European Rugby Knockout Stages

This is the kind of shit we have to deal with in Limerickā€¦ One of Limericks better pubs, with an alternative crowd and music and some good beers, comes out with this shitā€¦

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Itā€™ll all be over with in a few weeks lads when Clermont hand them their arses in the semis. Keep the faith.

Thatā€™s fine-

I know scores of real rugby men in Limerick that detest Munster rugby for what it did to the club scene. Thereā€™s life long Young Munster and Shannon men that would spit on the grace of god flagā€¦ Iā€™ve nothing against them and respect them for their love of club and game. The Munster lot can suck my ballbag, itā€™s one big false entity- From itā€™s imagined age old rivalry against Leinster that justifies openeing pubs on a good friday, to itā€™s 60,000 clueless cunts on the streets of Limerick watching a game on a screen they know nothing about in a competition that the few other nations that are in it donā€™t really give a fuck aboutā€¦ But yet, if you were the read the press or listen to local radio it is the life blood of everyone- the heartbeat of a city and of a province- The binmen and solicitors standing side by sideā€¦Fuck off, fuck you kev and fuck your toyota flagsā€¦

And Athenry is in fucking Connaught ye stupid fucking cunts!!!

Would i be right in saying CM has never bought into the Munster brand?

Athenry is an Irish song.

So is ā€˜Are you right there Michaelā€™ but what has that got to do with Munster? or Rugby ? Sure them rugby cunts fought against the boys in 16, yet they will sing a song about oppression and the tatty famine :rolleyes:

Are you right there Michael was a song about the West Clare railway so has everything to do with Munster :smiley:

Good point. Do you think any of the rugby playing class went hungry during the famine? Maybe for a couple of hours after one of the servants dropped dead and dinner was delayed, but thatā€™s about it.

:eek: :smiley:

Cunt.

You are correct. He bought into the Red Scoyse ine though, which is understandable too.

He loves talking about the Munster Rugby team though.

If Limerick GAA wasnā€™t so shit then maybe the Munster brand wouldnā€™t have gained as much traction ā€¦

Youā€™re drunk are you?

I think heā€™s scottish with his talk of ā€œtattyā€

Address the point please.

You have the horn for Munster Rugby matters?

Any word from dodgy keeper and the tipping lad?

Last seen in Reardons last night autograph hunting. :smiley:

In a competition that only Irish franchises take seriously?

[quote=ā€œThe Tipping King, post: 754193, member: 681ā€]Cheltenham is over, the evenings are getting longer and proper club rugby is back! I cannot wait for the 1/4 finals of the HCup this weekend. Plenty has happened since the group stages of the competition but there are still a few standout bets.

Bet 1

Clermont (-9) v Montpellier 3 points 10/11 numerous.

Apart from Ulster, Clermont are the most dangerous side in the competition. They are cruising into the semiā€™s of the top 14, and have a real touch of class about them. There is no doubt that they will still be hurting about how the exited to Leinster last year and this is a great opportunity to show just how good a side they are. Their squad has class throughout, players like Hines, Bonnaire, Parra, Rougerie, Fofanna etc. They are basically the complete package this season and can go close to winning in May. They dominated their group. Montpellier are at this stage thanks to Toulon who fielded a weakened side and basically let Montpellier beat them in the last group game. That was a shite group also and they are very fortuitous to see themselves here. They are having a solid domestic season and no doubt they would rather go well there than being gallant losers here. Home advantage for Clermont is worth at least 6 points so they donā€™t have to do much more to cover the handicap of 9, they should win by 12+.

Bet 2 & 3

Saracens v Ulster. 5 points Ulster (+5) 10/11 VC & 5 points Ulster in 80 mins at 9/5 Boylesports.

Serious bets here. I had ā‚¬2000 down at 7/4 with Ladbrokes when the line for this match initially came out and last night I had an additional ā‚¬1600 at 15/8 with Betvictor, that price has now dried up but 9/5 with Spoilsports is still juicy!

