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A six-day turnaround in knockout rugby is absolutely criminal - Andy Goode
The French sides are dominant in Europe this season but the fact that Sale are having to cross the Channel on a six-day turnaround is absolutely criminal.
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Six-day turnarounds logistically are going to happen from time to time in domestic leagues because of TV deals and the number of games to be played but they just shouldn’t be happening in a knockout competition.
Add to that the fact that La Rochelle have had two extra days’ rest and recovery because they played on the Friday night, and were able to rest a few of their big hitters, and the Sharks are really up against it.
The La Rochelle pack is monstrous and the back row battle is going to be key. Gregory Alldritt, Kevin Gourdon and Victor Vito are a hell of a trio but if Tom Curry and Jean-Luc and Dan du Preez can get the better of them, Sale could be in with a chance.
That battle up front will be the starting point as always but I think Alex Sanderson will be targeting Ihaia West as the weak link in this La Rochelle side and sending some big units down his channel.
West has that Kiwi mentality where he sometimes runs it from places he shouldn’t and if Sale can get their line speed right and put him under pressure, his decision-making might just open the door for them to strike.
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Levani Botia would get in every team on the planet at centre and we know he’ll be looking to get the offloading game going so Rohan Janse van Rensburg will have a job on his hands trying to keep him quiet.
I think it’ll take a Saracens-esque performance from Sanderson’s men to make it through to the semi-final and they do have the physicality and the control from Faf de Klerk and AJ MacGinty to do it but I just think it’ll be too much for them.
As well as losing a day of recuperation and preparation, they’ll lose even more time with travel and Covid protocols and the physicality in the game nowadays means it’s a huge ask. It’d be a hell of an achievement if they can do it but I think La Rochelle will go through.
That means that three of the four semi-finalists this year will be Top 14 sides and I can’t see past Racing and Toulouse in the all-French quarter-finals because of the European pedigree they have.
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Racing have lost in the final in three of the last five seasons, to Saracens, Leinster and Exeter, and this might just be their year. Missing Finn Russell and Virimi Vakatawa will weaken any team but I still think they’ll have enough to win away at Bordeaux.
If there were fans at the Stade Chaban-Delmas and at the Stade Marcel Michelin as Clermont host Toulouse as well, things might be different but there aren’t and I think there’ll be two away wins in those all-French encounters.
Clermont are perennial European bridesmaids, they’ve lost so many big knockout games over the years and I think it’ll be the case again this weekend.
Toulouse are missing a few players but they’re top of the Top 14 and the likes of Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Cheslin Kolbe and co are in the form of their lives and the stage is set for them to shine with Clermont conceding quite a few tries this season.
I do think there’ll be one English representative in the semi-finals, though, with the reigning champions making it through. Exeter’s clash with Leinster at Sandy Park is befitting of the final and I think they’ll just have the edge over the men from Dublin.
I don’t think the fact that Leinster’s game against Toulon was cancelled last week will count against them as all these players have been in action either for Ireland or in the PRO14 final in the last few weeks so they’ll be primed and ready.
Exeter haven’t been in top form recently but I just think they got a lot of the errors out of their system against Lyon last week and they know how to win these big games now and manage the momentum swings.
It’ll obviously be a game of small margins and, despite the absence of fans, I think being at home will help them and they’ll just have too much for Leinster with Sam Simmonds scoring the winning try!
So, I expect the Chiefs to make it through and join a French trio in the semi-finals but I hope Sale’s is the last six-day turnaround we have to see in European knockout rugby, the organisers have to ensure there aren’t any next season.
Comments on RugbyPass
Shame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
2 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
2 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
2 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
2 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
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