Comments on: European Rugby Champions Cup Round 1: 5 things we learned

By: dingdongdenny

dingdongdenny — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 12:50:52 +0000

Have to admit that I totally agree with you Brighty! Toulon and Saracens should be BANNED from the competition!! ;-)

DDD

By: brighty

brighty — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 09:50:33 +0000

Hi Greeny, I think it’s just a preference thing. As a season ticket holder I completely enjoyed all visits from Italian sides, and not just because we mostly one. They were, for me, what made it a European cup as opposed to a domestically dominated tussle.

By: brighty

brighty — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 09:49:06 +0000

“only shipped 8 more points than Bath to a comparably strong Pro12 team” – That is a really strong point there. It’s one of my main issues with this supposedly stronger cup – sport isn’t that predictable. If I take the top 6 of Eng/Fra/Pro12 any one year then I may not have the best 18 teams in Europe for a comp next year. I may see wallopings as we did this weekend.

In the old comp I didn’t see any games as dead rubbers. I remember Connaught v Quins dead rubbers, Blues v Toulon dead rubbers, etc. These are the games that upset the apple cart, rip up the form book and throw it away. They’re cross border games where passion and defence was able to defeat money and expectation. And we won’t see those anymore. I miss the colour.

By: Peter Evans brit47 on superbru

Peter Evans brit47 on superbru — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 09:35:05 +0000

Brighty made some good points. Challenge cup a waste of time. Find another idea which would allow quality bottom dwellers to experience inter league games. Most of French teams not interested judging by their selection of 2nd XVs. Kudos for Scarlets for not putting out a 3rd XV against a potential massacre. The game turned out very interesting. Maybe add Romanian, Georgian and Russian national teams to competition to give them experience. Personally I’m gutted after I realize English teams just not the best this year. Saints should/could have won bar Pisi arrogance handling ball, and Foden lack of chip kicking skills. Sarries not dominant at home so will struggle away. Wasps, IMO, have 2nd best line up in league (after Saints) and showed their potential in 1st half and then lacked any knowledge of defence and perseverance in second. Wasps will always be hampered with Young as coach. Hes just now learning about backs potential and he has the best. Glasgow were amazing because i could not believe Bath are that bad. On a final note. I’m in USA and we have absolutely no coverage on any of the thousands of cable channels. This is a disgrace. I’ve lived here 25 yrs and am amazed at the lack of real initiatives to get the game going over here. It is THE market to go after. The Americans who play love this game. Their kids are strong and so many yearn for a contact game, The more we can get on TV the easier it is for them to discover the game. Perhaps we could supplant frisbee golf on TV. Just my opinion.

By: Niall

Niall — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 08:21:19 +0000

should point out, that they only snuck ahead of Zebre in the last game of the season (Zebre had the unfortunate last game of a trip to Scotstoun!) to claim the italian spot. Zebre have improved massively in the last 15 months. Home and away wins over Cardiff last season, beat Ulster already this season.

By: Matt B

Matt B — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:50:44 +0000

My two cents on the new Euro cup.. I think it’s better than the old one.. probably.

Mostly every game was very competitive bar the Ospreys vs Treviso (and Glasgow v Bath which I’m gutted about .. starting the second choice front row when the back row is already heavily depleted is madness).

So the only real problem I see is the fact Treviso are going to be whipping boys in their group and therefore there will probably be two teams going through easily, which is a bit unfair but that has always happened.

As for the second tier comp.. absolute rubbish. Without the top tier teams dropping down later on it just holds no interest. I imagine BT and Sky have to fight to make the other show the game each round (as they must show one between them each round as part of the TV deal).

Also, as a BT sport viewer, I’m glad I don’t support Northampton (although I would like to watch some of their games) as only one out of the first 4 games in the Euro cup are being shown (and that is vs Treviso!), with the rest on Sky. Compare that to all 4 games for Leicester, Bath, Quins, and two for Saracens and Wasps. But at least I have no interest in watching Sale as none of their games are shown. I guess that’s how the TV draw worked out and maybe in the final two rounds things will even out.

By: Anne Barrie

Anne Barrie — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:36:55 +0000

I am wondering why you have no comment or report on the Saracens v Clermont game? two top teams!

By: Greeny

Greeny — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:04:17 +0000

Brightly- long been a fan of your interesting comments, so wanted to reply to one I respectfully disagree with for once! :)

Really like this new competition more, higher quality and lack of dead rubbers is refreshing!

I take your point about European rugby but especially Zebre were adding nothing to European rugby! So annoying that the teams drawn with th get an instant pass through two games and a likely bonus point! As a sarries fan I will openly admit in another pool we might not have got through with losing home and away to a team! As we did this year.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 16:14:01 +0000

They qualified on merit and only shipped 8 more points than Bath to a comparably strong Pro12 team.

On this season’s form thus far inclusion next year won’t be merited, so I don’t see there’s a big issue. There’s one pool that may stand a better chance of producing a best runner up but it’s still a competitive pool with pretty well matched teams.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 15:46:31 +0000

They had the definition of an exodus over the summer, Benjit. The swathe of Italians that have flooded the Premiership this season essentially all came from them. 20-odd players, most of them first team squad regulars, left in the off season. Zebre, by contrast, lost very few. Treviso have become the poor relations!

By: Benjit

Benjit — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 15:44:07 +0000

The disappointing part about the Treviso score line, is that if memory serves, they’ve been far more competative in the last couple of years, especially in Europe. What has happened to them?

By: Dazza

Dazza — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 15:39:49 +0000

I think the fact that Munster are the experts at grabbing a last minute victory makes this weeks Friday night game a cracker. Sarries have had a few last minute wins in the Prem this season, so it could either be a great game, with lots of attacking rugby? Or a slugfest with loads of stick it up your jumper style of play, and kick the points. Either way, it will be one to watch!