and I think in monster really tried to take advantage of it is Ridley will slow the game down way too much in my opinion. And I think mustard tried to take advantage of it. Obviously to lose did not let them. But it was just like like I'm watching this and like he's a big fan of the user reset at the scrums. And I'm like, stop with that shit. Right.
00:41:55
Speaker
Stop with that shit. His intentions are never good. I think where his brain is at, I think how he does it and his execution of it is really bad, which is why he, number one, should not be an international referee. So the fact that he's done an international game is fucking terrifying.
00:42:17
Speaker
So his intentions are good, but he just needs to clean that up a little bit. And somebody needs to get in his ear and be like, yeah, I like where your head's at with this, but it's actually in the wrong spot. So, I get it, but no. Let them play. Yeah. For Monster, Carberry, Superb, again, you know, and in a defeat, it's really disappointing to see, but
00:42:38
Speaker
Yeah, he's every bit the part still. So I thoroughly enjoyed watching him. DuPont was annoying, shocker of the day. But so came off at half. That sucks. Oh, no. Yeah. I was like, oh, no. His replacement scored right off the bat though.
00:42:57
Speaker
And then, oh, we talked about one Willis, another Willis makes an appearance for the French team to lose, have Jack Willis on their team. And he was annoying as fuck. I was a little disappointing in disappointed in the execution and just the general play of Frisch, who I've heard good things about since he's moved. And unfortunately, if this was the first game you saw him, you wouldn't be convinced of that. Okay. That's really sad. Yeah. I mean, it's not an easy opponent.
00:43:27
Speaker
No, no, no, but still, again, I don't, I didn't see it. So if it was anything, you know, could have been like James Lang. And so I'll just. Yeah. Um, and you know, this was a, this was a big test for Craig Casey. I thought he did it right. I know that we obviously know who Connor Murray is and what he's capable of. So with him being in this game, uh,
00:43:51
Speaker
I think it's a good thing for not only Monster Rugby, but also for Irish Rugby as well. This is one of those games where you want these young playmakers to be exposed to something like this and to have to experience it and to have to deal with it. And I thought he did pretty well.
00:44:09
Speaker
that goddamn fog though was fucking annoying. It was super, it got to the point where it was like, I, I can understand why the commentators couldn't see shit. Cause like the camera was hard to make out sometimes. And they're talking about possibly calling the game. I was like, Oh Jesus, please no.
00:44:26
Speaker
Talk about a silly reason to call the game off, but hey, if you can't see shit, you know, it's X far in front of your face. It's not safe. No, not awesome. Especially if you're like, I don't know where the touch line is if I'm kicking this. That's not a great thing. Or, you know, of course, there's going to be somebody who's like, I know the referee can't see it, so I'm going to do this. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Nice little right cross on it. Yeah.
00:44:53
Speaker
Yeah, let's not get into that, shall we? Anyway, let's go to Wales and to Swansea Stadium, Ospreys and Leicester.
Leicester vs Ospreys: Performance Highlights
00:45:05
Speaker
Leicester put out a kind of a mad team, but still get it done. I mean, they stay fucking better. I would hope so, yeah. Ospreys are not that good right now. No, they have issues.
00:45:22
Speaker
Lester are clearly not the team they were last year. I guess there's obvious reasons for that, but. It's just. Yeah, I think that the last year's team would have probably doubled their points total and maybe halved Osprey's like it was is. Yeah, to me, Lester need to step it up to get back to where they were last year. Yeah.
00:45:50
Speaker
And I'm not saying like, you know, like, because they can be as good as they can be easily as good as they were last year, but they. There's a ways to go. Right. And they they're they're more than six points better than an osprey's even on, you know, even on the road, they're better. Yeah. So I mean, kind of disappointing. I will say. The yeah, and we're going to experience that here, there and everywhere.
00:46:20
Speaker
I thought the the officiating in this game was a little shite. But. As we've said before about other officials, at least he was shite kind of both ways. Yeah, in a lot of ways, you know. So.
00:46:34
Speaker
people that want to kind of throw that and throw him against the wall for that. He was shit. You're right. But he was shit both ways. You know, both teams had to live with it. And that is how it is. So if you're doing it, if you're doing things right, it's not a matter. Yeah. We didn't talk about that in the Saris match, but the ref was damaged. Yeah. I thought he was good for about.
