Official EPCR Champions Cup Preview Thread - A New Hope

Lucy8080

molloyjh wrote: »

After seeing them for free yesterday I have decided that the only way I'll go is if I can get tickets for free. Looks like that won't be happening so I'm not going to fork out €100 for flights, another €150 minimum for accommodation, another €40 for tickets (using the half price code) plus whatever train fare required just for that game. That's over €300 plus spending money for a game that doesn't involve my team. No thanks.

Yup. after yesterdays give-away even a 2-for-1 offer feels like a rip off. I'd say you would get one for a tenner or possibly a freebie around the ground. Might be a good few people carrying spare tickets for those who don't want to make the trip. And possibly a good few who are selling their freebies.

I think this farce is going to hit their early sales for next years final.

CatFromHue

Giving the tickets away now is counter productive as who's going to buy them when they're released early in the season for next season's final?

I'm sure the business/marketing people on here have a proper word for it but they're really weakening their brand by doing this.

NoelJ

Podge_irl wrote: »

Ah yes, of course. Twickenham, not Wembley.

There is no need to book the ticket in advance. There will be a hefty queue at Gatwick but you need to queue to print off booked tickets anyway and it'll go fast enough. You obviously can't get the Gatwick Express so you're fine (most ludicrously overpriced train ever).

Be warned though, the train from Clapham Junction will be absolutely jammers. And will stop about a million times and take 12 years to get to Twickenham.

No it won't. Get a train from Gatwick to clapham junction which will take around half an hour. Then train from clapham junction to Twickenham. That's about 25 mins. It will be busy though

thomond2006

Leinster

NoelJ wrote: »

No it won't. Get a train from Gatwick to clapham junction which will take around half an hour. Then train from clapham junction to Twickenham. That's about 25 mins. It will be busy though

That's my plan!

NoelJ

thomond2006 wrote: »

That's my plan!

Return from clapham junction to Gatwick is 22. Then clsoham junction to Twickenham I usually do on the oyster card so not sure how much that is.

Podge_irl

NoelJ wrote: »

No it won't. Get a train from Gatwick to clapham junction which will take around half an hour. Then train from clapham junction to Twickenham. That's about 25 mins. It will be busy though

I have an irrational hatred of the Waterloo-Reading train.

errlloyd

Glasgow

The Guardian all time European team. Refer to the charter for rules concerning ROG v Sexton debates.

Euro XV: Geordan Murphy (Leicester); Sitiveni Sivivatu (Clermont Auvergne), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), Matt Giteau (Toulon), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse); Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/Racing Métro), Philippe Carbonneau (Toulouse/Brive); Cian Healy (Leinster), Trevor Leota (Wasps), Carl Hayman (Toulon), Martin Johnson (Leicester), Paul O’Connell (Munster), Rocky Elsom (Leinster), David Wallace (Munster), Anthony Foley (Munster).

Replacements: Raphaël Ibañez (Wasps), Graham Rowntree (Leicester), John Hayes (Munster), Simon Shaw (Wasps), Juan Martin Fernández-Lobbe (Toulon), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster), Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Wesley Fofana (Clermont Auvergne)

errlloyd

Glasgow

For the record, lack of ISA, Horgan, Armitage, Yachvili would by my initial concerns.

Neil3030

Leinster

Lack of Wilkinson and Harinordoquy is also quite puzzling to me.

thomond2006

Leinster

errlloyd wrote: »

The Guardian all time European team. Refer to the charter for rules concerning ROG v Sexton debates.

Euro XV: Geordan Murphy (Leicester); Sitiveni Sivivatu (Clermont Auvergne), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), Matt Giteau (Toulon), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse); Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/Racing Métro), Philippe Carbonneau (Toulouse/Brive); Cian Healy (Leinster), Trevor Leota (Wasps), Carl Hayman (Toulon), Martin Johnson (Leicester), Paul O’Connell (Munster), Rocky Elsom (Leinster), David Wallace (Munster), Anthony Foley (Munster).

Replacements: Raphaël Ibañez (Wasps), Graham Rowntree (Leicester), John Hayes (Munster), Simon Shaw (Wasps), Juan Martin Fernández-Lobbe (Toulon), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster), Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Wesley Fofana (Clermont Auvergne)

HAYES ONLY ON THE BENCH?! :mad:

total former

errlloyd wrote: »

The Guardian all time European team. Refer to the charter for rules concerning ROG v Sexton debates.

Euro XV: Geordan Murphy (Leicester); Sitiveni Sivivatu (Clermont Auvergne), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), Matt Giteau (Toulon), Vincent Clerc (Toulouse); Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/Racing Métro), Philippe Carbonneau (Toulouse/Brive); Cian Healy (Leinster), Trevor Leota (Wasps), Carl Hayman (Toulon), Martin Johnson (Leicester), Paul O’Connell (Munster), Rocky Elsom (Leinster), David Wallace (Munster), Anthony Foley (Munster).

Replacements: Raphaël Ibañez (Wasps), Graham Rowntree (Leicester), John Hayes (Munster), Simon Shaw (Wasps), Juan Martin Fernández-Lobbe (Toulon), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster), Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Wesley Fofana (Clermont Auvergne)

Sivivatu does not deserve to be there ahead of Heymans or Horgan. Not sure about Fofana either, Jauzion might feel aggrieved by that. Simon Shaw ahead of Fabien Pelous and Leo Cullen?

Healy might be questionable too but not too many superstar looseheads springing to mind.

