OTT wrote:I think the next thing that needs to be done is that Pro 14 teams from the same country need to be able to draw each other in the group stage. It makes zero sense to me that we can't, why can French and English teams but Pro 14 teams can't.
If you want meritocracy then draws should be that way each tier you have an equal chance of drawing an opponent as the next team. Could you imagine a Christmas double header against Munster, jaysus it would be savage, or Connacht doing one of us at the Sports Ground (preferably Munster or Ulster ). What was the reasoning behind having the Pro 14 treated differently as the two other leagues? Have those reasons changed? With the change in qualification process from the Pro 14 I think they have.
It was probably done to reduce the likelihood of an Irish team getting to the playoffs given the strength of English and French club rugby.
Well that's the theory anyway.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who's the greatest player of them all? It is Drico your majesty.
OTT wrote:I think the next thing that needs to be done is that Pro 14 teams from the same country need to be able to draw each other in the group stage. It makes zero sense to me that we can't, why can French and English teams but Pro 14 teams can't.
If you want meritocracy then draws should be that way each tier you have an equal chance of drawing an opponent as the next team. Could you imagine a Christmas double header against Munster, jaysus it would be savage, or Connacht doing one of us at the Sports Ground (preferably Munster or Ulster ). What was the reasoning behind having the Pro 14 treated differently as the two other leagues? Have those reasons changed? With the change in qualification process from the Pro 14 I think they have.
It was probably done to reduce the likelihood of an Irish team getting to the playoffs given the strength of English and French club rugby.
Well that's the theory anyway.
Except could you imagine 5 Glasgow v Edinburgh games in the same season??
It's bad enough if re draw an Irish or Welsh team and have 4 games a season.
OTT wrote:I think the next thing that needs to be done is that Pro 14 teams from the same country need to be able to draw each other in the group stage. It makes zero sense to me that we can't, why can French and English teams but Pro 14 teams can't.
If you want meritocracy then draws should be that way each tier you have an equal chance of drawing an opponent as the next team. Could you imagine a Christmas double header against Munster, jaysus it would be savage, or Connacht doing one of us at the Sports Ground (preferably Munster or Ulster ). What was the reasoning behind having the Pro 14 treated differently as the two other leagues? Have those reasons changed? With the change in qualification process from the Pro 14 I think they have.
Don't think it would add to the competition at all. Back in the days when it was 24 teams and six groups they would keep teams from the same countries apart unless there were seven from either England or France and what we have now is just an extension of that.
OTT wrote:I think the next thing that needs to be done is that Pro 14 teams from the same country need to be able to draw each other in the group stage. It makes zero sense to me that we can't, why can French and English teams but Pro 14 teams can't.
If you want meritocracy then draws should be that way each tier you have an equal chance of drawing an opponent as the next team. Could you imagine a Christmas double header against Munster, jaysus it would be savage, or Connacht doing one of us at the Sports Ground (preferably Munster or Ulster ). What was the reasoning behind having the Pro 14 treated differently as the two other leagues? Have those reasons changed? With the change in qualification process from the Pro 14 I think they have.
Surely the rule about teams from same country only comes into effect with the drawing of tier 4? So if Connacht had won the Challenge Cup this year they couldn’t have been the tier 4 option for the other three Irish teams
When the draw of the first three tiers is complete each pool will have one French, one English and one pro 14 team
#LiveLifeLoveLeinster
#BeSeenBeHeardBeBlueBELIEVE
I'm a Book Mark and damn proud of it. Storm 1:08 forever
They have to pick one league where teams are kept apart using some criteria, otherwise you could get the boring situation of pools being like a mirror mini-league.
cormac wrote:Saracens v Munster. The kind of game where you'd like to see both teams lose.
You're letting your bias get in the way of good judgement.
If Munster managed to knock Saracens out of the competition that would be great for us (abd everyone else).
Even to force them into an away QF is desirable.
Maybe next season will be different.
However Munster aren't their yet.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who's the greatest player of them all? It is Drico your majesty.
). What was the reasoning behind having the Pro 14 treated differently as the two other leagues? Have those reasons changed? With the change in qualification process from the Pro 14 I think they have.
