Counting the chickens early!!

[gfo]

as the rule is that the semi's must be in a neutral venue with a capacity over 30K

so Turnip Park is out too? Plenty of GAA venues with a capacity of over 30K

[HUDSOC]

Not all of ulster is in Northern Ireland and I would say that it would go to the rugby federation rather than nationality in this case

Apart from Tommy Bowe, name one other player to come out of Donegal, Monaghan or Cavan?

And Tommy Bowe went to a rugby school in Armagh

[nopeare]

Apart from Tommy Bowe, name one other player to come out of Donegal, Monaghan or Cavan?

Dave Gallagher from Donegal, he had the minor honour of captaining the All Blacks!!

I knew there'ld be one. Albeit a million years ago.

Alright, apart from Tommy Bowe and Dave Gallagher, name one other player to come out of Donegal, Monaghan or Cavan?

Cant exactly tell you off the top of my head there has to be one or 2... my point was more on the rugby federation though and that a semi would be played in Ireland i think

[sheepshagger]

Don't really care who we get just as long as it's at home - anyone in the RDS are doable. There are the obvious advantages for the team, but would also help supporters (times are tough and an away QF may be out of some peoples reach).

As for a semi, IF we get there wouldnt be suprised if the ERC fudge the draw (again) so they're in France, if they are in Ireland would prefer Aviva over Croker.

Gotta get through this weekend first!

[Degz]

I don't see the ERC fudging the draw for an all French final, what with the final being in Cardiff, but I reckon they wouldn't mind seeing a Anglo-French affair, so I wouldn't be surprised to see one semi in France one in England.

[Oldschool]

I did a quick review of the HEC after Round 5, and my predictions are:

1. Saints 21+4 = 25pts
2. Leinster 19+4 = 23pts
3. Perpignan 17+5 = 22[ts (and they have the best try count)
4. Toulouse 21+1 = 22 (I can see wasps holding them out at home) - if not then we go 3rd.
5. Ulster 17+5=22 (stand up for the ulstermen)
6. Toulon 17+1=18 (they aint going to win away!, especially now)
7. Tigers 17+5 =22
8. BO 17+4 = 21 (they wont get 4 trys against bath!!)

Then we get Tigers at home, however I would actually prefer to get 3rd slot and get Toulon at home. Either way it doesnt matter.

What does matter is that if we dont win in Racing, then you never know we could end up getting Ulster in Belfast!!

anyway it is all ahead of us and frankly we aint going to know squat until the fat lady sings on Sunday next

Would prefer Leicester here and Toulon away later rather thaan the other way around.
I didn't actually think Toulon were all that great against Munster.

[Scott]

A) Can people stop talking about where we are going to play a semi-final that we have not qualified for ffs
B) Can people stop talking shite in general. A lot of stuff being said in this thread re home sf & capacity that is wrong. If you don’t know something try putting in ‘I think’ & not just making statements that are total bollix

[HUDSOC]

This draw for the semi-final and how the venue is decided i.e. it's purely on the toss of a coin whether you end up with home country advantage (assuming you are playing against a side from another country) or not,really ought to be looked at.A side like Leinster comes through a tough group and earns their quarter-final place at home - then wins that quarter-final - prior to this their quarter-final pairing has been drawn against a pairing involving French side in the draw for the semi (a strong possibility given that half of the qualifiers for the quarters may well come from France) who happen to be first out of the hat so they get the home (country) venue.I guess the idea of a neutral country venue is out because that would likely compromise the potential gates (which the powers that be won't countenance) but I think maybe a version of the super 14's model (as adopted by the magner's league last season) might be fairer than the present lottery i.e. semi-final venues to be based/priority given to sides by virtue of seeding in the quarters ? There again seems harsh if you end up 3rd seed (potentially Leinster),win your home quarter and then are aotomatically pitched against the 2nd seed who is likley to have won their home quarter ! Anyhow just don't like it as it stands.