00:46:56
Speaker
65 in terms of like, I thought for about 65 minutes, he kind of was tilted one way. And then for the last 15, he kind of went the other. And that's that, that happens for some referees and he's had better games and Michelle Kelly has had way better games. That was not one of his better ones. No, he was terrible on the breakdown. Yeah. This official is going to be probably one that gets used sparingly at least at the very least. Um,
00:47:21
Speaker
You know who I am. I'm going to eat my words because I bet she's refereeing this weekend. Didn't see Mike Adams in this weekend. So I was kind of excited about that. I was like, Oh, that's hilarious. Oh, I think he was in the challenge cup. So I'm not going to, Oh, well that's, that's fair. That's kind of leave him there. Leave him there. He doesn't need to be anywhere else. I think the difference in this game for Osprey's honestly was probably no Anscombe. Yeah. Jack Walsh, as much as you might like him, but.
00:47:49
Speaker
You know, I'm sure Osprey's fans are, are, are excited about the young kid, but yeah. Yeah. You know, and they have, they've, they've signed Owen Williams, the old, the old Worcester guy. Um, see if he can stay healthy. He's had his own health issues, but that, yeah. And I think that was it. And there was some, there was some good play from.
00:48:12
Speaker
from tigers, you know, we, you know, they had to throw Harry Simmons on the wing at the last minute. That was an awesome for their sake. You know, so I think some he would have had a pretty good day because I don't know who the hell's going to handle him if he's in there. And it was a good, good bit of, you know, baptism by fire for JVP and Atkinson as well. So this is, you know, and I know it's coming, coming, coming, coming back. But like,
00:48:41
Speaker
In the end, like if Luster have, have their way, I, you know, you need to get back into it on for long-term, like four or five years. Paul is here for three.
00:48:52
Speaker
You know, yeah, so you got to get locked down, right that this is turned more into a coach player role for Pollard than it is a, you're a guy, like, you're the man, because they need to keep back into the long term, he's got to be a long term solution and
00:49:11
Speaker
Yeah, and I think for Lester, and this is definitely to their benefit, between Burns, who's been around the world and seeing a lot of shit. He's fucked up here and there. He's done well here and there. Obviously winning the Premiership final last year is a huge moment for him. And then you have an international world class 10 that's looked at the World Cup.
00:49:32
Speaker
Right. Pollard. So to their benefit, they have these two guys that are going to be in, you know, they call it the quarterbacks from in the NFL in the fly half's room with Charlie Atkinson, who we've already seen can really. He has a lot of potential like. Man, I would be excited to have this kid if I was anybody, you know, right?
00:49:55
Speaker
So with all that, with all the potential and those two guys at the, you know, there to put an arm around him and to whisper in his ear and to show him the ropes, regardless of what the coaching staff is, this kid's got a damn good chance at succeeding at this club. As long as, like I said, as long as they sign up for long term, like, you know, for that talk about like, you wonder why he signed up for Lester.
00:50:23
Speaker
Fuck, that is a great situation right there. I think there were a few people that were perplexed by it, but really, when you look at it on the face of that, of who's there, and Wiggles is coaching as well. Remember that. Right. So you have that. And Ben Young. They have so much. They have some bodies there.
00:50:51
Speaker
Like they have brains there that can help this kid so much. You know, and then PVP, who's already kind of on the same track that Atkinson hopes to be on as well, just at the nine position, not the 10, obviously. Yeah. I mean, he's got some, he's, he's got a nice looking, you know, center pairing that's going to stay next to him for the majority of his games with Kelly and Porter, like
00:51:15
Speaker
Yeah, the kids got and the kids gone into a good situation as much as it sucked that the way you walked was went down. Right. Yeah. But he's damn, he's so back like, you know. I just like seeing, you know, he's been he's had some fucking hard luck and that that sucks, but
00:51:44
Speaker
definitely enjoy seeing him, like really expressing himself again, the way he used to back before, you know, when he was consistently playing and not consistently injured. So hopefully this can stay that way. Cause I haven't seen him look like this in a while. Yeah. Keep, uh, keep the SNC team on tab and make sure that he stays healthy. Yeah.
Rugby Competition Standings Overview
00:52:06
Speaker
So, um, let's just have a, we look back at where we were at for standing wise.
00:52:15
Speaker
Luster, Exeter, sharks and bulls sit top pull a for the top four will be a sale. La Rochelle Montpellier and Claremont. Obviously there's only one round and there's plenty to go from there, but so it's funny. All the teams that won in pool a all got five points. Hmm. All of them did. It's pretty wild.
00:52:44
Speaker
And then only, only three out of the, uh, the, um, six teams and we'll be the, we got five, but to be fail, um, Lesser didn't bring their 18 to lose. Well, they played monster. So what are you going to do? Claymont probably played a tougher opponent than they were thinking they would. So really no shock there. Um, and I think that this, you know, the, you look at the teams in pool a and they're all.
