Heineken Cup Pool Draw (Live Stream)

ScrubsfanChris

Are you as excited as me, here's some more information:

Heineken Cup Pool Draw streamed live on ercrugby.com
12 June 2008, 5:37 pm

The draw for the Pools for the 14th Heineken Cup tournament will be streamed live on ercrugby.com on Tuesday, 17 June from 11.15am (local time). The draw will be hosted by Ieuan Evans and will decide the composition of the six Pools of four teams each for the 2008 / 09 Heineken Cup.

ERC Chairman Jean-Pierre Lux will conduct the draw which will, for the first time, use the new ERC European Ranking system. The 24 teams that qualify for the tournament will be divided into four Tiers of six teams each, based on their European performances over the past four seasons. The teams from each Tier level will then be kept apart in the draw for the Pools.

I though we might get Leinster or Ulster in the same group as us because of the new seeding system, but on the website it said that "no two teams from the same country will appear in the same group except for France which have seven teams in the tournament".

http://ercrugby.com/eng/12_10454.php

[Jackass]

This whole seeding system couldn't have come at a worse time for Leinster...they bring it in based on the last 4 years of performance...the very season Leinster don't make it out of our group, don't even get 2nd spot in the group! Knocking us out of the top tier and a black mark we have to live with for 4 years...ah well...

And in fairness to them, Munster are now sorted for life, they will never get a difficult group again and they could afford to get knocked out at the group stage next year (as impossible as that is) and still be a top seed and as they will never get a group with more than one other decent team in it, so the position they've put themselves in now, they could only field an average team going forward and would still have a great shot at making it out of the group as they can't draw any of the other contenders (unlike this season when they had 2 others in their group!!) so this couldn't have come at a better time for Munster!! Fair play to them, they are where they are from doing it the hard way and it's really something that they well earned!!

Leinster will really need to break into the top-tier next season to make life a hell of a lot easier going forward so it's important this draw is kind to us, there is still a potential nightmare draw of Leicster / Wasps and Clermont / Castres, and EDINBURGH!! (haha) That would leave us with potentially the English Champions, French Champions and our complete bogie team!!

As for the best case scenario draw for Leinster, we definitley want one of the French teams as our top seed team, preferably Biarritz or Stade, giving us a 3rd seed welsh team (Dragons, Cardiff or Llanelli) and Harlequins as our 4th seed (p!ss poor).

So a French 1st seed will rule out a potential French 3rd seed (including the possible French champions) and will also rule out Edinburgh as our 4th possible seed! (as there must be 1 English and at least 1 French in every group).

Not that I don't think it's time we put that Edinburgh hex to bed and go over there and give them a right hiding in their home patch which we are more than capable of doing, I think we just need to go and do it! I'm planning on travelling to the ML game there next season too, as havn't been on the beer in Edinburgh in far too long!!

But all of that is fantasy groups and in a perfect / worst world scenario, but in reality, it doesn't matter who we get. Imo there is not one team in the HC we are not capable of beating either at home or away and I think it's time for Leinster to arrive in Europe and really start to perform to our potential.

Also, if you get out of it, I think a tough group has it's merrits as you're certainly a lot more battle hardended and not willing to give up all the great things you've achieved already so early in the tournament.

But can't wait for next season and the HC! Can't wait to find out who we have!!

dc69

knowing our luck,we will get the hardest group possible:(

If clermont play a full team,I cant see past them anyway tbh.

Podge_irl

[Jackass] wrote: »

Leinster will really need to break into the top-tier next season to make life a hell of a lot easier going forward so it's important this draw is kind to us, there is still a potential nightmare draw of Leicster / Wasps and Clermont / Castres, and EDINBURGH!! (haha) That would leave us with potentially the English Champions, French Champions and our complete bogie team!!

I've said it before and I really meant it - if Leinster get Edinburgh again, I'm going to ****ing cry.

d-gal

Actually clermont might not be a top seed at all since they have only played once in the HC (frances top seeds will be toulouse, biarritz and stade) and did not make it out of the group. And wait til toulon make it to the HC, nightmares upon the HC. shud be entertaining to say the least

ScrubsfanChris

I see what you mean [Jackass],
But what I can't understand is why Leinster are in the 2nd tier, because according to the rankings here: http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/121_9900.php
London Wasps, Leinster and Bath are all on 18 points, so why do London Wasps get the 6th place.

Dose anyone know how this works and is it something to do with Wasps being champions last year.

Crash

I'd say its to do with being previous winners alright.

razorblunt

I wouldnt be too disheartened being a Leinster fan, they're a team on the rise and should only get better and might benefit from the cliched "underdogs" tag.

suppafly

its great they're going have the draw streaming live on the erc site. Will def tune in to catch that

ScrubsfanChris

The last French and final team for the 2008/2009 Heineken Cup has been announced as Montauban.
This is the first time they have ever been in the competition so will start on 0 ranking points.

