Bottlers!!

[Scan]

Yet again the English teams have woefully under achieved in the Heineken Cup (and Ireland have three representatives in the quarter finals!!). Has it occured to anyone else that the English teams - with the exception of Leicester - just bottle it (give Saffer-cens time, they'll mess up too).

Think about it;
Bath - consistently thrown up getoutof-able pools
Northampton - ehhh? Heineken Cup Final 2011. Conceded 51 points against Munster at home (well, MK Dons's home).
Gloucester - invented the word choke
Sale - lost to Brive. BRIVE!
Harlequins - crumbled under the expectations after their unbeaten run
London Irish - where do I begin? Chris Malone's kamikaze drop-goal attempt v Leinster? Bottled it last year after beating Munster in the first round?
Saracens - like I said. Give 'em time.

Leicester get the benefit of the doubt this time as they had a tough pool (and I didn't catch any of their Heineken matches this year so can't be too sure!)

Newcastle and Worcester don't have European expectations so don't count. Exeter are too new a team for anyone to get shocked by if they lose badly. Wasps are just woeful nowadays.

 

[Saintjay]

Yet again the English teams have woefully under achieved in the Heineken Cup (and Ireland have three representatives in the quarter finals!!). Has it occured to anyone else that the English teams - with the exception of Leicester - just bottle it (give Saffer-cens time, they'll mess up too).

Think about it;
Bath - consistently thrown up getoutof-able pools
Northampton - ehhh? Heineken Cup Final 2011. Conceded 51 points against Munster at home (well, MK Dons's home).
Gloucester - invented the word choke
Sale - lost to Brive. BRIVE!
Harlequins - crumbled under the expectations after their unbeaten run
London Irish - where do I begin? Chris Malone's kamikaze drop-goal attempt v Leinster? Bottled it last year after beating Munster in the first round?
Saracens - like I said. Give 'em time.

Leicester get the benefit of the doubt this time as they had a tough pool (and I didn't catch any of their Heineken matches this year so can't be too sure!)

Newcastle and Worcester don't have European expectations so don't count. Exeter are too new a team for anyone to get shocked by if they lose badly. Wasps are just woeful nowadays.

Your point is what?

Would they be the same English teams that have won the Heiniken cup more times than the Irish teams and the same English teams that have featured in more finals than the Irish teams.

Yes the English teams have not had a great year but to say Yet again the English teams have woefully under achieved in the Heineken Cup is a little bit wrong.

 

[Feicarsinn]

This is a bit of a shame. If it weren't for the obvious troll (Munster eh, typical ) at the start of the topic, we could actually have a good discussion on the state of the AP and all that jazz.

 

[Saintjay]

This is a bit of a shame. If it weren't for the obvious troll (Munster eh, typical ) at the start of the topic, we could actually have a good discussion on the state of the AP and all that jazz.

He clearly knows more about the Heineken come than most on here. So he should be able to tell us all the group Sale are in.

 

[Scan]

Your point is what?

Would they be the same English teams that have won the Heiniken cup more times than the Irish teams and the same English teams that have featured in more finals than the Irish teams.

It doesn't matter how many times they've won in the past. If that mattered Brive would be a much bigger force in Europe wouldn't they?

2010-2011:
Only Leicester (the exception to the rule as I said) and Northampton made quarter-finals. Four French teams made it. Leicester were knocked out in quarters. Northampton ehhh... I don't think I have to remind you Saintjay!

2009-2010:
Only Northampton escaped the pool. They were beaten 22-17 by Munster in quarters. (Hate to rub it in mate)

2008-2009:
Was the last decent season for English teams. Leicester, Bath and Quins got through. Leicester knocked Bath out in a cracking quarter-final. Quins lost to Leinster in a match where Tom Williams got a *ahem* cut on his lip and had to go get stitched up.
Leicester got al the way to the final to lose to Leinster.

Considering London Irish, Bath, Quins, Northampton and Saracens (last season of course) have all struggled to make the quarters in the last few seasons, my point is the reason to this is either coz they're all bottlers or maybe it's a lack in depth in their squads.

That Simon Zebo's some player huh?

 

[Scan]

He clearly knows more about the Heineken come than most on here. So he should be able to tell us all the group Sale are in.

Just wanted to give all the English teams a mention. Heineken and Amlin teams. They're all English aren't they?

 

[lucky number 7]

This must be someones troll profile or something....


Sure they haven't had a great few years but your attitude makes me glad I live in and was born in glorious Leinster...

If we are to go on past form as you have delved into the last few years ..as far as 08 even..Munster have not performed consistently.

 

[Scan]

This must be someones troll profile or something....




Sure they haven't had a great few years but your attitude makes me glad I live in and was born in glorious Leinster...


