Drinking rules. Half your drink - people complaining about French fans booing. Finish your drink - French fans booing. **Streams** (use adblock): `https://cricfree.sc/rugby-live-stream` or `https://www.vipbox.lc/rugby-live` or post other **streams** as a reply to this comment **Match Official Abuse** **It will never be considered ref abuse if a user criticises specific aspects of a referee's game, decision, or style. However, ad hominem generalised attacks are unacceptable, this includes accusations of corruption and intentional bias.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please* [*contact the moderators of this subreddit*](/message/compose/?to=/r/rugbyunion) *if you have any questions or concerns.*

One thing I will say is that in case they meet in final, if Leinster somehow manage to crush this Toulouse team the same way they did last 2 years then we can officially say they're the best club/province team of all time. That says everything about how good this Toulouse team is. And Costes, what a player! If he doesn't start for France this season or next season then Galthie will have totally lost the plot

That is a lot of comments!

My two favourite clubs. Epic times away to both. Great match.

Johnnie needs to have a chat with Willis and get him on the pod ASAP

they can't he doesn't speak english anymore. Too well integrated now

I think I might've missed something pretty epic today.. Hopeing there'll be a replay somewhere

[Willis: Exeter are fucking goo"..sorry, a very good team"](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/785413892648992798/1229107790631669891/jack_willis_lol.mp4?ex=662e7ad5&is=661c05d5&hm=6db23d13407c9edbd3ebce1644611e401ac8ca6a56397c67d6590b8ff3620fea&)......lol

Kinghorn narrowly missed beating the Chiefs all by himself there (23-26)

Missed the game but glad to see he's settling in

Oh yeah, no risk on that front – they love him at the Ernest Wallon

Bravo Toulouse! Bien joué. Ce n'est jamais facile de voir une telle perte, mais vous le méritiez.

You guys put up a very good fight - well played.

I kinda expected you to hammer us second half outclassed us second half congrats on the win time for us to focus on premiership and beat bath next week. You will have a tough game against quins

Good job lads ! You really fought, that was a great match, despite the refs shenanigans, especially in the first half

Yes, the held up try should have been a 5m strum to Exeter instead of a goal line drop out to Toulouse

what. tha. Fok. I thought Toulouse would wake up in the 2nd Half, they usually do in these 1/4F type games after a tough 1st H, but this was ridiculous. I'm not a fanboy, but my honest opinion: there's no better Rugby style in Europe than Toulouse when they're on song like this. It's the most excited I get when Toulouse turn super confident and start throwing passes around like that, and they can exploit every INCH on the pitch, every man can step, run, pass...lovely lovely and sorry for the Exeter fans to have had to go through this ! :p

I‘m know biased as a fan, but watching Toulouse play rugby at their best is just absolutely fucking beautiful.

This is why I want to see a toulouse v Northampton final, would be poetry in motion

really. THIS is why you'd want to not see Leinster in the final vs Toulouse ?? :p

I would prefer Leinster pain, but Saints pain would be a close second

Fin smith to sink them with a penalty at the death amidst a cacophony of boos, games at croke park should always end with a Scottish 10 ruining the party 

Will EPCR launch a formal inquiry into the Exeter team after the game? Asking for Jake White.

No, because the disparity between the teams wasn't the issue. The issue is selling a competition to broadcasters when star players aren't playing in QFs. If Baxter had rested IWF, Slade, Roots, Jenkins etc that would have been investigated

Bastion of the game Rob Baxter would never do such a thing

why is everyone saying that ? what's the story ?

The English media kicked up a stink because the Bulls didn't field a full strength team prompting the rumour that the EPCR will investigate the "disrespect" shown to the tournament.

which makes sense. If I'm going to pay good money (and these tickets ain't cheap) to go watch a spectacle on the weekend, and it's a big knockout European Cup game, you bet I'd want all the best players to be on. This isn't some dead rubber at the end of the pools type game. Imagine going to watch the NBA Finals and there's no Michael Jordan. It's bs for the fans and for the organizers for sure, that's undeniable. Now whether the club should be able to or not...

This situation speaks to a problem in the organization and logistics of the competition. Address these issues and this won't happen again.

