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European Champions Cup 20-21 - Rd 2

TRF_Olyy

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There's going to be so many bullshit teams named here, will show the format up as the shite it is.

Munster v Clermont and Toulouse v Exe the ties of the round. Unless Munster start their young halfbacks I'd back both French sides.
 
There's going to be so many bullshit teams named here, will show the format up as the shite it is.

Munster v Clermont and Toulouse v Exe the ties of the round. Unless Munster start their young halfbacks I'd back both French sides.
I'd say Healy will start unless injured. Casey probably won't. Obviously a very tough ask. In normal years I'd be happy with a losing bonus point here, but that's a one way ticket to the Challenge cup at best this year.

Northampton will send a joke side to Leinsters as will a bunch of sides who have dropped games already. Toss up between Leinsters and Bordeaux to put up the biggest score this weekend I'd say.
 
After finally getting my head round the format ,I can't understand why they needed to have 2 tables, there is only one table needed. As it stands a team from one table could win all their games and still not qualify but a team from other table could lose twice and still qualify. That shows how unfair it could turn out to be. The tables are basically irrelevant as each team only plays 2 from that group. The fairest outcome should be to have a 24 team table with top 8 teams going through, though I can't understand why they couldn't have 8 tables with top team going through.
Hopefully the 'right' 8 teams go through.
Personally I think the draw should have had each team playing 4 different teams (2 home ,2away) in a draw done randomly.
 
Better still would be to have only 12 teams in competition. Top 4 from each. Play 4 groups of 3, 4 matches still but over 6 matchdays, with group winners into semi finals
 
Better still would be to have only 12 teams in competition. Top 4 from each. Play 4 groups of 3, 4 matches still but over 6 matchdays, with group winners into semi finals
Think 6 matchdays is the issue, if they had time for that they'd probably have just have run it as normal.

Not that the format they're using instead is any good. Having figured out how the format works it's even more ridiculous than I thought.
 
Think 6 matchdays is the issue, if they had time for that they'd probably have just have run it as normal.

Not that the format they're using instead is any good. Having figured out how the format works it's even more ridiculous than I thought.
Yes, crazy. Leinster will have a far harder draw than Wasps, due to both Top14 and AP having greater depth than Pro14.
 
Yes, crazy. Leinster will have a far harder draw than Wasps, due to both Top14 and AP having greater depth than Pro14.
I think we got off easy to be fair but you're right, the seeding is horribly unfair.

Ulster are first seeds and got Toulouse, which makes getting out of the groups very difficult (and nearly impossible now that they've lost at home). Equally the Dragons being involved is a joke, they massively unbalance the competition in favour of the teams who play them.
 
Danny Cipriani leaves Gloucester to be succeeded by Scotland's Adam Hastings

Cipriani is leaving "with immediate effect". Will Hastings play on Saturday against Ulster? That's very early to be thrown in to a Heineken Cup match with unfamiliar teammates. Didn't see their match against Lyon on Sunday, but they were well beaten, and George Barton played the whole game, with Lloyd Evans out with a head injury. Haven't seen either of them play, so I don't know how good they are.

It was Cipriani's arrival that led to Billy Burns jumping ship to Ulster. No idea if he'll be fit to play.

Edited to add: reading further, Hastings won't be joining until next season, and wouldn't be fit to play this weekend anyway.
 
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There's going to be so many bullshit teams named here, will show the format up as the shite it is.

Munster v Clermont and Toulouse v Exe the ties of the round. Unless Munster start their young halfbacks I'd back both French sides.
Agreed with all this. The format means that a bunch of teams are already out more or less, which combined with the format that compares teams who'll play completely different opponents just doesn't work. Leinster and a bunch of other teams get 2 games against teams who don't care while someone else gets 2 games against Clermont or Toulouse.

Those two games are definitely the standouts, a loss probably isn't the end for anyone but will make it incredibly difficult, especially if the losers don't pick up a LBP.

Leinster's game will be a joke, Channel 4/Virgin Media are probably livid they're showing that instead of the Munster game. No idea what we'll pick, selection is complicated by the fact that the league games are bigger and that a lot of non-internationals are in better form than the theoretical first choices.
 
There also should have been an ultimatum .Play your best side or don't play at all (at least for first 2 games)
Gloucester surrendering before a ball was kicked is shameful and totally diminishes the comp.

Also why is the 2 legged round the QF ? Logically it should be the SF surely.

The whole comp is a shambles.
 
Agreed with all this. The format means that a bunch of teams are already out more or less, which combined with the format that compares teams who'll play completely different opponents just doesn't work. Leinster and a bunch of other teams get 2 games against teams who don't care while someone else gets 2 games against Clermont or Toulouse.
This.
Comparing apples with oranges.
 
There also should have been an ultimatum .Play your best side or don't play at all (at least for first 2 games)
Gloucester surrendering before a ball was kicked is shameful and totally diminishes the comp.

Also why is the 2 legged round the QF ? Logically it should be the SF surely.

The whole comp is a shambles.
If fixtures were an issue then surely a single match qf then single venue semi and final on 2 consecutive weekends. A final 4 would gave a great feel to it, as long as capacity crowds are allowed
 
Toulouse v Exeter and Glasgow v Lyon games cancelled after covid cases in Exeter squad.

No real possibility of rescheduling so does that mean Exeter get hit with a bp loss?
 
Toulouse v Exeter and Glasgow v Lyon games cancelled after covid cases in Exeter squad.

No real possibility of rescheduling so does that mean Exeter get hit with a bp loss?
Believe so. If that knocks them out of the competition then it's incredibly harsh
 
This tournament could get pretty farcical pretty quickly. Surprised the EPCR haven't worked out in advance what happens to teams in terms of points if games are called off.
 
Unlucky for Exe. I reckon the only way this tournament will be in any way memorable is if we get a Ster v Toulouse final, both teams going for 5 would be incredible regardless of the way they got there.
 
Shame, was really looking forward to that.
10pts from last 2 games could still be enough , although the -28 pd could be a killer .
 
We all know the format is just for this year.

On the cancelled games. It could lead to a lot of legal issues as it could trickle down to Challenge Cup Qualifications etc too and Home vs Away standings.

Reason the QFs are 2 legged as opposed to SF's is because SFs are not in home stadium.
 

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