2022/23 Champions/Challenge Cup

[Uncle fester]

Only 8 of the LaR 23 have more than 10 international caps.

[clydecloggie]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

Hasn't worked for the Scots tbf.

You still need the innate quality, prep alone won't get you there.

[Kawazaki]

I wouldn't expect any other fans to remember Leinster v LAR last year but once they scored and Ryan went off we were goosed. We can't play rugby against them as they are straight up too big

I wouldn't want to be a fan of a team that is relying on Ryan to provide the grunt and biff.

He's Itoje's plaything.

[Sards]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

I think you will find that the South African sides, with increased salary caps to accommodate more players, and valuable lessons learnt, are going to be up for it. I just wish the Lions would find another stadium. With their increased salary cap they might even be competitive.

[Tichtheid]

third, you have read all the prematch stuff about power being the Leinster kryptonite, to be fair it's every team's kryptonite, and you know that the La Rochelle bench is stacked with quality players who are just as big and athletic as the starters - ok few are as big as Atonio, but his replacement Colombe is 1.93m and 135kg, which would be monstrous in any other team. The point being they can keep up the power game.

The power thing is being overstated. Yes, Colombe is big but he's uncapped at international level at the age of 25 so he's not a superstar sitting on the bench. He's just a good player who is part of a well-drilled and coached team.

Well, after two watches now I can't say I noticed a drop off in LaR's scrum, maul and ball-carrying after the hour mark when the substitutions were being made

[PornDog]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

Here fuck off will ye I mean we deserve to take an awful lot of shit for our WC performances, but Scots lobbing grenades around their glass houses is a bit much

[SaintK]

I wouldn't expect any other fans to remember Leinster v LAR last year but once they scored and Ryan went off we were goosed. We can't play rugby against them as they are straight up too big

I wouldn't want to be a fan of a team that is relying on Ryan to provide the grunt and biff.

He's Itoje's plaything.

You don't watch much rugby I see. Ryan is a very very different player these days. Probably Irelands best overall player

I watch a lot of rugby. He has certainly improved a lot this season but I worry for him with the number of head injuries he picks up

[Hellraiser]

Avoided the thread during after after the match because of the incessant ref complaints.
Well done LR best team won. It seems Mr Sexton has lost it again after his post match tantrums.

The incessant whining, the booing of a La Rochelle player when he was sparked by an illegal action, the Sexton on the pitch. It's disappointing you have to say.

Said it before and I’ll say it again, absolute worst fan base in European rugby.
Good game, just watched the highlights. The result very much sparked joy. No idea what Leinster fans would have to complain about in the round from Peyper.

Most of them are know-nothing, bandwagoning, event junkies, who've only started casually supporting them since 2009. Part of the reason why the atmosphere at home internationals is awful too. Half of them will fuck off as soon as Leinster start losing regularly. But at least they have a fan base.

[JM2K6]

In fairness I can't bring myself to condemn the Leinster fans too much for the booing of an injured player. We all know it was the Ulster fans that started all this trend off, and it's important we never forget the damage they've done.

[Hellraiser]

But we're Irish, everyone is meant to like us.

Are you Irish, Biffer?

fuck... I had you down as....

well, not that.

Scot.

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

[Tichtheid]

In fairness I can't bring myself to condemn the Leinster fans too much for the booing of an injured player. We all know it was the Ulster fans that started all this trend off, and it's important we never forget the damage they've done.

Is that in reference to the Payne red card against Saracens when Goode hit his noggin badly off the turf after a high ball collision?

The booing in the URC games (non-South Africans) is terrible, it really pisses me off.

I know how this will sound, me being an Edinburgh fan, I don't think it's as bad there, but it still does happen. Likewise Connacht and the Italians don't seem to be as bad, but the rest of them are shite.

[Jim Lahey]

Would be a tight contest for the World Boo-ing Championship between Glasgow and Ulster, but at least at the end one of us would win a trophy for once.

[Paddington Bear]

In fairness I can't bring myself to condemn the Leinster fans too much for the booing of an injured player. We all know it was the Ulster fans that started all this trend off, and it's important we never forget the damage they've done.

Is that in reference to the Payne red card against Saracens when Goode hit his noggin badly off the turf after a high ball collision?

The booing in the URC games (non-South Africans) is terrible, it really pisses me off.

I know how this will sound, me being an Edinburgh fan, I don't think it's as bad there, but it still does happen. Likewise Connacht and the Italians don't seem to be as bad, but the rest of them are shite.

That red is really amusing in hindsight, I watched it again the other day and it is such a stonewall red it is hard to believe it caused such outrage at the time.

[Tichtheid]

In fairness I can't bring myself to condemn the Leinster fans too much for the booing of an injured player. We all know it was the Ulster fans that started all this trend off, and it's important we never forget the damage they've done.

Is that in reference to the Payne red card against Saracens when Goode hit his noggin badly off the turf after a high ball collision?

