European Champions Cup [Most Improved]

[Oldschool]

Saracens 51-25 Cardiff
Saracens-Only Prem team to beat a team from outside the Prem
Cardiff-Only Pro14 team to lose to a team from outside the Pro14

Pro14- 5 wins and 2 defeats, 24pts
Prem- 2 wins and 5 defeats, 11pts
Top14- 3 wins and 3 defeats, 15pts

Ergo.
Pro14 Packs are the match or better of the other leagues and Pro14 backs are more skilful than the other leagues.
It would be instructive to know what the % of foreign (not nationally qualified) players in each league is.
Does mercenary work over"local".
Difficult bit of research.

[Oldschool]

Only five teams with more points than us after 3 games. Of those five, only Toulouse have two home and one away game left, like us. Happy where we stand.

Still think we'll only be third seeds at best.
Hard to see Racing or Saracens mucking up.
Toulouse away to us is going to decide our group and based on our away game against them we should beat them.
The other groups could go anywhere but won't have the points to beat us out of third.

[Cianostays]

Racing do have to go to Welford Rd and Ravenhill though. They should win both games but one slip up could open the door for us.

[blockhead]

An away semi would be exciting though. Brings back memories of 2012 v Clermont and 2009 v Munster , epic games!
Lots of work to do though first to earn that.

[Oldschool]

Racing do have to go to Welford Rd and Ravenhill though. They should win both games but one slip up could open the door for us.

Actually you're right Ravenhill could be a tough ask if Ulster are lucky with injuries.

[Aird]

Racing 92 wouldn’t be the firstTop 14 high flyer to come to grief at The Kingspan as Clermont and La Rochelle will testify.
There is a School of thought that Ulster could meet Saracens in a quarter final at the Allianz Staduim which could be interesting as most Ulster supporters feel that they have a debt to be settled with Saracens.
Jared Payne our popular Defence coach will have plenty of incentive, to produce another performance like that at Parque y Empty on Friday night.

[paddyor]

I don't see Ulster going any further than the group stages tbh. Didn't see the game on Friday but I can't see them winning their 3 remaining games, I think they'll be doing well to get 2 wins and that won't be enough IMO.

[Oldschool]

I don't see Ulster going any further than the group stages tbh. Didn't see the game on Friday but I can't see them winning their 3 remaining games, I think they'll be doing well to get 2 wins and that won't be enough IMO.

18 points usually gets you qualified.
On that basis Ulster need a five pointer against Scarlets (doable) and then a minor miracle to pick up another four points from somewhere. That home game with Racing is going to be a white knuckle affair for both teams.
Their main hope lies in the fact that the Munster and Edinburgh groups are tight, the points being spread between the teams.

[rooster]

I don't see Ulster going any further than the group stages tbh. Didn't see the game on Friday but I can't see them winning their 3 remaining games, I think they'll be doing well to get 2 wins and that won't be enough IMO.

18 points usually gets you qualified.
On that basis Ulster need a five pointer against Scarlets (doable) and then a minor miracle to pick up another four points from somewhere. That home game with Racing is going to be a white knuckle affair for both teams.
Their main hope lies in the fact that the Munster and Edinburgh groups are tight, the points being spread between the teams.

Racing won't fancy a trip to a wet windy night at Ravenhill instead of a carpet in the disco dome, doubt we will catch them but the top place runner up spot is well within our grasp, as long as a few key players stay fit.

[Oldschool]

I don't see Ulster going any further than the group stages tbh. Didn't see the game on Friday but I can't see them winning their 3 remaining games, I think they'll be doing well to get 2 wins and that won't be enough IMO.

18 points usually gets you qualified.
On that basis Ulster need a five pointer against Scarlets (doable) and then a minor miracle to pick up another four points from somewhere. That home game with Racing is going to be a white knuckle affair for both teams.
Their main hope lies in the fact that the Munster and Edinburgh groups are tight, the points being spread between the teams.

Racing won't fancy a trip to a wet windy night at Ravenhill instead of a carpet in the disco dome, doubt we will catch them but the top place runner up spot is well within our grasp, as long as a few key players stay fit.

You can be assured of our 100% backing behind that endeavour.

[hugonaut]

Racing won't fancy a trip to a wet windy night at Ravenhill instead of a carpet in the disco dome, doubt we will catch them but the top place runner up spot is well within our grasp, as long as a few key players stay fit.

Racing have a massive pack and two brilliant kicking scrumhalves in Machenaud and Iribaren. They're more than capable of putting it up the jumper and turning it into a manupathon if the weather turns sour.

[Ruckedtobits]

Current top eight after completion of the head-to-heads in Champions Cup. All five Pool leaders included and Pool noted.

