Barnes

[Chunky24]

Ronan….next Lions coach?
Maybe an outside option, but jeez….I bet the boys would give everything for him.
Would be a fun tour.

Plus, the style of rugby would be in a different league to the dross we got served up in South Africa.

Listening to him talk to BT Sport after the game he is a special coach for players.

Despite whatever style is preferred, the pick and go grind delivered the winning try.

Leo Cullen also good to listen too in defeat, him and O'Gara would be a powerful ticket for Ireland.

[Shugs]

Really glad Leinster got beat. La Rochelle wanted to play whereas I think Leinster believed their own hype a bit.

[hopwood]

ROG certainly owes the Lions after 2009!

He really generated an epic performance today. My weekend is complete at 9/2 for La Rochelle, 7/2 for Lyon.
Three tries to nil

Backdoc, my betting days are behind me, but I completely understand the smile you have on your face for great predictions. Well done fella.

Harsh on Ronan for 2009.
But I believe Ronan is an even better coach than player.
I’m sure you see doctors around you become even better versions of themselves when they truly find their specialty.
I believe he has found his.

[hopwood]

Really glad Leinster got beat. La Rochelle wanted to play whereas I think Leinster believed their own hype a bit.

Shugs….what I love about you is that you never sit on the fence.
Never live in the grey.
It’s always one or the other….you see things in very black and white.

I’m more of a greys man myself, but I do chuckle, enjoy and admire your points of view.

[Shugs]

Ha! Enjoy your posts too Hopwood although tonight I’ve moved from black and white into yellow! Let’s hope we can enjoy games like that in Black and Gold soon.

[hopwood]

Ha! Enjoy your posts too Hopwood although tonight I’ve moved from black and white into yellow! Let’s hope we can enjoy games like that in Black and Gold soon.

Absolutely my friend!

[backdoc]

I have a maison secondaire near the Garonne and La Rochelle is my stopover town on my way home ( occasionally Sancerre). My family and I love it.
We met the chairman of the supporters club 4 years ago and heard the narrative of the club ascending to the top 14. He also told us that several thousand local businesses have shares in the club.
I ask my kids where they want a stopover and they always say La Rochelle.
Best seafood in France IMO
And great club colours too

[hopwood]

I have a maison secondaire near the Garonne and La Rochelle is my stopover town on my way home ( occasionally Sancerre). My family and I love it.
We met the chairman of the supporters club 4 years ago and heard the narrative of the club ascending to the top 14. He also told us that several thousand local businesses have shares in the club.
I ask my kids where they want a stopover and they always say La Rochelle.
Best seafood in France IMO
And great club colours too

Great insight. And thanks for sharing.

And I really, really like the French way of getting local businesses properly invested in their club.
Invested with heart, time and obviously funds too.
It creates community, interest and loyalty. And works on every level.

I think there’s an opportunity to learn there.
Bring some out the box thinking to a sport here in the UK that needs it.

[Heathen]

Very pleased with result. 3 tries to nil says it all for me.

Currently chez nous but nobody around here understands rugby full stop.

My nearest clubs are RC Vannes which is at least a two hour drive south west or Rouen Normandie which a similar drive to the north east. Both clubs are in Pro D2.

[hookender]

I have a maison secondaire near the Garonne and La Rochelle is my stopover town on my way home ( occasionally Sancerre). My family and I love it.
We met the chairman of the supporters club 4 years ago and heard the narrative of the club ascending to the top 14. He also told us that several thousand local businesses have shares in the club.
I ask my kids where they want a stopover and they always say La Rochelle.
Best seafood in France IMO
And great club colours too

Very noticeable walking through from the old town out to the ground number of shops/businesses that had flags displayed

[ardenwasp]

Well done and well played to La Rochelle. Always had a soft spot for the place having learn’t all about it from my Tricolore French textbooks and tapes growing up!

[backdoc]

I am glad I don't bother much with football. The final tonight was terrible.

[HCWasp]

I was at the game and thought Barnes did a good job other than the lack of a yellow card in the last 10. Leinster must be kicking themselves for being so conservative.

[DGP Wasp]

There was a moment when the French supporters were giving Barnes a lot of stick after awarding Leinster a goal line drop out when the ball went to touch in goal from a long LR kick, but Keenan dealt with it clumsily, and replays showed it actually came off his knee into touch. Even the LR players were questioning it, thinking the touch off Keenan had been missed, until Barnes explained to Alldritt in his best French that had it gone directly into touch in goal from the kick it would have been a Leinster scrum back where it was kicked, and in fact the goal line drop out was the right call. Even the C4 commentators failed to explain the decision.

Resulting kick was caught on half way and a drop goal attempt fell short and wide and bounced freakishly back towards the kicker. Fantastic chase by LR and resulted in the 2nd try. Sexton had tried a drop goal from a goal line drop out earlier in the game. Have they been watching Dan?

[mike909]

Barnes? One of the worst refs out there now. Doesn’t apply the laws as he’s now bigger than the game in his own head. He was OK today. But when he refs “normal” league games he loses interest and just does his own thing.

+1

I thought yet again he not only failed to apply the Laws around the breakdown, he bottled issuing yellows in the first half to LaR and to Leinster in the second. I watched two SR games yesterday and not only were players having to make clear decisions about the legality of entering the tackle area, they were pinged and early if they used hands in a ruck. LaR's first half was a rather cynical effort as they realised Barnes wasn't going to warn/card for hands in the breakdown, esp around the try line.

WR really do need to get a grip - SR looks like a different game too often. The officiating of the breakdown in SR at least looks like they are trying apply the Laws per WR's reffing briefing on the breakdown. It's disappointing as when done per the Laws the game benefits.