The booing in the URC games (non-South Africans) is terrible, it really pisses me off.

I know how this will sound, me being an Edinburgh fan, I don't think it's as bad there, but it still does happen. Likewise Connacht and the Italians don't seem to be as bad, but the rest of them are shite.

That red is really amusing in hindsight, I watched it again the other day and it is such a stonewall red it is hard to believe it caused such outrage at the time.

I think that in context it wasn't so clear at the time, but that was one of the seminal moments of change in that after that it became the stonewall red that it certainly is now.

[Biffer]

Has Leinster got any trophies yet.

Maybe next year.

The Irish players will have an advantage because their World Cup ends earlier so they have a longer prep period for URC/Heineken success next season.

Here fuck off will ye I mean we deserve to take an awful lot of shit for our WC performances, but Scots lobbing grenades around their glass houses is a bit much

Our glass houses were flattened years ago, hence we can lob stuff around without any worries.

[Biffer]

Are you Irish, Biffer?

fuck... I had you down as....

well, not that.

Scot.

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

When you go into some 'Irish' stores in the US you'd think we already were. Half the stuff in them is Scottish.

[PornDog]

Scot.

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

When you go into some 'Irish' stores in the US you'd think we already were. Half the stuff in them is Scottish.

What in name of baby jeebus is an "Irish Store"? Do you mean a pub?

[fishfoodie]

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

When you go into some 'Irish' stores in the US you'd think we already were. Half the stuff in them is Scottish.

What in name of baby jeebus is an "Irish Store"? Do you mean a pub?

Nah, somewhere that sells Barrys Tea, & Tayto to the immigrants

[Biffer]

Also know as Wish.com Irish.

When you go into some 'Irish' stores in the US you'd think we already were. Half the stuff in them is Scottish.

What in name of baby jeebus is an "Irish Store"? Do you mean a pub?

The pubs are bad enough, but you get places that are Irish stores. Shops that (allegedly) are full of Irish products. Often they're just whisky shops. And I mean whisky, not whiskey. But they don't give a shit. I've spoken to people in the US who have asked me where in Ireland Edinburgh is.

[Hellraiser]

[Hellraiser]

When you go into some 'Irish' stores in the US you'd think we already were. Half the stuff in them is Scottish.

What in name of baby jeebus is an "Irish Store"? Do you mean a pub?

The pubs are bad enough, but you get places that are Irish stores. Shops that (allegedly) are full of Irish products. Often they're just whisky shops. And I mean whisky, not whiskey. But they don't give a shit. I've spoken to people in the US who have asked me where in Ireland Edinburgh is.

Yanks are philistines. I honestly don't get annoyed by their ignorant bullshit anymore.

[TheFrog]

Johnnie Beattie said on his French Rugby podcast that the winner of this final would be the team keeping the ball. He was right. He said Leinster had to make sure that La Rochelle couldn't get hold of the ball not to be submitted to their power play while La Rochelle needed the ball to dictate their game.

Ball retention by La Rochelle was outstanding.

[robmatic]

https://www.epcrugby.com/2023/06/14/202 ... announced/


Another new format for the Champions Cup next season. This time, 4 pools of 6 where each team plays 4 different opponents either home or away and then the top 4 qualify for the knockout rounds.

The Challenge Cup will be smaller than the Champions Cup with 3 pools of 6. Mostly French and URC teams, with 2 English and 2 teams to be invited.

[PornDog]

FFS - just shoot it already!

[OomStruisbaai]

This time, 4 pools of 6 where each team plays 4 different opponents either home or away and then the top 4 qualify for the knockout rounds.

Much better then last season

They need one more pool game for each team to play the other in the pool matches which would be perfect.

[Biffer]

Fucksake. How to prevent people from engaging with a tournament.

[OomStruisbaai]

Hope they invite the CC finalists to join the $hark$ and Lions in the lower league

[Paddington Bear]

If rugby could learn one thing from football, it is to have consistently simple tournaments. Every tournament in rugby seems to try and reinvent the wheel every few years. Oh and 8 Prem teams out of 10 being in it is an absolute pisstake unfortunately

[assfly]

Hope they invite the CC finalists to join the $hark$ and Lions in the lower league

I have a genuine question for you.

In a hypothetical situation, would you rather play in the Champions Cup and not make the knock-out stages, or play in the Challenge Cup and make the semi-finals?

[Jim Lahey]

Hope they invite the CC finalists to join the $hark$ and Lions in the lower league

I have a genuine question for you.

In a hypothetical situation, would you rather play in the Champions Cup and not make the knock-out stages, or play in the Challenge Cup and make the semi-finals?

Also known as the Ulster conundrum. Although we somehow seem to make the KOs, there is little to no point and we'd be better off in the Challenge Cup.

