Champions Cup 2019/20

Eod100 · 16-07-2020 2:39pm

Champions Cup fixtures out

https://twitter.com/ChampionsCup/status/1283749075515576322/photo/1

connachta · 16-07-2020 2:45pm

Cookiemunster wrote: »

While I agree that two pools of 12 would be madness, any Pro12 could be played along the current format reducing the regular season to 18 rounds and freeing up more weekends.

Hell no, no more of this ****y unfair hybrid monster. Home an away, full-blank, just 1 game added

Champions cup will be held in 8 weeks to the final, not 8 pool-games, anyway.
That's the whisper

Cookiemunster · 16-07-2020 3:03pm

connachta wrote: »

Hell no, no more of this ****y unfair hybrid monster. Home an away, full-blank, just 1 game added

Champions cup will be held in 8 weeks to the final, not 8 pool-games, anyway.
That's the whisper

We have an already congested season coming up. We need to lose weekends, not add more. One week off the CC and three off a Pro12 as a once off season makes sense.

Although god knows how the English are going to work it when they have to run off all of the rest of this seasons games before starting next season.

connachta · 16-07-2020 3:28pm

Cookiemunster wrote: »

We have an already congested season coming up. We need to lose weekends, not add more. One week off the CC and three off a Pro12 as a once off season makes sense.

Although god knows how the English are going to work it when they have to run off all of the rest of this seasons games before starting next season.

They are not on your line, add games and revenue, not shrink...
Yes there will be a tough calendar with International games, but we should follow the way (as long as travels are allowed, play, play, play)

Burkie1203 · 16-07-2020 4:29pm

connachta wrote: »

They are not on your line, add games and revenue, not shrink...
Yes there will be a tough calendar with International games, but we should follow the way (as long as travels are allowed, play, play, play)

When connacht have no players left in January we better not hear any whinging about not having a big enough squad so.

Yeah_Right · 16-07-2020 5:01pm

Are Connacht even involved in the Champions Cup?

connachta · 16-07-2020 5:35pm

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Are Connacht even involved in the Champions Cup?

Yes 24 teams, 8 from each leagues, Pro14 table based on March, Conacht are 6th/7th overall (depending how you count, it could matter -or not- for seeds)

Thrashssacre · 16-07-2020 5:56pm

connachta wrote: »

Yes 24 teams, 8 from each leagues, Pro14 table based on March, Conacht are 6th/7th overall (depending how you count, it could matter -or not- for seeds)

They'll be out in the pools either way don't worry too much.

connachta · 16-07-2020 6:07pm

Thrashssacre wrote: »

They'll be out in the pools either way don't worry too much.

I don't care you can talk and talk, i'm happy to be in it and prove, again and again, we're far from ridiculous.

Other provinces pseudo-fans find it hard to swallow we've never been laughable in any of our European game except one (Sarries away)

thomond2006 · 16-07-2020 6:46pm

May as well give Connacht a day in the sun before they're disbanded.

Former Former · 16-07-2020 6:57pm

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Are Connacht even involved in the Champions Cup?

Yes. Once it was realised that a 20-team tournament would exclude Connacht, the decision was made to up it to 24. The whole thing reeks of favouritism but sure we're used to the big teams getting all the decisions.

connachta · 16-07-2020 7:11pm

Former Former wrote: »

Yes. Once it was realised that a 20-team tournament would exclude Connacht, the decision was made to up it to 24. The whole thing reeks of favouritism but sure we're used to the big teams getting all the decisions.

Great post!:D:p:p
Ironically only error is Connacht would have been in a 20-club competition (home play-off vs Dragons).
It's big French clubs who were out, and fought vs big Mathusian English who wanted to reduce to 18

Former Former · 31-07-2020 8:03am

According to Gerry Thornley, this season's European Cup will have eight pools of three teams, each team will play two home and two away games, but NOT against the teams in their own pool. The eight pool winners will then go into two - legged quarter finals.

Yeeesh.

sydthebeat · 31-07-2020 9:00am

Former Former wrote: »

According to Gerry Thornley, this season's European Cup will have eight pools of three teams, each team will play two home and two away games, but NOT against the teams in their own pool. The eight pool winners will then go into two - legged quarter finals.

Yeeesh.

Say wha???

