2017-18 Champions Cup

thomond2006 · 11-10-2017 1:29pm #1

Current Betting:
Sarseholes 23/10
Toulon 15/2
Leinster 15/2
Clermont 17/2
Montpellier 9/1
La Rochelle 14/1
Munster 14/1
Racing 92 20/1
Scarlets 20/1
Wasps 25/1

Round 1 fixtures

7:45 Ulster vs Wasps BT

1:00 Leinster vs Montpellier Sky
3:15 Racing 92 vs Leicester BT
5:30 Harlequins vs La Rochelle Sky
5:30 Bath vs Benetton Sky
7:45 Exeter vs Glasgow BT

1:00 Castres vs Munster Sky
3:15 Toulon vs Scarlets Sky
5:30 Saints vs Sarseholes BT
5:30 Ospreys vs Clermont BT

molloyjh · 11-10-2017 1:38pm

Exeter Chiefs

Sarries for me again this season. I just can't see anyone else beating them except Clermont in the pool stages. I felt dirty selecting them in the poll though.

Montjuic · 11-10-2017 1:52pm

Racing 92

I'm heading to the Castres V Munster match this Sunday.

Is there much of a Munster crowd going over?

What's Castre like for the craic? Good Irish pubs etc?? Any recommendations?

I live on the continent so am a bit out of the loop.

11-10-2017 1:56pm

Castres

Said it in another thread but Scarlets / Toulon should be a cracker.

Exeter v Glasgow another one.

Some great rugby on this weekend. I'm gonna need a bigger fridge.

aloooof · 11-10-2017 2:11pm

Northampton Saints

Hard to see past Sarries but would love to see Clermont get over the line. I wonder if Exeter could manage to get out of their group, could they put a run together? 33/1 to win it. That group is looking incredibly tough tho...

11-10-2017 2:17pm

Castres

aloooof wrote: »

Hard to see past Sarries but would love to see Clermont get over the line. I wonder if Exeter could manage to get out of their group, could they put a run together? That group is looking incredibly tough tho...

I think the winner will come from Sarries, Clermont or Montpellier. However there are difficult pools here so it's not clear cut at all and coming out second is a very challenging ask with an away quarter final.

At the moment I don't think any of the Irish provinces have shown enough to be contenders. Big performances this weekend might change that but on paper you would have to imagine that only Munster are looking likely for play offs as their group is extremely soft. Ulster have a decent chance to top their group if they perform up to the standard of their squad.

Leinster looked last year like they needed one more season and would be up there, but have had a slow start and have injury worries in critical positions so I'm less confident, especially given the absolute group of death they find themselves in.

Bridge93 · 11-10-2017 2:18pm

Castres

Gone for Montpellier but their pool is probably the nastiest of the lot so who knows really

CatFromHue · 11-10-2017 2:26pm

Montpellier

It's gonna be Leinster.

Imo we were unlucky not to win it 2 out of the last 3 years

Interested Observer · 11-10-2017 3:26pm

Exeter Chiefs

CatFromHue wrote: »

It's gonna be Leinster.

Imo we were unlucky not to win it 2 out of the last 3 years

I'll have some of what you're smoking please.

CatFromHue · 11-10-2017 3:58pm

Montpellier

We didn't start the Semi against Clermont until the game was 20 mins old last season and then there's the disallowed try in that game too. Not many refs would pick that one up.

Two years ago Toulon only beat us cos of an intercept try in extra time. A bit more composure and that pass wouldn't have been thrown and/or Jimmy G would have gotten that drop goal in normal time.

If we won either of those Semi's we would have won the final.

11-10-2017 4:05pm

Castres

CatFromHue wrote: »

We didn't start the Semi against Clermont until the game was 20 mins old last season and then there's the disallowed try in that game too. Not many refs would pick that one up.

Two years ago Toulon only beat us cos of an intercept try in extra time. A bit more composure and that pass wouldn't have been thrown and/or Jimmy G would have gotten that drop goal in normal time.