[Oldschool]

This draw for the semi-final and how the venue is decided i.e. it's purely on the toss of a coin whether you end up with home country advantage (assuming you are playing against a side from another country) or not,really ought to be looked at.A side like Leinster comes through a tough group and earns their quarter-final place at home - then wins that quarter-final - prior to this their quarter-final pairing has been drawn against a pairing involving French side in the draw for the semi (a strong possibility given that half of the qualifiers for the quarters may well come from France) who happen to be first out of the hat so they get the home (country) venue.I guess the idea of a neutral country venue is out because that would likely compromise the potential gates (which the powers that be won't countenance) but I think maybe a version of the super 14's model (as adopted by the magner's league last season) might be fairer than the present lottery i.e. semi-final venues to be based/priority given to sides by virtue of seeding in the quarters ? There again seems harsh if you end up 3rd seed (potentially Leinster),win your home quarter and then are aotomatically pitched against the 2nd seed who is likley to have won their home quarter ! Anyhow just don't like it as it stands.

Is that the same coin Sepp Blatter uses?

[HUDSOC]

A) Can people stop talking about where we are going to play a semi-final that we have not qualified for ffs
B) Can people stop talking shite in general. A lot of stuff being said in this thread re home sf & capacity that is wrong. If you don’t know something try putting in ‘I think’ & not just making statements that are total bollix

A) Surely the title of the thread gives sufficient warning for the squeamish or superstitious to be able to 'look away now' .

[Scott]

A) Can people stop talking about where we are going to play a semi-final that we have not qualified for ffs
B) Can people stop talking shite in general. A lot of stuff being said in this thread re home sf & capacity that is wrong. If you don’t know something try putting in ‘I think’ & not just making statements that are total bollix

A) Surely the title of the thread gives sufficient warning for the squeamish or superstitious to be able to 'look away now' .

The op is about q/f opponents & very interesting.
What have superstitions got to do with plp getting the facts wrong

[sheepshagger]

A) Can people stop talking about where we are going to play a semi-final that we have not qualified for ffs
B) Can people stop talking shite in general. A lot of stuff being said in this thread re home sf & capacity that is wrong. If you don’t know something try putting in ‘I think’ & not just making statements that are total bollix

But thats not how the internet works, people are allowed to make things up. . have you never heard of the saying 'it said it on the internet so it must be true'

[mfjoc]

This draw for the semi-final and how the venue is decided i.e. it's purely on the toss of a coin whether you end up with home country advantage (assuming you are playing against a side from another country) or not,really ought to be looked at.A side like Leinster comes through a tough group and earns their quarter-final place at home - then wins that quarter-final - prior to this their quarter-final pairing has been drawn against a pairing involving French side in the draw for the semi (a strong possibility given that half of the qualifiers for the quarters may well come from France) who happen to be first out of the hat so they get the home (country) venue.I guess the idea of a neutral country venue is out because that would likely compromise the potential gates (which the powers that be won't countenance) but I think maybe a version of the super 14's model (as adopted by the magner's league last season) might be fairer than the present lottery i.e. semi-final venues to be based/priority given to sides by virtue of seeding in the quarters ? There again seems harsh if you end up 3rd seed (potentially Leinster),win your home quarter and then are aotomatically pitched against the 2nd seed who is likley to have won their home quarter ! Anyhow just don't like it as it stands.

Is that the same coin Sepp Blatter uses?

Remember last years "Draw" on live French TV
The drum that the balls were drawn out of was not transparent
And it just so happened to guarantee at least one semi in France irrespective of results
For the TV companies and all Irish final (however unlikely) is the worst possible outcome
Best would be an Anglo-French
So I would expect to be in the same half of the draw as Ulster

[HUDSOC]

A) Can people stop talking about where we are going to play a semi-final that we have not qualified for ffs
B) Can people stop talking shite in general. A lot of stuff being said in this thread re home sf & capacity that is wrong. If you don’t know something try putting in ‘I think’ & not just making statements that are total bollix

A) Surely the title of the thread gives sufficient warning for the squeamish or superstitious to be able to 'look away now' .

