:ohmy: :huh: :S

Our best team? Really?? No let's be serious Muldoon, Faloon and Buckley at least rested

connachta wrote: not a bad team but still winnable for a mix of Eagles and seniors

Lam's not going that way - from your suggested lineup at the start of the thread Fafita, Masterson, Cooney, O'Leary and Gaffney aren't in the 38-man Euro squad.

I'm going to make a mad guess that the team will be something along the lines of:
Leader, Adelokun, Henshaw, Ronaldson, Poolman, Carty, Marmion; Loughney, Harris-Wright, White, Muldowney, Roux, Muldoon, Faloon, McKeon; Heffernan, Buckley, Ah You, Kearney, Naoupu, Porter, McSharry, Healy.

group of 25 in Ireland

Rassie VAN VUUREN, Benjamin GELEDAN, Jordan SENECA, Mike CORBEL, Thomas SYNAEGHEL, Vincent PELO, Benoît BOURRUST, Cobus GROBLER, Leandro CEDARO, Romana GRAHAM, Kévin GOURDON, Loann GOUJON, Benoît GUYOT, Zeno KIEFT, Nicolas DJEBAÏLI, Julien BERGER, Jules LEBAIL, Hamish GARD, Albert VULI-VULI, Chales LAGARDE, Charles BOULDOIRE, Lancelot LUTEAU, Damien CLER, Kini MURIMURIVALU, Arthur CESTARO

not a bad team but still winnable for a mix of Eagles and seniors

connachta wrote: this morning ASR trainning : were absent gourdon, gard, grant, botia, bobo, audy, govu...
huge turnover probably, as predicted

Bobo, Qovu, and Botia (and Atonio) aren't even named in the European squad submitted to EPCR.

this morning ASR trainning : were absent gourdon, gard, grant, botia, bobo, audy, govu...
huge turnover probably, as predicted

NewGuy wrote: Team wasnt named today

Midday the day before the game, unless the game is Sunday, team would be named Friday noon

Team wasnt named today

RonanL wrote: This isn't being televised is it? Looks like I'm going to be in Dublin

No TV I'm afraid. GBFM or bust.

This isn't being televised is it? Looks like I'm going to be in Dublin

Porterbelly wrote:

pinky wrote:

galway_gas wrote:

Fourdogs wrote: Might their team selection have something to do with the general French philosophy of concentrating on home games

This is the squad for the 6 games. They can add a couple of medical jokers and make further changes if they make the quarters.

Yeah resting players for away games is de rigeur in France, but leaving frontliners out of the squad entirely seems unusual (I could be wrong as I haven't been paying a huge amount of attention to French Challenge Cup squads lately).
They are saying that even in the event of injury to the second choice guy, they'll bring in someone from the academy rather than risk their first choice.

Stade Francais would leave Parisse and 1 or 2 more out of there squad for group games in the Amlin.

I wouldn't say La Rochelle are worse than the Montpellier we played a few years ago. Montpellier have come on leaps and bounds since then, in fact if it wasnt for Trinh Ducs injury I'd fancy them to win the Top 14 this year, they still might if he's fit for 2nd half of the season.

La Rochelle first choice are more than a match for most in France, they've signed really well, huge pack and genuine gas outside with Alofa Alofa , Bobo and Murimurivalu.

However it's unlikely we'll see many of there main players.

Stade francais, alongside most French sides, tend to take their chances and play a reserve side in the group games of this competition. Without automatic qualification to the main competition anymore French squads are likely to get even lighter.

Speaking of which, I was at the Stade V La Rochelle game a couple of weeks ago: without doubt La Rochelle was the worst side to play in Paris since the new stadium opened. It wasn't a one off either, La Rochelle has conceded more points in the league than anyone else. Peter Grant is the worst out half in the Top 14!

Also, watch out for Uini Atonio if he starts. Recently named in the France squad, at 152 KG, he is the heaviest professional rugby player in the world!

clanman wrote:
i was comparing the now bottom of the table La Rochelle to the Montpelier team who were in mid-table Top14 at the time we played them. Not exactly an equal comparison but with them bringing less front-line players than even Montpelier did then our Eagles team would the beat the team La Rochelle are sending over. Thats why I agree with Connacta's team selection

La Rochelle are 11th

And the Top 14 is alot stronger now than it was then when we played Montpellier.

15 Jean-Matthieu Alcalde, 14 Benjamin Thiery, 13 Ollie Smith, 12 Grant Rees, 11 Thierry Brana, 10 Jaques Schutte, 9 Adrien Tomas, 8 Marc Giraud, 7 Giorgi Chkhaidze, 6 Vassili Bost, 5 Mamuka Gorgodze, 4 Michel Macurdy, 3 Bruce Douglas, 2 Joan Caudullo, 1 Eugène Van Staden.
Replacements: 16 Fabien Rofes, 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga, 18 Mickael Demarco, 19 Sakiusa Matadigo, 20 Maxime Castell, 21 Geoffrey Doumayrou, 22 Sebastien Max, 23 Juan Figallo.

