Heineken Cup - General Discussion Thread

JustinDee

phog wrote: »

Sorry not trying to dramatise it all but it was certainly said here in Limerick that Ulster/IRFU had requested the game to be played in Aviva

On this point, who actually said that such a request was made?

danthefan

phog wrote: »

danthefan wrote: »

So who did they hold their ground against and say no to exactly? There were ticket prices announced almost immediately after the Saints match, it was never moving away from Thomond. You're, for some odd reason, trying to dramatise the issue.

Sorry not trying to dramatise it all but it was certainly said here in Limerick that Ulster/IRFU had requested the game to be played in Aviva.

Some posters here (youself included) and on other foums have mentioned the money attraction to Munster by moving, I countered that here more than once.

danthefan wrote: »

I'd imagine they'd have to think hard about turning down all that revenue though. They could double what they'd make from Thomond.

I think you're incorrect about the ticket prices being known almost immediately after the Saints match, the ticket announcement was made until the 22nd and there was no mention of the stadium being used in that press release.

I may have had the day wrong but despite there being no mention of a stadium there are no terraces in Lansdowne, therefore it's obviously referring to Thomond.

lologram

Over here, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/9683894.stm, Jeremy Guscott answers his Q&A column. The answer itself is pretty good, and I think most would agree, but one detail slightly drags it down...

How much of a chance do you believe Ulster realistically have at Thomond Park?
Ryan, Northern Ireland

Hi Ryan, a lot of teams crack under the Thomond spell but I would imagine Ulster must be used to it by now. Munster will start favourites; they have been in this situation so many more times than Ulster.

It will be a humdinger of a game - Ulster will have total belief they can win and rightly so. With players like John Afoa, Neil Best, Stephen Ferris, Ian Humphreys, Ruan Pienaar and Andrew Trimble, why wouldn't you fancy your chances?

:rolleyes:

Rattlehead_ie

wasn't the whole point of the redevelopment on Thomond Park? So it would have the capacity to hold the needed number for any quarter if not semi final. I doubt that Munster rugby would want the lose what they would consider "home" advantage.
I believe this is up to the organisers of Heineken Cup not the IRFU/Munster Rugby. As long as Thomond reaches the head count capacity and safety regulations the game is played at home in the home teams grounds.

PS: Ulster resigned Neil Best..... dam...... :eek::D

JustinDee

Rattlehead_ie wrote: »

wasn't the whole point of the redevelopment on Thomond Park? So it would have the capacity to hold the needed number for any quarter if not semi final. I doubt that Munster rugby would want the lose what they would consider "home" advantage.
I believe this is up to the organisers of Heineken Cup not the IRFU/Munster Rugby. As long as Thomond reaches the head count capacity and safety regulations the game is played at home in the home teams grounds.

PS: Ulster resigned Neil Best..... dam...... :eek::D

Quarter-Finals are allocated venue by home team.
Semi-finals by ERC.

Rattlehead_ie

JustinDee wrote: »

Quarter-Finals are allocated venue by home team.

Who makes that rule
My point & what I was saying is that the IRFU or sweet F.A influence / baring on where Munster play their home games (i.e they cant tell Munster to play in in Lansdowne). Its the ERC that made the rule that at least 2/4 of quarter/semi finalists will have a home game.

Benny Cake

durkadurka wrote: »

The twitter machine says Munster ulster on Easter Sunday

I hope this isn't true! Fecking hate Sunday games... I presume Leinsters game will be on the Saturday & they've have had their fair share of sunday kickoffs this year so maybe that's being taken into account.

justsomebloke

Benny Cake wrote: »

I hope this isn't true! Fecking hate Sunday games... I presume Leinsters game will be on the Saturday & they've have had their fair share of sunday kickoffs this year so maybe that's being taken into account.

Is the Monday not a Bank Holiday though so it isn't that bad, especially as it could be good Friday with all the crap that goes along with trying to get special licences

totallegend

Rattlehead_ie wrote: »

Who makes that rule
My point & what I was saying is that the IRFU or sweet F.A influence / baring on where Munster play their home games (i.e they cant tell Munster to play in in Lansdowne). Its the ERC that made the rule that at least 2/4 of quarter/semi finalists will have a home game.

Right lads, can we put this to bed once and for all? There is no indication of any kind that Munster were put under any pressure (or even asked nicely) by IRFU to play their game in Lansdowne.

As someone mentioned above, ticket prices including terraces were announced almost immediately, so it was never on the cards.

So as much as Munster fans might like to create a siege mentality for themselves, there is nothing to see here, move on.

JustinDee

Nobody has told or requested that Munster hold the game in the Aviva Stadium.
Not the IRFU. Not Ulster branch. Not ERC.

