If you take club and country form, Penaud is the best winger in the world. It's one thing to play this well for 10 international games, but to do it for 10 internationals and 20 club games in the bedt competitions in the world is a different kettle of fish. Especially when you break 75% of attempted tackles
@@sikhothomas4746 because it rewards international rugby alone and not club performances The rest of the year Kolbe is doing nothing in Japan. It's like if the ballon d'or was given for internationals only.
Hello Tim, Even if I am a Stade Toulousain fan, I confirm that Chaban-Delmas is the best rugby stadium I've ever been to, perfect size for rugby matches, excellent atmosphere, very enjoyable!
Unrelated but massive respect to Northampton for giving their full respect to the competition despite having a pretty big injury list and not much depth and things not going great in the league.
Ulster win 1 game and qualify, Toulouse waltz through the groiup stage, only missing 1 try bp, and finish 2nd. Says it all about the format. The key this weekend seems to be concede 2 early tries, and yoiu'll get a comfortable win
As SA fans, we want to show up and support our teams like we did during the Super Rugby Series against NZ and Aus teams, with packed stadiums and high energy. But after this game, it's hard to eveb make an excuse for that performance. We want to back the guys, especially since they’re playing against phenomenal European sides, but the once mighty Sharks, Bulls, and Stormers are becoming the laughing stock. Maybe it's time to rethink the coaching and team dynamics to bring back that winning spirit in SA club rugby
@@Arti-iChi there are so many rugby fans in Ireland that want to see the best teams in SA come and give their best , but it looks like this will never happen , its a shame .
@@davidwalker2402 Totally understand..If the standard of play from South African teams is disappointing at the moment, then it doesnt feel like the best investment of time and money to come and watch...Even SA fans don't fill up our stands any longer which previously used to be filled to capacity...it's got nothing to do with playing in a European series but about the performance of our teams ... you know we can't stand losing like this 😁
Si les informations que j'ai sont correctes, les Sharks sont coincés à l'aéroport de Bordeaux-Mérignac. Ils ont besoin d'un avion de plus pour supplément de bagages. Toulouse-Blagnac déclarent qu'ils ne peuvent rien faire pour les Sharks car les 2 avions de réserve aujourd'hui viennent d'être affrétés en urgence par les Leicester Tigers.
Tears in raintown. The ability to whine endlessly about refs, complain that other teams set out to beat them, set up any team that has beaten theirs as the ultimate enemy, and the entitled feeling that they deserve any success they get sets the soap dodger fans apart.
Keo and Zels have summarized it really well. The Saffas teams can't really compete in this competition as yet, the money isn't there. And the squads are far too thin.
At Ravenhill on Friday we were all talking about whether it would be better to qualify for the Challenge Cup and have potentially winnable knockout matches, or go through in the Champions Cup and get hammered by Bordeaux or Leinster. Maybe the Sharks were thinking the same thing?
Exactly. To some extent, Ulster have a feather in their cap for having qualified for the knock-out stage. But so what? More than likely, Bordeaux will dump them out, whereas they might have stood a chance in the Challenge Cup. Back in the day, I can remember Ulster winning away to Toulouse, but that is now just a pipe-dream. I hope the money they get from the TV rights makes it worth it.
@@RossoVerdeNero In fact, for the Champions Cup the organizers do not pay much more to win than to lose, just participating in the pool phase is crucial for the lower budget clubs. For some the URC and one of the Investec cups can represent 50% of gains for one season, for the French clubs it is an average of 17%.
As an Ulsterman, I totally agree that it's bonkers that Ulster have qualified on the back of this result, with only one win against a terrible Exeter side. But the bonkers nature of this competition goes on... it looks like Ulster will now play away to Bordeaux AGAIN in the 1st knockout round. You might have thought teams would be drawn against teams from other groups when they qualify, but not in this crazy mixed up competition. The format is just a load of rubbish, purely designed to maximise the number of games for TV, and to make sure the big boys reach the latter stages.
Fellow Ulsterman .....and totally agree ...bring the old format ... 5 pools of 4 teams and home and away fixtures.... Pool winners and next best three .....every game counts .... And if there has to be seedings, surely they should be based on a teams European performance and nothing to do with domestic leagues? ....
Hey tim, i heard that the stripes on UBB shirt is an hommage to girondins (the bordeaux football team), they played in the 90’s in this stadium with a shirt like that and players like Zidane and others were in that team.
Girondins de Bordeaux not only played in the 90's... This is their original stadium for decades and huge history since 40s. You may be too young to only talk about Zidane, as we have several French international in the eighties like Giresse, Trésor, Battiston, Tigana, Lacombe et so many others. Chaban Delmas stadium, previously named Parc Lescure is an historical stadium in football history (used for the 1938 first world cup in France and particularly for The Girondins De Bordeaux that only left this venue in 2015.
@@arnaudc7023je sais que c’était leur stade pendant des décennies mais c’est pas le sujet. J’ai parlé des années 90 parce que ce maillot là vient de cette époque. Où notamment Zidane jouait. C’était juste pour le contexte, j’allais pas faire un historique détaillé des girondins sur les 100 dernières années… J’aime pas le foot toute façon donc je connais pas assez.
@@JewbacosTacos you make the real reason . There are a small number of teams so far ahead . Irrespective , these teams will rise to top. It was a very bad weekend for Premiership teams .
The fact is the Champions Cup format can be discussed as infinitum but the reality there are 3 top 14 sides and 2/3 Irish sides that are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest (possibly with Glasgow playing a “joker” role. Just look at Toulouse v Leicester score at half time ..
Quins beat Bordeaux away in the Quarter final last year. Saints pushed Leinster hard. I agree broadly but there's something particularly out of kilter with the Pool stages.
Like how many teams can realistically win the soccer premiership ? Yet nobody complains about the format, no team rocks up to Liverpool trying to lose or without their best players and the same can be said about every competitive soccer game. Rugby is expecting fans to pay while they are not even trying. No fans expect their teams to not go out and win games. Egg chaser is clearly bias to anything SA rugby do , but they’re totally wrong here.
There is one Irish side in the champions cup who are miles ahead that’s Leinster . Munster are building nicely but aren’t anything special right now and Ulster are pure garbage .
@ ulster are not pure garbage, they are a very young team building. The fact Ireland have 3 teams in the last 16 and leading qualifier in the CC shows the strength in Irish rugby is still very much intact.
I think the Sharks tried at times to play too much rugby, perhaps believing they needed to do so to secure a bonus point. However, I feel they essentially gifted the first 19 points to Bordeaux by being too loose and not taking the points on offer. I take my hat off to Bordeaux; they capitalized on every opportunity presented to them.
As an Irish fan I do think it is a shame when fans of other clubs and countries give out about rivals and make it personal. Banter is fine but it can go over the top. Saying that SA are ruining the tournament etc is nonsense. There are realistically only 3/4 teams that will win the tournament and it tends to be the same ones. The real issue is that domestic rules in France and URC differ. The budget caps hinder the EP. Then there is the matter of foreign players playing locally or not and still being able to tog out for their nation. This means that Leinster as a prime example have far more international players than many of those other clubs. I don’t know if this makes sense but it means that the Irish and French clubs have a huge advantage, whether financially or the fact that all homegrown players remain at home
Finally someone with sense. We love the URC but we should not be playing in the CC/EPCR and should rather rest our URC players do something with Argentina and our younger players who play in the Currie Cup. The guys are stretched with a 12 month season.
@ I think the one thing that could resolve the 12 months playing would be a single calendar. If we all had our windows at similar times. ie rugby championship and 6 nations played at the same time. It would also resolve that argument about tiredness over lack of cohesion/match play. SA has probably the largest viewing market and the most hardcore fans of anyone and this should be embraced. The issue is geographically they are stuck in the middle which causes issues whether in URC/CC or in Super rugby. Even when it comes to television they have the best solution with it all on one channel and not just games that bring in money but school games etc. This builds popularity even among those with limited budgets. I know in the NH it has always been seen as a middle class sport/private schools predominantly but that limits audience and money which could be used to do and the game in such a way that everyone is happy
....mmm ....yet Leicester fielded at least 13 international players in their starting 15 at the weekend ... including, Welsh, Argentinian, Australia, Scotland and England.....
@nedkelly6349 ummh and none of them should be doing this and then turn around to another country who uses their own players bar one across their four reams and say they are shit. Lol you are not getting it are you? You can have Allah, Buddha and Jesus in your teams but then don't troll others who gave you those prophets. If you chose to grow GMO food then dont compare yourselves to the organic farmer and wank about it Eish! If we enter Fijian or Samoan teams are you going to troll them too like retards.
Its quite incredible when we talk before the tournament about how its nearly hard not to qualify for the knockouts and not a single SA team made it. You'd almost think they don't want to be there. Considering they had high temperatures and in some cases Altitude on their side its hard to understand.
We generally fly backwards and forwards every two weeks and with 4 SA teams and the rest being European we have to do it way more than vice versa. Toulouse complained about one trip and we do 6-7. The URC guys from SA need a rest.
Coaches and management need to be held accountable. You can't have those player stocks and not deliver. One can have sympathy if they gave it a go and lost as opposed to sending weakened teams and making excuses. This is not the Currie Cup. Its embarrassing to lose by these margins. French teams are lit! Now that we see them play more often we can understand the hype. Respect 👊
@@abigailvanwyk9267 Agree with you the problem are the coach and kolisi were ever he go there are problems getting 6 times more money then the other players it will cause trouble
It is a shame we will nto get a UBB vs ST in the final as they have clearly produced the best rugby of this competition so far .Leinster will play one of te two and it will be Epic in Cardiff . As a fan of rugby i have to say i don't really get the benefit of having SA teams in this competition ? Also very concerned about the collapse of English rugby . And finally , not having Jack Willis in the English national team is utterly stupid ! Roll on the 6 nations and "Allez les bleus , toute une nation derriere vous les petits !".
Je suis pour un nouveau format . Les sud africains savent enfin montrer un peu de respect pour les clubs européens. Je suis sur qu’ils seront se reprendre . Ils ont besoin avant tout d’avoir une meilleur assise financière pour ainsi avoir un banc un peu plus compétitif.je suis sûr qu’ils ont le talent pour faire mieux et j’espère qu’il y aura plus de suspens car c’est avant tout comme ça que j’apprécie le rugby .
