lunchtime.
God, but Biarritz were poor. I'm sure Le Paul is
driving on his way to the South West corner of France to berate
their coach even as I write. Fair play to Northampton for doing
what they needed to do.
Tigers and Stade served up better fare and produced
an exciting finish. Tigers just about deserved it but I would have
liked Stade to go through. In a sometimes brutally committed games
the Leicester pack just had the edge and they just managed to squeak
home.
Three of the games went to the teams with the dominant
pack (the Saints win was just an aberration) and it shows how far
Ulster have to move forward next year if they are to compete at
this level.
One disappointing aspect, apart from the defeats,
was the behaviour of some of Irelands senior professionals. There
was the unedifying site of "potty mouth" O'Gara
getting told off after his petulant outburst but the worst was D'Arcy's
verbal intimidation of young Cipriani as he (Cipriani)
lay prone after a tackle. This type of baiting intimidation is becoming
a Leinster trademark with Horgan and BOD
being keen practitioners.
You have to wonder what the Southern "press"
would make of these incidents if it were Ulster players involved
in this type of abuse, or, what they would say if an Ulster supporter
abused a player like that and then told the ref to F**k Off!
Full marks to Cipriani for not
slapping it up them after he scored the winner. |