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Post by Marv on Oct 2, 2008 18:10:59 GMT 10
What date is the first extra round? You fancy a trip to france Marve... I think I will. Yeah part of being dragged round the Sound of music tour whilst in Austria was my insurance policy, next holiday is in northern spain or southern France with a weekend of RL, so yeah as soon as I saw these ones announced I thought it would be a great day/weekend out, possibly even with a dragons game thrown in. |
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Post by Druzik on Oct 2, 2008 18:13:30 GMT 10
Fek, now yar talkin!
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Post by Druzik on Oct 3, 2008 3:05:41 GMT 10
1st extra round, 13th December 2009. All games being played in Toulouse... this is my b'day weekend... guess where I'll be spending it.  |
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Post by Marv on Oct 4, 2008 0:51:44 GMT 10
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Post by Marv on Oct 10, 2008 18:20:46 GMT 10
The "elite of Rugby to XIII" begins tomorrow Lézignan and Pia are still favorites, Carcassonne are looking higher than last year,
the absence of Toulouse and Albi had disrupted the competition, UTC will contiunue in their raison'd'etre, supplying players for the Catalan Dragons in Super League and the rest will be looking for the top six.
So it seems Lézignan or Pia, FCL wanted stability this season. The champions have strengthened, but they're hit hardest by the World Cup. James Wynne, Jared Taylor and new signing Adel Fellous are all involved in the World Cup for the next few weeks. They also lost Jye Mullane and Mickaël Tribillac Rugby Union (at least Mullane went to a top flight club - Tribillac will be in division two, which opens up questions about his ambition). Replacing Mullane is Luke Hession, a centre signed from Newcastle in Australia. FCL are short odds to repeat their triumph of last season, though Olivier Janzac will miss the first weeks/months after his broken leg in the championship final. Chris Beattie will be the fulcrum until the coach, his front row partner and Taylor the try machine return.
Pia have kept hold of Maxime Grésèque and added three Australian reinforcements in an attempt to regain their crown, Nick Youngquest and Kris Kahler from the NRL and Neale Wyatt who was a key figure in the Celtic Crusaders' run to the NL1 final. William Pailles joins from UTC, but they are all replacing outgoing players. Promising youngster Mohamed Djalout takes the opposite journey to Pailles, while Craig West and Matthew Kennedy have returned home. Maxime Grésèque will be with France at the World Cup for the first few weeks of the season despite commiting to Pia, all in all good first grade signings but it does not add the depth they needed from last year.
Carcasonne are the outsiders two failures in the last seasons with a sniff of the finals will not do the aude club, and they have been active in the market with no transfer embargo on them now, Gareth Dean, Saia Makisi, François Theresin from UTC and formerly Bradford, Toulouse duo David Delpoux and Nicolas de Martini and perhaps most significantly Russell Aitken of Melbourne Storm.
They have however lost veteran campaigners Patrice Benausse (jeu a quinze) and Bastien Almarcha (Limoux) and rumours circulate that Teddy Sadaoui may be leaving to play NL1 rugby for Toulouse. Holding onto him would be a massive boost, while Amar Sabri is another existing player who needs to kick on.
Promoted club Avignon, like Albi last season, Avignon are promoted without having won Élite 2, and coming up from the lower league, they've been on a massive recruitment drive. Danny Lima will lead the pack, but it's in the backs they've been most impressive in their signings. Joris Clément arrives from Carpentras and Zion Afele from Albi are both exciting players who will be among the tries. Responsibility for providing them the opportunities will fall to Dean Amos who arrives from Wyong. It will be a tough year for the new boys.
For St Gaudens losing Gilles Dumas is the big blow. He's gone to Toulouse as they gear up for NL1, and with him he's taken Julien Gérin as his assistant and centre Yoann Barthau. Simon Greaves, last season's points machine, returns. Joss Slatch and Murray Hemerson have come in from Australia, only Jean-Christophe Borlin will be at the World Cup.
