HEC Groups 07/08

Sundy

The full draw is as follows:

Pool 1
Benetton Treviso, London Irish, USA Perpignan, Newport Gwent Dragons

Pool 2
Ospreys, Gloucester Rugby, Bourgoin, Ulster Rugby

Pool 3
Stade Francais Paris, Bristol Rugby, Cardiff Blues, Harlequins

Pool 4
Glasgow Warriors, Saracens, Biarritz Olympique, Viadana

Pool 5
LONDON WASPS, Clermont Auvernge, Llanelli Scarlets, Munster

Pool 6
Leinster, Leicester Tigers, Toulouse, Edinburgh Rugby


Six tough groups there!

badbrian

Farcical that Benetton Treviso would be seeded. And Glasgow?? Hello?
Only one French Team Seeded?
They need to look at this.

MikeHoncho

Very tough group for Leinster.

LFC5Times

Munster and Leinster will find it very hard to make the q-finals.

This is the ultimate test for Cheika and Knox - i personally dont rate them and have said it a few times on this site.

Now with all Leinsters new forwards,this is their best sqaud they have had to achieve something.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Killme00

Sundy wrote:

Pool 5
LONDON WASPS, Clermont Auvernge, Llanelli Scarlets, Munster

Pool 6
Leinster, Leicester Tigers, Toulouse, Edinburgh Rugby
QUOTE]

That is just sick!!

At least there will be some immense games to look forward to.

Sundy

3 quarter finalists from last year in pool 5, two of which reaches the semis with wasps going on to win it! That is goin to be really tough for Munster.

Leinster have a tough group too, everybody knows what the tigers are capable of, that could easily end up 0/2 for leinster. Your right about toulouse not the power of old but they can still put in some good performances, hopefully they will focus on team rebuilding and the top14 next season, we could get 2 from 2 there. 2/2 required from the Edinburgh games as well. Some nice away trips there too for leinster fans.

Utopia Parkway

Munster and Leinster both drawn in groups of death.

In contrast pools 1, 3 and 4 are very weak.

ERC really have to look at how they draw these groups and the seedings as it's producing some very lopsided draws. This year being the worst. You could argue that 6 of the top 8 sides in Europe are all drawn together in pools 5 and 6.

zAbbo

thats a killer group for both Munster & Leinster !

RuggieBear

On the bright side for leinster, I suppose Toulouse are kind of rebuilding. We have a few former Leicester players who might know the inside track and Edinburgh are Scottish.

Pool 1 is a ****ing joke.

Snickers Man

No bother to the Lady Boys.

Oh ye of little faith!!!

Amazotheamazing

Grim for Munster, but we have few players starting to come through, hopefully they'll step up while the main guys are at the RWC.

Don't think Leinster will make it, tight 5 will be eaten by Leicester, and Contepomi, D'Arcy and BO'D will come back from the RWC wrecked as every team will beat the crap out of them (or at least try to).

wingnut

Looks like London could be the only Irish team making it though! I quite fancy the Ospreys to be a dark horse this year. Maybe not to win but semis or even finalists. They were V unlucky not to make it through last year and there is quality there.

Steffano2002

Looks like we won't be putting another star on our jersey next year either...

Erin Go Brath

The group stages will overtake the knockout stages as the most exciting part of the competition as a result of this draw. It does seem strangely lobsided to have so much good teams in pools 5 and 6.

Munsters group is impossible to pick a winner at this stage, or even a clear favourite. Any of 3 teams could conceivably win it, I'm not sure how good Clermont are, they could possibly be in with a shout too.

Leinster don't have a prayer against Leicester i'm afraid. They could well finish 2nd in this group, but they'll have to win 4 games, plus 3 or 4 bonus points to be in with a chance of a best runner-up spot, even that mighn't be good enough if they did manage to pull it off.

Ulster really have to step up to the plate, they'll never have a better opportunity. Definitely the most likely Irish team to make the QF's based on the draw.

Some crackers to look forward too anyway if our World Cup dream goes titsup.

tHE vAGGABOND

Contepomi, D'Arcy and BO'D will come back from the RWC wrecked as every team will beat the crap out of them

..thats right, as no other club in the tournament will have players at the world cup, only Leinster! If only Welsh, Scotish, English and French clubs had international players too

Ulster have an easy group, and will hope to win it [with ease tbh!] Both Ospreys and Gloucester have the odd good day, but Ulster should have the beating of them tbh

For Munster Wasps and Scarlets are very beatable. Scarlets had a great year this year, but you have to wonder if they can keep it going [Having lost a few blokes, and having a large number of welsh players]

It will be tough for Leinster, and there are some great games to look forward to there. I think they can beat Toulouse [as Ulster did at home this season] and if we avoid any bannana skins in Scotland [they have Stephen larkham next season remember] its a question of if Leinster can get a result in one of the two games against Leicester [that said, they do seem to have lost a bunch of players - regardless they are always world class].

Sundy

Well to be honest i think he has a point with BOD. I really doubt he will return from the world cup in full health, he rarely makes it through the 5 games of the 6N.

Amazotheamazing

If you actually watch what International teams do to BOD and D'Arcy you'd fear for their health too. it's not Munster bias, those players are simply worldclass and Ireland can't function without them, Arg, Fra, and (prob) NZ will beat the crap out of them, it doesn't thrill me, but it will happen.