@jeanmichelreneredbeans4104 Money (lack thereof) is a huge problem in SA. It's extremely frustrating for our SA teams, coaches, franchises, & supporters that with the talent we have, we simply cannot compete at club rugby level with the likes of the French teams or Leinster. We want to be competitive & provide suspense & excellent viewing, but something has to change for that to happen. At the moment, we are better suited to the URC where we are more competitive.
@@wot4922 Lobbying. IRB thinks the entire world wants to see SA in the "Champions League" of rugby. SA are the favourite team. It has been ABs for 15years. Now it's SA. Maybe Ireland on next RWC?
Until they start to take it seriously ...field your strongest team in the champions cup ( it's max 4 games in pool stages ) rotate the 'big name' players in the URC ....
So now the Sharks will go into the Challenge Cup again once the knockout stage starts and they will have all their injured Springboks back and will absolutely dominate every team in the Challenge Cup, doesn't really make sense this format
Just wondering wether you could start to cover the challenge cup aswell as I think it’s starting to look like an epic contest if it ends with a bath vs sharks full force in the final - that could have quite easily be a champions cup final
@@EggchasersRugby Bayonne - Gloucester was broadcast on French public TV just before Toulouse - Leicester. A great rugby afternoon... (at least for the French sides so far). Curious to see who will will play vs who at the knock out stages. Playing against a same country side is always spécial.
6 out of 8 french teams are qualified for the knockout stages, and racing still in with a shot. And with some emphatic scores like ubb and toulouse responding in style against leicester. If they can emulate this form and desire in the 6 nations, they may not even need Jacques Ouillisse.
Something that has become apparent is that on the whole the premiership teams are struggling to match the best URC/Top 14 teams, due to the salary cap. Bath and Bristol topping the Premiership but being at the bottom of their pool says it all. Bath were competitive against Leinster for the first half, and then the strength of the bench told all. This seems to be a common theme throughout the whole competition, which is sad to see.
Bunch of Toulouse and Bordeaux players are gonna play the 6 nations for France. Is France gonna be sublime this year? I hope so. Btw, I didn't know Capuzzo was raised and rugby trained in France. The guy can barely speak Italian, no wonder he's so good.
Haven’t read the comments so forgive me if repeating other people’s views. But how can the SA teams be expected to compete when constantly flying to Europe? Even super fit sports people can’t beat jet lag. Even without time zone changes air travel for 10 / 12 hours is horrendous. Bordeaux are a superb team . As a Leinster fan I don’t want my team to meet them or Toulouse until the latest stage in the competition we can get to. The SA teams have added immensely to the URC. I hope they can also make their mark on the Champions Cup, but for now I feel their disadvantages are not being fairly considered.
I see this reoccuring pattern in the comments and certain media when SA lose and it’s almost like it is not accepted that they can simply not be as good in any one game full stop. The nations national squad is in god mode with the World Cup wins (and the incredible depth of squad) but the win percentage isn’t bulletproof by a long mile.
What is not accepted by many people and which is stupid is the carbon impact that all plane travel thousands of kilometers between Europe and South Africa generates. This sport is going crazy.
I personally don't like it when the same teams play each other in the knockout round. Ulster and bordo played each other already in the group now the last 16 this is my main issue
I like the idea of playing South African teams but I don't think this is the competition for it. A World Club Cup every four years would be better. Time to have a European Cup again. Make it four groups of 4. 5 teams from the URC, TOP 14 and the Premiership plus the winner or highest performing team that hasn't qualified. This would also strengthen the challenge cup.
The SA teams need sponsorship from an international brand, not sure if Stormers have that or just from the local DHL franchise. But that might give them a bigger carrot to go after the international leagues.
Guys , let us all take a breath . What was so great about the previous iteration of 4 in a group ?on last round of group stage you normally had at least 1 team out of the competition and bottom of group . They would send reserve team and get hammered . Point is , there is no perfect competition. However , Sharks should be ashamed of themselves for performance this week and also last week at home
What was so great about it? Nearly everything was great about it, we never saw 60 point blowouts in the old format since their were fewer teams and better quality matches. The back to back Christmas games produced some of the best games of the season, there were no SA teams so we didn't have the travel chaos and teams sending their second string out. There was no last 16 matches so we didn't have bad teams qualifying after winning only one game. The old format wasn't perfect but it was damn close
@ it is what it is. The one game less is dictated by French/Premiership powers. Btw , tell the format is rubbish to the wonderful Castre reserve team who beat Sarries. You can have 60 point blowouts in any game . Who would have predicted Toulouse who have put 80 points on Leicester today ?
@ French/Premiership owners wanted 1 game less and his was the format selected. I thought there were some cracking games this weekend. Knockout top 16 will have some unusual games . Castre v Benetton ? Who would have thought
@@EggchasersRugby - as you know the format is for : 1) money/TV and 2) supposedly great matches with everything on the line at match 4. Officially Leicester turned up to Toulouse knowing that even if they WON they wouldn’t be first . Toulouse knew that also . Which means why not play the last pool matches simultaneously over the 3 days available ? Or more radically accept that 24 is too many and go to 16 and use a rating/ranking system * for the non winners of the Prem, URC and Top 14 . Then you would have the “best of the best” of that season. * it is possible as they do for International teams and have one for European football team seedings… problem would be certain years no Welsh, or Italians or whoever …
As a Sharks fan it was painful to watch but an expected result. Problem with SA teams is that we fill our domestic sides with Currie cup graduates, who then have to play seasoned internationals in the toughest club rugby tournament in the world. It's a baptism of fire for players with no prior experience. Yes the Sharks have a large Springbok contingent in the side but depth is a huge problem when you can't field all of them. The level of rugby played in the French league is so much higher due to the financial recruiting power they have. In terms of blooding young players, it works perfectly and may benefit us come the next world cup, but in order to be more competitive in these tournaments you need to be recruiting more from overseas which will never happen as long as the Currie cup exists.
Remember that at least the second string players in the French teams are academy players they developed. Galtier just called a D2 player that one of the top clubs has on loan there...
My personal opinion is that there is somethin wrong at the Sharks and I believe it to have something to do with the coaching team. Not sure what it is exactly but there needs to be a shake up or dressing down or whatever you would like to call it. Tim, I know you really enjoyed your brief stay in KZN, maybe since you have one less team to coach in Manchester you would be interested in a coaching role in Durbs. I, for one would back you.
Quite thrilled to watch Penaud comeback after his autumn injuries, 6 tries, 3 passes, a mythic day to remember. Bordeaux will be hard to beat if they can keep their leaders fit, Toulouse & Leinster have more depth to replace theirs. Pretty nothing to say about SA clubs and fans, they will always find a new bad excuse (travel, meteo, not interested, injuries, etc...) Time for the ECPR to forget this non-sense, develop and bet on European nations (Georgia, Italia, Spain)
@zisssssou And isn't this just so typical of the French fanbase. Here we are, having a healthy discussion about what the SA teams are doing wrong & how disappointing it is for SA supporters, players & the country, & suddenly, here comes this Frenchman trash-talking our SA clubs & fans without understanding a thing about the way that club rugby works in SA. Your thinly-disguised intense dislike of SA fans, SA players, SA clubs/franchises & most of all our national team, the Springboks, is very transparent indeed. We are not too big-headed or arrogant to admit that the French club rugby scenario is phenomenal & miles ahead of the rest (perhaps Leinster could offer some competition... but Toulouse & Bordeaux at the moment are in a class of their own). Try to hate less and see how we can all enjoy the beautiful game of rugby at top level (I'm sure it would be beneficial for all clubs if many more clubs were more competitive. Oh, and good luck introducing Georgia, Italy & Spain to your tournaments... then you'll really see a circus!! Ironic that Investec, a financial giant home-grown in South African is the main sponsor of this Champions Cup!! But hey, maybe they'll see all the hate & nastiness from ungrateful, arrogant French people like you & pull the sponsorship. Then you can ask Georgia, Italy & Spain to sponsor your prestigious competition.
Get us SA teams out for the better good of the competition and our player welfare too. We simply don’t have the depth nor finances to lure international players or keep all the SA players playing abroad in our country. The schedule simply doesn’t work too so let’s call it a day on this comp. I have no doubt that this competition has had a wonderful history but SA fans simply don’t connect with it so let’s move on and allow for it to go back to how it was. English and French fans will be much happier too which is clear from the general social media negativity towards us. We always appreciate your support though Tim but we are devaluing the competition now.
The gap between the SA teams and French teams is Huge. Worrying times for the boks the talent is not coming through quick enough. Yes they will they loads of their players play in Japan but it’s not a 66-12 equivalent 😂😂
Dont worry SA, you will win the Wc again. The ref will award it to an honorable and good team such as sa aussies or nz. Never to the french. We saw it today. They are overated not at the level. Such as in 1995 semi vs sa In 2011 vs nz In 2023 vs sa Look forward to such next refereeing. Dont worry sa tomorrow is another happy day. This is rugby.
Tim - am I correct in saying that Bordeaux and Toulouse are on the same side of the draw and will meet each other in the semi final? Can't see past one of these two teams winning the trophy .... unless Leinster are playing rope-a-dope and can peak when it matters
Dont really know what happened with this game. Watched the first half and sharks were up 12-0 for how long and then went in 19-12 at half time. I come back with 5 minutes to play and theyre like 50 points down SA still doesent really have any motivation to take the league seriously because we cant host until next season i believe it was and our teams all operate on a budget 10× smaller than the french teams. At least the Lions (the team i support anyway) murdered the dragons last night and i think they are actually a challange cup threat. Format is unacceptable the way it is rn because theres no way ulster made it to a knockout with 1 win. Desporatly needs to be fixed
@@davidwalker2402SA teams didn't ruin Super Rugby, the initial format for Super Rugby was great best club comp out there. It took a decade of adding more and more teams to the comp to kill it
Ulster don’t make the rules. Nor do they pick a crap broadcaster. Why would the SA teams buy into it. Love to see the viewing figures. Main sponsor being South African still doesn’t really help their enthusiasm. On a brighter note. The Northampton v Munster game was absolutely fantastic game. Edge of the seat for the result.
Yannick Bru, Bordeaux's manager and former Sharks coaching staff member, stated in the pre-game interview that the main objective was to secure 5 points. However, a 28-point margin would be ideal to avoid facing the Sharks again in the Round of 16. He believes that playing the Sharks in three months, with better weather conditions and the return of key internationals like Etzebeth, would be more challenging than facing Ulster. This explains why Bordeaux didn’t ease off too much after securing the 5 points.