00:53:13
Speaker
either experienced Champions Cup teams or
00:53:19
Speaker
are very just quality of scoring tries. So that kind of makes sense that they're all they all got the bonus points because they're all they all know what they're they're doing. They get, you know, to hit the try line when they need to. Yeah. And if you want an exit team like, yeah, right. You know, because they've been there. They've you know, as much as we shit on them, they have been there. They've looked at the trophy. That's not this is not a new thing for some of these guys. Right. And they know that it's a try scoring competition so that, you know, if you're not getting bonus point victories, you're not really getting victories.
00:53:46
Speaker
Right. Hence why they gave the ball to Woodburn on that breakaway try and not the other fucking winger on the inside. And then if you could have, if you can be in a good position after a loss, Leon's in it. They're two points. I think they're the only team in the entire comp that picked up both, um, both points that you could possibly pick up when you lose. So, yeah. Yeah. Where do you have?
00:54:15
Speaker
So you have your, your totties and your, and your poohies. Yep.
Rugby Teams Evaluation: Tough vs Unconvincing
00:54:20
Speaker
So it's like in the tits, there's two of them. They look great. Uh, Lenster and La Rochelle, they're at the top. There's yeah. Um, look, the bulls are looking good. They're right behind them. Um, and then the next category is tough outs. You're going to struggle to make the semis, um, Montpellier, Saracens, Lester to lose Rossing and then the shocks.
00:54:44
Speaker
OK, unconvincing in victory, Exeter, Gloucester, Sale and Claremont. Yep. Promising in defeat, Leon Edinburgh, Munster, Quinn's Bordeaux and then Yuck, Ulster, Osprey's Saints, Irish Stormers cast. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Can we like put a double Yuck on on cast because that's just
00:55:10
Speaker
They were they might know for them was that was gross. Yeah, it really was. And cock it's back like, oh, my gosh. Yeah. No. Oh, man. They were in my like just out. They're out. But yeah, I'm realizing that all the yuck are probably out anyway. So likely. Yes. Up them into their very, very, very category. And I had them in one, but I decided to remove them. Right. Yeah. All right. So
00:55:41
Speaker
That is that for the, for the rugby pod pod. Look at that. We were under an hour. All right. But we also kept it to just the rugby. We didn't do anything else. So that's probably why. Yeah. We didn't talk about the movements. Um, no, no, we ended up getting the exit or got fucked. Suck it. Um, yeah. What was it? Uh,
00:56:02
Speaker
Who was it? Slide Home snubbed them to stay at home. And McWiggin snubbed them to go to Gloucester. To go to Gloucester, yeah. They need another two because if Singles is out for a long time, then yeah. Right. It's Sisino and that's it. And Singles is at the end of his contract anyway.
00:56:20
Speaker
True. That's right. So it's like, so they have to see know they still need a second and then this is it's perfect for McGuigan because he's still going to get his he's still going to get like, they're going to use his talents for the best of their ability to the best of his abilities. I'm sure in a way that exit or won't, and he's going to have to do so much like
00:56:40
Speaker
Like, you'll squeal, he'll still score tries in an exit, but what cost? You get the shit kicked out of them and rather much other playing Gloucester and, and I don't know how long, I don't know how long exit or signed up Dan Frost for either. That being the other thing. Yeah. So if LCD, if LCD is out, who knows how long Gandel is going to hang on for. And then, yeah.
00:57:03
Speaker
We'll see how long they signed up Dan Frost for. And that'll kind of be a teller right there. And they still have in our two, I think. I'm assuming that he's on for a little bit too. He's a Jag. He's a Jag's Jag. Yeah. He's not great, but you know, still serviceable in some ways. Yeah. All right. So that's that for the pod pod. So next week is Festivus.
00:57:28
Speaker
I don't know, Festivus for the rest of us. If you haven't been along for Festivus, it's a good time. We've done it. We've done it every year, right? Every year, yep. Yeah, we've done it every year. So we do it every year. It's a good time. So we, and we will have, we will have actually be able to squeeze in another pod before the new year. So that's not going to be the end of the year stuff either. That's going to be the following week. A little preview for everybody. So next week will be Festivus. Obviously we'll also look back at
00:57:54
Speaker
We two of Champions Cup will have some more answers for that, obviously, as you'd expect. If you're heading over to the fantasy corner, we're gonna hang out with you over there. We got loads to talk about over there as you'd guess. If not, we'll see you next week. Bring your fun hats because of the Festivus. We appreciate you all for listening to us and hanging out with us and supporting us in whatever fashion you have. We'll see you all soon. Have a good one. Later.