W
Will
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Kenny Logan, the ex-Scottish international with 70 caps and now Heineken Cup ambassador, has recently come out in the press (The Scotsman) to state that it is his opinion that it would be of benefit to the Scottish Magners League teams to only have one representative in the Heineken Cup.
What I would do, though, is only allow one Scottish team into the Heineken Cup each year, and put the team that finishes lower in the Magners League into the Amlin Challenge Cup. Every team needs competition and while that might upset Glasgow fans because they were below Edinburgh last season, I think Sean Lineen and the coaches would like it because their need to get better consistency would be helped if the players knew a Heineken Cup place rested on performances across the season.
Logan states that whilst the Scottish teams have improved over the past few seasons, with Edinburgh finishing second in the Magners behind Munster, and Glasgow winning away in Toulose, he worries that it's a lack of self belief that lets down the Scottish teams on the bigger stage, taken from his experience with Glasgow a number of years ago when away wins were hard to come by. Then however he goes and contradicts himself saying:
I feel that Edinburgh and Glasgow should be real contenders for quarter-final spots. The Toulouse result and performances against Bath last year made people take notice of Glasgow, and Andy Robinson's presence at Edinburgh meant they were watched more closely and people saw how good they could be.
Taking the example of Glasgow Warriors, the away win in Toulouse and the away performance against Bath, narrowly missing out on a win, show exactly why both Scottish teams should be represented in the Heineken Cup. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow are now much more competitive and professional outfits, and as such they deserve to be part of Europe's top competition. Both have reasonable chances of reaching the quarter finals this season, and then who knows what can happen in a knock out competition? Both teams might well struggle from inconistency at times, but I don't see how relegating the lower ranked team in the Magners to the Amlin Challenge Cup would and could possibly help.
The Heineken Cup is where both Glasgow and Edinburgh can play against the best in Europe, learn from that experience, and push forward. It's not as if they are whipping boys with no chance, as recent history and form have proven. This experience can also only surely help the Scottish national team, with their players based in Scotland putting themselves against some of the world's best players in club rugby.
Sorry Kenny, but I really can't see your point in this article you have written. There's no vaild point made by yourself, and you yourself contradict yourself in your own argument. I imagine it might have been near deadline time to get the article in and you couldn't think of what to write.....
http://sport.scotsman.com/rugby/39Only-one...lace.5705636.jp
What I would do, though, is only allow one Scottish team into the Heineken Cup each year, and put the team that finishes lower in the Magners League into the Amlin Challenge Cup. Every team needs competition and while that might upset Glasgow fans because they were below Edinburgh last season, I think Sean Lineen and the coaches would like it because their need to get better consistency would be helped if the players knew a Heineken Cup place rested on performances across the season.
Logan states that whilst the Scottish teams have improved over the past few seasons, with Edinburgh finishing second in the Magners behind Munster, and Glasgow winning away in Toulose, he worries that it's a lack of self belief that lets down the Scottish teams on the bigger stage, taken from his experience with Glasgow a number of years ago when away wins were hard to come by. Then however he goes and contradicts himself saying:
I feel that Edinburgh and Glasgow should be real contenders for quarter-final spots. The Toulouse result and performances against Bath last year made people take notice of Glasgow, and Andy Robinson's presence at Edinburgh meant they were watched more closely and people saw how good they could be.
Taking the example of Glasgow Warriors, the away win in Toulouse and the away performance against Bath, narrowly missing out on a win, show exactly why both Scottish teams should be represented in the Heineken Cup. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow are now much more competitive and professional outfits, and as such they deserve to be part of Europe's top competition. Both have reasonable chances of reaching the quarter finals this season, and then who knows what can happen in a knock out competition? Both teams might well struggle from inconistency at times, but I don't see how relegating the lower ranked team in the Magners to the Amlin Challenge Cup would and could possibly help.
The Heineken Cup is where both Glasgow and Edinburgh can play against the best in Europe, learn from that experience, and push forward. It's not as if they are whipping boys with no chance, as recent history and form have proven. This experience can also only surely help the Scottish national team, with their players based in Scotland putting themselves against some of the world's best players in club rugby.
Sorry Kenny, but I really can't see your point in this article you have written. There's no vaild point made by yourself, and you yourself contradict yourself in your own argument. I imagine it might have been near deadline time to get the article in and you couldn't think of what to write.....
http://sport.scotsman.com/rugby/39Only-one...lace.5705636.jp
