Investec Champions Cup 23/24 - Quarter Finals

[Vieux Talonneur]

I like the SA teams tbh, Stormers v La Rochelle was far and away the highest quality rugby played last week. Arguably no room in the season for this comp to have them however.

Good teams, but so remote from the others their involvement feels synthetic plus all the logistics of teams travelling and costs for spectators etc. I just don't like it out of principle and until teletransportation is a thing my dial's unlikely to shift. Others will see it differently.

It's supposed to be our premier club comp yet we're seeing teams either not taking it seriously or not being able to put their best foot forward.

 

[Which Tyler]

Oh yeah, the objections are nothing to do with the quality of the SA teams (well, only partly, but that's also an objection against the quality of teams from the Prem, T14, and elsewhere in the URC).
Champions Cup should be teams challenging to be the champions of their league - the elite clubs
European Champions cup should be teams from Europe

4 pools of 4.
4 Prem teams,
6 T14 teams,
5 URC teams (excepting Saffers)
Previous year's Challenge Cup winners.

Challenge Cup for the next 4, 6, 5 and 1
European Plate for the rest + Georgians, Romanians, Spanish, Portugese etc.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Oh yeah, the objections are nothing to do with the quality of the SA teams (well, only partly, but that's also an objection against the quality of teams from the Prem, T14, and elsewhere in the URC).
Champions Cup should be teams challenging to be the champions of their league - the elite clubs
European Champions cup should be teams from Europe

4 pools of 4.
4 Prem teams,
6 T14 teams,
5 URC teams (excepting Saffers)
Previous year's Challenge Cup winners.

Challenge Cup for the next 4, 6, 5 and 1
European Plate for the rest + Georgians, Romanians, Spanish, Portugese etc.

The tournament lost its status as a truly European competition when it stopped letting the best Italian/Welsh/Scottish teams in. It was just a best of three leagues comp then, hard to justify leaving the Saffas out when they joined as a result.

The champions league isn't the best 32 teams in Europe but it creates a coefficient based on European performance to decide how many teams from each country gets in with a cap on how many teams a country can have in the tournament of four.

Rugby needs something similar and it'd likely be same as above (Love the 16 team format) except 2 Irish, 1 Welsh, 1 Italian, 1 Scottish (maybe 3 Irish and 3 English due to Leinster's performance). Let the relevant Welsh/Italian/Scottish bodies decide how to qualify their team.

Without representation by country I'd be hard pressed to be on the side of anything that removes SA sides.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Paris to Cape Town is such a shitty flight. Having to do an up and back would suck. Travel days aren't rest days is a saying I like.

Unless they schedule SA URC legs around European windows I don't see how it will work long term.

Edit: no please no, we don't need the shitty welsh and Italian teams back until they earn it. They decided to have a joint league, Swansea and Cardiff city don't get special European spots because they are the best welsh football teams.

 

[West Country Wail]

What a joke! They should seriously consider letting Lyon have a shot. Saints are going to end up against motivated monsters in the semi final but at least it would be at the Gardens.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Edit: no please no, we don't need the shitty welsh and Italian teams back until they earn it. They decided to have a joint league, Swansea and Cardiff city don't get special European spots because they are the best welsh football teams.

They joined the league but kept their European places, it was imposed on the URC that finishing positions of the league determined qualifiers and that opened the door to SA.

If any reformatting was to happen the URC either has to back the SA teams or the four European nations. If you let the LNR and PRL do things their way, you end up with exactly what we have now which no one is happy with.

 

[Which Tyler]

The tournament lost its status as a truly European competition when it stopped letting the best Italian/Welsh/Scottish teams in. It was just a best of three leagues comp then, hard to justify leaving the Saffas out when they joined as a result.

The champions league isn't the best 32 teams in Europe but it creates a coefficient based on European performance to decide how many teams from each country gets in with a cap on how many teams a country can have in the tournament of four.

Rugby needs something similar and it'd likely be same as above (Love the 16 team format) except 2 Irish, 1 Welsh, 1 Italian, 1 Scottish (maybe 3 Irish and 3 English due to Leinster's performance). Let the relevant Welsh/Italian/Scottish bodies decide how to qualify their team.

Without representation by country I'd be hard pressed to be on the side of anything that removes SA sides.

TBF, I agree - when PRL and LNR staged their coup, I was in favour of their idea to reduce the number of teams, but NOT to remove national qualification (or how they went about it).
I can understand the logic of making qualification purely based on league status, rather than best in nation; I just disagree with it. I can still see the logic of not having non-Europeans in a European competition.

 

[Becca]

View attachment 19611What a joke! They should seriously consider letting Lyon have a shot. Saints are going to end up against motivated monsters in the semi final but at least it would be at the Gardens.

Don't know what to think about this.
On the one hand it does devalue the competition. On the other, it gives us a much better chance !

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

View attachment 19611What a joke! They should seriously consider letting Lyon have a shot. Saints are going to end up against motivated monsters in the semi final but at least it would be at the Gardens.

Lyon sent second stingers to SA last week.

 

[West Country Wail]

Lyon sent second stingers to SA last week.

Ahhh they're all at it

 

[Becca]

It's not ideal, is it ?
Jake White is saying those 10 are injured !

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Don't know what to think about this.
On the one hand it does devalue the competition. On the other, it gives us a much better chance !

Agreed.

Just make the most of it. You can only beat who's there.

I mean who puts an an asterisk against Dina Asher-Smith's 2019 200m world ***le just because the 7 other finalists only ended the year ranked 5th, 7th, 9th, 14th, 16th, 24th and 25th?

Apart from me, obviously.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Both captains injured is huge. I like Conners in and the 6-2. Don't love Ross after last week and last year coupled with how good Harry was over there.

Could be enough, but I give them the edge.

 

[big ginger 8]

Like the Connors selection, had been thinking about it earlier in the week. Perfect guy to stop LAR's carriers early. Also a better lineout option than VDF. Apart from Ross pretty much exactly what I'd have gone for given the availability. Hope Milne can make some impact off the bench.

Expect Larmour's wing to get peppered with high balls.

 

[Stade Rochelais]

View attachment 19613

Both captains injured is huge. I like Conners in and the 6-2. Don't love Ross after last week and last year coupled with how good Harry was over there.

Could be enough, but I give them the edge.

Can I have the list of unavailable Leinster players?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Can I have the list of unavailable Leinster players?

Jimmy O'Brien, James Ryan, Garry Ringrose, Cian Healy and Charlie N'gatai.

Three starters, one bench player and N'gatai wouldn't feature if he was fit I don't think.

 

[TommiG88]

Jimmy O'Brien, James Ryan, Garry Ringrose, Cian Healy and Charlie N'gatai.

Three starters, one bench player and N'gatai wouldn't feature if he was fit I don't think.

You forgot Sexton

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

They're weaker at second row than last year also, Dillane is no Sazy. We have to target that back three to win.

Two teams that don't look as strong on paper as last year, doubt Toulouse or UBB have much fear tbh and Saints would fancy the potential home tie I reckon.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

 

[AngloScotsHybrid]

View attachment 19613

Both captains injured is huge. I like Conners in and the 6-2. Don't love Ross after last week and last year coupled with how good Harry was over there.

Could be enough, but I give them the edge.

Why is Van der Flier on the bench for such a big game?