Champions cup pools 2015/16

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Pool 5 is vicious.

Pool 1:
Saracens
Ulster
Toulouse
Oyannax

Pool 2:
Clermont,
Ospreys
Exeter Chiefs
Bordeaux

Pool 3:
Glasgow
Northampton Saints
Racing 92
Scarlets

Pool 4:
SF Paris
Munster
Leicester Tigers
Treviso

Pool 5:
Bath
Toulon
Leinster
Wasps

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Pool 5 is evil
Pool 1 is nasty
Pool 4 is full of the old guard
Pool 2 is the easiest
pool 3 is interesting

 

[TheSaffycen]

Well pool 1 could easily be any of Saracens, Ulster or Toulouse. Oyannax will be tough at home but I can't see them travelling and picking up wins.
Pool 2 is easily Clermonts
Pool 3 is probably Racing, Glasgow have lost a few players and Saints don't seem to play as well in Europe.
Pool 4 is Stade unless Tigers or Munster return to former glory.
Pool 5 is just ridiculous Toulon should go through but they normally pick up in the knock out rounds, no one can start that pool slowly.

 

[Amiga500]

Revenge.

That is all I want.

[Not shallow or spiteful... no sirree :lol:]

 

[Groundhog]

I think we'll top that pool if we can grab a losing BP in Paris.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I was hoping we could leave Paulie alone in his golden years! Johnny and the boys to end Toulon's time at the top!

 

[munstermuffin]

I'm delighted anyway. We got 2 pieces of luck
1 was loosing the draw for top seed and 2nd was we avoided any big spending team.
Look forward to seeing Parisse in Limerick and well we got Treviso which helps.

Leinster well I guess it's set up for jimmy Gopperth to do something against them.

 

[valley commando]

Pool 5 is vicious.

Pool 1:
Saracens
Ulster
Toulouse
Oyannax

Pool 2:
Clermont,
Ospreys
Exeter Chiefs
Bordeaux

Pool 3:
Glasgow
Northampton Saints
Racing 92
Scarlets

Pool 4:
SF Paris
Munster
Leicester Tigers
Treviso

Pool 5:
Bath
Toulon
Leinster
Wasps

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Pool 5 is evil
Pool 1 is nasty
Pool 4 is full of the old guard
Pool 2 is the easiest
pool 3 is interesting

All of the groups are going to be tough by the nature of the competition, my predictions -:

Group 1 Winners Toulouse
Group 2 Winners Clermont
Group 3 Winners Saints
Group 4 Winners S F Paris
Group 5 Winners Toulon

Best Runners up Ospreys, Glasgow and Munster.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I think we'll top that pool if we can grab a losing BP in Paris.

Nah.

Prefer Munster to Ulster.

Fancy Tigers chances this season pool wise.

 

[Tony Manx]

Oyonnax!

 

[ncurd]

They really need to introduce some form of sensible seeding Pool 5 has half of this years Quater-finalists, two semi-finalists and the eventual winners. Each of those team got taken out the tournament by another member of the group this year.

Not saying the current system is unfair but surely we want the best teams in Europe @ the knockout stage?

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Just seen how they seeded it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_European_Rugby_Champions_Cup#Seeding

Which is pretty but I think the need to take in performance in previous iteration into account. Toulon are champions of Europe (for the third time running) but due to their Top 14 position are considered a Tier 2 side as opposed to Tier 1?

 

[gaston le gaff]

Must admit a little mystified myself, they finished top of the Championshio, lost in the semi and won the Champions Cup so they were two games away from perfection, difficult to understand their place seeding, especially as Stade were not even in the Champions Cup this last season but did win the final, strange system!!!!

 

[Jerry Blue]

Not sure about Ospreys could easily be Exeter and Bordeaux are a unknown.

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Yeah the Champion should be top seed but they wanted based on league merit so that's what they got! Toulon will still get to final though!

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Based on league position by merit. Stade won the league so they get top seed.

 

[Every Time Ref]

What the ****?

I do see how it works with seeding being based on domestic league performance, but a seeding system which puts the winner, 2 of the 4 semi finalists and 4 of the 8 quarter finalists in one group and 4 teams who didn't make the knockouts in another is clearly not fair.

Saying that, I'm actually really excited about our group, there are 12 seriously tasty games right there. Including a chance for REVENGE!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Clermont, Toulouse, Stade Francais, Toulon, Racing Metro 92 the glorious, Saracens, Munster and Leinster my picks for the play offs.

Dan Carter to take RM92 all the way.

If the Aussies and Argies can sort out some form of domestic league I'd love for the Wouthern Hemisphere to ditch Super rugby and adopt a similar format, well, somewhat similar.