Each team has one home and one away fixture remaining. Although nobody is yet qualified, this is the least competitive qualification process since the competition started:

1. Racing 92...............19 pts---Leader Pool 4
2. Saracens................18 pts---Leader Pool 3
3. Toulouse................17 pts---Leader Pool 1
4. Edinburgh..............15 pts---Leader Pool 5
5. Leinster..................15 pts
6. Ulster......................14 pts
7. Glasgow.................14 pts
8. Munster..................12 pts---Leader Pool 2

A fairly extraordinary Table at this point with one team from Premiership and two from Top14 and FIVE from the Pro 14. In fact, only Montpelier on 11 points in Pool 5 are in a position to challenge for a qualifying slot by points.

The outcome of the winner in Pool 2 is still a three-horse race but second place will not qualify, barring lots of freak results elsewhere.

[wixfjord]

Winner will come from ourselves, Racing or Sarries imo.

Munster/Toulouse could go fairly far too, but I'm not sure either have enough at the moment to win three knockouts.

Racing would be my prediction for winners at this early stage.

[wixfjord]

He's not well liked on here for obvious reasons (myself included) but Zebo is in serious form for Racing.

[Oldschool]

Current top eight after completion of the head-to-heads in Champions Cup. All five Pool leaders included and Pool noted.

Each team has one home and one away fixture remaining. Although nobody is yet qualified, this is the least competitive qualification process since the competition started:

1. Racing 92...............19 pts---Leader Pool 4
2. Saracens................18 pts---Leader Pool 3
3. Toulouse................17 pts---Leader Pool 1
4. Edinburgh..............15 pts---Leader Pool 5
5. Leinster..................15 pts
6. Ulster......................14 pts
7. Glasgow.................14 pts
8. Munster..................12 pts---Leader Pool 2

A fairly extraordinary Table at this point with one team from Premiership and two from Top14 and FIVE from the Pro 14. In fact, only Montpelier on 11 points in Pool 5 are in a position to challenge for a qualifying slot by points.

The outcome of the winner in Pool 2 is still a three-horse race but second place will not qualify, barring lots of freak results elsewhere.

Should Munster be fifth seeds as pool leaders.
Montpellier making a late run similar to last year.
Their game away? to Edinburgh is likely to decide the group.
Realistically as you point out there are only 9 teams in contention for the 8 qualifying places.
Ulster may well need a win away to Leicester on the last day to qualify.
Munster will be in a similar position at home to Exeter.
Hard to predict which way either game will go but Ulster have a bit of momentum.
In addition Joey is going to be under the cosh if Robin Copeland's comments are anything to judge by.
So it's likely Ulster, Glasgow and Edinburgh/Montpellier could be in a shoot out for 2 places, 7/8 seeds.
Probably final 8.
1. Saracens
2. Racing
3. Leinster
4. Edinburgh/Montpellier
5. Munster
6. Toulouse
7. Glasgow
8. Edinburgh/Montpellier/Ulster
Montpellier might lose to Edinburgh and Ulster would be 8th seeds.
You'd wonder what the bookies are thinking.
From a Leinster point of view it's looking like a Q/F against Toulouse in the Aviva with the possibility of it being Glasgow if Racing slip up.

[blockhead]

Saracens 51-25 Cardiff
Saracens-Only Prem team to beat a team from outside the Prem
Cardiff-Only Pro14 team to lose to a team from outside the Pro14

Pro14- 5 wins and 2 defeats, 24pts
Prem- 2 wins and 5 defeats, 11pts
Top14- 3 wins and 3 defeats, 15pts

Saracens, again the only Prem team to beat a team from outside the prem.
Pro14- 19pts
Prem- 9pts
Top14- 19pts

[blockhead]

Newcastle 8-21 Edinburgh.
Cockers must have enjoyed that win over Dean(cheatin bastid)Richards.
Edinburgh are the suprise story of the heino this season, and Van der Merwe has got some serious gas.

[rooster]

18 points usually gets you qualified.
On that basis Ulster need a five pointer against Scarlets (doable) and then a minor miracle to pick up another four points from somewhere. That home game with Racing is going to be a white knuckle affair for both teams.
Their main hope lies in the fact that the Munster and Edinburgh groups are tight, the points being spread between the teams.

Racing won't fancy a trip to a wet windy night at Ravenhill instead of a carpet in the disco dome, doubt we will catch them but the top place runner up spot is well within our grasp, as long as a few key players stay fit.

You can be assured of our 100% backing behind that endeavour.

At present the IRFU would love that, full house at Aviva and all gate to IRFU teams

[Peg Leg]

Anyone watching Clermont v Northamptonshire? 7 mins in 3 try's. 7-12
....

10 mins now 14-12

Not arsed starting a Challenge Cup [Most improved] thread.

[IanD]

Bt Sport 2 has Claremont v Northampton

10 mins gone 4 trys scored.

Currently 14 - 12