Not sure Bordeaux would lose much sleep playing the Sharks again at home even with the injured Sharks players coming back, he just wanted to find a way to motivate his players
@@timslade5808 if you had a choice between Ulster or a stronger Sharks, you're definitely picking Ulster. Sharks have enough good players they one good game is all it takes.
People don’t realise aswell Bordeaux have a very much phase Irish phase play attack under their Irish attack coach. They also have unbelievable transition players in Penaud and Bielle Barrey but in phase play it’s actually similar to how Ireland attack under Farrell.
Format is useless. Same happened last year with teams qualifying with 1 win. Back in the day you'd need 4 wins to qualify. Toulouse currently routing Leicester. You can tell there are a pocket of teams who still buy in to it, and the majority who dont. Just go back to the old format. Its not rocket science
@ its not Ulster fault the sharks didn’t turn up , what SA teams are doing by not trying is allowing other teams to qualify other teams to notch up bonus points while directly effecting home and away ties for other teams. SA teams are treating their fans and fans of rugby with disdain , I have never known teams from the premier league to rock up to games not caring whether they lose or not, yes play and give team squad minutes but to lose thats insulting to fans.
@@davidwalker2402 teams have been doing this for years since the new format. Are we forgetting the amount of times the French clubs send the kids. SA clubs aren't helping as with the distance to travel, of course they will lose interest when they are not looking like getting decent seeding. SA teams aside, the format is useless
Don't you think that Sharks were preferring to focus on URC and win the Challenge again ? Instead of being eliminated in the CC next round ? South African are here only because of financial reasons. And because the main sponsor is southafrican as well, don't you think !? I have an other question about both Champions and Challenge Cups : how are done the doping controls ? South Africa was put on notice in October 2022 to update its legislation or face sanctions for non-compliance. What's new since ? Other remarks : Leicester knew they will finish 3rd whatever the loss was. What are you thinking of when you are led by 20 points after 10 minutes. What did the Tigers think and speak of after 7,8, 9 times behind the sticks !? Gloucester did not send its best team to Bayonne (challenge). Castres won vs Saracens...! It never happened...! Toulouse has won all the games but is ranked behind Northampton. Etc etc. This format was flawed from the beginning.
"South Africa was put on notice in October 2022 to update its legislation or face sanctions for non-compliance. What's new since ?" A: Please do your research - they were compliant but the Government simply did not file the final paperwork but it had been signed off on by independent third parties. While this was used as a silly propaganada tool during the 2023 Rugby World Cup France was actually more behind on compliance but that was never mentioned but it appeared in news articles in September 2023 and France was also issued a warning about losing the hosting right to the Olympics. Please know the facts. "South African are here only because of financial reasons." A: The same parties who poach our players for more money then point fingers at us for fielding weaker teams. You are also wanting us to play for Financial reasons - we already generate 50% of the revenue of the URC. The hypocrisy is hilarious. The SA teams also do not stack their sides with foreign internations either. Bordeaux started with five today and had another four on the bench. Thats 9/23 that are not French and a lot of these guys have played test rugby for other countries. Imagine if the Sharks could do that and the other half of their absent players did not play overseas?
SA players having to comply with stricter anti-doping processes seems to slow them down, like a LOT, go figure. There's no way you can have the best national team in the world, and be completely lost on the pitch (with many of your top national players) in a club competition.
@Matt-m3y-r4u SA players are built bigger & stronger, & they train extremely hard to maintain fitness & brute strength. BTW did you know that Kolbe lifts 45 kg dumbbells (1 in each hand)? Have you seen Etzebeth's resistance exercises & weight training? No doping required... just genetics & extremely hard work. Try not to malign innocent players just because your players are built differently. Club/franchise rugby is very different to national rugby. Get to understand how club/franchise rugby works in SA before casting such nonsensical & libelous dispersions.
This is another example of the quantity over quality mindset of administrators/ sponsors and should not be put on the players or clubs. Until the scheduling and travel issues get resolved and SA teams are allowed to host home semi's or finals, no one in SA will care about this competition. I understand the ire of European supporters and journalists and believe our teams should exit this competition and reinvigorate the Currie Cup.
I think it can be solved. Fewer teams. 16 not 24. 8 teams qualifying for knockout, not 16. And, as you say, making the long trips with best squads achievable by scheduling properly with URC.
If ever there was a match highlighting just how much the competition has been watered down esp after the hidings Exeter & Stade Francais already took this wkend (Leicester too atm!). Just to clarify, not asking for SA Teams to be chucked out of the competition, just for only Top 6 from URC, Top 6 from Top 14 & Top 4 from Prem to be allowed in it!
Tim, did you mention that SA sides have had to play during both the winter and summer seasons? I saw the Sharks get off the coach. The looked disinterested/tired? What did you think? When they went 12-0 up I thought they should have saved their energy. It wouldn't have mattered. Dobson and Plumtree have already warned the competition hierarchy about player burnout. Rassie won't be pleased about the state of his players when the time comes...
I've been saying for a while ; SA teams should get back to Super Rugby. They need to work with Sanzaar to revamp and make it great again. Years gone by Super Rugby was way better than anything in the NH.
Champions Cup, in it's prime, is genuinely the pinnacle of club rugby. I really want to see it there again, with SA teams. More quality, less quantity.
You'll notice that doesn't happen in these comments, and I really appreciate the quality of conversation here. So I'd appreciate if you didn't try to poke the bear here :) Do that in the places where these comments actually are.
@EggchasersRugby feel free to delete the comment. But it's evident that most rugby fans can appreciate good play, and great players and indeed the greater values of the game. Some others less so. That happens. With some fans less than others it appears. Call it out, or don't it's your page mate. Cheers.
@@fergalbannon4614 you can say that, and I 100% accept that there are many very loud Saffas online, but I might suggest that you don't really see the other side of the coin, the amount of French fans on SA comments sections causing trouble also...so lets just say everybody needs to pull up their socks and have some more respect for each other. Does that sound fair?
@aldobonaso3481 tbh mate I don't see that as like for like. As someone who applauded SA's win in 2019, since the Lions tourin 2021 there has just been this descent down the Rassie hole. No team can play as well, no player can be as good. If we lose we were robbed. It's Trumpian. And I believe, against the values of rugby. It's not the same in France. Nor NZ. Not that much anyway.
I think we should try to help the SA teams a bit more. We need to stack a few URC games and champions cup games in batches up north for them to promote them bringing their best and not having to fly up and down too often. Having said that I think Bordeaux, Toulouse and Leinster are on a different level this season. In a one off game LAR, Northampton, Saracens, Munster, stormers are capable of knocking one of the top 3 off but they just can’t put a string of games together to threaten to win the comp imo. I also agree with reducing the number of teams in the champions and challenge cup and improve both competitions. Less games overall as well and more quality is the way to grow rugby overall imo.
Can I just be the first one to say the challenge cup looks epic this season now with bath sharks bulls Edinburgh Montpellier it could actually be quite entertaining
Do you actually understand the situation SA faces? But here is a glimpse if we reverse it just using two French clubs 1. you have rands not Euros so take all the foreign internationals out of the Bordeux and Toulon squads because they are playng in SA that has Euros. 2. Send Ntamac, DuPont and Penaud to Japan and send a bunch of other French players to SA or URC or Premiership teams because they were offered better contracts. 3. Add all the foreign SA players back into the Sharks squad who used to play for them becaus ethey stayed over and above the current Boks - Pieter Steph, Carlus Sadi and others 5. Make Toulose and Bordeaux fly back and forth every two weeks but the Sharks only do it once. What do you think the scores will be?
I can't say this enough, Sharks need a new coach! We have no real game plan, our defence does not change depending on the team we play against ( do they not do any research? ). Just disappointed in them as is normal for a sharks fan.
I wonder if the biggest issue with our South African franchises being able to compete over such a long season across multiple formats (URC, EPCR and Currie Cup) is that we’re unable to hold on to a quality of depth. The stats are hard to come by but certain stats show South Africa have more professional rugby players playing outside South Africa than inside South Africa. So whilst we have plenty of rugby players, and Springboks littering the squads, we also have half the Springbok squad playing overseas, and the next layer of players who would improve the quality of the clubs and compete for a Bok jersey also plying their trade overseas, some of them for other international teams. The economics of a short rugby career and the strength of the Rand versus Pound, Euro or Yen means you can hardly blame the guys for going overseas. The Springbok players have their contracts boosted by SA Rugby and private equity but the others who are good enough migrate overseas, meaning the drop off when a Springbok is injured is massive. I also think the SA teams will prioritise the URC as it’s their bread and butter, and they’re aware they don’t have the resources to compete at the business end of the Champions Cup. And like the European teams have the history with the Champions Cup, the SA teams have history with the Currie Cup, giving it attention. I’m not sure there is a simple solution to this. I’d love to say that the SA teams play Currie Cup over the Champions Cup weekends but there are commercial benefits to being part of the EPCR competitions, and the Currie Cup format would be distorted as the Griquas, Pumas etc aren’t playing URC. As a South African fan, I long for the glory days of Super Rugby (Super 12), which coincided with some of the best Heineken Cups of all time, notwithstanding the URC having been mightily successful. The URC also has its travel and scheduling challenges, but the same travel challenges were evident in Super Rugby days, lest we only look back with rose-tinted glasses.
The 12 month season is brutal. Kolisi, for one example, was brilliant in international window. Probably makes sense that he's often a shadow of the same player in Sharks colours. Can't possibly sustain it all year round.
South African teams should be ashamed of themselves, they have decided to try rubbishing this competition. They are no benefit to it and should not be allowed to play in it. They make a mockery of it. Yes it’s sponsored by a SA company , and it’s clear they have no respect for them either.
@ at least Exeter tried and so did Sale just like all English teams tried, SA teams have no interest in this competition but don’t mind dragging European teams out there to boost their crowds, but give nothing back .
Disagree. Many teams have sent weak sides to games. Or been on the wrong end of 1 sided matches. The format being poor and number of teams to great are much bigger problems.
@ unless SA teams are useless, everyone of them played 4 games all ended up with huge minus points, other teams being effected by their useless play , teams getting soft bonus points insuring they get home draws , all because SA teams refuse to try. This was the best club competition SA teams who try to buck the system are now dragging this through the mud , just like they did in super rugby. They deserve the wrath of all fans who don’t agree with your jaundiced views of how European club rugby should be played.
