European Club Rugby
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EPCR announces key changes to Champions Cup qualification
At the conclusion of 2017/18, the seven highest-ranked clubs from the Guinness PRO12 will qualify for the following season's Champions Cup regardless of their country of origin. This will replace the current format which requires that at least one club from each of Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales is included in the seven qualifiers. The qualification process for the Aviva Premiership and the TOP 14 which sees the six highest-ranked clubs secure places in the Champions Cup will remain. There will also be an added incentive for Challenge Cup clubs with the tournament winner automatically taking the 20th spot in the Champions Cup. If the Challenge Cup winner is already qualified, then the losing finalist will take its place...........................................
Related:
Italy to lose automatic Champions Cup spot as qualification revampedItaly will lose its right to an automatic Champions Cup place from next season after tournament organisers announced an overhaul of its qualification process. Treviso will compete in European club rugby's top competition next season despite finishing 10th in this season's PRO12 table. (...) The 20th place in the Champions Cup will be taken by the winners of the Challenge Cup, bringing to an end the current end-of-season playoff system.@Stargazer To me that all makes sense apart from the avowed intent of growing the game (in Italy). This is unlikely to help that. Is that a good or a bad thing though given the more meritorious qualification. Dunno is my answer
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@Stargazer To me that all makes sense apart from the avowed intent of growing the game (in Italy). This is unlikely to help that. Is that a good or a bad thing though given the more meritorious qualification. Dunno is my answer
@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@Stargazer To me that all makes sense apart from the avowed intent of growing the game (in Italy). This is unlikely to help that. Is that a good or a bad thing though given the more meritorious qualification. Dunno is my answer
It's a tricky one. The Irish and Scottish unions supported their inclusion in the revamped Champions Cup, and Italian teams have had a chance to improve further over the last 2-3 seasons since the format changed. But they haven't. And sooner or later the team actually in seventh spot was going to start to feel aggrieved about not qualifying. So, overall, I think it's the best move. The fact that they're making the Challenge Cup winner an auto-qualifier instead of a play-off between lower ranked teams is a good compensatory move to beefing up the lower-profile competition and ensure that teams put out their best side.
So on balance, I think it's a good move.
Edit: From an Irish Times article on the subject:
“I absolutely agree with it and feel it is something that should have been in place a long time ago,” said Conor O’Shea, the man charged with transforming the Italian national side into something resembling a competitive force come the 2019 World Cup in Japan (granted, they were drawn in a horrid group alongside the All Blacks and Springboks).
“It’s a very positive move for the Pro12 league and Europe,” O’Shea continued. “We are very supportive of it.”
A practical man to his fingertips, O’Shea is willing to stake his coaching career and reputation as an organisational savant (see the turning of post-Bloodgate Harlequins into Premiership champions within three years) on the Azzurri believing they are sipping from a half-full glass.
And he’s right. This ups the ante for everyone. The Challenge Cup just got very interesting and while the Italians will almost certainly be choked into submission along that route, a top seven finish in the Pro12 was something Treviso achieved, with 10 victories, as recently as 2013 (when Connacht finished eighth).
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39957336
Jimmy Gopperth won player of the year, try of the year & golden boot in the premiership. Before the hail of "he was shit 10 years ago" starts, he was fricking superb this year for Wasps. Really outstanding.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39957336
Jimmy Gopperth won player of the year, try of the year & golden boot in the premiership. Before the hail of "he was shit 10 years ago" starts, he was fricking superb this year for Wasps. Really outstanding.
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@gollum Gopperth felt the wrath of the Auckland herald this week which was a bit unfair. Alot of players kick on in their late 20s,early 30s
@Kiwidom said in NH club rugby:
@gollum Gopperth felt the wrath of the Auckland herald this week which was a bit unfair. Alot of players kick on in their late 20s,early 30s
Outside of guys held back through lack of opportunity and game time I'm struggling to think of any - especially playmakers and backs. All our best five eighths have been a class above before they are barely 21.
That noted Aucklander Martin Devlin? All he said was Gopperth wouldn't start for a Super Franchise except possibly the Blues, and he couldn't do that in 2009. If you want to trade Beauden Barrett for him be my guest.
His career arc is an interesting one because in 2005 he really was on the same level as Donald and McAlister and a step behind Evans in the pecking order and got a possibles vs probables selection. Pretty much had to stay fit and not play horribly and he would have had at least 20+ caps as an AB after Evans and McAlister left.
Stephen Brett is going to pick up Top 14 player of the year next I guess?
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@Kiwidom said in NH club rugby:
@gollum Gopperth felt the wrath of the Auckland herald this week which was a bit unfair. Alot of players kick on in their late 20s,early 30s
Outside of guys held back through lack of opportunity and game time I'm struggling to think of any - especially playmakers and backs. All our best five eighths have been a class above before they are barely 21.
That noted Aucklander Martin Devlin? All he said was Gopperth wouldn't start for a Super Franchise except possibly the Blues, and he couldn't do that in 2009. If you want to trade Beauden Barrett for him be my guest.