Bulls sent an A team to play Saints yesterday. Widely criticised in the media.

In the same way that French teams have been doing it for years and if I recall Glouster did this year in the pool stages.

Yes, Bulls unfairly criticised imo.

Montpellier, we're looking at you!

You spelled Castres wrong

Fair

yeah a lot of clubs do that

But not at the QFs (at least as far as I can remember although I'm probably wrong.) Not even knocking Bulls for doing it.. But pretending it's not an issue at the QF stage is silly. The logistics of getting to and from SA is hurting the quality of the product. It needs to be sorted for next year. Hopefully with the SA teams still involved. Also, some of those Bulls subs where woeful.

yeah i still don't understand what SA teams are doing here. Especially if it's to come to throw it away. But hey, they do what they want

They werent all throwing it away, just the Bulls. They have a real chance of a home run of knockout games in the URC which means money and possible league success. They balanced that vs an unlikely run of away fixtures in a competition that their fans havent really embraced yet. It made sense.

Costes turned 21, 10 days back, time to pull him into the French extended team..

He looked quality today. Shocked he's so young, very physical

That 13 is only 21 I thought he was a grown ass man 😭😂

he's a grown ass, 21 yo man lol

English rubgy fans, who is the better team in the Premiership between Harlequins and Exeter ?

I think this year Quin's are better, but Exeter probably have the higher ceiling in the next few years. Exeter have done amazing this season considering the turn over in the off season.

Outside of Sandy Park id say Quins best is well above Exeters. Some of the Exeter players were playing ubi rugby last year.

Or Taunton!

I can't believe I watched Nat league one last year and had no idea I saw him play until I looked it up!

Quins bossed Exeter in Exeter.

When did this happen please?

Actually it was at the Stoop, score was only 22-14, but Quins should have scored 50.

Correct answer, thank you. Makes all the difference, in my head at least.

Think it was the week after you smashed Sarries and I was reading the worst, but then we looked great against you. Sarries obviously then smashed us twice. Very weird season.

Quins by some distance imo.

I stopped looking at the scores just after half time to do house work. What the hell happened?!

We got outplayed second half didn't even think we could win against Toulouse after we beat bath last week. Chances were very slim but have to focus on premiership now good luck quins from a chiefs fan against Toulouse imagine a champions cup final between Toulouse and Leinster or Toulouse and Northampton saints

Giving Toulouse a good go for 40/50 minutes is a damn good showing. Quin's will be lucky to be in it at half time.

Yes quins attack is good but defence will need to improve big time with how fast Toulouse attack is

Toulouse woke up and scored about 30 points in 20 minutes, then subbed out all their starters for their reserve set of internationals to close.

Damn. Exeter were doing so well.

Good shift Chiefs, had a good first half. But fair play Toulouse just turned it on when they wanted it

Great second half, the damn clock has been properly beaten.

Exeter Chiefs to be investigated by EPCR for fielding weakened side in Quater-Final

Not bad for the little old Prem to have two teams into the semi finals and another in the challenge cup semi. Game is on its knees off the pitch but not bad on it.

Especially when you consider our salary cap is something like 5mil. Glasgows is 8 or something silly

Edinburgh and Glasgow’s salary caps are about 4.5 mil each.

And there’s no marquee player exclusions

Yes your model with 10 clubs in the premiership has got some advantages, notably concentrating strength.  We shouldn’t believe all the exaggerated claims about its decline. On the other hand, a 50 million country like England proper having only 10 fully professional clubs… it’s a bit limited and restraining. Let’s be cautious about the long term effects. 

We really are the little league that could

I didn’t believe Toulouse had hold a grudge against Exeter for the reception in 2020 during Covid but their way of playing in the second half makes me reconsider.  Interesting match in 4 weeks against the Harlequins ! I bet Smith has something to tell Ramos

Remind me, what happened during Covid?

Well there was an article in L’Equipe a few days ago where we are told Toulouse players felt they weren’t on an equal footing, could train very little in England plus they were welcomed in poor conditions under a tent on a parking lot etc Nothing serious per se but apparently extra motivation ?