I know it's not realistic to expect our teams to do well in this competition due to all the circumstances, but still it hurts to see this lind of result and it makes it very difficult for SA fans to get excited about this competition.
That's exactly right. I SO want fans in SA to be able to see how special this competition has been. Unfortunately it is not that level currently. Format, scheduling, quality, lack of jeopardy. There is LOTS of issues.
@@hannesbornman1045 I know but I do not see why the SA teams could not perform in these competitions better than the CC where issues, problems, challenges are the same.
@@marco-dn7kd Simply because of the strength of the opposition. In the challenge cup our teams can overcome the challenges because the opposition is much weaker. Our clubs can't compete with teams that can front 23 internationals in a squad every week. Some of these french clubs have budgets almost bigger than our country's GDP ffs. Yes we do have some Springboks in our squads, but we do not benefit from attracting world class players from abroad like they do.
Reading the comments calling for the SA sides to be kicked is humorous as Leicester are being whacked 42-0 at HT. The truth is that the French sides have the budget and therefore, the depth that is virtually impossible to compete with given the logistics of the competition.
Hey Tim, Now that we've seen how powerful the French teams are, can i ask you to please begin to correct the English media narrative (not by you, but by others) that Leinster have unfair advantages? Leinster have only 3 players who were not produced directly by the club, whereas Toulon, Bordeaux, LaR and Toulouse have an average of 10 imports each in their squads .... Maybe the English media need to start looking at the French financial strength and their ongoing dominance of this competition, instead of ragging on Leinster all the time? Toulouse foreign players Kinghorn Mallia Capuozzo Merkler Willis Arnold Chocobares Laulala La Rochelle foreign players Kerr Barlow Bottia Skelton Lleyds Dillane Seuteni Scalvi Bordeaux foreign players Carberry Petti Tameifuna Gray Coleman Taufa Swinton Samu Tatafu Tapauai Sadie Toulon foreign players Gigashvili Sinckler Lucchesi Ribbans Isa Ludlam Tuicuvu Wainiqolo Fainga'anuku
Very minor corrections, for accuracy sake. Ange Capuozzo is French, Italian international because the grand-parent rule. And Saito, Japanese international plays as the 3rd scrum-half for Toulouse.
@@jean-pascalesparceil9008 Maybe I should have added Brennan (born in Ireland) into the mix then? I also forgot to add Biggar to the Toulon list 😎 The point remains, the big French teams have on average 3 times as many imported players as Leinster.
@@ronanfurlong2708 Brennan came in France when he was less than 6 months old, he always lived in france since then, he learned rugby in Toulouse and stated a short time ago that his long dream was to wear the French jersey
@kropotkine9640 and good luck to him .... but can we please now stop with the Midi Olympique nonsense around how Leinster have unfair advantages over everyone?
This is just our third season in this competition it took leinster 9ish years to win it the first time... Give us a chance, all this calling for the sa teams to be kicked is ridiculous. French teams and leinster etc send second teams all the time and no one complains. We dont have the depth yet but all these young players will grow from these experiences. Also sa teams can beat anyone at home so as we grow into this competition we will get better.
Agree - calling for them to leave comp is silly. I do think the reality of the standard at this level, playing some of the French giants, will sink in now and the reaction longer term will be positive. I hope so at least.
Don't think anyone's seriously asking for SA Teams to be chucked out of the comp, just for only the Top 6 from URC to be allowed in it, same with Top 14 & only Top 4 from ENG Prem.
Tim can you please do a proper look at the financial incentives for the South African teams. They way they are fielding their squads feels to me like it's a management decision and not just a coaching one.
SA opted to leave Super Rugby in favor ofEuropean Leagues, so we can't complain about travel fatigue!;it was tougher back then! So, I don't be now what's bupbwith rhexSAvteams; possibly a bit of Saffa cocky arrogance!?
Nonsense. NZ forced SA out of Super Rugby during Covid (they're still regretting that btw). Now SA teams travel via Qatar... different story if direct to UK or Europe. But you're happy to have SA teams in URC with much improved revenue for NH... yeah, that's arrogant... not!
@ Extreme fatigue isn't from one flight my friend. Springboks haven't had a rest and have flown around the world who knows how many times in the last 6 months alone. The Sharks team without boks has to play the Currie Cup last 4 matches, then without a break tour Europe immediately. They get back to SA and the Boks get drafted immediately after flying to Wales, then SA, then AUS, then SA, then ARG, then Europe, then back to SA...then back to France with no real break over the holidays. There hasn't really been an opportunity to condition the collective team.
@@chris5240 A good number of European fans understand the problem faced by the SA franchises. And we give consideration to them for having refused the offer of the US funding. The ideal world season does not exist yet, and I doubt this is even possible. The domestic championship is long and tiring in France, add the Investec cups, Autumn series, 6 nations and I hope Southern Hemisphere fans can understand that the French internationals (who are fully payed by their club) who play the las two matches in june cannot play the Summer Series.
So should we chuck the English teams and half the French teams as well considering Leicester are being pumped rn against Toulouse, Exeter has been abysmal, Stade Francais got pumped, Bath got pumped. The format and squad depth differences are vast
@@k0bra3eak40Leicester were qualified before the ball was kicked and they knee they couldn't improve their seeding for the next round unless they beat the best rugby team in the world, at home
@@k0bra3eak40 Stade Français is the most English of French clubs currently, look at their roster and coach. But Owen Farrel, who was injured, had a very goob match this saturday.
Sharkuterie 👌
😄😂
Nice one 😂👌🏻
Nice one
😂🎉
Pas mal 😉
If you take club and country form, Penaud is the best winger in the world. It's one thing to play this well for 10 international games, but to do it for 10 internationals and 20 club games in the bedt competitions in the world is a different kettle of fish.
Especially when you break 75% of attempted tackles
@@sirfrancis6058 far better than Kolbe I agree.
He scored 9 tries in his last 2 games, it's just insane
There was a winger nominated for world player of the year, that is the best winger in the world.
@@sikhothomas4746 because it rewards international rugby alone and not club performances
The rest of the year Kolbe is doing nothing in Japan.
It's like if the ballon d'or was given for internationals only.
world class. never seen anything like it!
You choosed Kolbe as the best No.14 and Penaud took it personal.
9 tries and 4 assists in 2 games is ridiculous
Hello Tim,
Even if I am a Stade Toulousain fan, I confirm that Chaban-Delmas is the best rugby stadium I've ever been to, perfect size for rugby matches, excellent atmosphere, very enjoyable!
Je le met en deuxième position après celui de Clermont ou le son résonne beaucoup plus ! Mais oui chaban c’est un incroyable stade rempli d’histoire !
Unrelated but massive respect to Northampton for giving their full respect to the competition despite having a pretty big injury list and not much depth and things not going great in the league.
Ulster win 1 game and qualify, Toulouse waltz through the groiup stage, only missing 1 try bp, and finish 2nd. Says it all about the format. The key this weekend seems to be concede 2 early tries, and yoiu'll get a comfortable win
Should Jallibert start for France under the instruction to always get the ball to penaud, unbelievable performance today
Tim, when you watch the ST-Leicester match, don't blink or go fetch a beer, you might miss a try!
As SA fans, we want to show up and support our teams like we did during the Super Rugby Series against NZ and Aus teams, with packed stadiums and high energy. But after this game, it's hard to eveb make an excuse for that performance. We want to back the guys, especially since they’re playing against phenomenal European sides, but the once mighty Sharks, Bulls, and Stormers are becoming the laughing stock. Maybe it's time to rethink the coaching and team dynamics to bring back that winning spirit in SA club rugby
@@Arti-iChi there are so many rugby fans in Ireland that want to see the best teams in SA come and give their best , but it looks like this will never happen , its a shame .
@@davidwalker2402 Totally understand..If the standard of play from South African teams is disappointing at the moment, then it doesnt feel like the best investment of time and money to come and watch...Even SA fans don't fill up our stands any longer which previously used to be filled to capacity...it's got nothing to do with playing in a European series but about the performance of our teams ... you know we can't stand losing like this 😁
What is happening with your teams? Being an almighty international team which everyone wants to beat how can your club performances be poor?
With respect for the Springboks players, their X factor is Rassie. The franchises' coaches are not up to the level of this competition.
It’s Fine Masotti will replace us with Americans.
Peole acting like saffas are not trying 😂
Stop with the excuses, they're simply not good enough
Not gonna argue. There seems to be a huge gulf in coaching between club and country level
back to back world cups never looked so cheap...
@@papachinizo Yet you can't win them???
Si les informations que j'ai sont correctes, les Sharks sont coincés à l'aéroport de Bordeaux-Mérignac. Ils ont besoin d'un avion de plus pour supplément de bagages.
Toulouse-Blagnac déclarent qu'ils ne peuvent rien faire pour les Sharks car les 2 avions de réserve aujourd'hui viennent d'être affrétés en urgence par les Leicester Tigers.
🤣🤣🤣
Les valises sont pleines 😂
Don’t know what’s more embarrassing, that loss or the Scottish fans who said Glasgow are up there with UBB, Leinster and Toulouse.
Glasgow has a good team but they're nowhere near these teams, imo
Tears in raintown. The ability to whine endlessly about refs, complain that other teams set out to beat them, set up any team that has beaten theirs as the ultimate enemy, and the entitled feeling that they deserve any success they get sets the soap dodger fans apart.
Hi dude the whole of the competition needs to be reviewed as you said to many Q next to teams that should not be there...great show by the way 😂😂
Keo and Zels have summarized it really well. The Saffas teams can't really compete in this competition as yet, the money isn't there. And the squads are far too thin.
And no LBB today 😅!!!
Bip bip 😂
At Ravenhill on Friday we were all talking about whether it would be better to qualify for the Challenge Cup and have potentially winnable knockout matches, or go through in the Champions Cup and get hammered by Bordeaux or Leinster. Maybe the Sharks were thinking the same thing?
Exactly. To some extent, Ulster have a feather in their cap for having qualified for the knock-out stage. But so what? More than likely, Bordeaux will dump them out, whereas they might have stood a chance in the Challenge Cup. Back in the day, I can remember Ulster winning away to Toulouse, but that is now just a pipe-dream. I hope the money they get from the TV rights makes it worth it.