His career arc is an interesting one because in 2005 he really was on the same level as Donald and McAlister and a step behind Evans in the pecking order and got a possibles vs probables selection. Pretty much had to stay fit and not play horribly and he would have had at least 20+ caps as an AB after Evans and McAlister left.
Stephen Brett is going to pick up Top 14 player of the year next I guess?
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Not too much I'd disagree except the following which is overatating it quite a lot.
"In fact, I'd like a dollar for every Lions player who would make the cut in a NZ Super Rugby franchise. I'd be lucky to get enough to buy my lunch."
Unless it's a $40 lunch ...
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Not too much I'd disagree except the following which is overatating it quite a lot.
"In fact, I'd like a dollar for every Lions player who would make the cut in a NZ Super Rugby franchise. I'd be lucky to get enough to buy my lunch."
Unless it's a $40 lunch ...
@booboo it is Devlin, has high opinion of himself, so expect he only has $100 lunches.
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Classy by Devlin.
Why doesn't he just shit in his cereal bowl while he's at it.
We only have 5 pro teams. Therefore there are shitloads of good pro rugby player who wouldn't make an NZ super rugby team.
Last time I looked the premiership had 12 teams.
Last time Jimmy played here, he WAS good enough to play as one of the only 5 starting 10s. Albeit the Canes 10 spot back then was like the Blues one today.
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Fantastic Joe Rocockoco against Montpellier. Best display of the season by a winger so far.
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@jegga said in NH club rugby:
@cgrant is it up on YouTube?
You can find it here :
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=montpellier+racing+2017
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@jegga said in NH club rugby:
@cgrant is it up on YouTube?
You can find it here :
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=montpellier+racing+2017
@cgrant said in NH club rugby:
@jegga said in NH club rugby:
@cgrant is it up on YouTube?
You can find it here :
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=montpellier+racing+2017
Cheers , who threw that last pass for the try in the corner? I read somewhere he'd been playing at centre too.
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@cgrant said in NH club rugby:
@jegga said in NH club rugby:
@cgrant is it up on YouTube?
You can find it here :
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=montpellier+racing+2017
Cheers , who threw that last pass for the try in the corner? I read somewhere he'd been playing at centre too.
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@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
Who do you think might challenge Saracens next year, Cato?
Yeah, Sarries are looking a bit scary at the moment. However, in England I see Wasps as improving significantly, I wouldn't rule out Leinster either next year. It remains to be seen in Glasgow can maintain their good form and then take the next step up. Perm from several French sides with Clermont at the top.
As things stand I would see Sarries as mild favourites but would not be particularly surprised to see any one of about five other clubs take the trophy. As ever though in this competition, much depends on the group stages about how things progress.
Who do you fancy (other than Sarries)?
Wasps look like shoulda been contenders, but their tendency to bring in a flash import (Piutau, Beale) isn't doing them any favours. I think Dai Young has admitted as much.
Exeter would be a brilliant breakthrough and I'm looking forward to see if they can make the Prem final and win this year.
Munster and Leinster will be there or thereabouts. They both need to fix a couple of things. Leinster will miss the largely unreported but remarkably consistent Hayden Triggs. The advent of Scott Fardy as a replacement does not fill me with hope since he's spent a lot of time at 6. Unless there's some Nucifora-inspired provincial shuffling going to happen at season end. James Ryan who might do a breakout on the June tour might be a pleasant surprise. Byrne and O'Loughlin will be the better for getting a season under their belts and I think the Leinster backline is going to sing sweetly with Lowe coming in to add to the mix.
Munster will likely lose Saili - his time-card is stamped for exit after 2 years. Donncha Ryan is going to Toulon. Taute may return to SA - who knows?
Don't think they have enough in their front five to do the job against the top teams. And their backline is so-so even with the promising Sweetnam, Rory Scannell and ever-improving Conway.
Clermont just didn't have any real answers to get on top despite their thrilling comebacks (Abendanon's try was a thing of beauty in its making).
Toulon? Nah. La Rochelle? Pfft.
So, maybe, just maybe...... Leinster.
@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
Exeter would be a brilliant breakthrough and I'm looking forward to see if they can make the Prem final and win this year.
As requested.
Cracking final.
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@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
@Catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@Pot-Hale said in NH club rugby:
Exeter would be a brilliant breakthrough and I'm looking forward to see if they can make the Prem final and win this year.
As requested.
Cracking final.
@MiketheSnow Yeah a great game and a fairy tale ending for Exeter. There will be beer flowing down this way tonight
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@Frye said in NH club rugby:
Munster are getting pumped by Scarlets in the Pro12 final.
29-3 after 30 minutes.
Highly enjoyable.
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The Top 14 Final next weekend will be played between Toulon and Clermont. Again!
While Toulon only narrowly beat La Rochelle 18-15 last night, Clermont dominated the second semi-final against Racing 92, despite playing the second half with only 14 men due to a red card to Flip van der Merwe for a high tackle. They defeated Racing 37 to 31.
Chris Masoe scored two tries for Racing during this game and converted the last try of what was his last game as a professional rugby player! Tameifuna scored the other try for Racing. Fritz Lee scored one of the Clermont tries, with Camille Lopez dotting down 2 and Damian Penaud one.
