Game in Paris a while back.......

[againstthehead]

9 pm train? seems a bit late - crap preparation! Stade now playing at home again? Any positives to be taken from all this??
Any chance of another cancellation?

[againstthehead]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/ ... gion=world

light snow forecast for tonight but heavy snow for tomorrow!

[Ithryn]

Hmm, wonder what stadium and time, and if we can get tv coverage.

[Ithryn]

Well thats not very fair is it.

With weather that bad I wonder if they can get a pitch ready. Groundsmen couldnt have been working on the pitch until now. And with that weather you never know.

Really hope we stick it up Stade tomorrow, so much nonsense over the last week. A bonus point win would be nice.

[againstthehead]

I'm dreaming of a forfeit and a fresh ulster side to take on Leinster

[mikerob]

Beeb saying "The game will be held at Stade's home venue, although a kick-off time has yet to be confirmed."

I wouldn't be surprised if it is a last spin of the dice by Stade... they couldn't sort out any other ground in time and just hope Jean Bouin will be playable tomorrow.

Edit: fans on Stade's forum also saying it is planned to be at Stade Jean Bouin tomorrow afternoon. Some sceptical that the pitch will be "dégelé".

[Ithryn]

The national venue has under pitch heating, but even if turned it a few hours ago I doubt it would be able to thaw the pitch in time, especially with the weather worsening.

Also would need to organise staff, facilities cleaned etc.

[againstthehead]

absolute shamble - kick stade out of the competition!

[aarons]

ferry from dover to calais is only £30 return tomorrow... and apparently the port is open again... sadly i don't own a car...

in all seriousness, what a gamble it would be to book the journey when weather forecast is for heavy snow and min temp of -4 degrees

[mikerob]

Stade's website saying that the game is planned for 15:00 at Stade Jean Bouin.

[Ithryn]

French radio apparently saying that match will be at 3pm or 3.30 depending on broadcasters, so with any luck if it goes ahead it will be on sky for us.

[aarons]

oh the Stade forum, some notes from an interview max did on french tv. translated via google

Citation: Quote:
«...Tout d'abord je suis triste pour tout ceux qui devaient assister au match, il y avait 30000 personnes ce qui était un évènement ici à Bruxelles. "... Firstly I am sorry for all those who were attending the game, there were 30,000 people which was an event here in Brussels. Il fait -10 °, le terrain est gelé, il n'était pas gelé hier mais cette nuit ça a été terrible ! It is -10 °, the ground is frozen, it did not freeze last night but it was terrible!
Un arbitre a été délégué par l'ERC à l'heure où je vous parle pour aller inspecter Jean Bouin qui est recouvert de neige (on a eu Bernard Laporte qui ha**** à côté) apparemment le terrain ne serait pas gelé. An arbitrator has been delegated by the ERC at the time when I speak to inspect Jean Bouin is covered with snow (we had Bernard Laporte, who ha **** in side) apparently the ground is not frozen. Dans ces conditions il faudrait le déblayer demain matin, l'entreprise de déblayage est en vacances. In these circumstances it should be clearing tomorrow morning, clearing the company is on vacation. On fera appel à toutes les bonnes volontés pour déblayer le terrain pour qu'on puisse jouer ce match. It will appeal to all people of goodwill to clear the ground for us to play this game.
Il ya deux autres solutions, Lundi soir, une dans le sud, l'autre dans le nord de la France. There are two alternatives, Monday evening, one in the south, the other in northern France. Pour le moment rien n'est fait, c'est encore dommage ! For the moment nothing is done, it's still bad! Dommage ! Too bad! » "

-« Est-ce que la sagesse ne serait pas d'assurer le coups avec des terrains équipés pour le froid notamment des terrains avec des résistances en France éventuellement ? - "Is that wisdom would not ensure the blows land equipped for the cold land with particular resistance in France perhaps? » "

Max : « Oui effectivement mais encore une fois ces vagues de froid sont quand même exceptionnelles… Il ya en Belgique des terrains de foot qui sont bien équipés peut-être que tout le monde ici à Bruxelles n'a pas pris la vague de froid avec le sérieux que ça méritait, cela dit, à -10 ° c'est quand même difficile de trouver des solutions.» Max: "Yes indeed, but again these cold spells are still outstanding ... There Belgian football pitches which are well equipped may be that everyone here in Brussels did not take the cold wave with the seriousness that it deserved, it said, to -10 ° is still difficult to find solutions. "

-«Qui en incombe la responsabilité selon vous ?» - "Who is responsible for you?"

Max : « Le froid, on ne pouvait pas prévoir qu'un 19 décembre il ferait -10°, la météo ne donnait pas -10°, le terrain a été protégé depuis jeudi donc il n'y avait pas de neige sur le terrain. Max: "The cold, we could not predict a December 19 he would -10 °, the weather did not -10 °, the land has been protected since Thursday so there was no snow on the ground . Il ya eu des pompes à chaleur mais ça n'a pas été suffisant. There have been heat pumps but it was not enough. » "
« Qu'avez-vous dit aux spectateurs qui sont venus, est-ce que vous avez une solution à leur proposer ? "What did you say to fans who came, do you have a solution to offer them? » "
Max : « Les billets restent valables, on verra ça ultérieurement. Max: "The tickets remain valid, we'll see later. Pour le moment il faut trouver un autre endroit pour jouer le match, ça c'est urgent. For now we must find another place to play the game, this is urgent. Le reste on y pourvoira. The rest we will provide.
Pour nous tous c'est une catastrophe, les jeunes du rugby belge devaient défiler, quelle frustration ! For all of us is a disaster, the young Belgian rugby should scroll, how frustrating! On l'a fait aussi pour aider le rugby belge à se développer, pour aider la fédération belge de rugby ! It was also to help the Belgian rugby to grow, to help the Belgian rugby! » "

[cardweg]

Stade website showing match at 3pm tomorrow @ Stade Jean Bouin in Paris.

Apologies for translation below, it's from Babel Fish. The highlighting, however, is mine

"The match French Stage - Ulster is deferred because of the bad climatic conditions to Brussels. The cold and snow were right of the festival prepared in Brussels by the French Stage for the reception of l' Ulster. The decision was made by l' referee aujourd' today to defer the meeting to a later date and a schedule. The match will take place Sunday afternoon, starting from 15:00, at the stage Jean Bouin of Paris. The holders of tickets are requested to preserve their ticket because there remains valid to attend this part of the 4th day of Cut d' Europe, no ticket will be sold this Sunday. It will be necessary to be provided with its ticket for Brussels in order to be able to penetrate in l' enclosure."

[againstthehead]

http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/verei ... sicht.html

no mention of under-soil heating

[Ithryn]

Like a call to the resistance, man the barriers! Shovel the snow, fair play if they manage it, but this match is looking doubtful.