So who do you play the home and away games against.... And does everyone in the same pool play against the same teams?

thomond2006 · 31-07-2020 9:02am

Former Former wrote: »

According to Gerry Thornley, this season's European Cup will have eight pools of three teams, each team will play two home and two away games, but NOT against the teams in their own pool. The eight pool winners will then go into two - legged quarter finals.

Yeeesh.

That's a carryover from the old Anglo-Welsh cup format that was in place for a few years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_LV_Cup. However the clubs would play the same opponents which keep it fairly equitable. In this format how can teams play the same opponents with four games to be played and three teams in a pool?

Former Former · 31-07-2020 9:24am

thomond2006 wrote: »

That's a carryover from the old Anglo-Welsh cup format that was in place for a few years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_LV_Cup. However the clubs would play the same opponents which keep it fairly equitable. In this format how can teams play the same opponents with four games to be played and three teams in a pool?

Ah yeah I get that, you can't have teams idle in every second round, I would have just gone with the 6 pools of 4 teams model and drop the two-leg QF. It's not like a home QF is going to be a big money-spinner anyway, I can't see us having full houses by March next year.

sydthebeat · 31-07-2020 10:08am

just thinking out loud here, and i havent seen GTs article so i dont knwo what way its suggested it works...

but are they looking at 8 groups of 3, one from pro 14, premiership and top 14 in ever group...

and they one group plays another group ie 1 v 8, 2 v 7 etc .. on a home and away basis.....but you dont play the team from your own league??

if so how can the group results be meritocratic ??

awec · 31-07-2020 10:26am

What a daft format.

connachta · 31-07-2020 12:00pm

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/top-14-begin-legal-proceedings-against-world-rugby-as-autumn-row-intensifies-v2qgt92w9

Nothing is sure yet, troubles on here...

bilston · 31-07-2020 12:15pm

To be honest I find it hard to look past the four Inter Pros at the end of August. Anything beyond that is not guaranteed IMO because then you introduce overseas travel. Even travelling to Scotland and Wales and vice versa could yet prove troublesome.

Burkie1203 · 31-07-2020 4:31pm

bilston wrote: »

To be honest I find it hard to look past the four Inter Pros at the end of August. Anything beyond that is not guaranteed IMO because then you introduce overseas travel. Even travelling to Scotland and Wales and vice versa could yet prove troublesome.

Agree

But 8 pools of 3 but you play teams not in Your own pool is plain dumb. It's even worse then any conference style league

Eod100 · 02-09-2020 10:06am

Next season's Champions Cup format confirmed: https://www.the42.ie/champions-cup-format-202021-5193118-Sep2020/?utm_source=shortlink

Former Former · 02-09-2020 10:11am

https://www.epcrugby.com/2020/09/02/new-epcr-tournament-formats-agreed-for-2020-21-season/

The little video helps, but... fncking hell

connachta · 02-09-2020 10:14am

Yeah it's done 24 clubs and a chance for Connacht to play Challenge Cup round of 16 after Champions Cup Pools.
Great!

Podge_irl · 02-09-2020 10:17am

So basically its a competition to see how much the Tier 1 teams can hump the Tier 4 teams by to see who tops the pools?

Podge_irl · 02-09-2020 10:18am

Needless to say, it makes the Pro14 semi finals much more important.

yerrahbah · 02-09-2020 10:21am

Huge reward for being a tier 1 team next season.
Guaranteed an easy group

errlloyd · 02-09-2020 10:22am

Podge_irl wrote: »

So basically its a competition to see how much the Tier 1 teams can hump the Tier 4 teams by to see who tops the pools?

Potentially Leinster and Lyon could both be Tier 1 teams in the same pool. With Dragons, Toulouse and Quins as their Tier 4 teams.

In that case Leinster would play Toulouse and Quins
Lyon would play Dragons and Quins.

****.

sydthebeat · 02-09-2020 10:24am

connachta wrote: »

Yeah it's done 24 clubs and a chance for Connacht to play Challenge Cup round of 16 after Champions Cup Pools.
Great!

yeah good luck to connacht playing (probably) exeter + bordeaux, lyon + bristol... or some version there of

yerrahbah · 02-09-2020 10:26am

https://twitter.com/willgkelleher/status/1301087664171515904

If we take the above to be true.

Leinster vs Quins or Gloucester, and Toulouse or Montpellier/Castres

Munster and Ulster vs Bath or N Saints and Clermont or La Rochelle

Connacht vs Exeter or Sale and Bordeaux or Lyon

Champions Cup 2019/20

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