Castres v Tigers Team News

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Looks like a second team to me ?

No Castres team released online as yet ?

This selection is an insult to the competition Shame on us to have let our values and respect for others to fall to such depths!

At very most only three to four first choice starters in this 23 - Fitzgerald, Mapapalangi, TPN, O'Connor, Tombstone/ Malouf and you could argue against each of those if everyone was fit.
So, yes, agree a complete 2nd XV.

Puts resting first team ahead of any pretence at this being competitive.
Think this might be one to record and watch much later in the evening once the result is known!

Very difficult for the less experienced players to show anything in this context, but best of luck to Worth/ Charlie Thacker and Wells, at least there isn't much for them to lose, and an outside chance, I suppose, to really impress.

As expected.
Some positives in seeing Bateman as skip and Wells and Evans in. I also like Tino at 8 but the rest is a tad disheartening - just because it indicates what has happened to us in Europe this year.

Hopefully the likes of the Thackers, Wells, Evans and Worth can take plenty from this chance. Interesting that Traynor doesn't make even this squad. Hopefully Rizzo is now back, fit and in front of him.

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TBH you and me are ahead of Traynor !

Ouch!

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Castres Olympique
15. Geoffrey Palis; 14. Kylian Jaminet, 13. Thomas Combezou, 12. Florian Vialelle, 11. Armand Batlle; 10. Benjamin Urdapilleta, 9. Ludovic Radosavljevic ; 1. Antoine Tichit, 2. Marc-Antoine Rallier, 3. Damien Tussac, 4. Alexandre Bias, 5. Thibault Lassalle, 6. Yannick Caballero, 7. Mathieu Babillot, 8. Alex Tulou
16. Kevin Firmin, 17. Tudor Stroe, 18. Daniel Kotze, 19. Victor Moreaux, 20. Steve Mafi, 21. Yohan Domenech, 22. Yohan Le Bourhis, 23. Julien Dumora

Not sure how near to full strength that is either? Imagine home advantage will see them through but looking forward to some of our reserves giving it a lash.

With Ford, Youngs, Cole and maybe May requiring a rest, and us all but technically out of Europe I feel this was the prudent thing to do. Not worth risking the likes of Toomua and Tuilagi on such a dead rubber either.

I'm excited to see what some of the younger guys can do, and those coming back from injury to find some form. We may even get a suprise result!

Next week I expect a stronger team put out, to try and build up at least a run of wins at home.

BT Sport will not be pleased. But it's the nature of the competition. There are bound to be dead rubbers in the last two rounds and you can't expect clubs to risk their first teamers. Let's hope it's not a massacre, though I do wonder, given the state of our first team, whether this selection will make that much difference.

Absolutely the right selection but I agree with RW that it's all a bit sad and it's the manifestation of our predicament.

As others have said, internationals had to be rested so is it more of an insult to do it away or for the home fans next week. Can't believe anyone really thought we had any chance of qualifying so 100% the right thing.

Only feel sorry for those travelling, Hopefully they will just try to enjoy a weekend away and anything else will be a bonus.

Quote:

Duncan Keene
Castres Olympique
15. Geoffrey Palis; 14. Kylian Jaminet, 13. Thomas Combezou, 12. Florian Vialelle, 11. Armand Batlle; 10. Benjamin Urdapilleta, 9. Ludovic Radosavljevic ; 1. Antoine Tichit, 2. Marc-Antoine Rallier, 3. Damien Tussac, 4. Alexandre Bias, 5. Thibault Lassalle, 6. Yannick Caballero, 7. Mathieu Babillot, 8. Alex Tulou
16. Kevin Firmin, 17. Tudor Stroe, 18. Daniel Kotze, 19. Victor Moreaux, 20. Steve Mafi, 21. Yohan Domenech, 22. Yohan Le Bourhis, 23. Julien Dumora

Not sure how near to full strength that is either? Imagine home advantage will see them through but looking forward to some of our reserves giving it a lash.

Looking at the team that beat Stade at home recently.
1. Tichit, 5. Lassalle. 7. Babillot, 9. Radosavljevic, 10. Urdapilleta, 11. Battle, 12. Vialelle, 13. Combezou, 15. Pallis 18. Kotze, started and
2. Rallier, 8. Tulou,

so 12 of the players playing where in the 23 that beat Clermont away.

100% the correct thing to do.

Looking at that team sheet, good to see some players getting some game time, particularly those coming back from injury. This 23 might not be that much more over powered by Castre than our "first team" would be considering how they have been playing of late. These guys making a bid to get that Prem starting shirt.

Give it a lash lads. Win by having a real go or end up losing by a shed load (which many will expect), don't matter.

I personally dont agree that its the right thing to do. This team will be lambs to the slaughter in what will be another embarrassing European defeat. Dont forget that its the AW cup in 2 weeks and all these guys get rested then.

