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Swan Curry posted:The Stade Francais move really hasn't gone well for either of their Wallabies. When Stade Francais won the Top 14 in 2015, Ioane didn't play a minute of the playoffs (he could have been injured for all i know but he did play the week before the playoffs started). He then left to play for Honda Heat in Japan, who won one match that season. Little has been said online about Honda Heat. This season, Stade came close to being relegated and Genia played very few games for them. Interesting aside: Stade aren't the only Top 14 side in recent time to have a sudden meltdown. Castres won in 2013, beating Toulon in the final. In 2014 Castres broke Clermont's 77 game winning streak at home in the semis and then narrowly lost to Toulon in the final. 2015 saw them finish 12th, only avoiding relegation on points difference. The French are a strange bunch. Didn't Castre make it to the playoffs again this year? The massive swings in quality from year to year in France is bizarre.
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Jul 26, 2016 19:27
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Yeah, they came 6th which put them into the quarter finals and lost to Montpellier. Their meltdown wasn't helped by losing nearly all their top players and their head coaches over the two years after they won but that it was so dramatic is astounding. Bath had a shocking season this year but they were still nowhere near relegation.
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Jul 26, 2016 19:51
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So do my beloved Lions have a chance this weekend? I am guessing that the altitude might play in their hands, but most teams spend time acclimatizing for that. Still they played stellar rugby on Saturday and are in form. Plus Combrinck is a bloody tank.
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Jul 26, 2016 23:46
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Yeah Combrinck was super solid. The Lions played out of their skins all around, and once more I get a strong sense that Whiteley is a really good captain. It would be so awesome if the Lions can pull a Connacht this year.
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Jul 27, 2016 03:36
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Madkal posted:So do my beloved Lions have a chance this weekend? I am guessing that the altitude might play in their hands, but most teams spend time acclimatizing for that. Still they played stellar rugby on Saturday and are in form. Plus Combrinck is a bloody tank. It depends if they can overcome their temptation to kick the ball back to the Highlanders or not. Giving the ball to Ben Smith is a terrible decision that teams just continue to make. If they hold the ball up front and grind out points that way, they're in with a good chance. In saying that, I don't think they'll beat either the Chiefs or Hurricanes if they do make the final, though.
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Jul 27, 2016 04:33
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The Rabbi T. White posted:Giving the ball to Ben Smith is a terrible decision that teams just continue to make. It seems like an inability to recognize the threat Smith poses. Essentially it becomes the equivalent of handing the opposition the ball 10 to 15 meters in front of the initial kick (closer if no one bothered to chase the kick too closely). The idea that kicking it away is the best tactic is too ingrained in players and coaches so that they don't know how to adapt.
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Jul 28, 2016 11:19
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And to be fair, the All Blacks kick the ball a LOT. Way more than people realize. But their kick-chase is really good to back it up, which the individual NZ Super Rugby sides obviously can't match. So the ideal strategy is, indeed, to kick the ball a lot and chase it, but even pro teams can focus on ideals at the expense of pragmatics.
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Jul 28, 2016 14:12
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Well this kind of sucks for the Lions. Whitely is out of the semis due to injury.
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Jul 29, 2016 00:41
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Aww, boo. I was really pulling for them.
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Jul 29, 2016 04:43
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Oh that pass from McKenzie... and then the blown try...
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Jul 30, 2016 08:56
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loving Angus Gardner allowing the defensive team to give away one penalty after another. Did the same to the Brumbies when the Highlanders kept collapsing the scrum. At least the Brumbies didn't deserve to win, but the Chiefs are getting massively screwed here.
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Jul 30, 2016 09:04
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Haha massive effort from that lumbering lock to get all the way back there
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Jul 30, 2016 09:09
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Fuckin' Barrett. Breaking hearts all day everyday.
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Jul 30, 2016 09:17
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Barrett is so good. That first try was amazing.
