Champions Cup - Week 1

[Which Tyler]

Can any of the front row union comment on how fair it was that every single offence was by Bath?
I'm watching on a poorish stream; and don't know that much, but it looks to me like the Treviso THP is pullling the Bath LHP in every single time (now that the ref's mind has been made up) - which is absolutely the right thing to do if the ref's just decided that it's our LHP; but... am I actually right or not?

[morepork]

Jesus christ....they had a three man overlap...

[Which Tyler]

Now that's how you do it

[morepork]

These Italian teams need to be shot.

[Timbo]

Why did Underhill go off?

[morepork]

Nice googles. Dan Dare. Pilot of the future.

[Which Tyler]

Why did Underhill go off?

HIA about 15 minutes on

Nice googles. Dan Dare. Pilot of the future.

He lost an eye playing rugby; and has special permission to wear the goggles

[morepork]

He has one eye?

[Which Tyler]

Apparently - they were talking about it earlier in the game.
IIRC he was playing for Leinster at the time; so maybe one of our Irish guys can help...

Actually, maybe safest not to go to the IRB expecting "help"

[morepork]

Man that's insane. No depth perception and more blinkered than Mike Brown playing in a thick fog.

[Mellsblue]

Yet he's still good enough to get in Italy's squad. In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Nice googles. Dan Dare. Pilot of the future.

Nice jab. The guy is blind in one eye and I would imagine is shit scared of losing sight in the other.

[Tigersman]

Forced to retire in 2011 due to losing sight in one of his eyes after a team mates boot went straight into it.
The reason he wears goggles is because twice after that incident during his comeback he had been gouged in his good eye.

He joined Italy because they where the first union to test goggles in rugby something the Irish union originally opted out off.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/ ... ugby-italy

[morepork]

Nice googles. Dan Dare. Pilot of the future.

Nice jab. The guy is blind in one eye and I would imagine is shit scared of losing sight in the other.

Acknowledged.

[Which Tyler]

Forced to retire in 2011 due to losing sight in one of his eyes after a team mates boot went straight into it.
The reason he wears goggles is because twice after that incident during his comeback he had been gouged in his good eye.

He joined Italy because they where the first union to test goggles in rugby something the Irish union originally opted out off.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/ ... ugby-italy

Good knowledge - thank you

[morepork]

Jeez the Italians have had a ton of possession. Nothing to show for it.

[Timbo]

Pretty mediocre fare from the English clubs thus far.

[Timbo]

Well that was a bit better. Fantastic game. Whoever gets out of the Leinster-Exeter etc group will have to be one of the favourites.

[p/d]

It's not a difficult one Austin, he didn't need to stick his arm out. Genge is a bit of a lucky boy there.

Austin bang on. Racing 10 a disgrace.

Felt the same way about the Bassett yellow.

This milking of the 'high tackle' is pantomime stuff.

[Digby]

Exeter need some players back, their bench looked patchy today, as did their performance. And indeed Exeter might be lucky Glasgow had their last game away in Bloemfontein. Although much like I've little sympathy with Wasps and their 5 day turnaround after signing the deal they did with BT, then in this instance I've little sympathy with Glasgow and all their travel ahead of a big European game.

Tough for Glasgow from here, but I wouldn't write them off yet.

[Timbo]

I didn’t think Exeter particularly patchy, they played very well. Glasgow are quality but Exeter thoroughly deserved the win.

Watching Glasgow, I would love to see some Prem teams play with that sort of invention, obviously allied to the same sort of accuracy. Their attack is very New Zealand-esque. It’s only when watching the Champions Cup when I realise just how very similar all Premiership teams are in style.

[Digby]

It's not a difficult one Austin, he didn't need to stick his arm out. Genge is a bit of a lucky boy there.

Austin bang on. Racing 10 a disgrace.

Felt the same way about the Bassett yellow.

This milking of the 'high tackle' is pantomime stuff.

Big win for Racing was running down their sin bin whilst a medevac team was sought for Tales

[Digby]

I didn’t think Exeter particularly patchy, they played very well. Glasgow are quality but Exeter thoroughly deserved the win.

Watching Glasgow, I would love to see some Prem teams play with that sort of invention, obviously allied to the same sort of accuracy. Their attack is very New Zealand-esque. It’s only when watching the Champions Cup when I realise just how very similar all Premiership teams are in style.

What do I call Exeter then if not patchy?

Take the opening 10 minutes, which wasn't their greatest period in the game, but about the only thing which went right for Exeter was the very unlucky Fraser Brown going off injured, other than that Exeter managed a bad opening scrum, a crap pass from the base by White at 9, to get pinged for an extra man in the lineout, to concede a scrum pen going back quickly under pressure, to knock on a high ball (might have been from a box kick I don't recall), to concede a penalty for a blatant slap down which might even have interested the ref for a yellow (I'd have given Slade a yellow), and then to concede a try quite easily whilst playing with a penalty advantage against them. 10 minutes in and Exeter trailed by 8-0 with the conv. to come. And this was a game that started with Glasgow kicking the ball out on the full to give Exeter a supposed advantage.

I don't know what all that is if not playing badly, they did have better periods, overall I'd call that patchy.

[Timbo]

I’d say they started slowly then got in to their work and won the next 70 minutes 24-5...with a straight forward missed penalty attempt, several other kickable penalties turned down and another 2/3 good opportunities for further try’s thrown in

Glasgow by contrast, while always seemingly dangerous, actually created very few opportunities after the opening 10 mins. Exeter’s defence was excellent.

I’d also add that Glasgow were allowed to swim up the side and disrupt Exeter’s very threatening maul all game. Had that been reffed properly it would have been a game changer imo.

[Digby]

Had the referee got his decisions correct Exeter wouldn't have set up camp as they did in the Glasgow 22 for their opening try as the knock on which gave Exeter field position was a very dubious call against Glasgow. And a great many other decisions can be questioned too, as they always could