@@RossoVerdeNero In fact, for the Champions Cup the organizers do not pay much more to win than to lose, just participating in the pool phase is crucial for the lower budget clubs. For some the URC and one of the Investec cups can represent 50% of gains for one season, for the French clubs it is an average of 17%.
Ma Sharks à la tronçonneuse..
joli !
@@Opitoukisskiss Je dirais même plus, Joli !
Bordeaux removed their teeth.
As an Ulsterman, I totally agree that it's bonkers that Ulster have qualified on the back of this result, with only one win against a terrible Exeter side. But the bonkers nature of this competition goes on... it looks like Ulster will now play away to Bordeaux AGAIN in the 1st knockout round. You might have thought teams would be drawn against teams from other groups when they qualify, but not in this crazy mixed up competition. The format is just a load of rubbish, purely designed to maximise the number of games for TV, and to make sure the big boys reach the latter stages.
Fellow Ulsterman .....and totally agree ...bring the old format ... 5 pools of 4 teams and home and away fixtures.... Pool winners and next best three .....every game counts ....
And if there has to be seedings, surely they should be based on a teams European performance and nothing to do with domestic leagues? ....
Always a pleasure!!!
Looks like someone was motivated to "do better" after Tim kicked him off the top spot wingers
Haha. Might be right
Hey tim, i heard that the stripes on UBB shirt is an hommage to girondins (the bordeaux football team), they played in the 90’s in this stadium with a shirt like that and players like Zidane and others were in that team.
Girondins de Bordeaux not only played in the 90's... This is their original stadium for decades and huge history since 40s.
You may be too young to only talk about Zidane, as we have several French international in the eighties like Giresse, Trésor, Battiston, Tigana, Lacombe et so many others.
Chaban Delmas stadium, previously named Parc Lescure is an historical stadium in football history (used for the 1938 first world cup in France and particularly for The Girondins De Bordeaux that only left this venue in 2015.
@@arnaudc7023je sais que c’était leur stade pendant des décennies mais c’est pas le sujet. J’ai parlé des années 90 parce que ce maillot là vient de cette époque. Où notamment Zidane jouait. C’était juste pour le contexte, j’allais pas faire un historique détaillé des girondins sur les 100 dernières années… J’aime pas le foot toute façon donc je connais pas assez.
Honestly, what do you expect? Leinster, Toulouse, Bordeaux is just so much further ahead than any team in this comp, not just south africa teams
@@JewbacosTacos you make the real reason . There are a small number of teams so far ahead . Irrespective , these teams will rise to top. It was a very bad weekend for Premiership teams .
The fact is the Champions Cup format can be discussed as infinitum but the reality there are 3 top 14 sides and 2/3 Irish sides that are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest (possibly with Glasgow playing a “joker” role. Just look at Toulouse v Leicester score at half time ..
Quins beat Bordeaux away in the Quarter final last year. Saints pushed Leinster hard. I agree broadly but there's something particularly out of kilter with the Pool stages.
Like how many teams can realistically win the soccer premiership ? Yet nobody complains about the format, no team rocks up to Liverpool trying to lose or without their best players and the same can be said about every competitive soccer game. Rugby is expecting fans to pay while they are not even trying. No fans expect their teams to not go out and win games. Egg chaser is clearly bias to anything SA rugby do , but they’re totally wrong here.
There is one Irish side in the champions cup who are miles ahead that’s Leinster .
Munster are building nicely but aren’t anything special right now and Ulster are pure garbage .
@ ulster are not pure garbage, they are a very young team building. The fact Ireland have 3 teams in the last 16 and leading qualifier in the CC shows the strength in Irish rugby is still very much intact.
There are Leinster, Toulouse and Bordeaux. La Rochelle have gone old and stale and next year with Le Garret and Niniashvilli will be better
I think the Sharks tried at times to play too much rugby, perhaps believing they needed to do so to secure a bonus point. However, I feel they essentially gifted the first 19 points to Bordeaux by being too loose and not taking the points on offer. I take my hat off to Bordeaux; they capitalized on every opportunity presented to them.
As an Irish fan I do think it is a shame when fans of other clubs and countries give out about rivals and make it personal. Banter is fine but it can go over the top. Saying that SA are ruining the tournament etc is nonsense. There are realistically only 3/4 teams that will win the tournament and it tends to be the same ones. The real issue is that domestic rules in France and URC differ. The budget caps hinder the EP. Then there is the matter of foreign players playing locally or not and still being able to tog out for their nation. This means that Leinster as a prime example have far more international players than many of those other clubs. I don’t know if this makes sense but it means that the Irish and French clubs have a huge advantage, whether financially or the fact that all homegrown players remain at home
Finally someone with sense. We love the URC but we should not be playing in the CC/EPCR and should rather rest our URC players do something with Argentina and our younger players who play in the Currie Cup. The guys are stretched with a 12 month season.
@ I think the one thing that could resolve the 12 months playing would be a single calendar. If we all had our windows at similar times. ie rugby championship and 6 nations played at the same time. It would also resolve that argument about tiredness over lack of cohesion/match play. SA has probably the largest viewing market and the most hardcore fans of anyone and this should be embraced. The issue is geographically they are stuck in the middle which causes issues whether in URC/CC or in Super rugby. Even when it comes to television they have the best solution with it all on one channel and not just games that bring in money but school games etc. This builds popularity even among those with limited budgets. I know in the NH it has always been seen as a middle class sport/private schools predominantly but that limits audience and money which could be used to do and the game in such a way that everyone is happy
....mmm ....yet Leicester fielded at least 13 international players in their starting 15 at the weekend ... including, Welsh, Argentinian, Australia, Scotland and England.....
@nedkelly6349 ummh and none of them should be doing this and then turn around to another country who uses their own players bar one across their four reams and say they are shit.
Lol you are not getting it are you? You can have Allah, Buddha and Jesus in your teams but then don't troll others who gave you those prophets.
If you chose to grow GMO food then dont compare yourselves to the organic farmer and wank about it Eish!
If we enter Fijian or Samoan teams are you going to troll them too like retards.
Its quite incredible when we talk before the tournament about how its nearly hard not to qualify for the knockouts and not a single SA team made it. You'd almost think they don't want to be there. Considering they had high temperatures and in some cases Altitude on their side its hard to understand.
We generally fly backwards and forwards every two weeks and with 4 SA teams and the rest being European we have to do it way more than vice versa. Toulouse complained about one trip and we do 6-7. The URC guys from SA need a rest.
@@bunnychowmuncher then just don't come in the champions cup in the first place...
Coaches and management need to be held accountable. You can't have those player stocks and not deliver. One can have sympathy if they gave it a go and lost as opposed to sending weakened teams and making excuses. This is not the Currie Cup. Its embarrassing to lose by these margins.
French teams are lit! Now that we see them play more often we can understand the hype. Respect 👊
@@abigailvanwyk9267 Agree with you the problem are the coach and kolisi were ever he go there are problems getting 6 times more money then the other players it will cause trouble
I'm an Ulster fan and I completely agree with you
It is a shame we will nto get a UBB vs ST in the final as they have clearly produced the best rugby of this competition so far .Leinster will play one of te two and it will be Epic in Cardiff .
As a fan of rugby i have to say i don't really get the benefit of having SA teams in this competition ? Also very concerned about the collapse of English rugby .
And finally , not having Jack Willis in the English national team is utterly stupid !
Roll on the 6 nations and "Allez les bleus , toute une nation derriere vous les petits !".
Jacques Ouillisse *
If it’s a an ST v UBB final, it would be bad for UBB
Je suis pour un nouveau format . Les sud africains savent enfin montrer un peu de respect pour les clubs européens. Je suis sur qu’ils seront se reprendre . Ils ont besoin avant tout d’avoir une meilleur assise financière pour ainsi avoir un banc un peu plus compétitif.je suis sûr qu’ils ont le talent pour faire mieux et j’espère qu’il y aura plus de suspens car c’est avant tout comme ça que j’apprécie le rugby .
I think you’ll find Leinster started needing more funding as all teams have, play better apply yourself more and respect your fans.
@jeanmichelreneredbeans4104 Money (lack thereof) is a huge problem in SA. It's extremely frustrating for our SA teams, coaches, franchises, & supporters that with the talent we have, we simply cannot compete at club rugby level with the likes of the French teams or Leinster. We want to be competitive & provide suspense & excellent viewing, but something has to change for that to happen. At the moment, we are better suited to the URC where we are more competitive.
Agreed on the format, the problem is that the south african teams should not be there,,
As a sharks supporter I agree.
As a Sharks supporter, I agree completely agree. Gosh, none of us are interested in this Comp. Why are we there? 🦈🇿🇦
@@wot4922 Lobbying. IRB thinks the entire world wants to see SA in the "Champions League" of rugby. SA are the favourite team. It has been ABs for 15years. Now it's SA.
Maybe Ireland on next RWC?
Until they start to take it seriously ...field your strongest team in the champions cup ( it's max 4 games in pool stages ) rotate the 'big name' players in the URC ....
Actually, there were 32000 people in the Stadium. Ans this is the case for most of the matches in Bordeaux.
For all the matches of UBB! I was there in december against Leicester. 3 tries in ten minutes ✌️
So now the Sharks will go into the Challenge Cup again once the knockout stage starts and they will have all their injured Springboks back and will absolutely dominate every team in the Challenge Cup, doesn't really make sense this format
Just wondering wether you could start to cover the challenge cup aswell as I think it’s starting to look like an epic contest if it ends with a bath vs sharks full force in the final - that could have quite easily be a champions cup final
I will do in the knockout stages. Pool stages are not even televised in UK I don't think
@ ye tbh the knockouts looked a bit dead but the calibre of teams that have gone down can suddenly spice it up a bit
@@EggchasersRugby Bayonne - Gloucester was broadcast on French public TV just before Toulouse - Leicester. A great rugby afternoon... (at least for the French sides so far).
Curious to see who will will play vs who at the knock out stages. Playing against a same country side is always spécial.
6 out of 8 french teams are qualified for the knockout stages, and racing still in with a shot. And with some emphatic scores like ubb and toulouse responding in style against leicester. If they can emulate this form and desire in the 6 nations, they may not even need Jacques Ouillisse.
And the French teams play more rugby than any other country.
Nice comment sir !
Always next year !!