If we are to go on past form as you have delved into the last few years ..as far as 08 even..Munster have not performed consistently.

Whoa lads! Calm down, everyone's taking this thread too seriously. All I was trying to achieve was to cause a bit of controversy and see what everyone else thought about the Premiership teams' poor performances in the Heineken over the last few seasons (which is why I 'delved into the past').
This thread has nothing to do with Munster.

P.S. Just in case anyone thinks I have a problem with English rugby, I don't. It was just an observation. I am not a troll lads.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I'd hope that the irony of a Munster supporter calling anyone bottlers with regard to the Heineken cup isn't lost on the forum...

 

[Scan]

Eh? 6 from 6 in the Heineken already. Bouncing back from last years dreadful campaign is the complete opposite of bottling.

 

[Groundhog]

In fairness mate naming the thread bottlers with not one, but two exclamation marks is bound to annoy people!!

 

[Melhor Time]

Leinster and Munster should always be in the Quarters. Ulster shouldn´t and I do think that had Aironi not been in the pool then things would not have been the same. Neither Cardiff nor Edinburgh are amonsgt the top eight but with Racing Métro throwing its matches things were certainly made easier.

In any event when there are six pools with eight teams advancing its always hard. If it could be fit in I´d like to see a round of 16.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Leinster and Munster should always be in the Quarters. Ulster shouldn´t and I do think that had Aironi not been in the pool then things would not have been the same. Neither Cardiff nor Edinburgh are amonsgt the top eight but with Racing Métro throwing its matches things were certainly made easier.

In any event when there are six pools with eight teams advancing its always hard. If it could be fit in I´d like to see a round of 16.

How about not turning up at all in some games. The Gunners played some good rugby this HEC group stage.

 

[Scan]

In fairness mate naming the thread bottlers with not one, but two exclamation marks is bound to annoy people!!

Yeah, well, I'll know for next time!

Leinster and Munster should always be in the Quarters. Ulster shouldn´t and I do think that had Aironi not been in the pool then things would not have been the same. Neither Cardiff nor Edinburgh are amonsgt the top eight but with Racing Métro throwing its matches things were certainly made easier.

In any event when there are six pools with eight teams advancing its always hard. If it could be fit in I´d like to see a round of 16.

I don't see any problem with fitting a round of 16 in somewhere. It's only one extra week of games. It might take away from the excitement of the final two rounds of the pool stages though coz lots of teams will be safely qualified already. Can't see it happening any time soon. Don't be too harsh on Ulster either mate, they could be a force in the next few years.

 

[lucky number 7]

Whoa lads! Calm down, everyone's taking this thread too seriously. All I was trying to achieve was to cause a bit of controversy and see what everyone else thought about the Premiership teams' poor performances in the Heineken over the last few seasons (which is why I 'delved into the past').
This thread has nothing to do with Munster.

P.S. Just in case anyone thinks I have a problem with English rugby, I don't. It was just an observation. I am not a troll lads.

Does

Not

Compute.

 

[Melhor Time]

maybe the top 8 in the three leagues should qualify rather than Aironi being guaranteed a spot

I agree.

Aironi would do much better in the Amlin Challenge Cup. For next season Italy should have one team, Wales three, Ireland three and Scotland two. France deserve at least one more place while England should have one more. Exeter in the HEC would be interesting.

 

[PaulBoffin]

[BLINK][GLOW][/GLOW][/BLINK]troll

 

[cyRil]

I'd hope that the irony of a Munster supporter calling anyone bottlers with regard to the Heineken cup isn't lost on the forum...

His interest in rugby probably only goes as far back as 2006, so it's probably lost on him at least!!

 

[monkeypigeon]

I agree.

Aironi would do much better in the Amlin Challenge Cup. For next season Italy should have one team, Wales three, Ireland three and Scotland two. France deserve at least one more place while England should have one more. Exeter in the HEC would be interesting.

Seems a bit backwards considering the thread started because the English teams haven't been qualifying from their groups as they used to in the last few years.

Also, I think if weaker teams like Exeter (who are generally happy to avoid the drop for the first few years in the Premiership) were in, we might see weakened teams appearing in latter parts of the group stage. And we all know how that can upset a group (unfairly) for some teams.

I do admite that there's a lack of fairness in things as certain teams effectively guaranteed qualification from the Magners League...but I don't think any changes will the make the competion any fairer,

I don't think anyopne wants a competition where there's two french teams or two English teams in 4 of the 6 groups. I like the competition for it's diversity, not the same ole league match that we have twice a year happening twice more.

 

[racingmetrofan]

I recon england sren't qualifying because they have their best players spread around 12 teams instead of the 4 in Ireland, the 4 in Wales, and the 2 in Scotland.

France have 14 teams but their salary caps are very high and they can still by and large buy whoever they want, which the English can't do.