European Club Rugby
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<p>An update from the PRO 12 after a bit of an absence by me. Regular season ended yesterday with playoffs to come in the next 3 weeks.<br>
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Connacht, coached by Pat Lam for last three years, have finally come good, finishing top on level points with Leinster, but just pipped at the post to first place by with Leinster having one more win than them. Connacht have a home semi-final against Glasgow. Leinster host Ulster in the other. <br>
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At tonight's PRO 12 awards, Lam and his team fairly swept the boards in the PRO12 Dream Team awards. A good few of the winners are non-internationals. And, unsurprisingly, a good few from south of the equator.<br>
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15 Isa Nacewa (Leinster) capt.<br>
14 Matt Healy (Connacht)<br>
13 Bundee Aki (Connacht)<br>
12 Ben Te'o (Leinster<br>
11 Craig Gilroy (Ulster); <br>
10 Sam Davies (Ospreys), <br>
9 Kieran Marmion (Connacht); <br>
1 Dennis Buckley (Connacht), <br>
2 Tom McCartney (Connacht), <br>
3 Finlay Bealham (Connacht);<br>
4 Leone Nakarawa (Glasgow),<br>
5 Ultan Dillane (Connacht)<br>
6 CJ Stander (Munster),<br>
7 Josh van der Flier (Leinster),<br>
8 Cornell du Preez (Edinburgh)<br><br>
Player's Player of the Season Award: Bundee Aki (Connacht)<br>
Coach of the Season: Pat Lam (Connacht)<br>
Young Player of the Season: Sam Davies (Ospreys)<br>
Try of the Season: Tommy Seymour (Glasgow)</p> -
<p>Yeah, 4 Kiwis there (Nacewa, Aki, Teo, McCartney). Actually, I'm a but surprised by Nacewa, didn't think his form has been anything special. Should be a decent set of play-offs: can Leinster get revenge at home after Ulster's paddling a couple of weeks back, can Connacht do a repeat over Glasgow. I'm predicting a Leinster vs Glasgow final.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="578273" data-time="1462767588">
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<p>Yeah, 4 Kiwis there (Nacewa, Aki, Teo, McCartney). Actually, I'm a but surprised by Nacewa, didn't think his form has been anything special. Should be a decent set of play-offs: can Leinster get revenge at home after Ulster's paddling a couple of weeks back, can Connacht do a repeat over Glasgow. I'm predicting a Leinster vs Glasgow final.</p>
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<p>Five Kiwis, if you count Lam, BT.</p>
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<p>Was surprised at Nacewa too. But which other full backs have played enough to merit inclusion - Hogg didn't play enough league games to meet criteria? </p> -
<p><span style="font-size:14px;">Pretty sus<span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">picious play from Ben Botica in the <span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);">Challenge Cup final.</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Georgia, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:15.6px;">Quins were chasing a try to tie the game against Montpellier when Ben Botica inexplicably kicked the ball away, allowing Jessie Mogg to boot the ball off the field.</span></p>
<p style="font-size:15.6px;font-family:Georgia, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);">O’Shea consoled the New Zealand native on the pitch afterwards, <strong>who is also, coincidentally, leaving the club. He joins Montpellier.</strong></p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.the42.ie/ben-botica-kicks-away-2769592-May2016/'>http://www.the42.ie/ben-botica-kicks-away-2769592-May2016/</a></p> -
<p>Dan Carter's , Joe Roks and Chris Masoe's Racing 92 taking on Saracens in the European Champions Cup Final if anybody else is watching.</p>
<p>Currently 3-6 Saracens after 26 mins. Yawn.</p>
<p>Game is several levels below Super Rugby, in all aspects - pace, handling, skills, vision and creativity. So slow. arrgh.</p> -
<p>The fly hack at the ruck by the defending team is killing the game.</p>
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<p>Get rid.</p> -
<p>Weather not helping but NH rugby is always so narrow. They salivate over scrums, and penalties are always shots at goal, hardly ever for the corner. Multiples of 3 so far.</p>
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<p>The main attacking weapon (scrum penalty) prominent so far. Along with the boxkick. And 1 off the ruck.</p>
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<p>Some nice kicks to the corner though.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="579812" data-time="1463245435">
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<p>Mediocre final, Saracens looking more organised than Racing. I think all five of the NZ Super franchises would beat these two clubs by 40+ points.</p>
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<p>Don't think so. Chiefs would have problem at scrum set-piece. Canes were crap today, and the Blues are the Blues.</p>
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<p>I think the Chiefs, Landes and Saders could do a 40-point job, Chiefs provided their front row held up.</p> -
<p>That was a puke-rugby of a game.</p>
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<p>Saracens just played left-corner territory all 2nd half, and Racing had absolutely no idea.</p>
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<p>Anytime people want to give out about Ellis or Hall's slow service, please google "Mike Phillips"</p> -
<p>Feel bad for DC. Stated the game obviously injured before going off early to watch that. Doesn't need another feather in his cap but that must've been painfully anticlimactic for him.</p>
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<p>Saracens forwards were better and their 10 kicked his goals. That's the closest to praise I can give that game.</p> -
He's very good. A definite lion starter and right up there with the NZ locks.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="579844" data-time="1463249310"><p>
He's very good. A definite lion starter and right up there with the NZ locks.</p></blockquote><br>
It one should be European Player of the Year and he'll probably be even better by June next year. Brodie and Sam will be looking forward to the challenge.