I think anyone who watched how Castre approached their game today should be in no doubt what the french think of this competition , unlike the SAs …
Why did you not review the bath v leinster game and la rochelle v Benington?
I was working yesterday.
@@EggchasersRugbywork is important! Well done. You go a great job. Looking forward to your preview of the knock out rounds. 🏉
Castres won Saracens with a B team
C team
How was the Sarries team ?
They might prefer to play the Challenge instead like the Sharks...
Something that has become apparent is that on the whole the premiership teams are struggling to match the best URC/Top 14 teams, due to the salary cap. Bath and Bristol topping the Premiership but being at the bottom of their pool says it all. Bath were competitive against Leinster for the first half, and then the strength of the bench told all. This seems to be a common theme throughout the whole competition, which is sad to see.
It's the same problem in Football with the English premier league vs French Ligue 1. Ech country chooces its sport.
"watch Leicester beat Toulouse"..... nice one
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Bunch of Toulouse and Bordeaux players are gonna play the 6 nations for France. Is France gonna be sublime this year? I hope so.
Btw, I didn't know Capuzzo was raised and rugby trained in France. The guy can barely speak Italian, no wonder he's so good.
Haven’t read the comments so forgive me if repeating other people’s views. But how can the SA teams be expected to compete when constantly flying to Europe? Even super fit sports people can’t beat jet lag. Even without time zone changes air travel for 10 / 12 hours is horrendous. Bordeaux are a superb team . As a Leinster fan I don’t want my team to meet them or Toulouse until the latest stage in the competition we can get to. The SA teams have added immensely to the URC. I hope they can also make their mark on the Champions Cup, but for now I feel their disadvantages are not being fairly considered.
I see this reoccuring pattern in the comments and certain media when SA lose and it’s almost like it is not accepted that they can simply not be as good in any one game full stop. The nations national squad is in god mode with the World Cup wins (and the incredible depth of squad) but the win percentage isn’t bulletproof by a long mile.
What is not accepted by many people and which is stupid is the carbon impact that all plane travel thousands of kilometers between Europe and South Africa generates. This sport is going crazy.
I personally don't like it when the same teams play each other in the knockout round. Ulster and bordo played each other already in the group now the last 16 this is my main issue
The format is bonkers.
I like the idea of playing South African teams but I don't think this is the competition for it. A World Club Cup every four years would be better.
Time to have a European Cup again. Make it four groups of 4. 5 teams from the URC, TOP 14 and the Premiership plus the winner or highest performing team that hasn't qualified.
This would also strengthen the challenge cup.
The SA teams need sponsorship from an international brand, not sure if Stormers have that or just from the local DHL franchise. But that might give them a bigger carrot to go after the international leagues.
Guys , let us all take a breath . What was so great about the previous iteration of 4 in a group ?on last round of group stage you normally had at least 1 team out of the competition and bottom of group . They would send reserve team and get hammered . Point is , there is no perfect competition. However , Sharks should be ashamed of themselves for performance this week and also last week at home
I agree - no silver bullet. But 24 teams in and 16 teams qualifying is absurd. Makes this Pool stage so much worse than before.
What was so great about it? Nearly everything was great about it, we never saw 60 point blowouts in the old format since their were fewer teams and better quality matches. The back to back Christmas games produced some of the best games of the season, there were no SA teams so we didn't have the travel chaos and teams sending their second string out. There was no last 16 matches so we didn't have bad teams qualifying after winning only one game. The old format wasn't perfect but it was damn close
@ it is what it is. The one game less is dictated by French/Premiership powers. Btw , tell the format is rubbish to the wonderful Castre reserve team who beat Sarries. You can have 60 point blowouts in any game . Who would have predicted Toulouse who have put 80 points on Leicester today ?
@ French/Premiership owners wanted 1 game less and his was the format selected. I thought there were some cracking games this weekend. Knockout top 16 will have some unusual games . Castre v Benetton ? Who would have thought
@@EggchasersRugby - as you know the format is for :
1) money/TV and
2) supposedly great matches with everything on the line at match 4.
Officially Leicester turned up to Toulouse knowing that even if they WON they wouldn’t be first . Toulouse knew that also .
Which means why not play the last pool matches simultaneously over the 3 days available ?
Or more radically accept that 24 is too many and go to 16 and use a rating/ranking system * for the non winners of the Prem, URC and Top 14 . Then you would have the “best of the best” of that season.
* it is possible as they do for International teams and have one for European football team seedings… problem would be certain years no Welsh, or Italians or whoever …
Competitive format a problem in the pool phases.
Bordeaux turbo preforming performance WOW
As a Sharks fan it was painful to watch but an expected result.
Problem with SA teams is that we fill our domestic sides with Currie cup graduates, who then have to play seasoned internationals in the toughest club rugby tournament in the world. It's a baptism of fire for players with no prior experience. Yes the Sharks have a large Springbok contingent in the side but depth is a huge problem when you can't field all of them. The level of rugby played in the French league is so much higher due to the financial recruiting power they have. In terms of blooding young players, it works perfectly and may benefit us come the next world cup, but in order to be more competitive in these tournaments you need to be recruiting more from overseas which will never happen as long as the Currie cup exists.
Remember that at least the second string players in the French teams are academy players they developed. Galtier just called a D2 player that one of the top clubs has on loan there...
Dit kolisi play today 😂😂
He was in better shape when playing for Racing 92...
My personal opinion is that there is somethin wrong at the Sharks and I believe it to have something to do with the coaching team. Not sure what it is exactly but there needs to be a shake up or dressing down or whatever you would like to call it. Tim, I know you really enjoyed your brief stay in KZN, maybe since you have one less team to coach in Manchester you would be interested in a coaching role in Durbs. I, for one would back you.
Saffie teams failed miserably. Pathetic and embarrassing 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Quite thrilled to watch Penaud comeback after his autumn injuries, 6 tries, 3 passes, a mythic day to remember.
Bordeaux will be hard to beat if they can keep their leaders fit, Toulouse & Leinster have more depth to replace theirs. Pretty nothing to say about SA clubs and fans, they will always find a new bad excuse (travel, meteo, not interested, injuries, etc...) Time for the ECPR to forget this non-sense, develop and bet on European nations (Georgia, Italia, Spain)
@zisssssou And isn't this just so typical of the French fanbase. Here we are, having a healthy discussion about what the SA teams are doing wrong & how disappointing it is for SA supporters, players & the country, & suddenly, here comes this Frenchman trash-talking our SA clubs & fans without understanding a thing about the way that club rugby works in SA. Your thinly-disguised intense dislike of SA fans, SA players, SA clubs/franchises & most of all our national team, the Springboks, is very transparent indeed. We are not too big-headed or arrogant to admit that the French club rugby scenario is phenomenal & miles ahead of the rest (perhaps Leinster could offer some competition... but Toulouse & Bordeaux at the moment are in a class of their own). Try to hate less and see how we can all enjoy the beautiful game of rugby at top level (I'm sure it would be beneficial for all clubs if many more clubs were more competitive. Oh, and good luck introducing Georgia, Italy & Spain to your tournaments... then you'll really see a circus!! Ironic that Investec, a financial giant home-grown in South African is the main sponsor of this Champions Cup!! But hey, maybe they'll see all the hate & nastiness from ungrateful, arrogant French people like you & pull the sponsorship. Then you can ask Georgia, Italy & Spain to sponsor your prestigious competition.
@vivb5180 ah you, again... dont forget to bring back this investec thing with you over there and rebuild a much needed superrugbything with Nz. Bye
Get us SA teams out for the better good of the competition and our player welfare too. We simply don’t have the depth nor finances to lure international players or keep all the SA players playing abroad in our country. The schedule simply doesn’t work too so let’s call it a day on this comp. I have no doubt that this competition has had a wonderful history but SA fans simply don’t connect with it so let’s move on and allow for it to go back to how it was. English and French fans will be much happier too which is clear from the general social media negativity towards us. We always appreciate your support though Tim but we are devaluing the competition now.
you just do not have the talent. period.
The gap between the SA teams and French teams is Huge. Worrying times for the boks the talent is not coming through quick enough. Yes they will they loads of their players play in Japan but it’s not a 66-12 equivalent 😂😂
😂😂😂
Springboks don't really contribute much to the sa unions they are all separately owned and funded
Dont worry SA, you will win the Wc again.
The ref will award it to an honorable and good team such as sa aussies or nz.
Never to the french. We saw it today. They are overated not at the level.
Such as in 1995 semi vs sa
In 2011 vs nz
In 2023 vs sa
Look forward to such next refereeing.
Dont worry sa tomorrow is another happy day. This is rugby.
You cannot say that.
SH will always be better. Full stop
Everyone should be apologising to Lorenzeti cause what in the Kolisi is that 😂
Tim - am I correct in saying that Bordeaux and Toulouse are on the same side of the draw and will meet each other in the semi final?
Can't see past one of these two teams winning the trophy .... unless Leinster are playing rope-a-dope and can peak when it matters
Leinster and, to a lesser degree Toulon, on the other half of the draw, will be v hard to beat also.
@ Toulouse scoring a point a minute against Leicester .... scary
@@EggchasersRugby Toulon didn't look great today
Dont really know what happened with this game. Watched the first half and sharks were up 12-0 for how long and then went in 19-12 at half time. I come back with 5 minutes to play and theyre like 50 points down
SA still doesent really have any motivation to take the league seriously because we cant host until next season i believe it was and our teams all operate on a budget 10× smaller than the french teams. At least the Lions (the team i support anyway) murdered the dragons last night and i think they are actually a challange cup threat.
Format is unacceptable the way it is rn because theres no way ulster made it to a knockout with 1 win. Desporatly needs to be fixed
Sounds a bit like Exeter we were winning 12-0 against Ulster 😂
Excuses excuses, when you get crushed like that you don't hide behind the budgets (which are not 10 times as big, that's BS)
@@Forest9528 format is the way it is because of SA teams, they ruined super rugby and look lie they’re preparing to do the same with this competition.
@@davidwalker2402SA teams didn't ruin Super Rugby, the initial format for Super Rugby was great best club comp out there. It took a decade of adding more and more teams to the comp to kill it
@ well one thing is clear super rugby are happy SA teams are gone. But I don’t agree.
Ulster don’t make the rules. Nor do they pick a crap broadcaster. Why would the SA teams buy into it. Love to see the viewing figures. Main sponsor being South African still doesn’t really help their enthusiasm.