 

[JJFlash]

Pool 1:
Saracens
Ulster
Toulouse
Oyannax

Pool 2:
Clermont,
Ospreys
Exeter Chiefs
Bordeaux

Pool 3:
Glasgow
Northampton Saints
Racing 92
Scarlets

Pool 4:
SF Paris
Munster
Leicester Tigers
Treviso

Pool 5:
Bath
Toulon
Leinster
Wasps

We have what's possibly, the tightest calls since the European rugby was born as to who's going to progress!

Pool 1 - Sadly, I can't see Toulouse advancing. Away wins are obligatory and I can't see them winning any away games. Sarries to win the group.
Pool 2 - OK, Clermont should be favourites but underestimate Bordeaux and Exeter at your peril.
Pool 3 - Racing to go through.
Pool 4 - Easiest pool to predict. SF to come first.
Pool 5 - Now here's where it gets tough. Dare I say Bath?

Best runners up? Munster and Ulster........... and Toulon

 

[chippieolamus]

The seeding is stupid, last year 2 of the previous semi finalists plus a finalist in the same pool, this year the champions, semi finalists and 2 quarter finalists. Why not establish some kind of 'European club ranking' in a similar vein to the international rankings (which, IMO, are usually fairly good), then choose the top 5 for pot 1, the next 5 for pot 2 etc. Would make more sense.

For the pools, I see:
Pool 1: Will be close, I've got to back Sarries.
2: Clermont, fairly comfortably
3: Racing
4: Stade
5: Toulon
Best losers to be Toulouse, Exeter and Munster. I think only 1 team will go through from pool 5, as each of the teams will take points off each other.

 

[psychic duck]

The seeding is stupid, last year 2 of the previous semi finalists plus a finalist in the same pool, this year the champions, semi finalists and 2 quarter finalists. Why not establish some kind of 'European club ranking' in a similar vein to the international rankings (which, IMO, are usually fairly good), then choose the top 5 for pot 1, the next 5 for pot 2 etc. Would make more sense.

For the pools, I see:
Pool 1: Will be close, I've got to back Sarries.
2: Clermont, fairly comfortably
3: Racing
4: Stade
5: Toulon
Best losers to be Toulouse, Exeter and Munster. I think only 1 team will go through from pool 5, as each of the teams will take points off each other.

Because they did that before and it was shït. Sides got rewarded for performances from about 5 years ago, and we got Biarritz, Cardiff Blues among others as top seeds long after their time as an elite European side had come to an end, and their easier draws kept them higher for longer as well.

This new system is excellent and far better in my view. Gives more incentive for sides to perform in the league, particularly the Pro12.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

SF to easily come first?



Both Leicester and Munster have strong home records in europe the winner of the pool will need to win away twice (Including Treviso).

I mean SF have a fine team but there front row if they play a forward focused game like they did in the top 14 it will be very close.

 

[munstermuffin]

SF to easily come first?

[video]https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCIQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D37O WL7AzvHo&ei=b-mBVciDLsH2UJ6JgZgN&usg=AFQjCNGBwTjDu5V-l8SmTSQ3ej_u2J-A5g&sig2=ClMguC6kCSoe0vVImx6hbg&bvm=bv.96041959,d.d24[/video]

Both Leicester and Munster have strong home records in europe the winner of the pool will need to win away twice (Including Treviso).

I mean SF have a fine team but there front row if they play a forward focused game like they did in the top 14 it will be very close.

On this pool. I think it'll be tight. Regardless of where we are we will always be a tough game in Limerick, Tigers are exact same in Welford Rd. Stade can be hit and miss. And well they don't always treat away games similar to Clermont and Toulon. So this is wide open.

Regards pools. I'm delighted with the seeding system. There's games all over the place that I'm extremely excited about. You'll always get a tough pool like Pool 5. And more often than not that could be the best thing that can happen teams. And I 100% agree with Physic Duck that it keeps teams active in League

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

On this pool. I think it'll be tight. Regardless of where we are we will always be a tough game in Limerick, Tigers are exact same in Welford Rd. Stade can be hit and miss. And well they don't always treat away games similar to Clermont and Toulon. So this is wide open.

Regards pools. I'm delighted with the seeding system. There's games all over the place that I'm extremely excited about. You'll always get a tough pool like Pool 5. And more often than not that could be the best thing that can happen teams. And I 100% agree with Physic Duck that it keeps teams active in League

Agreed.

It is really nice as Leicester hasn't played Stade or Munster in a competitive game since 2007!!!!!!

Were Munster beat us Home and we beat Munster @ Thomond Park ending there run of 27 games (Or something like that) What a game that was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

White bossing your scrum when PO'C got cocky and went for a 5M scrum and lost.

Then beating Stade in the 1/4 Good times.