NH club rugby
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@Stargazer said in NH club rugby:
Mourad Boudjellal contemplates selling Toulon
Boudjellal contemplates selling Toulon
Mourad Boudjellal is contemplating selling his club Toulon saying he wants "to live another life".
My heart bleeds!
"There is a strong chance that this will be my last year," Boudjellal said on AFP. "I do not have a huge fortune but it's reasonable.
"I am much depleted by the club and I don't know if many presidents do this.
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Scotland coach Vern Cotter to join Montpellier for season 2017/18
By IAIN MORRISON Wednesday 28 September 2016 Scotland coach Vern Cotter has, as was widely anticipated, found himself a post with Montepllier in France’s Top 14 from the end of the current season when his contract with Murrayfield expires. Cotter was controversially replaced by Glasgow boss Gregor Townsend just a few short months ago despite taking Scotland to within a whisker of the World Cup semi-finals in 2015, losing to Australia in the last minute thanks to a incorrectpenalty. Cotter made his name in France, first as a player and more recently as the head coach of Clermont, who he led to the Top 14 Championship in 2010 after innumerable failures in the final. He moved to Scotland in 2014, one year later than expected after the Scottish Rugby Union failed to inform Clermont of their signing and the club duly held Cotter to his contract rather than release him one season early.The current Montpellier coach, World Cup-winner Jake White, is leaving the club to make way for Cotter. What is less clear is just how many of the South African counterparts that White signed are leaving with him. After failing to make much of an impact in the Six Nations to date – two wins in ten attempts – Cotter has one final season of Six Nations rugby to make his mark in Europe before a return to the club game.The official announcement by Montpellier: http://www.montpellier-rugby.com/news/communique-officiel-0
Not in the official announcement, but according to the French paper Midi Libre, Cotter has signed a deal for 3 seasons (so until June 2020): http://www.midilibre.fr/2016/09/28/rugby-montpellier-l-ancien-clermontois-vern-cotter-a-signe-au-mhr,1400186.php
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This weekend, the European Club Rugby competitions kick off and the first game has already been played.
Aviva Premiership team Harlequins absolutely smashed 2014-14 Top 14 champions Stade Français Paris, scoring 7 tries to 3, in a 43-21 bonus point win.
This weekend's games:
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From Sky's FB page:
Get your European Rugby Champions Cup fix on the Rugby Channel!
Saturday: LIVE - 7.40am: Glasgow Warriors v Leicester Tigers
Sunday: LIVE - 7.40am: Scarlets v Sale Sharks
Delayed - 9.45am: Wasps v Zebre
Delayed - 11.45am: RC Toulon v Saracens
Delayed - 1.45pm: Connacht v ToulouseMonday: LIVE - 12.55am: Bordeaux-Begles v Ulster
LIVE - 3.10am: Racing 92 v Munster
LIVE - 5.25am: Exeter Chiefs v ASM Clermont AuvergneEuropean Rugby Challenge Cup
Monday: Delayed - 11.30am: Pau v Bath
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Good game of rugby. Leicester's fringe defence was woeful though.
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Bundee Aki MOTM as Connacht beat Toulouse.
Nacewa and Gibson-Park got a win over a pretty terrible Castres.
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Toulon showing that you can have all that money and sign world class players, but it doesn't guarantee you wins. Toulon lost at home to Saracens: 23 - 31
Noteworthy is that in all Champions Cup and Challenge Cup games between French clubs and English/Celtic opponents, the French club lost. Still 3 games to play in the Champions Cup (all involving one French club), but it doesn't bode well for French rugby.
There was no mercy where Italian or Romanian clubs were the opponents. Some really big scores!
By the way, most points in the La Rochelle match v Treviso (41-10 to La Rochelle) were scored by Southeners: tries by Uini Atonio (2x), Hikaïro Forbes and Jason Eaton, and Brock James kicked most of the penalties & conversions.All Challenge Cup games of round 1 have been played. Results:
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@Bovidae said in NH club rugby:
@Stargazer Worcester losing to a Russian team has to be a huge upset.
Yes and no. Enisei beat another team at home last season when they were underestimated.
Connacht have a famous trip story from last season when they went to play them in Round 1 of the challenge cup. The game was played at subzero temps and the subs couldn't sit down on the bench for the whole match. Connacht ended up winning the match and then their plane couldn't take off and they spent the whole week,trying to get back home for their game the following week. Apparently it was the best bonding session the team had and forged a lot of their team spirit that helped to the title last season.
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Some good results for the Welsh regions. Ospreys thrashing Newcastle is a bit of karma. The English and French clubs got changes to the cup and competition in 2013/14 because they said PRO12 teams were resting their players before European weekends, and wanted to make qualification harder. So they did, and it has been. Newcastle then put out a weak team against Ospreys who promptly hammered them.
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@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
@Bovidae said in NH club rugby:
@Stargazer Worcester losing to a Russian team has to be a huge upset.
Yes and no. Enisei beat another team at home last season when they were underestimated.
Connacht have a famous trip story from last season when they went to play them in Round 1 of the challenge cup. The game was played at subzero temps and the subs couldn't sit down on the bench for the whole match. Connacht ended up winning the match and then their plane couldn't take off and they spent the whole week,trying to get back home for their game the following week. Apparently it was the best bonding session the team had and forged a lot of their team spirit that helped to the title last season.
Enisei won two of their (home) games last season:
10-7 against Brive, and more spectacularly, 24-7 against Newcastle Falcons.
Obviously, they were smashed in the return games.The home game against Connacht in Siberia (played mid-November) ended in a 31-14 win to Connacht.
I'm getting cold just watching this highlights video (with Russian commentary): -
@Stargazer said in NH club rugby:
@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
@Bovidae said in NH club rugby:
@Stargazer Worcester losing to a Russian team has to be a huge upset.
Yes and no. Enisei beat another team at home last season when they were underestimated.
Connacht have a famous trip story from last season when they went to play them in Round 1 of the challenge cup. The game was played at subzero temps and the subs couldn't sit down on the bench for the whole match. Connacht ended up winning the match and then their plane couldn't take off and they spent the whole week,trying to get back home for their game the following week. Apparently it was the best bonding session the team had and forged a lot of their team spirit that helped to the title last season.
Two things I like about those highlights. The Russians know how pronounce Connacht properly Con-nucked - and the bench shot at the end with lads in their Parkas and rugs wrapped around them. The few Connacht fans who went on that trip said it would be a lifelong memory cos the team took them in for the whole trip. Great story.
Enisei won two of their (home) games last season:
10-7 against Brive, and more spectacularly, 24-7 against Newcastle Falcons.
Obviously, they were smashed in the return games.The home game against Connacht in Siberia (played mid-November) ended in a 31-14 win to Connacht.
I'm getting cold just watching this highlights video (with Russian commentary): -
Sad news from the Champions Cup. The Racing92 v Munster game has been postponed due to the sudden passing (overnight in the team hotel) of Munster Head Coack Anthony Foley.
The other games started with a minute silence and tribute to Foley.
Racing 92 posted these two tweets with videos showing the reaction of Munster fans who had come to the game in Paris:
A minute silence before the Exeter Chiefs v ASM Clermont-Ferrand match:
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News in this afternoon that Anthony 'Axel' Foley, the former Munster No8, who captained them to their first Heineken Cup victory in 2006, got 60 odd caps for Ireland, and was the current coach of Munster, died in in the team hotel in Paris last night. Their game today against Racing 92, where Ronan O'Gara is assistant coach, was cancelled.
Brilliant player, great leader, who got great respect wherever he played. A proper rugby bloke as Martin Corry said today.
He was 42.
RIP Axel.
