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Munster left smarting after Champions Cup slip-up

Bayonne's French left-wing Remy Baget dives across the line to score a try during the European Champions Cup pool 3 rugby union match between Munster and Aviron Bayonnais at the Thomond Park stadium in Limerick, Ireland on December 9, 2023. (Photo by PAUL FAITH / AFP) (Photo by PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images)

Munster have found themselves with European rugby egg on their face after getting shocked by French visitors Bayonne, who staged a late raid to secure a 17-17 draw in the opening round of the Investec Champions Cup.

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Munster seemed in control at halftime with Shay McCarthy and Gavin Coombes crossing the try line, establishing a 14-3 lead.

However, Bayonne fought back valiantly in the second half, weathering the relentless Limerick rain.

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    Junior Tagi and Remy Baget’s tries, coupled with Thomas Dolhagaray’s crucial conversion, leveled the score and left Munster stunned.

    Despite early pressure from the French side, Munster responded, with McCarthy’s Champions Cup debut try establishing an early lead. Coombes powered over before the break, setting up what looked like would be a routine home win for Graham Rowntree’s men. Yet, Bayonne refused to die as a well-worked try in challenging conditions from Tagi ignited their comeback.

    In the closing stages, Munster clung to their lead, but a determined Bayonne, capitalizing on a lineout and rolling maul, orchestrated a late surge. A Gela Aprasidze break lead Baget to score in the corner, which was then followed by an immaculate conversion by Dolhagaray.

    A last ditch drop goal attempt from Jack Crowley went wide of the posts, sealing a dramatic draw for Bayonne, leaving Munster’s fortress breached and the French with a precious two points on the road.

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    N
    NB 15 minutes ago
    How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

    Oh you mean this https://www.rugbypass.com/news/the-raw-data-that-proves-super-rugby-pacific-is-currently-a-cut-above/ . We know you like it because it finds a way to claim that SRP is the highest standard of club/provinicial comp in the world! So there is an agenda.


    “Data analysts ask us to produce reports from tables with millions of records, with live dashboards that constantly get updated. So unless there's a really good reason to use a median instead of a mean, we'll go with the mean.”


    That’s from the mouth of a guy who uses data analysis every day. Median is a useful tool, but much less wieldy than Mean for big datasets.


    Your suppositions about French forwards are completely wrong. The lightest member of any pack is typically the #7. Top 14 clubs all play without dedicated open-sides, they play hybrids instead. Thus Francois Cros in the national side is 110 kilos, Boudenhent at #6 is 112 kilos, and Alldritt is 115 k’s at #8. They are all similar in build.


    The topic of all sizes and shapes is not for the 75’s and the 140’s to get representation, it is that 90 to 110 range where everyone should probably be for the best rugby.

    This is where we disagree and where you are clouded by your preference for the SR model. I like the fact that rugby can include 140k and 75k guys in the same team, and that’s what France and SA are doing.


    It’s inclusive and democratic, not authoritarian and bureaucratic like your notion of narrowing the weight range between 90-110k’s.

    105 Go to comments
    J
    JW 1 hour ago
    How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

    One of the real-world spin-offs of Rassie’s selection policy was glossed over in the statement ‘it discriminates against backs; our game is for all shapes and sizes’. The truth is exactly the opposite.

    I think you misconstrue his point for this story.

    The biggest differential between the size of the forwards and the size of the backs is France at +29kg per man in favour of the forwards.

    This is exactly his point that you’re agreeing with, ALL the fowards are big (hence the discrepancy).


    You didn’t really make a good point yourself. A Data Analysts recently came in with an article about Super Rugby and was the first to correctly use Median instead of Mean as the basis of his prognosis. That’s what this article is missing. French forwards in their own would also have the widest margin of variance, with big and small forwards. French rugby, and their packs are frequently misidentified as large (again in just a recent article last week), when they actually have quite the tradition for athletic forwards as well.


    Back back to the real issue you have tried to highlight, much like League went, the game now is moving all forwards towards the same size and shape. The topic of all sizes and shapes is not for the 75’s and the 140’s to get representation, it is that 90 to 110 range where everyone should probably be for the best rugby. Hell the most popular form of rugby now in NZ is the u85’s I think, and you have everyone in it, short f/r, bean pole locks, explosive 2nd5’s. I think there’s some allowance but everyone else would be between that 80 to 85 range I reckon.


    I think it goes back to Grant Batty. Really enjoyed the explosion of all the little guys in Super Rugby this year as well, some of the best to watch. I’m not enjoying the discussion that stand out fowards in the competition like Du’Plessis Kirifi or Ioane Moananu are too small (read short) for International rugby forwards, so thank you very much Nick but you can kindly decease (FRO) with suggesting you can only be a forward if you’re 120kgs.

    105 Go to comments
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