Heineken Cup Pools 2004/2005 Announced

ruck-it

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POOL 1: London Wasps, Calvisano, Biarritz Olympique, Leicester Tigers.
POOL 2: Benetton Treviso, Leinster, Bath Rugby, Bourgoin.
POOL 3: Llanelli Scarlets, Glasgow Rugby, Northampton Saints, Toulouse.
POOL 4: Munster, Neath-Swansea Ospreys, Castres Olympique, NEC Harlequins.
POOL 5: Edinburgh Rugby, Perpignan, Newport Gwent Dragons, Newcastle Falcons.
POOL 6: Stade Francais Paris, Ulster, Cardiff Blues, Gloucester.

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Read More -> http://tinyurl.com/36adf

ruck-it

Them Ulster boys got screwed again! Leinster should progress, I'll eat my hat if Munster have any trouble.

eirebhoy

Easy enough groups for Leinster and Munster but Ulster will have a hard time getting out of their group.

munster rucker

Originally posted by ruck-it
Them Ulster boys got screwed again! Leinster should progress, I'll eat my hat if Munster have any trouble.

Ulster weren't screwed again, they were third seeds, so they got a harder group .. them's the breaks

damnyanks

Why werent connaught (sp) in the draw instead of another Irish team ? Did they have to win the parker pen?

istep

Good news 4 Leinster and Munster looks like curtains 4 Ulster !

evilhomer

Originally posted by damnyanks
Why werent connaught (sp) in the draw instead of another Irish team ? Did they have to win the parker pen?

the IRFU nominates it's three best teams each year to play in the heineken cup, if Connaught had won the parker pen cup the IRFU would have been forced to pick Connaught. but as they didn't they stayed with the usual selection. Ulsters Celtic League performance probably had something to do with it too

Hairy Homer

About Time Leinster got drawn against an Italian team. Might help them get through as a 'best runner up'

God help poor Calvisano, though. Wasps and Leicester and Biarritz. That would be the group of death for any team.

Munster by no means certain. Welsh rugby is rationalising its number of teams down so they will be getting better at the top.

ruck-it

Originally posted by munster rucker
Ulster weren't screwed again, they were third seeds, so they got a harder group .. them's the breaks

Yeah they were third seeds, but you have to ask why. Leinster were undoubtably the poorest side out all four provinces last year.

munster rucker

i agree that leinster were shocking last year, and the IRFU's method of seeding .. using the last 2 years performance to go by, does smack of a fix for the leinster boys.
i think i'm just sick of all the ulster paranoia that goes about. if you look at the Ulster rugby site, or even the irish rugby site, there are some total lunatics out there who really think that everyone is out to get them.

GreenHell

Interesting groups all around. 2 Irish teams into the quarters again hopefully. I hope Munster can close the gap with the likes of wasps this season and finally get their hands on the HEC.

Down with Eddies ten week training camp!

munster rucker

Originally posted by GreenHell
I hope Munster can close the gap with the likes of wasps this season and finally get their hands on the HEC.

I'm not overly confident that they can close the gap. They announced two new signing yesterday. Mike Storey from Aukland, the prop that we were supposed to sign last year, but he injured his achilese tendon just before coming over. Don't know anything about him except he's already here and has an Irish passport. And they signed former Ospreys centre James Storey(no relation). Have asked a few Ospreys about him and got some very mixed reactions about him. His nickname was the "flying crowbar" due to his amount of high tackles etc. These hardly sound like the players that are going to fill the gap between being champions and the nearly men once again, but we'll give them a chance anyway.

ruck-it

Well the way the draw is there's got to be some big teams going out early on. I mean Pool 1 isn't even funny. Leicester had a load of plans to really go for it this year but with that pool they'll be up against it.

On the whole Ulster thing, I'm not a big Ulster fan either, but I genuinely do think that had Connacht won the PPCC, they would have been unjustly screwed over. I don't read those IRFU message boards, because the censorship is way OTT

munster rucker

Originally posted by ruck-it


On the whole Ulster thing, I'm not a big Ulster fan either, but I genuinely do think that had Connacht won the PPCC, they would have been unjustly screwed over. I don't read those IRFU message boards, because the censorship is way OTT

well if you want to keep up with Munster rugby and don't like the official sites .. try this one, it's got a great live forum.
Munster Fans

ruck-it

I love munsterfans. Much better than the official site.

Ulster have signed Maggs BTW - http://irish.rugbynow.net/archives/2004/07/ulster_sign_maggs.php

Trojan

Originally posted by munster rucker
They announced two new signing yesterday. Mike Storey from Aukland, the prop that we were supposed to sign last year, but he injured his achilese tendon just before coming over. Don't know anything about him except he's already here and has an Irish passport.

A new prop w/ an Irish passport... interesting!

GreenHell

Ya that prop, I remember hearing positive things about him last season before injury struck. I hope he doesn't pull a Mclwhalm and fizzle out during the season.

I don't think closing the gap is going to be down solely to good signings we have a decent squad not too old no at all, but I think we do need to start investing into the backroom staff, see Seamus Williams interviews after the wasps games.

munster rucker

Originally posted by GreenHell
but I think we do need to start investing into the backroom staff, see Seamus Williams interviews after the wasps games.

I think that was a plan for a lot of the sponsorship money that is coming in from Toyota. I did see a few weeks ago that munster were looking to recruit some fitness experts.