2017 -2018 Champions Cup Seeding

[Ruckedtobits]

@kermischocolate, anyword on arrival date of Rennie yet. His first-hand knowledge of Cheetahs and Southern Kings gives him added value in this inaugural season of Pro14. Weve got a clear interest in trying to figure out how much time he'll have with his Squad before we get to EPCR games.

[kermischocolate]

@kermischocolate, anyword on arrival date of Rennie yet. His first-hand knowledge of Cheetahs and Southern Kings gives him added value in this inaugural season of Pro14. Weve got a clear interest in trying to figure out how much time he'll have with his Squad before we get to EPCR games.

Sometime within the next week I'd guess- nothing official announced IIRC. His first game will be a pre-season game on 19th August so presumably before then?

Seemingly he's given plans for pre-season etc and has been in regular contact with club/ squad long before last season ended. Don't forget most (i.e. all apart from one) of the backroom staff are changing as well.

[cormac]

Fixtures out on Tuesday 22nd at 2pm

[wixfjord]

Fixtures are out:

Mont (H) 14/10 1pm
Glasgow (A) 21/10 1pm
Exeter (A) 10/12 5.30pm
Exeter (H) 16/12 3.15pm
Glasgow (H)
Mont(A)


Pretty good draw considering. Hopefully Mont will be out of contention by the last game, or that could be a very sticky away trip.
Getting Glasgow away early is good, as they've a few injuries to clear up and Rennie will be late getting there.

http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/fix ... 18&round=1

Timings are pretty shocking though. Two early Sat games, a late Sunday away game and the Aviva game is earlier this year.

[cormac]

kick-off times a bit cr@p, 1 pm on Saturday for both games in October. 5:30 on a Sunday for Exeter.

[FLIP]

Pretty pleased that the Exeter game falls when it does - means I'm not away for one of the better away trips.

[Cathalsmart]

Always nervy for Irish teams on the road as it seems as if they almost always settle for a loss before kick off even happens so long as they get a LBP. With how cut throat europe is now a days that doesn't work anymore. Leinster wise I'm just glad that with the players that are out we don't need to go to Montpellier, that was what I was hoping for. Glasgow away...its an Ireland XV vs Scotland XV really, only difference is Glasgow's team doesn't have the forwards that make Scotland tick. Leinster should go there expecting to win but with Irish teams in europe don't be surprised to see them settle for a LBP.

[Dexter]

Always nervy for Irish teams on the road as it seems as if they almost always settle for a loss before kick off even happens so long as they get a LBP

Really??

[wixfjord]

Always nervy for Irish teams on the road as it seems as if they almost always settle for a loss before kick off even happens so long as they get a LBP

Really??

Aye I really don't agree with that. In fact it doesn't even make sense!

[BlueBlue]

Always nervy for Irish teams on the road as it seems as if they almost always settle for a loss before kick off even happens so long as they get a LBP

Really??

Aye I really don't agree with that. In fact it doesn't even make sense!

Dont agree either.

[BlueBlue]

Always nervy for Irish teams on the road as it seems as if they almost always settle for a loss before kick off even happens so long as they get a LBP

Really??

Aye I really don't agree with that. In fact it doesn't even make sense!

Many a daft team have committed European cup suicide by not picking up a bonus point on the road, so I wouldnt be turning the nose up at a BP as some small achievement either.

[Ruckedtobits]

Montpellier play Stade Francais in Paris in Top14 the week before we meet them in Oct. They play Clermont (a) the weekend after we face them in January.

Games have fallen well for them. If needed, they can rest bodies for the Paris fixture which they'd never do for a home T14 game.

[Cathalsmart]

Just have to look at Leinster last season, 4 away games, 3 wins there for the taking yet it almost felt like they threw it away all 3 times even against an awful Northampton Saints side was giving Leinster a game until Hartley got a red. It seems every away game that all we talk about after an away game is an honourable defeat rather than a great victory, I pretty much called in after we drew with Castres (another game that we were so wasteful that you almost felt it was deliberate) that what ended up happening against Clermont would happen, that we would be well in there but ultimately let them off the hook. I hope I'm wrong but I almost always expect an Irish team to lose on the road.

[deco]

I hope I'm wrong but I almost always expect an Irish team to lose on the road.

Personally I don't give a shite about the other Irish teams, but I think you'll find the Leinster away record has been relatively good. Google didn't find an away record table but someone here might have it done already.

[Cathalsmart]

I hope I'm wrong but I almost always expect an Irish team to lose on the road.

Personally I don't give a shite about the other Irish teams, but I think you'll find the Leinster away record has been relatively good. Google didn't find an away record table but someone here might have it done already.

Its good alright but it just seems that it should be a hell of a lot better when you consider the talent available. It really hit me when Leinster couldn't beat Castres away.

[wixfjord]

Just have to look at Leinster last season, 4 away games, 3 wins there for the taking yet it almost felt like they threw it away all 3 times even against an awful Northampton Saints side was giving Leinster a game until Hartley got a red. It seems every away game that all we talk about after an away game is an honourable defeat rather than a great victory, I pretty much called in after we drew with Castres (another game that we were so wasteful that you almost felt it was deliberate) that what ended up happening against Clermont would happen, that we would be well in there but ultimately let them off the hook. I hope I'm wrong but I almost always expect an Irish team to lose on the road.