[Biffer]

If rugby could learn one thing from football, it is to have consistently simple tournaments. Every tournament in rugby seems to try and reinvent the wheel every few years. Oh and 8 Prem teams out of 10 being in it is an absolute pisstake unfortunately

Absolutely. That's what shat on Super Rugby, and the fucking spivs are in the process of doing it to the Heineken Cup as well. Fuckers.

[LoveOfTheGame]

Hope they invite the CC finalists to join the $hark$ and Lions in the lower league

I have a genuine question for you.

In a hypothetical situation, would you rather play in the Champions Cup and not make the knock-out stages, or play in the Challenge Cup and make the semi-finals?

Sharks have a good chance of winning the Challenge Cup next year, if they play to their abilities they honestly do. As far as your question is concerned, the answer is always: play against the best. If you lose, then so be it. Why would you ask?

[assfly]

Also known as the Ulster conundrum. Although we somehow seem to make the KOs, there is little to no point and we'd be better off in the Challenge Cup.

After watching the Champions Cup final, I've accepted that we're a long way off wining it. At least in Challenge Cup we may have a better chance at silverware.

At least that what's what I'm telling myself

[robmatic]

Hope they invite the CC finalists to join the $hark$ and Lions in the lower league

I have a genuine question for you.

In a hypothetical situation, would you rather play in the Champions Cup and not make the knock-out stages, or play in the Challenge Cup and make the semi-finals?

If you're in the Champions Cup, you're almost guaranteed knockout rugby in some form. The top four out of six go through and then fifth place finisher drops down into the Challenge Cup.

[assfly]

Sharks have a good chance of winning the Challenge Cup next year, if they play to their abilities they honestly do. As far as your question is concerned, the answer is always: play against the best. If you lose, then so be it. Why would you ask?

Play to our abilities? It would be great to start doing that at some point in my lifetime.

I ask because we're going to have to put up with this "lower league" bullshit all season. But the way I see it, no SA team has a hope in hell of winning it in the next few years, given the travel factor combined with URC commitments.

[weegie01]

This time, 4 pools of 6 where each team plays 4 different opponents either home or away and then the top 4 qualify for the knockout rounds.

Much better then last season

They need one more pool game for each team to play the other in the pool matches which would be perfect.

Or reduce the teams to 20 by just having the top 50% of each league. 4 pools of 5 means everyone plays everyone else.

[LoveOfTheGame]

Sharks have a good chance of winning the Challenge Cup next year, if they play to their abilities they honestly do. As far as your question is concerned, the answer is always: play against the best. If you lose, then so be it. Why would you ask?

Play to our abilities? It would be great to start doing that at some point in my lifetime.

I ask because we're going to have to put up with this "lower league" bullshit all season. But the way I see it, no SA team has a hope in hell of winning it in the next few years, given the travel factor combined with URC commitments.

I see your problem.

[PornDog]

This time, 4 pools of 6 where each team plays 4 different opponents either home or away and then the top 4 qualify for the knockout rounds.

Much better then last season

They need one more pool game for each team to play the other in the pool matches which would be perfect.

Or reduce the teams to 20 by just having the top 50% of each league. 4 pools of 5 means everyone plays everyone else.

The "problem" there is that each group would have two teams from the same league in each group. The powers that be have decided that this is the worstest possibelest thing ever and so come up with increasingly larger piles of excrement as a "solution".

It may not be ideal, but every possible work around to try and "fix" it is orders of magnitudes worse. You don't cure a headache with a shotgun!

Would prefer 24 teams (6 groups of 4), but would happily settle for 20 teams with the top half of each one qualifying. Home and away, straight into the quarters - this last 16 nonsense needs doing away with.

[OomStruisbaai]

Much better then last season

They need one more pool game for each team to play the other in the pool matches which would be perfect.

Or reduce the teams to 20 by just having the top 50% of each league. 4 pools of 5 means everyone plays everyone else.

The "problem" there is that each group would have two teams from the same league in each group. The powers that be have decided that this is the worstest possibelest thing ever and so come up with increasingly larger piles of excrement as a "solution".

It may not be ideal, but every possible work around to try and "fix" it is orders of magnitudes worse. You don't cure a headache with a shotgun!

Would prefer 24 teams (6 groups of 4), but would happily settle for 20 teams with the top half of each one qualifying. Home and away, straight into the quarters - this last 16 nonsense needs doing away with.

Yes also saw that later. Then its fine. Definitely much better format .

[OomStruisbaai]

Sharks have a good chance of winning the Challenge Cup next year, if they play to their abilities they honestly do. As far as your question is concerned, the answer is always: play against the best. If you lose, then so be it. Why would you ask?

Play to our abilities? It would be great to start doing that at some point in my lifetime.

I ask because we're going to have to put up with this "lower league" bullshit all season. But the way I see it, no SA team has a hope in hell of winning it in the next few years, given the travel factor combined with URC commitments.

I see your problem.

They are working on the SA teams travelling and player budget.