If we won either of those Semi's we would have won the final.

Agree re Toulon but think we'd have struggled against Sarries last year. No way I'd be saying it's clear cut, I'd have had Sarries as favourites.

aloooof · 11-10-2017 4:12pm

Northampton Saints

Deleted User wrote: »

Agree re Toulon but think we'd have struggled against Sarries last year. No way I'd be saying it's clear cut, I'd have had Sarries as favourites.

I don't think Toulon would've been clear cut either, tbh. It was the tail end of that Toulon team, but wasn't it also Matt O'Connor's last season where Leinster had a very poor season in the Pro12? Huge leap from CatFromHue to suggest Leinster would've won both, had they won the semi-final in any case.

EDIT: I'm thinking of 3 season ago, aren't I...

11-10-2017 4:19pm

Castres

aloooof wrote: »

I don't think Toulon would've been clear cut either, tbh. It was the tail end of that Toulon team, but wasn't it also Matt O'Connor's last season where Leinster had a very poor season in the Pro12? Huge leap from CatFromHue to suggest Leinster would've won both, had they won the semi-final in any case.

EDIT: I'm thinking of 3 season ago, aren't I...

It was Matt O'Connors last year. We weren't going well at all and our squad wasn't the best but the Tuesday before the game Heaslip called the team together and they laid out a gameplan.

We were very close on two occasions to winning that game, and Clermont folded in the final. I think had we won that semi I'd have had us as favourites to win.

The following season we didn't get out of our pool and had a heavy away loss to Wasps. Obviously last year we went out in the semi away to Clermont.

Interested Observer · 11-10-2017 4:20pm

Exeter Chiefs

Deleted User wrote: »

The following season we didn't get out of our pool and had a heavy away loss to Wasps. Obviously last year we went out in the semi away to Clermont.

Home and away losses to Wasps and Toulon, and an away loss to Bath. Only won 1/6. Probably the worst season Leinster have had in Europe.

aloooof · 11-10-2017 4:23pm

Northampton Saints

Interested Observer wrote: »

Home any away losses to Wasps and Toulon, and an away loss to Bath. Only won 1/6. Probably the worst season Leinster have had in Europe.

It's coming back to me now, lost the first round in the RDS to Wasps and it was downhill from there.

arsebiscuits1 · 11-10-2017 4:36pm

Exeter Chiefs

CatFromHue wrote: »

We didn't start the Semi against Clermont until the game was 20 mins old last season and then there's the disallowed try in that game too. Not many refs would pick that one up.

Two years ago Toulon only beat us cos of an intercept try in extra time. A bit more composure and that pass wouldn't have been thrown and/or Jimmy G would have gotten that drop goal in normal time.

If we won either of those Semi's we would have won the final.

That Madigan pass still crushes me. He got a lot of stick for that intercept, but if it went to hand we were in in the corner. Game on inches...

I think we would have struggled badly against Sarries. Our backs had the capability of making some serious hay that day, and our forwards would have been able to match them, but Sarries are very good at playing how they want. They would have starved us and it would have worked I'd say.

Look at how Ulster picked us apart at the end of last season. We were toothless that day

11-10-2017 4:43pm

Castres

aloooof wrote: »

It's coming back to me now, lost the first round in the RDS to Wasps and it was downhill from there.

I'm actually quite worried about a repeat of that this year.

Our group really is relentless.

Former Former · 11-10-2017 4:57pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm actually quite worried about a repeat of that this year.

Our group really is relentless.

Just means we get a few of the better teams out of the way early on. We get that done and it's a procession from there on.

aloooof · 11-10-2017 5:02pm

Northampton Saints

It's less likely to be a group that a runner-up comes out of, so really small margin for error. Every point could count.

Interested Observer · 11-10-2017 5:08pm

Exeter Chiefs

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm actually quite worried about a repeat of that this year.