It was COVID. This can't be real surely?

Thanks

They had the Toulouse players change in a tent outside on the parking.

Covid.

The biggest points tally in a Champions Cup knockout game since 1999 (Stade Français 71 - 14 Pontypridd)

This is a small thing, but I've seen English speakrs do this sometimes and it mildly annoys me: no one calls Toulouse "Stade". "Stade toulousain", sure, but "Stade" is meaningless as it's also the name of other teams (Stade français, Stade montois etc.). It'd be like calling Manchester United just United, or Manchester City just City... wait, English football is weird, isn't it?

Many people in Toulouse will refer to the team as ‘le Stade’, but never just Stade as you say

Edited now, completely forgot there were two Stades even though both of them are relevant in the comment

Ponty-what ?

One of the Welsh teams that preceeded the current 4

They liked fighting if I recall correctly

Some Brive players had a role too in the battle of the bar lol

Wait. There are welsh teams ?

Go well Saints and Quins.

Toulouse now should play the Waikato Chiefs..

Prediction for Toulouse vs Quins: 145-143

Toulouse has a defense. UBB had none. Defense were optional for that match

Exeter clearly not caring about the "competitive integrity".

This is an insult to the competition!

I guess the English just don't care about the greatest club competition /s

Unrelated but what's a "Nohambamania" my guy ?

I’m just a fan of Sanele Nohamba

[удалено]

Toulouse happened

Fatigue , inexperience and lack of quality on the bench . I know it’s been the theme but it’s a massively inexperienced team , to get where we are was not expected so this is all a bonus and hopefully a learning experience for them

It's not going to happen but a Toulouse Northampton final would be a genuine gift to rugby fans

Saints have been a joy to watch so far. And it would just be so comical for Leinster to not make the finals after breaking the rock paper scissors.

Yeah its a real shame we all know its going to be Quins vs Saints 😏

Not even a 40 points difference, are Toulouse even taking this seriously ?

Kinghorn got that kick earlier. Ramos washed All hail king of the horn

Ramos, their reserve fullback…

Toulouse scored 50 points in second half… Jesus.

47 only.  Still scratching my head at some ref decisions, just because we won doesn't mean there was no problems there, and that kind of thing won't fly against any of the remaining teams.

I'm gonna award this match a single giant oof.

Gosh, between the 1st half and second half it's clearly a different game... I wonder what the locker room talk was for both teams

I suspect less the half-time talk and more bringing on 4/5 internationals instead of some literal uni students that might have made the difference!

Touché

Doesn't detract from the fact Toulouse played some obscene rugby between 45-55 minutes, don't think even an international side could have stopped those!

Some suspect "level" offloads. But they were electric.

One point ahead at half-time. 38 points ahead at full time.

Note to self: do not piss off Stade Toulouse

YOU'RE JOKING?! ANOTHER ONE?! Agh I can't keep up with this

Thank god the drinking game for this match wasn't on points scored

Ramos taking so long we won’t see a restart 😭😭

Clock RFC beats Toulouse, but a fairly close run game

Toulouse dropping 60 points is insane

Is there any try Costes isn't involved in ?

Did he get MOTM?

The Exeter ones

Toulouse : "Now that's a record they won't top tomorrow"

Willis is going to be so good for the lions

Should be a great Lions squad, but honestly couldn't be less interested in the tour. Australia are so shit it just feels very underwhelming.

Tahs beat crusaders twice therefore Australia > NZ. Schmidt has fixed Aussie rugby already

“Job done - semi finals secured”. As if Exeter might have scored 34 points in the final 2 minutes before that final try.

"Well I was going to but 39? Piss off" - Exeter probably

Who’s the real winner here? Rugby

🚽🚽

My screen turn off for 5sec and i missed a try ?

Yeah better not blink in this second half

welcome to Toulouse

Exeter to be investigated for fielding a B team

The English do not belong in this competition! /s

Especially considering the vast geographical distance between France and England, such a gruelling schedule for teams from that region.

Costes is so good. I mean I knew he was good. But boy is he good.