Limoux have secured the biggest name for the LER this year, snapping up Parramatta's ex-Origin player Daniel Wagon. He adds class and experience to the side, as does Bastien Almarcha, though it's tempered by the losses of young guns Mathias Pala and Mickaël Simon. Mickaël Murcia and Phil Ramage will be the danger men with the Mayans brothers supplying the ammo out wide.
Carpentras have recruited well, Saïd Tamghart and the Kathabi brothers and Lyon's Fred Zitter. Like Carpentras, Lyon showed major improvement last season under Freddie Zitter. Much of that was borne on the shoulders of Ned Catic and he's not around any more. Rachid Abdelssamad arrives from Limoux and he'll be a hit in the back row where Catic was a year ago. Antony England and Kevin Sommers arrive from Batley, replacing the outgoing English contingent and they've added a number of new faces. Villeneuve ended last season in Embarresment. Laurent Carrasco returns from Toulouse, but is immediately off to the World Cup. Pierre Sabatié was omitted from John Monie's squad, despite having featured in the mid-season Test, so maybe he has a point to prove. They are short in the pack with veterans Gilles Cornut and Vincent Wulf retiring. Australian Jason Wallace from Newcastle seems the pick of the imports this year for the leopards, and Michael Murphy looks unlikely to rejoin. coach Chris Charles will not be returning from England, David Despin taking the reins. It looks like another long season for the Leopards.
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Post by Marv on Oct 12, 2008 20:45:55 GMT 10
LER round 1
Carpentras 40 Lezignan 14
Pia 58 Villenueve 0 (900 crowd)
Carcasonne 60 Avignon 14 (3,000 crowd)
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jim
Marquee Player
Posts: 1,150
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Post by jim on Oct 12, 2008 20:50:35 GMT 10
LER round 1 Carpentras 40 Lezignan 14 Pia 58 Villenueve 0 (900 crowd) Carcasonne 60 Avignon 14 (3,000 crowd) good win for Carpentras there, although Lezignan would have been stronger with their WC players. Also some alright crowds, I heard the first Limoux home game is sold out. |
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Post by Marv on Oct 13, 2008 17:13:30 GMT 10
If limoux was sold out mate, they had a good day beating Lyon 50-10
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jim
Marquee Player
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Post by jim on Oct 13, 2008 17:33:38 GMT 10
If limoux was sold out mate, they had a good day beating Lyon 50-10 I read it sold out weeks ago in a Daniel Wagon article in RLWeek. 4,000 I think it holds. |
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Post by Marv on Oct 13, 2008 17:39:47 GMT 10
I read it sold out weeks ago in a Daniel Wagon article in RLWeek. 4,000 I think it holds. It could have easily sold out, the Aude region is really pulling the crowds in, maybe not a full 4k but it will have beena a big crowd |
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jim
Marquee Player
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Post by jim on Oct 21, 2008 0:28:09 GMT 10
Credit of Cliff Spracklen on TRL.
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Post by Marv on Oct 21, 2008 1:59:41 GMT 10
good stuff jim, good result for Avignon there against St Gaudens
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Post by Druzik on Oct 21, 2008 3:03:11 GMT 10
good stuff jim, good result for Avignon there against St Gaudens Friggin forget Avignion... what about Lyon! Lyon for Championes, championes, chamoiones etc.... and two losses for Lezignan now... whats going on there! |
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Post by Marv on Oct 21, 2008 16:21:12 GMT 10
good stuff jim, good result for Avignon there against St Gaudens Friggin forget Avignion... what about Lyon! Lyon for Championes, championes, chamoiones etc.... and two losses for Lezignan now... whats going on there! Sorry guys for got about Lyon, two on the bounce for them now a great start to the season for them, as for Lezignan they are missing at least 5 players due to the WC and some more due to overseas players on vacation |
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Post by Druzik on Oct 21, 2008 17:35:13 GMT 10
I have heard 8 players due to WC for Lezignan... Lyon lost 1st round no?
Still, I think Lyon can do well this year.
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