You're counting a knockout game there eh? You're saying Leinster were settling for a LBP against Clermont? A bold strategy! You're also saying that you called the Clermont performance a full three months before the Clermont game, before we even knew we'd be playing Clermont? Interesting.

Secondly, we were 20-10 up against Northampton when Hartley got a red. A Northampton side that beat Castres and Montpellier at home btw too.

Your perspective just doesn't make any sense? You're saying that Leinster and other Irish teams are deliberately targeting a bonus point in away games? How does one even do that? Just let the other team score a try and keep up with them after is it?

Then there's also the fact we have only gotten something like three away LBPs in the last three years! Must be pretty bad at deliberately targeting it!

[Cathalsmart]

Just have to look at Leinster last season, 4 away games, 3 wins there for the taking yet it almost felt like they threw it away all 3 times even against an awful Northampton Saints side was giving Leinster a game until Hartley got a red. It seems every away game that all we talk about after an away game is an honourable defeat rather than a great victory, I pretty much called in after we drew with Castres (another game that we were so wasteful that you almost felt it was deliberate) that what ended up happening against Clermont would happen, that we would be well in there but ultimately let them off the hook. I hope I'm wrong but I almost always expect an Irish team to lose on the road.

You're counting a knockout game there eh? You're saying Leinster were settling for a LBP against Clermont? A bold strategy! You're also saying that you called the Clermont performance a full three months before the Clermont game, before we even knew we'd be playing Clermont? Interesting.

Secondly, we were 20-10 up against Northampton when Hartley got a red. A Northampton side that beat Castres and Montpellier at home btw too.

Your perspective just doesn't make any sense? You're saying that Leinster and other Irish teams are deliberately targeting a bonus point in away games? How does one even do that? Just let the other team score a try and keep up with them after is it?

Then there's also the fact we have only gotten something like three away LBPs in the last three years! Must be pretty bad at deliberately targeting it!

Targeting a LBP usually means that is our ceiling meaning we most of the time won't get it. You just got to look at that Castres performance and wonder.

[wixfjord]

Just have to look at Leinster last season, 4 away games, 3 wins there for the taking yet it almost felt like they threw it away all 3 times even against an awful Northampton Saints side was giving Leinster a game until Hartley got a red. It seems every away game that all we talk about after an away game is an honourable defeat rather than a great victory, I pretty much called in after we drew with Castres (another game that we were so wasteful that you almost felt it was deliberate) that what ended up happening against Clermont would happen, that we would be well in there but ultimately let them off the hook. I hope I'm wrong but I almost always expect an Irish team to lose on the road.

You're counting a knockout game there eh? You're saying Leinster were settling for a LBP against Clermont? A bold strategy! You're also saying that you called the Clermont performance a full three months before the Clermont game, before we even knew we'd be playing Clermont? Interesting.

Secondly, we were 20-10 up against Northampton when Hartley got a red. A Northampton side that beat Castres and Montpellier at home btw too.

Your perspective just doesn't make any sense? You're saying that Leinster and other Irish teams are deliberately targeting a bonus point in away games? How does one even do that? Just let the other team score a try and keep up with them after is it?

Then there's also the fact we have only gotten something like three away LBPs in the last three years! Must be pretty bad at deliberately targeting it!

Targeting a LBP usually means that is our ceiling meaning we most of the time won't get it. You just got to look at that Castres performance and wonder.

What would you wonder?

Again, do you think we went into that game targeting a LBP? An LBP that would've resulted in an away QF? That's what you reckon we wanted from that game?

I'd say it's far more logical to put it down to a poor performance and bad injuries.

[deco]

Everyone knows that European Rugby started after 2006. Since then Leinster have lost 16 away (pool) games out of a total of 33. They've drawn four.

[Cathalsmart]

You're counting a knockout game there eh? You're saying Leinster were settling for a LBP against Clermont? A bold strategy! You're also saying that you called the Clermont performance a full three months before the Clermont game, before we even knew we'd be playing Clermont? Interesting.

Secondly, we were 20-10 up against Northampton when Hartley got a red. A Northampton side that beat Castres and Montpellier at home btw too.

Your perspective just doesn't make any sense? You're saying that Leinster and other Irish teams are deliberately targeting a bonus point in away games? How does one even do that? Just let the other team score a try and keep up with them after is it?

Then there's also the fact we have only gotten something like three away LBPs in the last three years! Must be pretty bad at deliberately targeting it![/quote]

Targeting a LBP usually means that is our ceiling meaning we most of the time won't get it. You just got to look at that Castres performance and wonder.[/quote]

What would you wonder?

Again, do you think we went into that game targeting a LBP? An LBP that would've resulted in an away QF? That's what you reckon we wanted from that game?

I'd say it's far more logical to put it down to a poor performance and bad injuries.[/quote] Bad Injuries is aloud of c~*k and bull, you had the bulk of playing for Leinster were as Castres a mid table French team were the ones short on players. That I think is a problem in Irish rugby though, expectation in Ireland is very low so when a team loses we just blame injuries and that usually is signed off as the problem yet the actually problem remains unfixed, look at the team sheet against Castres, bar O'Brien being out (bare in mind we nearly hit 60 at home vs Montpellier the previous week with give or take the same side) it was close enough to full strength yet you felt Leinster were trying to win with a hand tied behind there back when infact there was no need, all they have to do is express themselves and the results will come but no. Sorry if I sound so triggered but there is no nice way of saying it.