On a brighter note. The Northampton v Munster game was absolutely fantastic game. Edge of the seat for the result.
Yannick Bru, Bordeaux's manager and former Sharks coaching staff member, stated in the pre-game interview that the main objective was to secure 5 points. However, a 28-point margin would be ideal to avoid facing the Sharks again in the Round of 16. He believes that playing the Sharks in three months, with better weather conditions and the return of key internationals like Etzebeth, would be more challenging than facing Ulster. This explains why Bordeaux didn’t ease off too much after securing the 5 points.
that IS interesting
Makes sense Sharks maintained parity till the 2nd half, risking playing a much stronger Sharks team is a big risk
Not sure Bordeaux would lose much sleep playing the Sharks again at home even with the injured Sharks players coming back, he just wanted to find a way to motivate his players
@@timslade5808 if you had a choice between Ulster or a stronger Sharks, you're definitely picking Ulster. Sharks have enough good players they one good game is all it takes.
People don’t realise aswell Bordeaux have a very much phase Irish phase play attack under their Irish attack coach. They also have unbelievable transition players in Penaud and Bielle Barrey but in phase play it’s actually similar to how Ireland attack under Farrell.
The Sharks missed 1 in every 2.5 tackles... Bordeaux are playing great at the moment, but the Sharks players need a holiday!
Format is useless. Same happened last year with teams qualifying with 1 win. Back in the day you'd need 4 wins to qualify. Toulouse currently routing Leicester. You can tell there are a pocket of teams who still buy in to it, and the majority who dont. Just go back to the old format. Its not rocket science
Agreed, from an Ulster fan. They've qualified as the whipping boys, nothing to look forward to!!
Do you honestly think SA teams will put in more effort to this competition if it had the old format.
@davidwalker2402 it's not just SA teams. English teams getting routed. Ulster scraping in to the last 16 with one win.
@ its not Ulster fault the sharks didn’t turn up , what SA teams are doing by not trying is allowing other teams to qualify other teams to notch up bonus points while directly effecting home and away ties for other teams. SA teams are treating their fans and fans of rugby with disdain , I have never known teams from the premier league to rock up to games not caring whether they lose or not, yes play and give team squad minutes but to lose thats insulting to fans.
@@davidwalker2402 teams have been doing this for years since the new format. Are we forgetting the amount of times the French clubs send the kids. SA clubs aren't helping as with the distance to travel, of course they will lose interest when they are not looking like getting decent seeding. SA teams aside, the format is useless
Don't you think that Sharks were preferring to focus on URC and win the Challenge again ?
Instead of being eliminated in the CC next round ?
South African are here only because of financial reasons. And because the main sponsor is southafrican as well, don't you think !?
I have an other question about both Champions and Challenge Cups : how are done the doping controls ?
South Africa was put on notice in October 2022 to update its legislation or face sanctions for non-compliance. What's new since ?
Other remarks :
Leicester knew they will finish 3rd whatever the loss was. What are you thinking of when you are led by 20 points after 10 minutes.
What did the Tigers think and speak of after 7,8, 9 times behind the sticks !?
Gloucester did not send its best team to Bayonne (challenge).
Castres won vs Saracens...! It never happened...!
Toulouse has won all the games but is ranked behind Northampton.
Etc etc.
This format was flawed from the beginning.
"South Africa was put on notice in October 2022 to update its legislation or face sanctions for non-compliance. What's new since ?"
A: Please do your research - they were compliant but the Government simply did not file the final paperwork but it had been signed off on by independent third parties. While this was used as a silly propaganada tool during the 2023 Rugby World Cup France was actually more behind on compliance but that was never mentioned but it appeared in news articles in September 2023 and France was also issued a warning about losing the hosting right to the Olympics. Please know the facts.
"South African are here only because of financial reasons."
A: The same parties who poach our players for more money then point fingers at us for fielding weaker teams. You are also wanting us to play for Financial reasons - we already generate 50% of the revenue of the URC. The hypocrisy is hilarious.
The SA teams also do not stack their sides with foreign internations either. Bordeaux started with five today and had another four on the bench. Thats 9/23 that are not French and a lot of these guys have played test rugby for other countries. Imagine if the Sharks could do that and the other half of their absent players did not play overseas?
🤣😂🤣 Sharks.... what W⚓s
SA players having to comply with stricter anti-doping processes seems to slow them down, like a LOT, go figure.
There's no way you can have the best national team in the world, and be completely lost on the pitch (with many of your top national players) in a club competition.
@Matt-m3y-r4u SA players are built bigger & stronger, & they train extremely hard to maintain fitness & brute strength. BTW did you know that Kolbe lifts 45 kg dumbbells (1 in each hand)? Have you seen Etzebeth's resistance exercises & weight training? No doping required... just genetics & extremely hard work. Try not to malign innocent players just because your players are built differently. Club/franchise rugby is very different to national rugby. Get to understand how club/franchise rugby works in SA before casting such nonsensical & libelous dispersions.
This is another example of the quantity over quality mindset of administrators/ sponsors and should not be put on the players or clubs. Until the scheduling and travel issues get resolved and SA teams are allowed to host home semi's or finals, no one in SA will care about this competition. I understand the ire of European supporters and journalists and believe our teams should exit this competition and reinvigorate the Currie Cup.
I think it can be solved. Fewer teams. 16 not 24. 8 teams qualifying for knockout, not 16. And, as you say, making the long trips with best squads achievable by scheduling properly with URC.
SA teams just don't have the level. Period.
Format is hopeless. Can’t wait for the prem to start back next week
Yes the fantastic prem with its amazing teams who have been so shite in the last two weeks.
If ever there was a match highlighting just how much the competition has been watered down esp after the hidings Exeter & Stade Francais already took this wkend (Leicester too atm!). Just to clarify, not asking for SA Teams to be chucked out of the competition, just for only Top 6 from URC, Top 6 from Top 14 & Top 4 from Prem to be allowed in it!
Half time was very competitive and it is just our third time we will grow into this competition...
Toulouse have just went 40 points up
@@Caledon1893 Yup, they're 42-0 up @HT!
Tim, did you mention that SA sides have had to play during both the winter and summer seasons? I saw the Sharks get off the coach. The looked disinterested/tired? What did you think? When they went 12-0 up I thought they should have saved their energy. It wouldn't have mattered. Dobson and Plumtree have already warned the competition hierarchy about player burnout. Rassie won't be pleased about the state of his players when the time comes...
This comp means nothing to me personally. It looks like It means nothing to our clubs either. I don't care if none of our teams qualify. 🇿🇦
Sad to say it but that score line is a disgrace, doesn't even suggest they were able to compete
I've been saying for a while ; SA teams should get back to Super Rugby. They need to work with Sanzaar to revamp and make it great again. Years gone by Super Rugby was way better than anything in the NH.
Champions Cup, in it's prime, is genuinely the pinnacle of club rugby. I really want to see it there again, with SA teams. More quality, less quantity.
Nah URC is such an upgrade
Maybe south Africans should start having a little more respect for others.
Time to stop the online mouthing.
You'll notice that doesn't happen in these comments, and I really appreciate the quality of conversation here. So I'd appreciate if you didn't try to poke the bear here :) Do that in the places where these comments actually are.
@EggchasersRugby feel free to delete the comment. But it's evident that most rugby fans can appreciate good play, and great players and indeed the greater values of the game.
Some others less so. That happens. With some fans less than others it appears.
Call it out, or don't it's your page mate.
Cheers.
@@fergalbannon4614he's not going to bite the hand that feeds his channel
@@fergalbannon4614 you can say that, and I 100% accept that there are many very loud Saffas online, but I might suggest that you don't really see the other side of the coin, the amount of French fans on SA comments sections causing trouble also...so lets just say everybody needs to pull up their socks and have some more respect for each other. Does that sound fair?
@aldobonaso3481 tbh mate
I don't see that as like for like.
As someone who applauded SA's win in 2019, since the Lions tourin 2021 there has just been this descent down the Rassie hole. No team can play as well, no player can be as good. If we lose we were robbed. It's Trumpian.
And I believe, against the values of rugby.
It's not the same in France. Nor NZ. Not that much anyway.
I think we should try to help the SA teams a bit more. We need to stack a few URC games and champions cup games in batches up north for them to promote them bringing their best and not having to fly up and down too often.
Having said that I think Bordeaux, Toulouse and Leinster are on a different level this season. In a one off game LAR, Northampton, Saracens, Munster, stormers are capable of knocking one of the top 3 off but they just can’t put a string of games together to threaten to win the comp imo.
I also agree with reducing the number of teams in the champions and challenge cup and improve both competitions. Less games overall as well and more quality is the way to grow rugby overall imo.
100% agree with that. Format, scheduling...with a bit of common sense.
SA out of Europe, please
Can I just be the first one to say the challenge cup looks epic this season now with bath sharks bulls Edinburgh Montpellier it could actually be quite entertaining
Are South African teams really up to this level of competion?Congratulations Bordeaux beagles.
I like the beagles but UBB guys are more likely greyhounds...
how clubs from the best country in rugby right now can be THAT bad ? Are they took this competition seriously or not ?
Do you actually understand the situation SA faces? But here is a glimpse if we reverse it just using two French clubs
1. you have rands not Euros so take all the foreign internationals out of the Bordeux and Toulon squads because they are playng in SA that has Euros.
2. Send Ntamac, DuPont and Penaud to Japan and send a bunch of other French players to SA or URC or Premiership teams because they were offered better contracts.
3. Add all the foreign SA players back into the Sharks squad who used to play for them becaus ethey stayed over and above the current Boks - Pieter Steph, Carlus Sadi and others
5. Make Toulose and Bordeaux fly back and forth every two weeks but the Sharks only do it once.
What do you think the scores will be?
@@bunnychowmuncher it will be the same score. We play rugby in France, period.
@@julienriou4511 LOL. You doooooont say eh! Gee I thought you were playing table tennis.
I can't say this enough, Sharks need a new coach! We have no real game plan, our defence does not change depending on the team we play against ( do they not do any research? ). Just disappointed in them as is normal for a sharks fan.
Some of the Japanese sides would beat these South African sides…
I wonder if the biggest issue with our South African franchises being able to compete over such a long season across multiple formats (URC, EPCR and Currie Cup) is that we’re unable to hold on to a quality of depth. The stats are hard to come by but certain stats show South Africa have more professional rugby players playing outside South Africa than inside South Africa.
