Champions Cup 2019/20

Burkie1203 · 08-12-2019 8:26pm #1

Harlequins - Ulster
Racing 92 - Ospreys

Benetton - Lyon
Leinster - Northampton Saints
Glasgow Warriors - La Rochelle
Saracens - Munster
Connacht - Gloucester
Montpellier - Toulouse

Exeter Chiefs - Sale
ASM Clermont Auvergne - Bath

Leinster [29], Exeter [29], Racing [27], Toulouse [28] & Ulster/Clermont [27/26] are in one hell of a scrap for a top 2 seeding in the QF. The max points they can achieve are in brackets, bonus points from here on are vital. If Munster do get a QF I reckon they could be going to Paris. Sarries lose this weekend and they are likely to field the sort of weakened side they sent to Paris for the R1 game in the return game in R6 which gives Racing an opportunity to go 6/6.
I expect Leinster to pick up 15 more match points. After this round quite a few teams will be gone and will be fixture fulfilment mode in January

Game of the weekend is toss up between the Ulster and Munster games, Ulster win and they should get a QF but i cant see them beating Clermont away so it will be an away trip.

R4 Predictions [Match Points in brackets]

Ulster [4]
Racing [5]
Lyon [4]
Leinster [5]
Glasgow [5]
Saracens [4] - Munster to take a point away
Connacht [4]
Toulouse [4]
Exeter [5]
Clermont [5]

QF as it stands (I think)
Leinster - Saints
Exeter - Munster
Toulouse - Clermont
Ulster - Racing

QF guess
Leinster v Glasgow
Exeter v Ulster
Racing v Munster/Sarries
Toulouse v Clermont

liosnagceann75 · 08-12-2019 9:00pm

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Harlequins - Ulster
Racing 92 - Ospreys

Benetton - Lyon
Leinster - Northampton Saints
Glasgow Warriors - La Rochelle
Saracens - Munster
Connacht - Gloucester
Montpellier - Toulouse

Exeter Chiefs - Sale
ASM Clermont Auvergne - Bath

Leinster [29], Exeter [29], Racing [27], Toulouse [28] & Ulster/Clermont [27/26] are in one hell of a scrap for a top 2 seeding in the QF. The max points they can achieve are in brackets, bonus points from here on are vital. If Munster do get a QF I reckon they could be going to Paris. Sarries lose this weekend and they are likely to field the sort of weakened side they sent to Paris for the R1 game in the return game in R6 which gives Racing an opportunity to go 6/6.
I expect Leinster to pick up 15 more match points. After this round quite a few teams will be gone and will be fixture fulfilment mode in January

Game of the weekend is toss up between the Ulster and Munster games, Ulster win and they should get a QF but i cant see them beating Clermont away so it will be an away trip.

R4 Predictions [Match Points in brackets]

Ulster [4]
Racing [5]
Lyon [4]
Leinster [5]
Glasgow [5]
Saracens [4] - Munster to take a point away
Connacht [4]
Toulouse [4]
Exeter [5]
Clermont [5]

QF as it stands (I think)
Leinster - Saints
Exeter - Munster
Toulouse - Clermont
Ulster - Racing

QF guess
Leinster v Glasgow
Exeter v Ulster
Racing v Munster/Sarries
Toulouse v Clermont

Can munster face racing in quarter final if they get out of the group?

Former Former · 08-12-2019 9:23pm

liosnagceann75 wrote: »

Can munster face racing in quarter final if they get out of the group?

Yes

Snickers Man · 09-12-2019 12:25am

My predictions after round 3 for the Quarter Final line ups.

Leinster v Northampton
Exeter Chiefs v Ulster
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens
Toulouse v Racing 92

Can't see Munster or Connacht making it at this stage. Glasgow might pip Northampton for last runner up slot but if it comes to tries, Northampton has an Italian team in its group.

Subject to massive change as tournament progresses.

Interested Observer · 09-12-2019 7:04am

What are the rules around home semi finals these days?

Buer · 09-12-2019 9:35am

Interested Observer wrote: »

What are the rules around home semi finals these days?

Essentially, if a team finishes as first or second seed and wins their QF, they retain home/country advantage for the semi final regardless of results elsewhere.

KNOCKOUT STAGE
2.4 The clubs ranked 1 to 4 will have home advantage for the quarter-finals as follows:
Club 1 v Club 8 (QF1)
Club 4 v Club 5 (QF2)
Club 3 v Club 6 (QF3)
Club 2 v Club 7 (QF4)

The winner of QF1 will play the winner of QF2 in one semi-final, and the winner of QF3 will play the winner of QF4 in the other semi-final as follows:

Semi-final 1: winner QF1 v winner QF2
Semi-final 2: winner QF3 v winner QF4

09-12-2019 1:12pm

Snickers Man wrote: »

My predictions after round 3 for the Quarter Final line ups.

Leinster v Northampton
Exeter Chiefs v Ulster
Clermont Auvergne v Saracens
Toulouse v Racing 92

Can't see Munster or Connacht making it at this stage. Glasgow might pip Northampton for last runner up slot but if it comes to tries, Northampton has an Italian team in its group.

Subject to massive change as tournament progresses.

If Northampton scrape through, it will be mainly because that incompetent fool Adamson gave them a very debatable last second penalty in Treviso that Dan the Man converted for the win.

Rigor Mortis · 12-12-2019 9:23am

171170 wrote: »

If Northampton scrape through, it will be mainly because that incompetent fool Adamson gave them a very debatable last second penalty in Treviso that Dan the Man converted for the win.

True, but if you go over the six games of all of the teams who will be competing for the last spot, i guarantee you each will have benefitted in a decisive way from one or more contentious decisions.

