Saracens v ASM Clermont Auvergne

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Nothing much wrong with saying that lot, most of us have been saying that for years.

Kinda odd though that someone at Sarries should say that considering they make a bigger loss every year then any other club (except maybe Bristol, Leeds and Newcastle).

You'd know better than I; am I correct in saying Northampton and Leicester are the only Premiership teams turning a profit? If so, I don't think they should be penalised by having a salary cap imposed. Clubs who aren't running their business correctly should be subject to some sort of financial regulation.

The subject of ML qualification is difficult. Perhaps a system where one Italian, one Scottish, one Welsh and one Irish team is guaranteed qualification and the rest is determined by league position is better. The ML teams won't agree to reducing their representation in the tournament so expansion is the only way of getting the same number of AP and Top14 teams as there are from the ML.

 

[Teh Mite]

The bugbare for the English and French fans regarding the ML teams's qualification is they don't earn it through their league position. So both Scottish and (now) both Italian sides are a sure-fire guarantee, while The Irish and Welsh keep their poor relatives in the shape of Connaught and Newport in tow meaning the rest are certainties every year. It's a tricky one to sort out, but it has been seen as unfair to the other sides.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

It is unfair. In Ireland's case, Leinster, Munster and Ulster pay Connacht little more than lip service. It's in their interests to keep Connacht weak by way of not agreeing to fund them. However, this season it's quite possible that both Leinster and Ulster will qualify for the last 8 of the Heineken Cup and Munster will be in the Amlin quarter final. If one of those sides win their competition, Connacht qualify for the Heineken Cup next year. That will make Connacht more attractive for sponsors, players and spectators and has the potential to bring them closer to qualifying for the HC off their own performances.

None of which has anything to do wih Sarries v ASM! Speaking of which, I think Sarries will go into freefall with Mark McCall as head coach. 10 tries conceded in 2 games in charge is a sign of what's to come.

 

[coonor]

To be fair to Ulster, Munster and Leinster, all of them are H-cup standard and don't prove to be crap opposition like the Scottish and Italian teams (and to some degree some of the welsh teams)