Patterson: "Magner's League > Guinness Premiership"

[Gavin]

The Guiness Premiership to the Magner's League is what gammon is to bacon - thicker, juicier and harder to get into.

 

[Bullitt]

Oooh, nice analogy.

 

[Gavin]

Oooh, nice analogy. [/b]

Oh thank you my dear

 

[Thingimubob]

<div class='quotemain'>
Would you suggest that Munster only do enough to qualify for the HEC? Does that detract from the hard work Leinster, Ulster and Connacht put in?
[/b]

Yeah they do but it doesn't detract from Leinster or any of the Irish sides as whenever they meet they're full strength going at it hell for leather, so if anything it gives the Welsh and Scottish sides a more inflated finish. [/b][/quote]

Very true tbh - for example, Cardiff have done the double over Munster two seasons in a row over the last two seasons, but when they met in the Heineken in the 06/07 season, Munster finished them off easily enough home and away.

 

[danny]

The prem is a better league in the fact that its competitive and all the teams(within reason-sorry Leeds etc) are trying to win the thing. The magners on the other hand seems to be a better environment to prepare for the HC. No pressure of relagation and the opportunity to rest key players for their country and Hc. The ideal would be to have a shortened league program with more time for preparation but that would mean clubs missing out on precious dosh.

 

[Incredible Schalk]

He never actually said the Magners league was better, he just said it suited his style better which is an elusive runner. Remember that try he score against Bath, thats what he can do but wasnt given the chance. People need to read before jumping to conclusions.

 

[Prestwick]

Thats the problem with Dean Richards, hell bent on amassing the biggest collection of backs the world has ever seen.

Fear the might of the Gloucester black helicopters, coming to take away your backs whether you like it or not!

 

[Thingimubob]

Thats the problem with Dean Richards, hell bent on amassing the biggest collection of backs the world has ever seen.

Fear the might of the Gloucester black helicopters, coming to take away your backs whether you like it or not! [/b]

heh true, any side who recruits Mathew Watkins from the Scarlets must be on soem hell bent 'must buy every back no matter if they're utter ****' mission.

 

[DR749]

The fact that this keeps coming up each year.....Magners trying to compare to Guinness Premiership only reinforces that the Magners League is not quite up to the GP yet. If it was better, you wouldnt have numerous people trying to prop it up and say it was. It would benefit from its reputation, not spin doctors.



For the record, I am a fan of both. Good games and bad games are seen in both Leagues. I would love it if they just combine and have a huge league with maybe some divisions.



Doc

 

[atreides7887]

How much of a difference do you think end of year playoffs would make to the Mangers league. Rumor was after the EDF runs out they might be going for something like that.

 

[Vambo]

How much of a difference do you think end of year playoffs would make to the Mangers league. Rumor was after the EDF runs out they might be going for something like that.
[/b]

I think it'd make a big difference.

 

[Fa'atau82]

Instead of having league play-offs, the 3 dominating european leagues (GP, ML and Top14) should get together and should discuss having the top 2 teams from each league in a Heineken Cup seeding play-off, but league format.

So lets say these teams are.. Gloucester, Wasps, Cardiff, Munster, Toulouse and Stade Francais.

So you have 6 teams, they all play each other once league format and their position (1-6) determines their group seeding for the Heineken Cup the following season.

So lets say it looks like this after the play-off.. toulouse winning and Stade coming last.

Toulouse
Wasps
Gloucester
Munster
Cardiff
Stade Francais

You could go down another two play-off/European places and do the same with lets say.. Leicester, Harlequins, Leinster, Ospreys, Perpignan and Biarritz. The same rule applies and the play-off positions decide what group they will go into. The winners of the play-offs would not be put in with the other winner, so lets say Leicester can't be paired with Toulouse, but they will be paired with Stade. Like the 1st plays 6th.

So now you have..

Toulouse, Ospreys
Wasps, Biarritz
Gloucester, Leinster
Munster, Harlequins
Cardiff, Perpignan
Stade Francais, Leicester

Add any other Heineken Cup teams (i.e Treviso, Montauban, Sale.. etc) would have to win their league or finish in a Heineken cup slot. The draw would be random for 3rd and 4th group seeds.

Then add last Euro slot teams.. drawn randomly to the 3rd and 4th places in the group (seeds 13-24)

So now you get..

Toulouse, Ospreys, Sale, Treviso.
Wasps, Biarritz, Edinburgh, Newport Dragons.
Gloucester, Leinster, Clermont, Calvisano.
Munster, Harlequins, Montauban, Ulster.
Cardiff, Perpignan, Bath, Llanelli Scarlets.
Stade Francais, Leicester, Glasgow, Castres.

As you can see, very fair groups and on current form.

I can see more European rugby as the way forward.

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Fa'atau82 @ Aug 7 2008, 03:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Instead of having league play-offs, the 3 dominating european leagues (GP, ML and Top14) should get together and should discuss having the top 2 teams from each league in a Heineken Cup seeding play-off, but league format.

So lets say these teams are.. Gloucester, Wasps, Cardiff, Munster, Toulouse and Stade Francais.

So you have 6 teams, they all play each other once league format and their position (1-6) determines their group seeding for the Heineken Cup the following season.

So lets say it looks like this after the play-off.. toulouse winning and Stade coming last.

Toulouse
Wasps
Gloucester
Munster
Cardiff
Stade Francais

You could go down another two play-off/European places and do the same with lets say.. Leicester, Harlequins, Leinster, Ospreys, Perpignan and Biarritz. The same rule applies and the play-off positions decide what group they will go into. The winners of the play-offs would not be put in with the other winner, so lets say Leicester can't be paired with Toulouse, but they will be paired with Stade. Like the 1st plays 6th.

So now you have..

Toulouse, Ospreys
Wasps, Biarritz
Gloucester, Leinster
Munster, Harlequins
Cardiff, Perpignan
Stade Francais, Leicester

Add any other Heineken Cup teams (i.e Treviso, Montauban, Sale.. etc) would have to win their league or finish in a Heineken cup slot. The draw would be random for 3rd and 4th group seeds.

Then add last Euro slot teams.. drawn randomly to the 3rd and 4th places in the group (seeds 13-24)

So now you get..

Toulouse, Ospreys, Sale, Treviso.
Wasps, Biarritz, Edinburgh, Newport Dragons.
Gloucester, Leinster, Clermont, Calvisano.
Munster, Harlequins, Montauban, Ulster.
Cardiff, Perpignan, Bath, Llanelli Scarlets.
Stade Francais, Leicester, Glasgow, Castres.

As you can see, very fair groups and on current form.

I can see more European rugby as the way forward.[/b]

So you're just gonna kick the Italians out? they add more than you think to the competition. Who'll cook the pasta???