Why oh why oh why arenā€™t Ulster favourites? Anyone?

Ulster have done nothing wrong this season, and are the best club team in European rugby. Pre-Christmas they handed out beatings for fun, in the last 8 weeks they have supposedly struggled but letā€™s look at the reasoning behind that. They lost half their team to international duty, Pienaar couldnā€™t have given a shite about Friday night games in freezing Glasgow with the second team boys, Jared Payne went home to NZ to see his dog and they basically took it easy knowing what awaits them this weekend. Complete after-timing here, but I had a big bet on them to beat Leinster at the weekend and they didnā€™t disappoint. What they proved on Saturday night is that they can turn it on when they want. Mark Anscombe wanted a big performance going into next week and he certainly got it. They beat Leinster out the gate in every sector and nobody would have complained if they won by 10+ that night. They ooze brilliance and thereā€™s no point in me going on here because Iā€™m like a broken record. I do have respect for Saracens, they are a decent side, but no more than that. They struggled to win a truly awful group and scraped past Munster, a side that Ulster would tear to shreds. I canā€™t believe that Sarries have taken this game to Twickenham, the bigger pitch will suit Ulster and the number of Ulster fans will almost surely be more than the ā€˜homeā€™ contingent.

Ulster will win this game gentlemen.

Bet 4

Harlequins (-6) v Munster. 5 points 10/11 Bwin.

If you donā€™t have an account with Bwin open one for this hā€™cap line itā€™s 7 everywhere else. Quins (although overrated) are the best English club side, Munster are Irelandā€™s weakest province. They were blessed that their group was utter crap but what has transpired since December makes Quins an even better bet. Munster have lost crucial players in Zebo and Earls and whatever chance of them being involved is irrelevant as they are not match fit. Oā€™Connell has returned and is a big leader but he is a player in decline unfortunately. Oā€™Gara is gone to shite, Conor Murray wouldnā€™t make the Blackrock Junior Cup team and Peter Oā€™Mahony is average at best. Conor O Shea should get good credit for what he has done with Quins, they are a much more professional outfit than they were even 12 months ago and theyā€™re a more physical side who also are technically pretty good. Munster shipped 51 points to Glasgow at the weekend and they could be in for a long afternoon against Quins. If this was in Thomand Iā€™d have Harlequins 8 point favourites, at the stoop they should be 14 point favourites. It could be an absolute rout and signal the end of an era for Munster rugby but Iā€™m content to just take Quins by 7+.

Thatā€™s three 5 point bets advised.[/quote]

Dust has settled on what was essentially a disaster of a weekend. Went standout on Munster and Saracens. Clermont got us off to a good start with a facile and impressive win, they looked effortless and still played top class rugby. Theyā€™ll walk to victory now. Where do I start with Ulster? They just didnā€™t perform to half of their ability, very disappointing, they are much better than that. Discipline was a big issue and it seemed a nervous performance, maybe memories of their defeat to Leinster at Twickenham last year didnā€™t help but they have no real excuse for losing to Saracens. An expensive defeat but Iā€™ll recover :slight_smile: They made me plenty last weekend against Leinster so itā€™s not complete carnage thankfully. Just back them to triumph in the Rabo now, absolute certs.

Iā€™ve been banging on for a while about how over-rated that Quins team is, but even I couldnā€™t see them losing to Munster. There are actually no words for that result. Stunned. These things happen every now and then in sport. That Munster team is utter tripe and itā€™s a travesty to see them in the Semiā€™s they deserve nothing for their shambolic efforts this season. They are a horrible side who will be hammered out the gate in the semi final. Where do Harlequins go from here? To lose to that Munster team at home is quite funny actually.

Toulon looked competent against Leicester but their lack of clinical finishing will cost them youā€™d feel.

Ulster can kick themselves this evening for not showing up on Saturday. Hopefully theyā€™ll channel that hurt and be back stronger than ever next season.