Dunno. Very late and he jumped at Goode rather than the ball. Don't think it was malicious, but it was definitely careless. If Goode had've fallen awkwardly we could be in McKinnon territory. Happily the Sarries #15 was walking about and able to take a seat on the bench in the 2nd half.
He was going for the ball and at the last moment realised Goode was there, didnt have time to time a jump or change direction IMO. If he hadn't wrapped his arms round him I'd give it a yellow the fact he did I say Red
Looked like a red card in real-time. Continues to look like a red every time I watch it. It was a shame for the game after 4 minutes, but...y'know...just don't do that.
Eyes are on the ball. Unintentional, to my mind. Clear yellow, potential red. No complaints it was redded (other than that it's Jared Payne and he's fanTastic.)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/26981154 New Heineken Cup basically the same as the old one, but cut down to 20 teams so as the Pro12 sides have to compete for it.
This deliberate move to exclude the LV= Cup winners will not be forgotten. They've made a very pow...a quite dan...a pretty innocuous enemy this day.
Money. & to give the French and English teams more power, which is pretty much inextricably linked to money anyway. As things stand pretty much all the Pro12 get a free pass into the Heineken (well 10/12 qualify anyway), whereas ourselves and Johnny Frog have a hard slog to make it in. Were does this leave the Eyeties, btw? I think I read somewhere that the two Italian side currently in the Pro12 are leaving at the end of the season.
The article says they get 7 spots with one guaranteed for each of the home nations, so I assume the four highest other sides get in regardless of where they're based. Also says the final spot is to be decided by a play-off, but doesn't say who this would be between.
It is essentially money, but to expand on that: the ERC had a cosy relationship with SKY which was up for renewal. BT Sport waltzed in and said: 'listen folks, this competition can make more money and we're willing to offer you more'. The clubs bit their hand off, the ERC tried to sign another deal with SKY, the Celts all stabbed each other in the back and the French attacked each other. The reality is that the clubs haven't been happy with arrangements since the inception of the HEC and finally had enough leeway to change things.
Yeah it'll be: 6 places for top 6 prem clubs 6 places for top 6 french clubs 4 places for the top placed sides from the other 4 countries 3 places for the remaining best Pro12 teams 1 place for 7th best English/French team decided on a playoff. After this season the playoff will be a 4-team semis/final format and include the next two Pro12 sides. The Italian teams aren't leaving the Pro12, but they're thinking of kicking out the Zebras and replacing them with a potentially non-awful team.
Oh and a playoff place is also reserved for the Challenge Cup winners if they haven't already qualified. So for example if Wasps win the challenge cup this year but finish 8th in the Premiership, they'll get the playoff spot instead of Gloucester or whoever ends up 7th.
I would say so. The middling Rabo clubs were getting an unfair advantage by not having to take their runs ins as seriously as the French and English, and given that "x best second place teams" is an important metric it was a bit rich to have that essentially decided on whichever pool happened to get some designated spoonists like Zebre or Newport. Still think it's got a rubbish new name.
Ah. From the looks of things this means they'll put in a different team over Treviso for the time being.
Admittedly it seems unlikely that a team would manage to win the European Cup but not finish top 6/in a qualifying place in the Pro12 but I don't like there not being an automatic berth for the winners.