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Jul 30, 2016 09:26
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Chiefs just cannot cross the line
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Jul 30, 2016 09:53
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For fucks sake. This has been the Chiefs the last few games I've watched. Falling off too many passes
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Jul 30, 2016 10:04
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Unimpressed posted:loving Angus Gardner allowing the defensive team to give away one penalty after another. Did the same to the Brumbies when the Highlanders kept collapsing the scrum. At least the Brumbies didn't deserve to win, but the Chiefs are getting massively screwed here. Chiefs aren't helping themselves by doing dumbfuck things, but there have also definitely been occasions where the Hurricanes players should've been binned.
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Jul 30, 2016 10:04
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Some Benny Hill music would be really appropriate at points...Chiefs not looking like a championship team unfortunately.
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Jul 30, 2016 10:05
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I wonder if the Stormers are asking themselves how they got 60 put on them last week by this mob.
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Jul 30, 2016 10:06
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How can we not score against 14 men? So disappointing
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Jul 30, 2016 10:08
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WTF is the deal with the Hurricanes and Sweet Caroline? (watching the 2nd half delayed)
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Jul 30, 2016 10:09
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slothrop posted:How can we not score against 14 men? So disappointing Cory Jane is one of the most underrated defensive backs in the country, and by the time he got binned, the Chiefs structure was shattered.
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Jul 30, 2016 10:12
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Also our complete and utter inability to hold on to the ball close to the line
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Jul 30, 2016 10:13
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The Chiefs end the game with their halfback flinging the ball into the ref's dick. Sums up their night.
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Jul 30, 2016 10:20
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Vagabundo posted:The Chiefs end the game with their halfback flinging the ball into the ref's dick. Sums up their night. Quoted for truth. I think we missed Messam out there tonight, and Ngatai for the whole time he's been out this season. Oh well, there's always next season.  Now go the Highlanders!
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Jul 30, 2016 10:27
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slothrop posted:Quoted for truth. Messam, Ngatai and Leich were all missed out there, IMO.
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Jul 30, 2016 10:51
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When did Elton Jantjies turn into Dan Carter?
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Jul 30, 2016 15:03
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Painkiller posted:When did Elton Jantjies turn into Dan Carter? Jantjies has been brilliant for the Lions all season, and only the extra-churlish would question their place in the finals this year.
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Jul 30, 2016 22:04
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Holy crap. A team that got kicked out of the comp 3 years ago playing some of the best rugby I've ever seen. Going to be a cracker of a match next weekend; I hope I can get some buddies together and watch a recording of it (because gently caress getting up at 2am).
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Jul 30, 2016 22:48
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Yep. Lions played wonderfully. The Highlanders looked flat - especially the forwards. Same with the Chiefs. I really hope it isn't a matter of travel / game fatigue, or if it was that the Lions don't suffer from it next weekend.
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Jul 31, 2016 00:08
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Hey all, the USA PRO Rugby grand final is today at 3pm US Eastern time. I'm still trying to figure out if there's a good way to watch it online but I will share ASAP.
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Jul 31, 2016 14:49
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Here it is: http://www.prorugby.org/match/2016-07-31-den-v-ohio/
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Jul 31, 2016 16:06
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Are the Cleveland steamers playing?
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Jul 31, 2016 23:41
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Ohio Aviators, you mean? Yes. They won 32-25, which meant that they lost the championship because Denver got 2 bonus points (4 tries and =<7 point difference) in a thoroughly unsatisfying conclusion. You put over a last-minute try to win the game, and the announcer says you're the champions, and then the comp officials have to correct them over the loudspeaker 
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Aug 1, 2016 03:22
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By the way, this is a fun thing that happened: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/a...802-gqjij6.html
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Aug 3, 2016 22:01
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Apollodorus posted:By the way, this is a fun thing that happened: That's neat!
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Aug 3, 2016 22:33
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Great, as if the wallabies didn't play enough lovely league against England...
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Aug 3, 2016 23:32
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Was Big Sam there? Probably would be better not to mention him playing against union players.
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Aug 4, 2016 01:18
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He plays for their bitterest rivals, actually, Souths.
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Aug 4, 2016 04:41
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For anyone who wants a good laugh before the Super Rugby final, here is last year's USA Division III championship game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqiGsrhkRHY&t=1138s (This is the level I myself play at, though these teams represent the best at that division and my own club is mid-tier nationally.)
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Aug 4, 2016 05:06
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