Leinster

Ah Rocky can't be on that team!

thomond2006

Leinster

Deleted User wrote: »

Ah Rocky can't be on that team!

I agree.

Fernandez-Ligind, Wallace, Foley

Tox56

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ah Rocky can't be on that team!

I'd say SOB has at least as good a shout as Rocky, ludicrously good at every stage in 2011 and MOTM in the final in 2012

It's a pretty fair team though all things considered

Scythica

Dallaglio won a cup didn't he? Would of thought he would of made the bench at least.

Sangre

total former wrote: »

Sivivatu does not deserve to be there ahead of Heymans or Horgan. Not sure about Fofana either, Jauzion might feel aggrieved by that. Simon Shaw ahead of Fabien Pelous and Leo Cullen?

Healy might be questionable too but not too many superstar looseheads springing to mind.

Leo has some HC record. Played in 4 finals (and won 3), and was captain in 3 of them.

Buer

Glasgow

Nick Abendanon wins EPC Player of the Year.

Have to laugh, the last two winners can't be selected by Lancaster despite being capped internationals.

Big Nelly

Saracens

Team of season..>>Darren Cave is standout from Ireland point of view

Madigan got place because he was top scorer this season......



1. Matt Mullan, Wasps
2. Jamie George, Saracens
3. Davit Zirakashvili, Clermont Auvergne
4. Devin Toner, Leinster
5. Ali Williams, RC Toulon
6. Damien Chouly, Clermont Auvergne
7. James Davies, Scarlets
8. Steffon Armitage, RC Toulon
9. Ben Youngs, Leicester Tigers
10. George Ford, Bath
11. George North, Northampton Saints
12. Ian Madigan, Leinster
13. Darren Cave, Ulster
14. Bryan Habana, RC Toulon
15. Nick Abendanon, Clermont Auvergne

Leinster

heh

thomond2006

Leinster

Abendanon named Player of the Year.

.ak

First time ever that a player from a team that didn't win it gets it?

Fireball07

Racing

.ak wrote: »

First time ever that a player from a team that didn't win it gets it?

ROG won it in 2010. Although was that an "up-until-now" award?

bilston

Ulster

Buer wrote: »

Nick Abendanon wins EPC Player of the Year.

Have to laugh, the last two winners can't be selected by Lancaster despite being capped internationals.

They are cutting their nose to spite their face but it is very much to the benefit of the AP that this rule exists.

Armitage is a no brainer for the England team IMO and frankly I'm glad they don't pick him, but as I said on the other thread I don't think Abendanon would ever get selected over Brown because he makes too many errors. He would be a great No.23 I suppose.

molloyjh

Leinster

bilston wrote: »

They are cutting their nose to spite their face but it is very much to the benefit of the AP that this rule exists.

Armitage is a no brainer for the England team IMO and frankly I'm glad they don't pick him, but as I said on the other thread I don't think Abendanon would ever get selected over Brown because he makes too many errors. He would be a great No.23 I suppose.

Sometimes you have to take the hit though. If they allowed players playing outside of England into the England squad how many players would you see leave England for France? They need to protect the domestic game even if the odd time that means leaving someone like Armitage out of the set-up.

Grandpa Hassan

Buer wrote: »

Nick Abendanon wins EPC Player of the Year.

Have to laugh, the last two winners can't be selected by Lancaster despite being capped internationals.

As an England fan, I agree with the policy. The club game needs to be protected, even if at the expense of the England side.

Grandpa Hassan

Leinster

Grandpa Hassan wrote: »

As an England fan, I agree with the policy. The club game needs to be protected, even if at the expense of the England side.

I think it's could possible be at the short term expense to the national side, but not the long term expense.

The issue is that the practice will only ever unearth criticism. At no stage will there be a newspaper article saying "Yet again, each and every player that Lancaster would have chosen without the rule, is playing their club rugby in England", even though that has happened in the majority of squads for the last 5/6 years.

It's protectionism, and it will work (long term) so long as the balance is there. There needs to be a league that can support the development and value (£££) of the elite players for it to work. Once the balance is gone (imagine if Argentina had the same rule) the ideal becomes flawed.

In any case, as good as Abendanon has been this season, he'd be behind Brown, Goode and Foden at FB for England imo.

Steffon is the interesting one.

CatFromHue

I thought the English clubs were happy to have play in England to be selected for England rule and it was brought in to appease them.

There's a very un easy truce between the RFU and the clubs so if Armitage was selected for England I could see them having a ****ting the bed and start making life very difficult for the England national team regarding releasing players for camps and so on.

total former

Well, Nick Abendanon thinks they should pick overseas players
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/32597318

TBH; he would be well behind Mike Brown anyway. Playing Armitage would essentially mean Lancaster dropping his captain so that's not straightforward either (although I suppose you could play Armitage at 8).

total former

The playoffs have been confirmed by EPCR;

Gloucester will host the 7th placed team from the Pro12 on 24th May; the winner will then host the 7th placed French team on 31st May.

http://www.epcrugby.com/news/30913.php#.VUoD5flVhBc

its_phil

total former wrote: »

The playoffs have been confirmed by EPCR;

Gloucester will host the 7th placed team from the Pro12 on 24th May; the winner will then host the 7th placed French team on 31st May.

http://www.epcrugby.com/news/30913.php#.VUoD5flVhBc

Call it mad conspiracy theorism, but I don't trust a draw done behind closed doors and PRL.