posted Oct 10, 2008

Going on the evidence in front of my own eyes I'd have to say... YES!

p.s.

Astute readers may have noticed just how much of a dark horse London Irish really are for the European cup! Oops!

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posted Oct 10, 2008

Front-runners are Stade, Toulouse, Munster, Clermont, Leinster, Leicester and the Ospreys. If someone's looking for a dark horse, they could do worse than Gloucester, who have a relatively easy group. I'll go Stade.

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posted Oct 10, 2008

French or English to win - either Clermont or Leicester

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posted Oct 10, 2008

The HC usually comes down to whose the best at cheating so I'm interested this year to see who's found the best ways to break the new laws. Adds a whole new dimension to the competition. Probably be Tigers or Munster I suppose.

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posted Oct 10, 2008

If Bath can come away from Toulouse with a result losing bonus point, I can see them being very hard to beat in the latter stages, same with Sale if they can start scoring tries.

Other than that you would have to put in the usual contenders of Wasps, Leicester, Munster and Toulouse.

Osprey's certainly have the players now, but do they have the mental toughness yet, if they do they'll go far, haven't really seen enough of the other Welsh teams to comment.

As for the Scottish teams I just can't see any of them making an impression, tho Edinburgh could be a surprise package.

As fort eh Irish teams, it will be the same as usual with Munster and Leinster, and prizes for guessing who will ggo further there!!!

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posted Oct 10, 2008

Yes mate, you're right. Leinster this time. All the way !!!!

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posted Oct 10, 2008

All you guys & gals out there who cant get Setanta.. here it is from the US - glorious reception. Munster match is on in a bit!!!
Enjoy!

http://www.veetle.com/viewChannel.php?cid=48e7786aaa3bd

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posted Oct 10, 2008

i don't think anybodys taking these new ELV's into consideration anywhere near enough. Not only are teams still coping with them this weekend theyre going to be coping with foreign refs interpretation of them too, this first round will be manic with at least a shock or two, the teams who come out of the pool stages will be the ones who don't take the lesser clubs for granted. Each game is a potential banana skin, the winners will be the team with the cleverest forwards, who play the ref by game and manipulate them. I see munster and leinster doing well, dependant how the french clubs travel stade and tolouse, i think bath and leicester will head the english challenge, the ospreys need something extra to go anywhere, maybe a coach to start with, the blues and scarlets are prospects, and just keep an eye on a few smaller clubs, ulster and edinburgh are tough places to go in the winter!!!!!
if i had to pick a winner it'd be 1 of 3, tolouse, leinster or the blues!! thats right you heard it here first!!

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posted Oct 10, 2008

Like yer style Hofgas!I rate the Blues big-time.

Leinster mad in The Netherlands.

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posted Oct 11, 2008

As a USAP (Perpignan) season ticket holder, I am happy to comment on the French clubs' chances this year. The price of sky sports is something, that sadly I've given up on so have seen no British/Irish rugby yet.

I'll start with Perpignan. Carter is an interesting and exciting signing, but at 500k euros for 7 months, we blew it. Andy Goode for 150k and a three year contract, has got to be vastly superior value. What incredible business Brive have done there.

We won't be winning it for the same fundamental reason that all other French club's except Toulouse and Stade won't be. We come apart under a particular kind of pressure, (a bit like the French national team) as two of our 3 peformances against a fluid and capable (but hardly World beating) London Irish side proved last season (no disrespect to the Irish)

Our Top 14 semi-final performance against Clermont was even more woeful, as was Clermont's performance against Toulouse in the final.

Biarritz are very much on the slide and we beat them easily these days. Montauban's performance against Munster today will have come as no surprise to those of us who follow French rugby. They are a very solid side, who mix it up well and are very difficult to beat.

Munster may struggle even more away to them, despite that they now know what they're up against. Montauban's record against the top 5 teams last season was outstanding.

So Toulouse and Stade remain to be assessed. As someone pointed out, they have both beaten us this season. We were whipped last season by Toulouse at earnest Wallon, but absolutely destroyed them at Aime Giral. We haven't won away to them and competed well until the last 20 minutes in this season's match at Toulouse. A since apologised for, refereeing error turned the game.

Stade came to Aime Giral and to be honest, it was one of the most complete performances of rugby I have seen. Not really any big name players and fancy dan's, just rugby played simply (as it should be) efficiently and effectively.

Our big pack huffed and puffed, but were matched in the scrum and daresay it pushed us back once or twice. (A pack which has largely laid waste to most things put in front of it this season.) Our usual atrocious kicking-from-hand game asked no questions and was ruthlessly punished by Stade. They walked in, took the points and walked out.

They have a perfect record and seem only to be getting better. The temperament of their play is what is scary. No French passion, just ruthless Wasp-like determination. A coaches dream.

It's a bold claim, with teams of the pedigree of Munster, Leicester and Toulouse, but I cannot see past Stade (and I hate them from the bottom of my Catalan loving and living boots) at this stage of things. They are playing rugby of simplistic perfection right now.

Clubs of Europe you have been warned!!

Allez Les Catalan!





Clermont's start to the season has been better than

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