Ladyboys V 'The Hang Sangwich' brigade, who got the better draw?

toomevara

No easy groups there, perhaps with the possible exception of group 6, reckon B.O. will be quietly confident. Reivers and Parma, with all due respect, not exactly giants of Euro rugby.

Think that, of the Irish, the ladyboys may just have the best of it. Agen not noted for commitment to non domestic affairs and while Todd Blackadder has done great work with Edinburgh, when it comes to the crunch they dont seem to have the ammunition to live with the big boys.

The Munster 'hang sangwich' brigade may feel less sanguine about the ' back to back' nonsense that's floating sround. Will definitely have their work cut out.

RuggieBear

i agree leinster have fot the easiest of the draws for the irish.

Poor ulster mustn't know what they've done wrong to be constantly pitched into ****ty groups.

tbh, it sums up what is wrong with the erc seeding process.

Trojan

Regarding Munster's (and Ulster's) groups: whoever comes out of their groups will be battle-hardened and ready to run rampage against their unfortunate opposition.

There won't be any of this "taking time to find form" mucking about.

Amazotheamazing

Think everyone's under rated Leinster's group, Gloucester handily beat Munster twice in Gloucester, Kingsholm is not an easy place to win, Edinburgh have beaten Leinster several times in the CL, and I reckon they'll be stronger again next year. Agen finished fifth in France, which means they will be hard to beat at home, even if they chose not to send a strong team away. Don't be surprised to see Leinster lose all their away games.

toomevara

Excellent point re:Gloucester, going to Kingsholme, facing 'The Shed' and coming away with points will be a big ask. Its one of the few English grounds and clubs which can offer a genuinely Munster/ Thomondesque experience wih all the attendant pitfalls for the unwary travelling team.

Amazotheamazing

And Edinburgh beat a full Wasps team in Edinburgh last season and no French team likes (or really contemplates) losing at home. It's a good draw but no a cert.

daveirl

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TheOC

On the whole of it, Munster have an easier pool, in my opinion.
Munster would welcome Leicester to Thomond with a smile and should beat Bourgoin & Cardiff handily!! Perhaps a little closer for the Bourgoin away fixture.

Leinster have an easier pool than Ulster, obviously, Edinburgh were unlucky to not do better last year in this competition. Gloucester, like Leicester, aren't the team they once were, that's a fact!! They're running game which took the English Premiership by storm back a few years ago has fizzlied out and they're resorted to an expanded style of ten man rugby!! Gloucester, though, should beat Leinster both home and away UNLESS Knox & Cheika get this Leinster unit running properly!!

Ulster....out of the 3 Irish Provinces that qualify for the Heineken Cup, they were ranked Numero Uno....certainly don't deserve to get lumped in a pool with a spirited (and rising) Exiles team, Toulouse and the strongest Welsh side over the past 5/6 years....they'll be pushed to win at least 2 home games!!

Munster to make Quarter Finals, Leinster to do it too but only just. Ulster...sorry, no chance!!

sheepshagger

TheOC wrote:

Munster to make Quarter Finals, Leinster to do it too but only just. Ulster...sorry, no chance!!

WTF ? - Leinster will comfortably get out. . . .the bandwagon wheels could fall off for Munster next year.

bucks73

Slightly OT...but Mike Prendergast will be facing his old team mates next season as he signed for Bourgoin the week before the draw. Im sure he will look forward to returning to TP and putting in a good performance.

bugler

I think all the Irish sides can make it out of their groups, but call me an optimist if you like.

Gloucester will be tough opposition. They have some very talented youngsters and have added some meaness to their pack. Edinburgh might prove tricky away, but it's certainly nothing to be frightened of. My concern for Leinster is that they look set to get a roasting in the front row again.

For Munster, things could be worse. Leicester are not the force of old. Their mystique in both domestic and European rugby is gone. They will still be tough games, but Munster can win these. Cardiff may fancy their chances at rolling Leicester over.

Oh, and Bourgoin signed Bryce Williams. You can't say much more, really.

For Ulster: I don't expect London Irish to do much in the HC this time round, especially if they don't find a kicker. Two wins for Ulster I would think.

It wasn't ideal to draw Toulouse, but all in all I think they are preferable to SF or BO, and if Ulster want to do something in this tournament again then they'll need to beat some quality sides, sooner or later.

An Tarbh

Leinster have a fantastic record away in England, can't remember the last time they lost a pool game there, Gloucester have lost a lot of their invincibility at home, sure Stade Francais hockeyed them there the last time they were in the HEC.

Don't know that much about Agen, whether Caucau can offer anything, Gelez looked like a flakey outhalf when he was here for the French 3 years back, surely he's improved since but is nowhere near consideration for the French.

We should come through this far easier than we did last year, so where will we be playing our pool games with the RDS and Lansdowne being out of action.