I dont know why we couldnt rest the England guys between the 2 games and do our best to win them both. Worst case scenario, we may have found some form against top class opposition

As long as their heads don't go down and no-one has an absolute mare I won't be too upset.

As for BT, TP - the tv companies reap as they sow.

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Seems like an outbreak of common sense to me. What an opportunity we have to give the 'fringe' squad members a run or two out, without any pressure, before the serious stuff starts next month. Can see nothing wrong in the team selection at all

Presumably MOC's has established an agreement with the board that his head does not rest on the result of this game!

We are out so it doesn't really matter but still a bit of a shock to see such wholesale changes. It could go either way, it could be a cricket score or the fringe players could play out of their skins and make it close.

Makes the prediction league difficult to call.

Quote:

Jon T
As others have said, internationals had to be rested so is it more of an insult to do it away or for the home fans next week. Can't believe anyone really thought we had any chance of qualifying so 100% the right thing.
Only feel sorry for those travelling, Hopefully they will just try to enjoy a weekend away and anything else will be a bonus.

Agreed but didn’t expect anything less tbh

So far enjoying the experience. Toulouse last night and now in Castres enjoying the local hospitality regardless of what’s likely to happen on Sunday night

Nice Sean - two of my favourite places.

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Totally the right thing to do give the others a chance and rest the first team starters... remember they are options and need this platform to grow.

All for this and if we take a hammering we have the excuse ready made .. if we'd put out the first team - who could well have been less motivated - and we'd taken a hammering the lynch mob would be practising their noose tying.

More important, however, is the desire to rest first team squad members and offer opportunities to the up and coming players who should be motivated

Being overwhelmed is not an ideal prospect, but who is to say they will do worse

[www.leicestertigers.com]

The referee is the final arbitrary ------------------ {The persons and events mentioned in this post are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely co-incidental}



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018:01:12:17:56:31 by odd-shaped vagaries.

Amazing how much grief Saints got last season when they did the same thing for a trip to Dublin !

But posters on here will not complain as they've been asking for the fringe players to get a chance for some time, rather than M O'C continually labouring his alleged favourites

The referee is the final arbitrary ------------------ {The persons and events mentioned in this post are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely co-incidental}

May be investigated for fielding a weakened side.

No sooner mentioned on here and the insidious Rugbyinsideline tweets exactly the same words hmmm!

Not a 'weakened' team but one to which changes have been made as the other has been out of form and has to rest internationals by contract

The referee is the final arbitrary ------------------ {The persons and events mentioned in this post are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely co-incidental}

Quote:

odd-shaped vagaries
Not a 'weakened' team but one to which changes have been made as the other has been out of form and has to rest internationals by contract

This

The referee is the final arbitrary ------------------ {The persons and events mentioned in this post are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely co-incidental}

Quote:

daktari
No sooner mentioned on here and the insidious Rugbyinsideline tweets exactly the same words hmmm!

Our tweet was 17:00, do keep up...

In jest on here though

The referee is the final arbitrary ------------------ {The persons and events mentioned in this post are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely co-incidental}



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018:01:12:21:15:45 by odd-shaped vagaries.

Quote:

RugbyInsideLine

Quote:

daktari
No sooner mentioned on here and the insidious Rugbyinsideline tweets exactly the same words hmmm!

Our tweet was 17:00, do keep up...

Nice and sunny in Castres this morning..bit cold but not too bad.

Good chance for the '2nd teamers' to give it a go, bit surprised but understand the changes & will be cheering them on tomorrow regardless.

[www.skysports.com]

A chance to relive the glory before tomorrow's rematch

The referee is the final arbitrary ------------------ {The persons and events mentioned in this post are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely co-incidental}

Interesting comment by arh53. Perhaps he has had it put into his contract that he cannot be sacked in his first and, maybe his second season. It makes sense

IMHO an agreement reached with the board that he gets a second season if we finish in the top six this season.

A dilemma really. Common sense leans towards resting/protecting key players in a game that amounts to very little. \but, then again I refer you to Saints v Clermont, and I have to congratulate our neighbours for giving it ago and emerging with a famous victory and pride restored.

Fair enough but I'm not sure if Saints would've given it such a go if the match was away, nor do we know yet how Tigers will approach the home match against Racing.

I'd think that winning the home game the week after is more important to the board and MoC's future.
A home humping a la Glasgow last year will be bad for all

And who is to say that the announced team will not be "motivated" to give it a go and win? Will this team really do any worse than some recent Tigers teams we have watched?

I hope they give their all and show some guts. If they do that then it is a win in my book. If there is any semblance of a rational game plan, the players understanding and executing it then that is a mega-win. Scoring more points than the opposition by the end of the game would be a different kind of win, all or any of the above would be welcome.

Cold and grey this morning in Castres...rain forecast for later.

Hope the lads can show some dog later, sure they'll give it a good go and a fair/good account of themselves.

What lows we have sunk to when all we hope is that they 'give it a go'!

My 'give it a go' wasn't meant in despair.

No sinking here!