Heineken Cup 2022/23: Quarter Finals

[Vieux Talonneur]

Stormers travel up was so crap

4 separate groups - some direct, some via Doha, some via Dubai. Mostly in economy.

One day's training this week.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

One day's training this week.

Hmm

They said on BT they arrived Wednesday, coaches said they trained Thursday Friday, I'm guessing they also did a recovery session on Monday before they started their travel on Tuesday

Inter hemisphere travel sucks, and the short turn around between R16 and Quarters was really poor planning, but thems the shakes when the teams are spread out over half the planet
Don't remember a lot of sympathy for Quins travelling to stormers the day after a bruising encounter vs Saracens

 

[die_mole]

Also while it's a long flight it's also a simple flight. I know Paris to cape town took forever but it was direct. Sounds like a failure of logistics to me. I know it was a short turn around but the marginal gains of sport is a team/competitors ability to do things off the field.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Isn't a large part of the logistical issues that the SARU (or whoever is in charge of the franchises) signed a sponsorship deal with an airline that doesn't fly direct so they have to stop off in the Middle East every trip needlessly?

 

[saulan]

There are multiple layers to this. One part is the deal SARU has with Qatar (I think) for most of their flights to Europe. That deal is getting them cheaper flights to and from Europe, but they're flying the teams for 20+ hours and they're flying them in Economy. Honestly, this is a pathetic deal that SARU has made and whoever made it should be fired. It means that the franchises don't pay for flights, but there is no interest in player welfare putting them through that back and forth through the year. The cost of flying is about double what it used to be pre Covid and Russia, so I'm hoping once things normalize on fuel costs and demand they'll change this deal, or get another sponsor from Europe. Problem is South African Airways is bankrupt and it would be weird to be sponsored by British Airways for example, but this cannot continue. By comparison they used to fly way more directly when heading over for Australasia tours.

But what happened this weekend, that's a new level ineptitude. The teams knew they were either playing at home or against Exeter in Exeter. Someone in logistics should have bought the refundable version of tickets for that way in advance and then got them refunded if they got the home game. I know we are new to this, but it is crazy to me that our teams have entered competitions that will require a ton of personnel logistics and yet didn't think "hey, all this last minute Europe travel may be tough, let's maybe hire someone to manage that". Potentially again this is on SARU rather than the franchises but it needs to be fixed.

I'll note the poor travel, but it can never be our excuse. That's our own doing and we shouldn't get sympathy. SARU and the franchises have let their players down and they need to improve.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Hmm

They said on BT they arrived Wednesday, coaches said they trained Thursday Friday, I'm guessing they also did a recovery session on Monday before they started their travel on Tuesday

Inter hemisphere travel sucks, and the short turn around between R16 and Quarters was really poor planning, but thems the shakes when the teams are spread out over half the planet
Don't remember a lot of sympathy for Quins travelling to stormers the day after a bruising encounter vs Saracens

Just going by what was in the Times.

A direct flight's something like 11 hours, but that's only the start of it. You've got the travel to the airport, plus a couple of hours hanging around pre flight. After landing it takes a while to get stuff together and then there's a 4 hour coach trek down to Devon. Door to door won't be much change from 24 hours. That takes a while to get out of the legs for training or playing. Add a few more hours for those on indirect flights.

I'm not feeling sorry for them. Just highlights the stupidity of having the SA teams in the competition in the first place. Having to do the reverse journey Quins were swimming uphill and the pathetically low number of fans that travelled - officially 31 - just makes a mockery of it all.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'm not feeling sorry for them. Just highlights the stupidity of having the SA teams in the competition in the first place. Having to do the reverse journey Quins were swimming uphill and the pathetically low number of fans that travelled - officially 31 - just makes a mockery of it all.

The format is a bigger issue than the South African teams, who are clearly adding quality to the tournament. They took 500 fans, it's a one hour flight or a 6 hour drive/ferry.

Get a proper pool stage back, have time between the knockout stages to organise travel and the players shouldn't be affected.

Not many fans will travel to SA but is that really a big issue? Travelling support to places like Castres or Treviso is never high either.

 

[saulan]

I mean, this past weekend, were there really many away fans at any games? Even the short travel from Leicester to Dublin seemed prohibitively expensive. Uk teams playing against SA teams in the UK should always get a relatively decent away turnout since there are so many South Africans on this side (especially those London teams).

The problem with the logistics this year is they aren't doing the most direct options, they're doing indirect routes in economy.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

It is a bit tiring hearing people mention Leinster wage bill as if it is relevant anymore.
Like Europe has no salary cap, it has been like forever why are people moaning about it.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

It is a bit tiring hearing people mention Leinster wage bill as if it is relevant anymore.
Like Europe has no salary cap, it has been like forever why are people moaning about it.

Thought Wigglesworth's comments came across as a bit defeatest yeah. Sport is cyclical and you play the hand your dealt* so English clubs will likely figure it out in the next 5-10 years.

*Except for Richard's premiership wins. 5 aces in the pocket

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Thought Wigglesworth's comments came across as a bit defeatest yeah. Sport is cyclical and you play the hand your dealt* so English clubs will likely figure it out in the next 5-10 years.

*Except for Richard's premiership wins. 5 aces in the pocket

The thing is the English clubs could basically get rid of a cap for say players who have been in the academy and replicate Leinster if they wanted.
It wouldn't overinflate wages much because other clubs would need to fit them in their Salary cap, and would allow more bang for their buck.

Like Leinster do have a big wage, and Sarries also have shown how much help it does to go over the cap with a good structure in place.
But the prem clubs can't seem to pick their battles it seems to be either the cap goes up or down with nothing in-between.

I would rather see a cap of like £3 million with a marquee player and then no cap for either homegrown U18 academy lads or U18 lads who didn't get offered a contract at their current club and became a free agent for example like Dan Kelly or Ollie Chessum. Allows a big squad with talent but would keep it more academy focused. Would prob be easier then for central contracts to come in and part fund the bigger England contracts.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That looked head on head from Tompkins on Botia,
Think they've missed it because he ran over the top of Tompkins

 

[TRF_Olyy]

lol @ the directors cutting the replay of that important penalty short/quickly cutting away to show something else because Aldritt went straight off his feet onto the ball

 

[IT157]

Seatbelt tackle missed from Skelton as well.

 

[Chris Hawkins]

Not a fan of Sarries in any way, shape or form but, I think this ref is going to be a bit of a homer.
Quick enough to give not rolling away by Sarries then letting La Rochelle player just lay there.

 

[IT157]

Lol at giving that a penalty for off the feet when it happens all game.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wtf are Saracens doing on attack,
Everything so frantic when simple hands would suffice

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Do they not have a golf cart?
RIP those stretcher carriers

 

[Wasps92]

Feel like I'm watching England v France again at the breakdown.

 

[IT157]

Is there a TMO this game?