Toulon

[Snipe Watson]

How the blazes is anyone going to beat Toulon?

Total domination. It’s not right, but what can be done?

[Russ]

I'm disgusted by the reaction to Toulon

They have bought the cup. Disgraceful that this is allowed.

Rugby has always been about a game for all shapes, sizes and abilities. This is a sad time for world rugby

[ruckover]

Sadly nothing can be done, but with the loose restrictions on French club rugby sides, we can have no complaints. Sad for rugby, simply Toulon exploiting the loopholes.

Hang on, Glasgow just scored!

[BaggyTrousers]

Gentlemen, when I heard Gregor wittering on about the privilege it is for Glasgow to be there I thought .......... and do you know what.............. I was right.

Respect is the new black but Gregor may as well have asked to lick the beg of the Toulon owner pre-match. Wonder did he join in with Pillou pillou?

Gregor doing a good job for Weegies but thon was enough to make ye boke.

[BaggyTrousers]

Clearly Toulon didn't bother their Croziers in the 2nd half but I tell you this, Weegies fitness levels are outstanding.

[Spiffsson]

Fair play to the Weegies. Who would have thought they could score four tries away at Toulon after being totally humped off the park in the first half.

[Snipe Watson]

Clearly Toulon didn't bother their Croziers in the 2nd half but I tell you this, Weegies fitness levels are outstanding.

+1
Weegies are a quality outfit and well run by Gregor, but they were simply blown away by a team with limitless resources. Even great sides like Toulouse are not in the frame.
You can't fault Toulon for what they are doing, the problem is with the FFR. They are going to allow their own league to become a 3 or 4 team shootout.

[for dog and ulcer]

Fair play to the Weegies. Who would have thought they could score four tries away at Toulon after being totally humped off the park in the first half.

+1 Certainly wasn't looking likely at halftime.

[rocky]

Clearly Toulon didn't bother their Croziers in the 2nd half but I tell you this, Weegies fitness levels are outstanding.

+1
Weegies are a quality outfit and well run by Gregor, but they were simply blown away by a team with limitless resources. Even great sides like Toulouse are not in the frame.
You can't fault Toulon for what they are doing, the problem is with the FFR. They are going to allow their own league to become a 3 or 4 team shootout.

Of course you can fault Toulon, Snipe. What they are being allowed to do is simply a disgrace. Two-thirds of their squad is foreign and that's even with calling the two spides French, FFS. I will support any other side in the competition against them.
Of course, it is inevitable that this cartoonist boyo will eventually lose interest and stop giving them tens of millions a year and they will go the way of SF and Biarritz (sad for them).

[ruckover]

Clearly Toulon didn't bother their Croziers in the 2nd half but I tell you this, Weegies fitness levels are outstanding.

+1
Weegies are a quality outfit and well run by Gregor, but they were simply blown away by a team with limitless resources. Even great sides like Toulouse are not in the frame.
You can't fault Toulon for what they are doing, the problem is with the FFR. They are going to allow their own league to become a 3 or 4 team shootout.

Of course you can fault Toulon, Snipe. What they are being allowed to do is simply a disgrace. Two-thirds of their squad is foreign and that's even with calling the two spides French, FFS. I will support any other side in the competition against them.
Of course, it is inevitable that this cartoonist boyo will eventually lose interest and stop giving them tens of millions a year and they will go the way of SF and Biarritz (sad for them).

Rocky you can't fault Toulon, they are doing nothing wrong. As long as they work within the rules that the FFR have set them then they are doing nothing wrong and you cannot fault them for that. Yes it makes them extremely strong and yes it is a bit of a farce, but Toulon themselves have done nothing wrong. It is purely the FFR's fault for not putting greater restrictions on their teams. And you can see as a result, French international rugby is struggling.

[Snipe Watson]

Clearly Toulon didn't bother their Croziers in the 2nd half but I tell you this, Weegies fitness levels are outstanding.

+1
Weegies are a quality outfit and well run by Gregor, but they were simply blown away by a team with limitless resources. Even great sides like Toulouse are not in the frame.
You can't fault Toulon for what they are doing, the problem is with the FFR. They are going to allow their own league to become a 3 or 4 team shootout.

Of course you can fault Toulon, Snipe. What they are being allowed to do is simply a disgrace.

Are you not defeating your own argument?
The problem is with those who allow the league to go unregulated.

[Setanta]

Silly question but bear with me; France have obviously no limit on foreign players and Ireland have a self-imposed four plus one project. What's the score with the other four nations?

[Russ]

ERC Rule
3.7 Each club is permitted a maximum of two 'non-European players' in each match squad.

Toulon's team today
15 FB
Delon Armitage
14 W
Josua Tuisova
13 C
Maxime Mermoz
12 C
Matt Giteau
11 W
David Smith
10 FH
Jonny Wilkinson
9 SH
Michael Claassens
1 P
Emmanuel Felsina
2 H
Benjamin Noirot
3 P
Martin Castrogiovanni
4 L
Bakkies Botha
5 L
Ali Williams
6 F
Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe
7 F
Joe van Niekerk
8 N8
Chris Masoe
Replacements
16
Levan Chilachava
17 R
Xavier Chiocci
18 R
Carl Hayman
19 R
Steffon Armitage
20 R
Juan Smith
21 R
Drew Mitchell
22 R
Frederic Michalak
23 R
Danie Rossouw

Given that Kolpaks count as European we have
Masoe
Giteau
Williams
Lobbe
Haymans

That's as a minimum - 5

After research
Tuisova
That's 6 plus Kolpaks

[Russ]

So I did more digging

Turns out, that if you are from Fiji, Samoa or Tonga you are considered under Kolpak

So let's now double check the nationalities of the above players
Bear in mind that Andrew Mehrtens had to gain SA citizenship to play in the PRL sanctioned league
Masoe - Samoan - holds NZ passport
Giteau - Australian - 1
Williams - Kiwi born and raised - 2
Lobbe - born and raised an Argie - 3 - already over the quota
Hayman - Kiwi born and raised - 4
Tuisova - Fijian


So, ERC rule 3.7 stipulates that you can only have 2 non european players in your matchday squad.

Toulon had 4 today.

[Setanta]

That's yet another problem. I was asking do Scotland, Wales, Italy and England have limits on foreign players?