Champions Cup 2020 - Standings\predictions

cormac · Post by **cormac** » January 16th, 2020, 1:05 pm

Think you'll find the Irish sides were contending in Europe before the "mid-2000's". Ulster won in 98-99, Munster were in the knock-out stages every season from 98-99 and Leinster were regulars at that stage from 01-02 onwards.

Laighin Break · Post by **Laighin Break** » January 16th, 2020, 4:20 pm

98-99 will always have an asterisk beside it.
Fair enough re Munster and Leinster, hadn't considered Munster's final losses or indeed Leinster's semi-final losses earlier in the 2000s.
So we'll say this century. And in that case:
2001: 19 English (+2), 6 Irish (+2), 8 Welsh (+1), 4 Scots (+2)

The one time there was a significantly bigger English representation in the Lions, and Leicester beat Leinster in the QF and Munster in the final in the H Cup

ribs · Post by **ribs** » January 16th, 2020, 11:02 pm

Oldschool wrote: Ireland had 4 reps on the 1997 tour to SA. All four of them were capped - Anyone care to name them without looking it up.

Can I guess a prop, hooker, 2nd row and brilliant number 8?

deco · Post by **deco** » January 17th, 2020, 12:09 am

Laighin Break wrote:98-99 will always have an asterisk beside it.

Lunster alert: Knows how to spell asterisk but thinks that Munster were the first Irish team to win the Heino proper, like.

Oldschool · Post by **Oldschool** » January 17th, 2020, 1:49 pm

ribs wrote:
Oldschool wrote: Ireland had 4 reps on the 1997 tour to SA. All four of them were capped - Anyone care to name them without looking it up.
Can I guess a prop, hooker, 2nd row and brilliant number 8?

That's some guess.
P. Wallace
Woodie
Davidson
Miller but I'd rate him a lot higher than just Brilliant

Laighin Break · Post by **Laighin Break** » January 17th, 2020, 6:28 pm

deco wrote:
Laighin Break wrote:98-99 will always have an asterisk beside it.
Lunster alert: Knows how to spell asterisk but thinks that Munster were the first Irish team to win the Heino proper, like.

No need for name-calling

Peg Leg · Post by **Peg Leg** » January 18th, 2020, 12:40 am

Laighin Break wrote:
deco wrote:
Laighin Break wrote:98-99 will always have an asterisk beside it.
Lunster alert: Knows how to spell asterisk but thinks that Munster were the first Irish team to win the Heino proper, like.
No need for name-calling

Jaysus but there will be an asterisk beside Sarries wins. They should change the "stars" on their jerseys to asterisk's.

artaneboy · Post by **artaneboy** » January 18th, 2020, 8:12 pm

Peg Leg wrote:
Laighin Break wrote:
deco wrote: Lunster alert: Knows how to spell asterisk but thinks that Munster were the first Irish team to win the Heino proper, like.
No need for name-calling
Jaysus but there will be an asterisk beside Sarries wins. They should change the "stars" on their jerseys to asterisk's.

Not for the HC titles. No salary caps there. They are not even particularly high, I’d guess given the enormous budgets of the likes of Toulon et al.

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ronk · Post by **ronk** » January 18th, 2020, 8:13 pm

Seeding was determined though by their cheating

Dave Cahill · Post by **Dave Cahill** » January 18th, 2020, 8:28 pm

ronk wrote:Seeding was determined though by their cheating

Thats the start of it.

Their seeding, which they achieved through cheating, determined what group they were in. So theres 3 or four (if you include the team that should have been there instead of them) teams affected by their cheating. Then theres the group they should have been in but weren't - another three or four teams affected by their cheating.

Their cheating literally affected dozens of teams in multiple competitions

Peg Leg · Post by **Peg Leg** » January 18th, 2020, 9:09 pm

artaneboy wrote:
Peg Leg wrote:
Jaysus but there will be an asterisk beside Sarries wins. They should change the "stars" on their jerseys to asterisk's.
Not for the HC titles. No salary caps there. They are not even particularly high, I’d guess given the enormous budgets of the likes of Toulon et al.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Would they have qualified?

artaneboy · Post by **artaneboy** » January 18th, 2020, 9:31 pm

Peg Leg wrote:
artaneboy wrote:
Peg Leg wrote:
Jaysus but there will be an asterisk beside Sarries wins. They should change the "stars" on their jerseys to asterisk's.
Not for the HC titles. No salary caps there. They are not even particularly high, I’d guess given the enormous budgets of the likes of Toulon et al.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Would they have qualified?