Squidgy Black · 13-12-2019 9:48pm

Ospreys getting hammered by Racing here. TBP was secured before half time.

Dave_The_Sheep · 13-12-2019 9:51pm

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Ospreys getting hammered by Racing here. TBP was secured before half time.

To the surprise of absolutely no one.

[Deleted User] · 13-12-2019 10:07pm

Ulster looking like real contenders in this competition. It's going to put an interesting context to the inter-pro's, especially if the other provinces win this weekend.

Those match threads should be civil and effortlessly moderated. I for one won't even be mentioning Peter O'Mahony.

RugbyLover123 · 13-12-2019 10:09pm

The ref here was the same one in the Leinster game last week. Can’t say I’ve noticed him really before last week, but he was good last week and so far this week.

Squidgy Black · 13-12-2019 10:34pm

Ospreys managed to finally pick up a point anyways after scoring 3 tries in 10 minutes. 40-27 is very flattering for them.

[Deleted User] · 13-12-2019 10:44pm

If people aren't getting excited about this Ulster rugby team yet they should be. That's a brilliant performance, really classy tries and a dominant pack despite a fair smattering of errors.

Thoroughly enjoyed the game. That's one of the best centre partnerships in Europe. That's one of the best 9's in Europe and a very well drilled and motivated pack.

Some tough call coming up for Farrell. Irish rugby has responded well to the disappointment of the World Cup.

Note: I said nothing about Peter O'Mahony.

Paul Smeenus · 13-12-2019 11:12pm

Venjur wrote: »

If people aren't getting excited about this Ulster rugby team yet they should be. That's a brilliant performance, really classy tries and a dominant pack despite a fair smattering of errors.

Thoroughly enjoyed the game. That's one of the best centre partnerships in Europe. That's one of the best 9's in Europe and a very well drilled and motivated pack.

Some tough call coming up for Farrell. Irish rugby has responded well to the disappointment of the World Cup.

Note: I said nothing about Peter O'Mahony.

Venjur, shut up and leave us alone. I know you fancy dan Leinsterites love "the attention" - we do not.

Just another half-hearted, unconvincing win that we scraped through. Ho hum.

Paul Smeenus · 13-12-2019 11:12pm

Also - stop slagging off Peter O'Mahony.

[Deleted User] · 13-12-2019 11:49pm

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Venjur, shut up and leave us alone. I know you fancy dan Leinsterites love "the attention" - we do not.

Just another half-hearted, unconvincing win that we scraped through. Ho hum.

Burkie1203 · 14-12-2019 11:12pm

Leinster are on course for top seed. Its a 3 way fight for 2 places with Exeter and Toulouse.

QF possibility. Saints should get 5 v Benetton and could get 5 at Lyon who may just give up now.

Glasgow failure to beat La Rochelle today really has hurt their chances.

Potential QF lineup
Leinster v Saints
Exeter v Sarries
Toulouse v Ulster
Clermont v Racing

Squidgy Black · 14-12-2019 11:16pm

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Leinster are on course for top seed. Its a 3 way fight for 2 places with Exeter and Toulouse.

QF possibility. Saints should get 5 v Benetton and could get 5 at Lyon who may just give up now.

Glasgow failure to beat La Rochelle today really has hurt their chances.

Potential QF lineup
Leinster v Saints
Exeter v Sarries
Toulouse v Ulster
Clermont v Racing

I'd be surprised if Saints get 5 at Benetton given their European form. Especially given Saints are playing Sale and Gloucester over the Christmas break whereas Benetton have two handy games against Zebre.

ScrubsfanChris · 14-12-2019 11:18pm

Squidgy Black wrote: »

I'd be surprised if Saints get 5 at Benetton given their European form. Especially given Saints are playing Sale and Gloucester over the Christmas break whereas Benetton have two handy games against Zebre.

Northampton are home. Still wont be easy.

Burkie1203 · 14-12-2019 11:29pm

Squidgy Black wrote: »

I'd be surprised if Saints get 5 at Benetton given their European form. Especially given Saints are playing Sale and Gloucester over the Christmas break whereas Benetton have two handy games against Zebre.

Saints are at home. Benetton are out. It's also their R5 game.

pickarooney · 15-12-2019 9:53am

It's stupid if you can play against a team from your group in the QF or even the SF

[Deleted User] · 15-12-2019 12:29pm

It really is all to play for going into the final two rounds.

Leinster, Ulster, Racing, Toulouse and I expect Exeter all look pretty good at this point.

There are 7 teams in the running for those final three slots and some really important fixtures the final two rounds.

Not a bad tournament this year.

Clegg · 15-12-2019 3:32pm

Play has been suspended in the Sale/Exeter due to hail. In fairness, it's pelting down in droves.

ScrubsfanChris · 15-12-2019 4:17pm

Clermont in blue and Bath in yellow. Who's idea was that? :pac:

ScrubsfanChris · 15-12-2019 4:28pm

It looked bad for Northampton early on yesterday.
This looking like Bath wishing they took a sick day.....

ScrubsfanChris · 15-12-2019 4:41pm

Clermont secure the TBP with 19:58 on the clock

Burkie1203 · 15-12-2019 4:43pm

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Clermont secure the TBP with 19:58 on the clock

#prayforulster

ScrubsfanChris · 15-12-2019 4:55pm

Insert "simpsons he's already dead" meme here

sydthebeat · 15-12-2019 4:58pm

40 points to 7 after 34 mins

The Lost Sheep · 15-12-2019 6:09pm

pickarooney wrote: »

It's stupid if you can play against a team from your group in the QF or even the SF

it isnt stupid at all especially when you have just 5 pools and 3 runners up qualifying and quarters need be based on rankings from pool stage. If you could expand tournament then change the tournament regs for a first knockout round but not now

Champions Cup 2019/20

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