Exeter v CA

Who are the multi million euro team???

I think I love all things Exeter...

6 - 0 chiefs, CA have lost 2 from 2 lineouts, Chiefs going touch to touchline, and a maul that over powered CA.

All pressure at scrum time on CA!!!!!!

Good start for everyones favourite second team but they need to pester the ref over the 5 second rule as CA are desperately trying to take the pace out of the game.

And theyre doing it well sadly!!!

Parra misses a very easy kick.

CA slow down some more ball nearly score a try and then do.

Nalanga's brain melts and runs the ball in to touch.

9-7 Chiefs so far

Exeter are the quintessential English team. They have Clermont making mistakes left right and centre. 9-7 ahead.

Come on the chiefs!

And after a dazzling piece of running and kickoff up the left touchline ,Clermont concede a penalty. Kick to Exeter for Steenson.

And he makes it four from four for the night.

12-7. Great stuff.

Exeter are the quintessential English team.

I definately wouldn't go that far, I'd say that was Leicester, Exeter are definately the exception!!!

12-10 at half time to Exeter

Dodgey decision for the YC as Fofana wasn't held and the ball wasn't being contested. No tackle and no ruck formed. How can Baxter therefore be offside? Looked like it was a fair challenge for the ball to me. Parra didn't even call for the decision. Second major man sausage up from the ref who is at least controlling the set pieces and breakdown.

They may just get pipped here, and the prob they have is their gameplan might just suit the Scarlets.

Oh no, Exeters line speed has gone and CA in for 2 quick tries.

Too much to hope for. Two tries to Clermont and they are getting on top. Could be a five pointer yet.

Should of been a try for Exeter there, had a 3 on 2.

Unlucky for Exeter there. Runner made the wrong call going inside with a two on one to the line.

Exeter nearly out on their feet here. Clermont have the extra legs. Eighteen minutes to get the bonus point.

Fantastic take by Chutley against Byrne.

Exeter ain't giving despite needing two converted tries to win. Hope they keep this up.

Sivivatu with the bonus point try for Clermont

And Clermont finally make their money, players, power pay off with the fourth try.

32-12.


And Exeter flag. And Fofana picks up in his own 22 and runs clear to touch down the fifth.

Fofana runs in from long range for Clermont's 5th try

Clermont turned it up a notch or three this half. It's a lot of team to cope with for anybody.

Gutted for Exeter!!! As I am for Connacht!!!

46-12 the final score

Boys v men...

Hilarious, Barnes and the sky lot bigged up how fit the jeff is and the French teams can't live with it!!
Murdered just plain murdered Exeter when they started playing.

46-12 in th end. Humbling result.

Looks like Exeter played their all in Heineken match last week. Luckily they're back to the Premiership next week.

Clermont on this form will relish the double header against Leinster.

For 120 minutes Exeter lived with the best Europe has to offer.

Second half today was a sobering experience - but hey.

viewtothegym wrote:Hilarious, Barnes and the sky lot bigged up how fit the jeff is and the French teams can't live with it!!
Murdered just plain murdered Exeter when they started playing.

Oh yeah I remember that, they were saying that if Exeter held them to 60mins they should have the legs to get down the home straight

the Sky teams job is to sell rugby to wendy ball fans - just ignore them.

I know londontiger and to be fair true English rugby fans like you londontiger and many others on 606 can tell us the total tosh the SKY crew talk but come Monday morning when i drop the kids off at school before work the wendy ball arm chair rugby fans dads will be repeating the same old crap Barnes spurted out

Problem is Barnes is basing the idea that the Aviva teams are fitter on 2 things...

1. The amount of south sea island players in French teams backlines who tend to tail off at the end of games

2. The forward arm wrestle style games a lot of the french teams like to play.

Therefore current thinking is to open the games up touchline to touchline and tire both the big heavy packs and south sea islanders who typically cannot defend or last games.

Now the problem with this logic is that the french packs arent big and heavy, they are just immensely strong, organised and confrontational. Big doesnt equal strong and slow these days, it's a myth.

CA proved that no matter what pace you try to play, no matter how you attempt to impose yourself you have to defend as one and take every half opportunity you get, and even then it might not be enough.
IMHO Exeter gave everything they had and fell way too short, their gameplan backfired and consumate professionals like Fofana, Siv, Byrne etc took total control late on!!!

CA have a lot of class in the squad. They struggled in the first half of both matches as their opponents raised their games but in the end class came through.

Oh and the only bit of preview I saw made me cringe when they insisted that Exeter really would win - I know they have to talk up the English teams (and when it is other British/Irish teams vs French/Italian they talk them up as well) but it still makes me cringe.

Praise Exeter for what they are - a team who, despite being made up of either other's cat offs or those plucked from lower league obscurity, constantly punch above their weight. A team who will scare the big guys, and sometimes win those games. But also a team without that sheen of class that you can see in squads like CA, Leinster, Toulouse.

When Exeter were able to play at tempo then Clermont were under threat. Unfortunately where as Clermont could bring on quality players to maintain the tempo but as Exeter tired they just didn't have the same quality as the Clermont bench and the class Clermont had made the most of that.

Barnes is a tool. There is a reason why everyone hopes their sides games are covered by ESPN.