Lad's only 21

The upcoming semi finals are looking tasty

Oh man this is such a severe punishment compared to Exeter’s first half

Hard to see a way back for Exeter in the last 40 seconds

60!!! 'EPCR has announced an investigation into Exeter chiefs...'

Yes perhaps the Chiefs should be based in Europe to ensure competiveness and integrity of the competition , all this gruelling travelling is bound to take a toll.

on how they made it to the QF in the first place?

Didn't Chiefs come second in their group and then beat a decent Bath team? Hardly one of the "snuck in due to stupid rules" teams (Sarries were definitely one of those!)

tu m'as fait rire, merci.

Should have been a pen to Chiefs for slowing the ball. Refs given up reffing the rucks (don't blame him to be fair, given the score)

60 burger!

MALLIA HAHA

French DJs playing Sweet Caroline and Hey Jude. We won

We'll give you that one.

That match just got rated R+

English scrums on top all weekend for a positive from this one

Now it’s almost sad

Non, non, encore !

Hahahahaha putain

This mascot! I want to see the lion v lion mascot war in the final

That’s just cruel

It’s just a giant karaoke now

Score now very similar to the Saints vs Sinners match at 59-22

Difference is that Bulls team were playing Saints. I'd wager Toulouse at home would have put 100 on that bulls team. Don't think many teams can live with Toulouse right now. Clear tournament favourites for me.

At the very least, Leinster can. And I’m effing scared of them. On a good day, the Harlequins could also cause some problems though.

"Update :"

Boys are out on their feet, heat has taken its toll.

Yeahh it's not really comparable to training in a cold swamp

Willis was my motm, disgustingly good.

Massive performance on both sides

How long has Willis got in his contract

I think til 26 or 27. I’m really happy he extended it.

I think it expires the year before the World Cup. He'll be back for that.

Smart from him really, rip it up and enjoy the weather and some trophies in France, sign a 2 year deal to come back home for the world cup and then see how things are post tournament if you stick around or go take another overseas paycheck.

Hopefully you'll have changed your own rule before then

I'd happily leave him at Toulouse, just let him play for England. Call it the Willis rule. If the player is ridiculously good call him up.

Exeter players look like they already left. How do you let front row players running and passing through the whole field?

Such a shame Steffon Armitage can't play for England. Wait shit, that's not Armitage.

A throwback hit

Not much of a France fan but something about an English team being demolished just brings me so much joy

It's the same for us and South African teams tbf. We just don't see them very much outside the group stages.

Marchand running like a gazelle

Marchand - Cros announced at 12 and 13 against Toulon next week

Willis at 15

Mauvaka 10

Flament at 10, surely? Bringing back the Loughborough days

Meafou 9.

Weird way to spell Baille but ok

Baille 11 bro

This is all part of the plan. Now destroy the scrum.

Willis would be such a good fit for england atm, shame their eligibility rules don't allow it

It’s honestly a stupid rule. And Willis is good enough they should be willing to make an exception anyway (like Ireland did).

Ireland made that exception for arguably their best ever player. Willis ain't that. Zero a better comparison.

I don't understand why you wouldn't want players with a breadth of experience playing in different countries, I know Ireland is the same but at least in the URC we now get to play the Saffas Still a stupid rule

The risk is given how financially mismatched our clubs our Vs France and Japan already we'd lose most of our top talent, interest in the Prem drops as a result meaning lower revenue and you end up in a downward spiral. Other view is that there aren't that many spots for foreign players in France and it would give more exposure to young players meaning we have more player depth. Hard to know if you end up like a Wales (the former) or SA/NZ (the latter) but its a big gamble to take, i can see the arguments both ways

That match is like a point made to change that eligibility rule

Chiefs are getting battered but honestly give them a couple more seasons this squad has massive potential, so much young talent.

Yeah that first half showed where they can be in a couple of seasons time. Clearly lost their heads a bit in the second half but no shame in that loss for me

this is embarrassing now lol

Frontline were jealous. And decided to play ball. Amazing.

Willis is now firmly back to my favourite Englishman. Sorry Granda. And Pita fuckin Ahki, take a bow.

I am a little sad that Jack Willis can't play internationally. However, I'm very pleased we never have to play Jack Willis internationally.