Well they probably would have qualified- as in finished in the top 6 of the premiership. Even without the cheating they probably have the systems and “legal” support from Wray to get to Europe each year over the last half decade. But I concede that the seeding might be an issue.

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MylesNaGapoleen · Post by **MylesNaGapoleen** » January 18th, 2020, 9:42 pm

After todays games

Leinster 28
Exeter 27
Clermont 24
Racing 22
Toulouse 22
---------------
Ulster 21
Saints 19
Glasgow 17
===========
Salarycens 14
Gloucester 14
Munster 11

Guessing toulouse will win against glocester tomorrow. If salarycens win with a BP exeter will roll out the red carpet for them, if they win without TBP we play them in dublin. If Racing win we play glasgow. some big games tomorrow.

Ruckedtobits · Post by **Ruckedtobits** » January 19th, 2020, 3:18 pm

As we stand with just Toulouse v Gloucester to change things. Probable Q/F line-up:

Leinster v Salarycens
Exeter v Saints
Toulouse v Ulster
Clermont v Racing

Three French & three English and two Irish.

But, if Toulouse go mad it could end up:

Leinster v Sarries
Toulouse v Saints
Exeter v Ulster
Clermont v Racing 92

But Toulouse need 4 tries and a very big margin >35 pts.

MylesNaGapoleen · Post by **MylesNaGapoleen** » January 19th, 2020, 7:51 pm

Ruckedtobits wrote:As we stand with just Toulouse v Gloucester to change things. Probable Q/F line-up:

Leinster v Salarycens
Exeter v Saints
Toulouse v Ulster
Clermont v Racing

Three French & three English and two Irish.

But, if Toulouse go mad it could end up:

Leinster v Sarries
Toulouse v Saints
Exeter v Ulster
Clermont v Racing 92

But Toulouse need 4 tries and a very big margin >35 pts.

Assuming we beat Salarycens.....does that mean a home semi final between clermont and racing? or is it toulouse for us at home? cant see saints beating them away

cormac · Post by **cormac** » January 19th, 2020, 10:28 pm

I'm guessing Trevor Brennan's bar won't be doing that much business on the weekend of Toulouse's quarter-final. The Guinness there is terrible anyway, or so I've heard.

johng · Post by **johng** » January 19th, 2020, 10:29 pm

Saints are playing Exeter. Toulouse are at home to Ulster.

The winners meet in the semi. Probably somewhere like Plymouth or Southampton.

We would be at home to Clermont or Racing.

deco · Post by **deco** » January 19th, 2020, 10:35 pm

johng wrote:Saints are playing Exeter. Toulouse are at home to Ulster.

The winners meet in the semi. Probably somewhere like Plymouth or Southampton.

We would be at home to Clermont or Racing.

I'll take that. Much prefer to meet sassanchs in Marseilles rather than a French team

Hornet · Post by **Hornet** » January 20th, 2020, 12:03 pm

johng wrote:Saints are playing Exeter. Toulouse are at home to Ulster.

The winners meet in the semi. Probably somewhere like Plymouth or Southampton.

We would be at home to Clermont or Racing.

There is a dearth of big Stadia in the West Country. Ashton Gate in Bristol would be my bet. Argyle's ground is too small and Soton is a nightmare to get to from Exeter. Brizzle is a straight run up the M5 or just over an hour by train.

SoupyNorman · Post by **SoupyNorman** » January 20th, 2020, 12:18 pm

Hornet wrote: There is a dearth of big Stadia in the West Country. Ashton Gate in Bristol would be my bet. Argyle's ground is too small and Soton is a nightmare to get to from Exeter. Brizzle is a straight run up the M5 or just over an hour by train.

Bristol City at home to Preston on he Saturday at 12.30 in the final regular season game. Still doable for a Sunday game if want to go to Ashton Gate. Bristol City may also be in contention for play-offs with a mid-week so not sure if that would impact their desire to have a Rugby game there.
Plymouth would be free if not involved in play-offs though seems a good possibility they will be while Souhampton are at home to Brighton the same weekend.

Babbling 'brook