European Rugby Champions Cup

[matt]

Draw tomorrow Wed 29th June 1pm.

1st Seeds - Connacht, Racing, Saracens + 2/3 of Leinster, Toulon, Exeter
2nd Seeds - 1/3 from first Seeds above, Wasps, Clermont, Glasgow, + 1/3 Ulster, Montpelier, Leicester
3rd Seeds - 2/3 from 2nd Seeds above, + Northampton, Toulouse, Scarlets
4th Seeds - Castres, Bordeaux Begles, Sale, Munster, Zebre

A Group of Leinster, Montpelier, Leicester and Zebre would be the best we could hope for.

Nightmare Group would be Toulon or Racing, Leinster, Northampton and Castres.

[simonokeeffe]

Think you left out Mike Philips' Sale

[matt]

Thanks now corrected

[enby]

can we draw team from Ireland?

3rd seeds look stronger than 2nds

[simonokeeffe]

can we draw team from Ireland?

3rd seeds look stronger than 2nds

No we cant, would sell a few tickets though

[COYBIB]

Main thing is to avoid Northampton as our 3rd seeds to have a decent chance of getting out of the group. Might be better off winding up as second seeds than first seeds...I'd take Racing or Exeter ahead of Wasps or Clermont.

[Dave Cahill]

Main thing is to avoid Northampton as our 3rd seeds to have a decent chance of getting out of the group. Might be better off winding up as second seeds than first seeds...I'd take Racing or Exeter ahead of Wasps or Clermont.

How about Sarries and Montpellier

[simonokeeffe]

Clermont is an easy sell for the aviva

Racing; dependent on Carter

Clermont, Scarlets, Sale my dream draw
Toulon, Saints, Bordeaux my nightmare

[COYBIB]

Main thing is to avoid Northampton as our 3rd seeds to have a decent chance of getting out of the group. Might be better off winding up as second seeds than first seeds...I'd take Racing or Exeter ahead of Wasps or Clermont.

How about Sarries and Montpellier

That would mean we'd probably get Zebre too? Would be a doable group, especially if we only need 2nd. No matter what, we'll more than likely have a tough group, such is the tournament structure these days.

[Dave Cahill]

Clermont is an easy sell for the aviva

Racing; dependent on Carter

Clermont, Scarlets, Sale my dream draw
Toulon, Saints, Bordeaux my nightmare

People are sick of Clermont and Toulon - the last ASM CA game in the Aviva was anything but an easy sell, it was like pulling teeth. It took months and every promotional tool, gimcrack and gimmick in the book

Racing if they have DC will fill the place, but they'd f%~king destroy us. Sarries would be a nightmare game to sell especially if the recent risk-averse climate in LR continues and they'd f%~king destroy us.

[Dave Cahill]

Main thing is to avoid Northampton as our 3rd seeds to have a decent chance of getting out of the group. Might be better off winding up as second seeds than first seeds...I'd take Racing or Exeter ahead of Wasps or Clermont.

How about Sarries and Montpellier

That would mean we'd probably get Zebre too?

Nope, not at all, we could just as likely get Sale, Castres or UBB.

[simonokeeffe]

Clermont is an easy sell for the aviva

Racing; dependent on Carter

Clermont, Scarlets, Sale my dream draw
Toulon, Saints, Bordeaux my nightmare

People are sick of Clermont and Toulon - the last ASM CA game in the Aviva was anything but an easy sell, it was like pulling teeth. It took months and every promotional tool, gimcrack and gimmick in the book

Racing if they have DC will fill the place, but they'd f%~king destroy us. Sarries would be a nightmare game to sell especially if the recent risk-averse climate in LR continues and they'd f%~king destroy us.

Whatever about me dropping the ball on ASM surely Sarries an easy sell as champions of Europe? Plus theyd have us in Wembley and would be a big Irish crowd

Clermont I think we could take at home too which is important. Only team we could take (that we can get) from Tier1 would be Exeter

[Dave Cahill]

Whatever about me dropping the ball on ASM surely Sarries an easy sell as champions of Europe? Plus theyd have us in Wembley and would be a big Irish crowd

Clermont I think we could take at home too which is important. Only team we could take (that we can get) from Tier1 would be Exeter

They should be, its true, champions of Europe playing some pretty good rugby too. But the man on the street who wouldn't watch them much only gets to hear and see the narrative, particularly in the Irish media, than has them as the slow death of the sport (and thats not even going into their noxious carry on off the field). Thats why it would be a hard sell I believe.

[simonokeeffe]

I for one could not stomach losing to them on BT so dont want to get them, or be drawn in tier 2

[cormac]

Am I right in thinking that we can't draw the Scarlets from Tier 3 in any situation?

[simonokeeffe]

Am I right in thinking that we can't draw the Scarlets from Tier 3 in any situation?

We can, just have to have one French and one English side, and no other Irish side

[Xanthippe]

Am I right in thinking that we can't draw the Scarlets from Tier 3 in any situation?

We can, just have to have one French and one English side, and no other Irish side

No we can't - no team can draw another team from their own league until pool 4 (and from Pool 4 no Irish team can draw Munster)

[simonokeeffe]

Am I right in thinking that we can't draw the Scarlets from Tier 3 in any situation?

We can, just have to have one French and one English side, and no other Irish side

No we can't - no team can draw another team from their own league until pool 4 (and from Pool 4 no Irish team can draw Munster)

ah pants

[simonokeeffe]

I revise my dream draw to Exeter, Montpelier, Sale

Sticking ferociously to sale on theory of A we never get Italian teams and B they might turnover another English side

[Ruckedtobits]

Exeter, Toulouse and Zebre would suit fine. Happy to give the good rugby folk of Exeter the Aviva Christmas slot.

Very few soft options but we have a pack and excellent half-backs (?) and should have a decent mid-field, depending on Henshaw fitness. Back three options of Rob, Isa / Dave and Ferg / Adam Byrne / Kirchner.

We need to have ambition and some risk in our game to optimise the skills available.