Brewster

The times for quarter finals confirmed. Munster Ulster on Easter Sunday, not the best day for it. Leinster on Sat evening.

justsomebloke

HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINALS
Saturday, 7 April
Edinburgh Rugby v Toulouse, Murrayfield 15.00
Sky Sports / FR2 / Canal+
Leinster Rugby v Cardiff Blues, Aviva Stadium 17.45
Sky Sports / Sport+
Sunday, 8 April
Munster Rugby v Ulster Rugby, Thomond Park 13.45
Sky Sports / Sport+
Saracens v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Vicarage Road 16.30
Sky Sports, FR

ray jay

What is the point of having a 13.45 kick off when there are only 4 matches that weekend? Surely they could have been moved back to a more sociable hour.

Podge_irl

Rattlehead_ie wrote: »

i.e they cant tell Munster to play in in Lansdowne

Of course they can, they just didn't.

jimbomalley

ray jay wrote: »

What is the point of having a 13.45 kick off when there are only 4 matches that weekend? Surely they could have been moved back to a more sociable hour.

Ask stuart barnes and his buddies at sky

jacothelad

errlloyd wrote: »

To be fair to English teams, they are fighting a salary cap.

Feels good having three through though. No one can say it was easy either. I feel all three could win it too. I almost think Clermont at home in the quarters would be a good thing.

We are told this relentlessly. It is evident that it holds them back as the only way Leicester, Harlequins, London Irish etc lost to Ulster, Connacht and Edinburgh was because they couldn't match their budgets. Oh! Hang on a sec. That's not right. Ulster, Connacht and Edinburgh won because they have smaller budgets than Leicester etc. It's gibberish of Father Ted proportions. Look Dougal. This is Small. That one is Far Away.

jimbomalley wrote: »

Ask stuart barnes and his buddies at sky

It's to allow everyone to get to chapel / church first :rolleyes:, to the the ground sober and then hit the boozer with a vengence afterwards to either drown there sorrows or celebrate and /or commiserate with opposing fans.

totallegend

ray jay wrote: »

What is the point of having a 13.45 kick off when there are only 4 matches that weekend? Surely they could have been moved back to a more sociable hour.

Presumably for tv purposes they wanted two games on each day, and 16.30 is quite late for a Sunday game as it is so there wasn't that much wiggle room.
And if the TV companies are looking at who'll get top billing, two Irish sides or a French and English side, there's only going to be one outcome.

geekington

Isn't it a bank holiday weekend, so technically the Sunday kick off is a Saturday!

OldRio

If you are living/working or studying in Edinburgh. Just to let you know tickets for the Toulouse game are dirt cheap if you book them before the end of Febuary.
£5/£10/£15.
Link.....https://www.eticketing.co.uk/scottishrugby/details/event.aspx?itemref=2601

phog

geekington wrote: »

Isn't it a bank holiday weekend, so technically the Sunday kick off is a Saturday!

How do you work this out?

totallegend

phog wrote: »

How do you work this out?

Because you can go on the lash and not have to worry about work the following day.

phog

totallegend wrote: »

Because you can go on the lash and not have to worry about work the following day.

With that kind of warped logic it puts other posts on this fourm into perspective.

4PP

jimbomalley wrote: »

Ask stuart barnes and his buddies at sky

Only my own opnion of course but I'd put it down to French TV.
Easter is a very big family occasion in France (like many other countries I dare say) but in contrast to Ireland the French do make a big song & dance about food & hardly anyone over the age of 25 would watch a game in a bar.

Having the game any earlier than 5 pm local would not have much effect on the stadium audience but would be catastrophic for TV viewing figures.

Give's the men of the house time to settle into the armchairs with a nice digestif' while the womenfolk do the dishes .....:D

[Jackass]

Clermont absolutely demolish Toulouse by 30 points.

No question that they are the best side in Europe this season imo. They'll take some stopping! Hopefully Saracens can do a job on them

thomond2006

The Toulouse side for that game was very weak apparently, I wouldn't read much into it.

Podge_irl

[Jackass] wrote: »

Clermont absolutely demolish Toulouse by 30 points.

No question that they are the best side in Europe this season imo. They'll take some stopping! Hopefully Saracens can do a job on them

They've lost away to Ulster and Leicester so it's certainly possible. I really wouldn't enjoy Leinster having to travel there to beat them (well...I'd enjoy the trip to France, just not the match!)

Edit: Also, having looked at the video, Clermont only scored two tries - one an interception when Toulouse were desperate with the last play of the game. I can't see Leinster giving up 7 kickable penalties to anyone - their defence is much more disciplined then that.

pickarooney

Toulouse would have been missing 7 internationals and Clermont 6 - not a very representative selection.

CiaranMT

[Jackass] wrote: »

No question that they are the best side in Europe this season imo. They'll take some stopping! Hopefully Saracens can do a job on them

Hyperbole knows no bounds around here.

irishbucsfan

The masochist in me would absolutely love another trip to the Stade Marcel Michelin. Winning in France in a knockout game is the final frontier really.

Podge_irl

Well have fun there while I'm in St.Etienne :-P