Our group really is relentless.

Yeah it's a ridiculously tough group. Montpellier have lost their two toughest away games so far in T14 so hopefully they don't travel well again but it's entirely conceivable that Leinster are 0 from 2 by next weekend.

11-10-2017 5:23pm

Castres

Interested Observer wrote: »

Yeah it's a ridiculously tough group. Montpellier have lost their two toughest away games so far in T14 so hopefully they don't travel well again but it's entirely conceivable that Leinster are 0 from 2 by next weekend.

Yeah I agree. That said, I think we need a few hard fought games to get the blood flowing and we've always done well coming out of tough groups.

bilston · 11-10-2017 9:43pm

Castres

Have a sneaky feeling for Montpellier. If an Irish team doesn't do it I'd like to see Ruan win it. Saracens will take some beating again though and no doubt Clermont will be there or thereabouts. If Leinster can get out of their pool then they are definitely genuine contenders as well.

bilston · 11-10-2017 9:45pm

Castres

Just watching BT's preview show and saw a clip of Sam Simmons. That guy is seriously quick for a No.8. He sounds like some prospect.

awec · 11-10-2017 9:54pm

bilston wrote: »

Have a sneaky feeling for Montpellier. If an Irish team doesn't do it I'd like to see Ruan win it. Saracens will take some beating again though and no doubt Clermont will be there or thereabouts. If Leinster can get out of their pool then they are definitely genuine contenders as well.

Montpellier are my preference to win it this year because I know Ulster are too ****e to come close to winning it.

Giving up my ticket for the match on Saturday, can't be watching Pienaar playing for someone else. I'm protesting, I know my absence will upset Nucifora.

CatFromHue · 11-10-2017 10:02pm

Montpellier

you don't give up your ticket, you take a knee

now it's a long game so maybe wear some knee pads under your trousers :pac:

thomond2006 · 11-10-2017 10:09pm

Exeter Chiefs

awec wrote: »

Montpellier are my preference to win it this year because I know Ulster are too ****e to come close to winning it.

Giving up my ticket for the match on Saturday, can't be watching Pienaar playing for someone else. I'm protesting, I know my absence will upset Nucifora.

Don't worry, we'll post plenty pictures.

errlloyd · 12-10-2017 11:29am

Exeter Chiefs

I know people are inundated with Fantasy Rugby options, but there is an EPCR run one for this tournament. I feel like 9 rounds isn't too much commitment. Anyone interested?

http://www.epcrugby.com/fantasy

EDIT: The prizes are pretty decent too, but no idea how many people will sign up.

12-10-2017 12:34pm

Castres

errlloyd wrote: »

I know people are inundated with Fantasy Rugby options, but there is an EPCR run one for this tournament. I feel like 9 rounds isn't too much commitment. Anyone interested?

http://www.epcrugby.com/fantasy

EDIT: The prizes are pretty decent too, but no idea how many people will sign up.

Yes

12-10-2017 3:08pm

Castres

errlloyd wrote: »

I know people are inundated with Fantasy Rugby options, but there is an EPCR run one for this tournament. I feel like 9 rounds isn't too much commitment. Anyone interested?

http://www.epcrugby.com/fantasy

EDIT: The prizes are pretty decent too, but no idea how many people will sign up.

Did up my team over lunch. If anyone sets up a boards league let me know!

errlloyd · 13-10-2017 12:40am

Exeter Chiefs

I went through the fixtures there to decide who are clear winners this weekend. Honestly, for me, there is only one easy prediction. 9 fifty fifty games. I love the Cup. Rugby Christmas.

Scythica · 13-10-2017 6:12am

Wasps

bt sport have a reasonably good podcast about the cup. just dallaghio(sp?) and bod talking through the group's.

they are championing Glasgow and scarlets quite a bit which is good to see.

not seen many other decent podcasts though

2017-18 Champions Cup

Who will win the Champions Cup? 80 votes

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