The op is about q/f opponents & very interesting.
What have superstitions got to do with plp getting the facts wrong

I agree with you on both counts (my reference to those who are perhaps 'superstitious' was a bit tongue in cheek - and I was only responding to point A)

[slum]

This draw for the semi-final and how the venue is decided i.e. it's purely on the toss of a coin whether you end up with home country advantage (assuming you are playing against a side from another country) or not,really ought to be looked at.A side like Leinster comes through a tough group and earns their quarter-final place at home - then wins that quarter-final - prior to this their quarter-final pairing has been drawn against a pairing involving French side in the draw for the semi (a strong possibility given that half of the qualifiers for the quarters may well come from France) who happen to be first out of the hat so they get the home (country) venue.I guess the idea of a neutral country venue is out because that would likely compromise the potential gates (which the powers that be won't countenance) but I think maybe a version of the super 14's model (as adopted by the magner's league last season) might be fairer than the present lottery i.e. semi-final venues to be based/priority given to sides by virtue of seeding in the quarters ? There again seems harsh if you end up 3rd seed (potentially Leinster),win your home quarter and then are aotomatically pitched against the 2nd seed who is likley to have won their home quarter ! Anyhow just don't like it as it stands.

Is that the same coin Sepp Blatter uses?

Remember last years "Draw" on live French TV
The drum that the balls were drawn out of was not transparent
And it just so happened to guarantee at least one semi in France irrespective of results
For the TV companies and all Irish final (however unlikely) is the worst possible outcome
Best would be an Anglo-French
So I would expect to be in the same half of the draw as Ulster

it also made sure no french team would have had to leave france after clermont visited us in the qtr finals.

[honeyec]

Loving the sig, Scott!

[glenageary]

The likely outcome of the QF is:

x4 french teams
x2 english
x2 irish

the likely SF outcome is
x2 french (Toulouse & Perpignan)
x1 english (saints)
and us

for me simply not getting a french based SF will do. I think that while i love the idea of an april day in the south of france, I preferr the idea of winning the HEC and meeting a french team in cardiff or here holds no fears - but in the south of franch it is always a big task.

Anyway I am going to stop contributing to this trend now as I am still hyperventilating from Saturday and need to calm down and concentrate on work until 1440hrs Friday when the plane to paris takes off

[mfjoc]

Anyway I am going to stop contributing to this trend now as I am still hyperventilating from Saturday and need to calm down and concentrate on work until 1440hrs Friday when the plane to paris takes off

Hope your're not planning to fly with Aer Lingus

[CRAZYDAVE]

Anyway I am going to stop contributing to this trend now as I am still hyperventilating from Saturday and need to calm down and concentrate on work until 1440hrs Friday when the plane to paris takes off

Hope your're not planning to fly with Aer Lingus

Apparently they've been on a "work to rule" for the past 14 weeks. That was kept quiet !

Good luck to anyone booked on flights to CDG.

[johng]

I reckon we'll get Toulon, it'd be nice welcoming Contepomi back! I'd fancy our chances of beating anybody in the RDS so we just need to get that home quarter next week and hope to get lucky with the semi draws.

Will be in Lansdowne. Would have been there last year too if it was ready.

Not necessarily. If we got drawn so that the winner of our match was at home in the semi there's the issue of the quarter and semi venues having to be different ground.

EDIT. has since been sort of said by other posters.

This is not true. You CAN play the QF and SF in the same venue, providing that venue has more than 25000 capacity and is not your "Home" ground.

Thomond park IS possible for a Leinster or Ulster semi.

Not saying it is probable or advisable mind you.

Most likely play both in Lansdowne. (IF we beat Racing, and IF we win the QF)