The teams for the 08/09 season:

TIER 1 –
1. Munster
2. Toulouse
3. Biarritz Olympique
4. Leicester Tigers
5. Stade Français Paris
6. London Wasps

TIER 2 –
7. Leinster
8. Bath Rugby
9. Gloucester Rugby
10. Perpignan
11. Sale Sharks
12. Llanelli Scarlets

TIER 3 –
13. Ospreys
14. Cardiff Blues
15. ASM Clermont Auvergne
16. Newport Gwent Dragons
17. Ulster Rugby
18. Castres Olympique

TIER 4 –
19. Glasgow Warriors
20. Benetton Treviso
21. Edinburgh
22. Rugby Calvisano
23. Harlequins
24. Montauban

komodosp

Bath in the second seed? Aren't they just up from the Challenge cup?

vladimirtheass

yes but they have been in the H Cup before and I think they picked up 7 ranking points in 2007, I think they got the the quarter final or semi final against Biarritz that year?

tHE vAGGABOND

As a leinster season ticket holder, I hope we get a big team or two so I can see us beat them in the RDS!

I hope to avoid French and Scottish teams, as we don't have a good record away to them at all and I want to get out of the group and travel to an away 1/4 final [and beyond] this year

Legion2008

Well, we have to get a french team, and at worst case 2 ... my preference as a leinster fan would be Stade, as that would rule out us getting Leicester or Wasps and I think also Clermont .....

A trip to Paris would be good.

Sabre0001

Stream is LIVE! Click the link at the side...
http://ercrugby.com/eng/erc_rugby_tv.php

Funkstard

This not working for anyone else?

Robbo

Funkstard wrote: »

This not working for anyone else?

Working for me.

So far Munster have Sale and Clermont.

Leinster have Wasps and Castres.

jprender

not working for me either

dc69

disable your pop up blocker.

raido9

Can you post the draw so far?

Cant get it to work

dc69

Leinster
Castes
Edinburagh
Wasps

the journalists started laughing when edinburgh were drawn.

Sabre0001

Guess what Scottish team Leinster got....Go on, guess!!!

Funkstard

Working now. Do not BELIEVE we have Edinburgh again!! Fuck sake!

kev_s88

pool A: Munster, Sale, Clermont, Montauban

Pool B: Wasps, Leinster, Castre, Edinburgh

Pool C: Leicester, Perpignan, Ospreys, Treviso

Pool Stade Francais, Llanelli, Ulster, Harlequins

Pool E: Toulouse, Bath, NG Dragons, Glasgow

Pool F: Biarritz, Gloucester, Cardiff, Calvisano

P_1

Leinster got Wasps, Castres and of course poxy Edinburgh :mad:

ScrubsfanChris

Podge_irl wrote: »

I've said it before and I really meant it - if Leinster get Edinburgh again, I'm going to ****ing cry.

You won't believe what just happened. :pac:

Robbo

Pool 1: Munster, Sale, Clermont, Mountaubaun
Pool 2: Wasps, Leinster, Castres, Edinburgh
Pool 3: Leicester, Perpignan, Ospreys, Treviso
Pool 4: Stade Francais, Scarlets, Ulster, Harlequins
Pool 5: Toulouse, Bath, Dragons, Glasgow
Pool 6: Biarritz, Gloucester, Cardiff, Calvisano

P_1

3 tough pools for the Irish there.

dc69

Leinster got a fine draw if you ask me.If we want to win,we cant be complaining if we get edinburgh in our draw.We will qualify from that group.

suppafly

Munster got totally shafted there. Some how managed to get the hardest group again!!! Sale and Montabaun. Seriously unlucky there

Funkstard

Pool 5 is perhaps the least difficult for Toulouse, but there are no walkovers there

dc69

Funkstard,we are going to the castres match!

CJhaughey

Munster didn't get Gloucester again they got Sale sharks!

Munster
Sale
Clermont= Hardest team in pool
Montauban

Funkstard

Why? Are we?

justsomebloke

suppafly wrote: »

Munster got totally shafted there. Some how managed to get the hardest group again!!! Gloucester rugby and Montabaun. Seriously unlucky there

eh, no they didn't they got an easy enough group with sale as oppose to gloucester

Climate Expert

Big deal about Edinburgh. They are one of hte better 4th seeds but they are still an average enough side.

I don't buy into this bogey team ****e and I'd say the Leinster lads will be glad to play them again.

dc69

Funkstard wrote: »

Why? Are we?

A nice trip to the south of france.should be a cheap trip.

ScrubsfanChris

Please use this thread to vent your anger and discuss the pool draw outcomes: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055315971

This thread was only supposed to give information about the live draw.

dc69

makes no diff.

suppafly

jsb wrote: »

eh, no they didn't they got an easy enough group with sale as oppose to gloucester

yeah sorry put in the wrong one there, but having 2 french teams in your group def makes a tough group. def not easy enough. def one of the hardest groups

zAbbo

Embra again!

Tough groups for all Irish teams, although you'd expect both Munster & Leinster to make it out.

knightmare

Expect Munster to come out of their group but will be tough with clermont in it. Leinster won't come out of that group Wasps are way too good an outfit for them. And Castres will be sticky, should have enough for edinb though

Podge_irl

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Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!