Only players off the top of my head who are still floating around. Bar Gorgodze, very much a weak Montpellier team

Bayonne v Exeter is a game I'd regard as very significant later on Saturday evening. Hard to know what result to hope for. A Bayonne win will keep them interested but would be a blow to Exeter, whereas an Exeter win gives them a great start but the flip side to that is that Bayonne mightn't give a toss by the time in comes around to the double header in December.

I'd expect us to win but have seen enough banana skins in these type of games over the years to not take anything for granted.

Connacht v La Rochelle – Galway Sportsgrounds European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 2 Round 1
Saturday 18th October 2014 Kick Off 17:00

Connacht return to the familiar territory of the European Challenge Cup after 3 successive seasons in Europe's premier competition. Connacht kick off the quest for a place in the knock out stages against La Rochelle. La Rochelle enter the Challenge Cup having gained promotion to the French Top 14 from Pro D2 through the play offs following an arduous 32 match league season. La Rochelle currently sit 11th of 14 in the French top flight having picked up 15 points from their opening 9 games.

Other Match Stats
La Rochelle have the worst scoring difference in the Top 14 with -81
La Rochelle have yet to pick up a point away from home in the Top 14 and have conceded an average of 40 points per game in their opening 5 away matches



La Rochelle Stats
Website: www.staderochelais.com/
Founded: 1898
Ground: Stade Marcel-Deflandre
Capacity: 12,500
Coaches: Patrice Collazo, Fabrice Ribeyrolles

Pro D2 League Position 2013/14: 3rd P:30 Points 98. (Beat Agen 31-22 in play off final)
Top 14 League Position 2014/15: 11th P:9 Points:15

Previous Fixtures
Stade Francais 43-10 La Rochelle (Round 7)
La Rochelle 29-10 Lyon (Round
Clermont 30-10 La Rochelle (Round 9)

Next Fixture:
Friday 24th October 2014 La Rochelle v Bayonne Kick Off: 18:30 @ Stade Deflandre (European Rugby Challenge Cup)

European Rugby Challenge Cup (Pool 2)
Connacht
La Rochelle
Bayonne
Exeter

La Rochelle Ins and Outs 2014/15
Players In
Alofa Alofa from Waratahs
Romana Graham from Exeter Chiefs
Jean-Marc Doussain from Toulouse
Jone Qovu from Racing Métro

Previous Meetings
N/A

Porterbelly wrote:

pinky wrote:

galway_gas wrote:

Fourdogs wrote: Might their team selection have something to do with the general French philosophy of concentrating on home games

This is the squad for the 6 games. They can add a couple of medical jokers and make further changes if they make the quarters.

Yeah resting players for away games is de rigeur in France, but leaving frontliners out of the squad entirely seems unusual (I could be wrong as I haven't been paying a huge amount of attention to French Challenge Cup squads lately).
They are saying that even in the event of injury to the second choice guy, they'll bring in someone from the academy rather than risk their first choice.

Stade Francais would leave Parisse and 1 or 2 more out of there squad for group games in the Amlin.

I wouldn't say La Rochelle are worse than the Montpellier we played a few years ago. Montpellier have come on leaps and bounds since then, in fact if it wasnt for Trinh Ducs injury I'd fancy them to win the Top 14 this year, they still might if he's fit for 2nd half of the season.

La Rochelle first choice are more than a match for most in France, they've signed really well, huge pack and genuine gas outside with Alofa Alofa , Bobo and Murimurivalu.

However it's unlikely we'll see many of there main players.

i was comparing the now bottom of the table La Rochelle to the Montpelier team who were in mid-table Top14 at the time we played them. Not exactly an equal comparison but with them bringing less front-line players than even Montpelier did then our Eagles team would the beat the team La Rochelle are sending over. Thats why I agree with Connacta's team selection

pinky wrote:

galway_gas wrote:

Fourdogs wrote: Might their team selection have something to do with the general French philosophy of concentrating on home games

This is the squad for the 6 games. They can add a couple of medical jokers and make further changes if they make the quarters.

Yeah resting players for away games is de rigeur in France, but leaving frontliners out of the squad entirely seems unusual (I could be wrong as I haven't been paying a huge amount of attention to French Challenge Cup squads lately).
They are saying that even in the event of injury to the second choice guy, they'll bring in someone from the academy rather than risk their first choice.

Stade Francais would leave Parisse and 1 or 2 more out of there squad for group games in the Amlin.

I wouldn't say La Rochelle are worse than the Montpellier we played a few years ago. Montpellier have come on leaps and bounds since then, in fact if it wasnt for Trinh Ducs injury I'd fancy them to win the Top 14 this year, they still might if he's fit for 2nd half of the season.

La Rochelle first choice are more than a match for most in France, they've signed really well, huge pack and genuine gas outside with Alofa Alofa , Bobo and Murimurivalu.

However it's unlikely we'll see many of there main players.

clanman wrote: , in fact La Rochelle are worse than Montpelier. It should be a handy win for us.

Ooooooh, midweek confidence boost! And still three days til kick off.