So whilst we have plenty of rugby players, and Springboks littering the squads, we also have half the Springbok squad playing overseas, and the next layer of players who would improve the quality of the clubs and compete for a Bok jersey also plying their trade overseas, some of them for other international teams.
The economics of a short rugby career and the strength of the Rand versus Pound, Euro or Yen means you can hardly blame the guys for going overseas. The Springbok players have their contracts boosted by SA Rugby and private equity but the others who are good enough migrate overseas, meaning the drop off when a Springbok is injured is massive.
I also think the SA teams will prioritise the URC as it’s their bread and butter, and they’re aware they don’t have the resources to compete at the business end of the Champions Cup.
And like the European teams have the history with the Champions Cup, the SA teams have history with the Currie Cup, giving it attention.
I’m not sure there is a simple solution to this. I’d love to say that the SA teams play Currie Cup over the Champions Cup weekends but there are commercial benefits to being part of the EPCR competitions, and the Currie Cup format would be distorted as the Griquas, Pumas etc aren’t playing URC.
As a South African fan, I long for the glory days of Super Rugby (Super 12), which coincided with some of the best Heineken Cups of all time, notwithstanding the URC having been mightily successful. The URC also has its travel and scheduling challenges, but the same travel challenges were evident in Super Rugby days, lest we only look back with rose-tinted glasses.
The 12 month season is brutal. Kolisi, for one example, was brilliant in international window. Probably makes sense that he's often a shadow of the same player in Sharks colours. Can't possibly sustain it all year round.
@@EggchasersRugbywho could !?
@@EggchasersRugby yes but it seems to be the same for all Springboks....only good when playing for their country, strange?
South African teams should be ashamed of themselves, they have decided to try rubbishing this competition. They are no benefit to it and should not be allowed to play in it. They make a mockery of it. Yes it’s sponsored by a SA company , and it’s clear they have no respect for them either.
Might as well kick out Sale, Exeter and Stade Francais too then
@ at least Exeter tried and so did Sale just like all English teams tried, SA teams have no interest in this competition but don’t mind dragging European teams out there to boost their crowds, but give nothing back .
@@davidwalker2402What gives it away that they all tried and the Sharks didn’t? It’s your opinion but you can’t prove your rigid point.
Disagree. Many teams have sent weak sides to games. Or been on the wrong end of 1 sided matches. The format being poor and number of teams to great are much bigger problems.
@ unless SA teams are useless, everyone of them played 4 games all ended up with huge minus points, other teams being effected by their useless play , teams getting soft bonus points insuring they get home draws , all because SA teams refuse to try. This was the best club competition SA teams who try to buck the system are now dragging this through the mud , just like they did in super rugby. They deserve the wrath of all fans who don’t agree with your jaundiced views of how European club rugby should be played.
Completely flawed is an understatement tim. It's becoming a joke sadly.
Plumbtree needs to go
I know it's not realistic to expect our teams to do well in this competition due to all the circumstances, but still it hurts to see this lind of result and it makes it very difficult for SA fans to get excited about this competition.
That's exactly right. I SO want fans in SA to be able to see how special this competition has been. Unfortunately it is not that level currently. Format, scheduling, quality, lack of jeopardy. There is LOTS of issues.
Who won the Challenge Cup last season ? Who was the URC finalist playing at home ?
@@marco-dn7kd I am talking about the champions cup.
@@hannesbornman1045 I know but I do not see why the SA teams could not perform in these competitions better than the CC where issues, problems, challenges are the same.
@@marco-dn7kd Simply because of the strength of the opposition. In the challenge cup our teams can overcome the challenges because the opposition is much weaker.
Our clubs can't compete with teams that can front 23 internationals in a squad every week. Some of these french clubs have budgets almost bigger than our country's GDP ffs. Yes we do have some Springboks in our squads, but we do not benefit from attracting world class players from abroad like they do.
Exeter have taken 224 point in 4 games, up the ass. Four years ago they were Europeans and English champions.
Reading the comments calling for the SA sides to be kicked is humorous as Leicester are being whacked 42-0 at HT. The truth is that the French sides have the budget and therefore, the depth that is virtually impossible to compete with given the logistics of the competition.
Leicester are qualified unlike ANY SA team! 🤡
Decrease the quantity and focus on the quality. Top 4 Prem teams, Top 6 Top 14 and URC only. Then the matches may be more competitive.
@ I absolutely agree. However, I suspect the economics of the sport make this nearly impossible.
Hey Tim,
Now that we've seen how powerful the French teams are, can i ask you to please begin to correct the English media narrative (not by you, but by others) that Leinster have unfair advantages?
Leinster have only 3 players who were not produced directly by the club, whereas Toulon, Bordeaux, LaR and Toulouse have an average of 10 imports each in their squads ....
Maybe the English media need to start looking at the French financial strength and their ongoing dominance of this competition, instead of ragging on Leinster all the time?
Toulouse foreign players
Kinghorn
Mallia
Capuozzo
Merkler
Willis
Arnold
Chocobares
Laulala
La Rochelle foreign players
Kerr Barlow
Bottia
Skelton
Lleyds
Dillane
Seuteni
Scalvi
Bordeaux foreign players
Carberry
Petti
Tameifuna
Gray
Coleman
Taufa
Swinton
Samu
Tatafu
Tapauai
Sadie
Toulon foreign players
Gigashvili
Sinckler
Lucchesi
Ribbans
Isa
Ludlam
Tuicuvu
Wainiqolo
Fainga'anuku
Very minor corrections, for accuracy sake. Ange Capuozzo is French, Italian international because the grand-parent rule. And Saito, Japanese international plays as the 3rd scrum-half for Toulouse.
@@jean-pascalesparceil9008
Maybe I should have added Brennan (born in Ireland) into the mix then?
I also forgot to add Biggar to the Toulon list 😎
The point remains, the big French teams have on average 3 times as many imported players as Leinster.
@@jean-pascalesparceil9008 Also Merkler have been in the Toulouse formation center since 2017
@@ronanfurlong2708 Brennan came in France when he was less than 6 months old, he always lived in france since then, he learned rugby in Toulouse and stated a short time ago that his long dream was to wear the French jersey
@kropotkine9640 and good luck to him .... but can we please now stop with the Midi Olympique nonsense around how Leinster have unfair advantages over everyone?
This is just our third season in this competition it took leinster 9ish years to win it the first time... Give us a chance, all this calling for the sa teams to be kicked is ridiculous. French teams and leinster etc send second teams all the time and no one complains. We dont have the depth yet but all these young players will grow from these experiences. Also sa teams can beat anyone at home so as we grow into this competition we will get better.
Agree - calling for them to leave comp is silly. I do think the reality of the standard at this level, playing some of the French giants, will sink in now and the reaction longer term will be positive. I hope so at least.
Don't think anyone's seriously asking for SA Teams to be chucked out of the comp, just for only the Top 6 from URC to be allowed in it, same with Top 14 & only Top 4 from ENG Prem.
Just for the record, Leinster don't send out B-teams in the champions cup. In the URC yes but never in Europe
Tim can you please do a proper look at the financial incentives for the South African teams. They way they are fielding their squads feels to me like it's a management decision and not just a coaching one.
The sharks have 15 injuries. 7 springboks. You can't be competitive with injuries like that
Awww. Be better.
Not as good as when you are buying refs
@@christh7434 talking about refs today? OMG 😭😭🤣🤣
You forget to mention been totally useless. 😂😂😂😂😂
@@aldobonaso3481 Yep, the 1st yellow card should have been red
SA opted to leave Super Rugby in favor ofEuropean Leagues, so we can't complain about travel fatigue!;it was tougher back then! So, I don't be now what's bupbwith rhexSAvteams; possibly a bit of Saffa cocky arrogance!?
Nonsense. NZ forced SA out of Super Rugby during Covid (they're still regretting that btw). Now SA teams travel via Qatar... different story if direct to UK or Europe. But you're happy to have SA teams in URC with much improved revenue for NH... yeah, that's arrogant... not!
Extreme fatigue, that is all. Need to get them in business class asap with direct flights. Whatever the cost is will be worth it.
The scheduling is REALLY tough!
@@EggchasersRugby Extreme fatigue like Toulouse now 😅
@@EggchasersRugby Sharks are in Bordeaux since monday
@ Extreme fatigue isn't from one flight my friend. Springboks haven't had a rest and have flown around the world who knows how many times in the last 6 months alone. The Sharks team without boks has to play the Currie Cup last 4 matches, then without a break tour Europe immediately. They get back to SA and the Boks get drafted immediately after flying to Wales, then SA, then AUS, then SA, then ARG, then Europe, then back to SA...then back to France with no real break over the holidays. There hasn't really been an opportunity to condition the collective team.
@@chris5240 A good number of European fans understand the problem faced by the SA franchises. And we give consideration to them for having refused the offer of the US funding. The ideal world season does not exist yet, and I doubt this is even possible. The domestic championship is long and tiring in France, add the Investec cups, Autumn series, 6 nations and I hope Southern Hemisphere fans can understand that the French internationals (who are fully payed by their club) who play the las two matches in june cannot play the Summer Series.
In general Bordeaux are confused with kits. Their football team has the Rugby league pattern.
Embarrassing defending from the sharks.
The SA teams are an embarrassment and should quit this comp
tbh many of the European clubs should do the same🙂
SA 😂😂😂 loose where is o'keeffe where is 💉
Yeah let’s cut the SA teams loose from the contest. Not adding anything and only diluting the contests
I don't agree with that. The format would be the first thing I'd change. 16 teams. 4 Pools of 4. 8 to the knockouts.
SA Teams shouldn't be chucked out of the comp - only the Top 6 from URC should be allowed in it same with Top 14 & only Top 4 from ENG Prem.
So should we chuck the English teams and half the French teams as well considering Leicester are being pumped rn against Toulouse, Exeter has been abysmal, Stade Francais got pumped, Bath got pumped. The format and squad depth differences are vast
@@k0bra3eak40Leicester were qualified before the ball was kicked and they knee they couldn't improve their seeding for the next round unless they beat the best rugby team in the world, at home
@@k0bra3eak40 Stade Français is the most English of French clubs currently, look at their roster and coach. But Owen Farrel, who was injured, had a very goob match this saturday.