Northern Hemisphere Rugby

[Dctarget]

Pretty fun round of Champions Cup.

La Rochelle v Leinster was closer than I expected, La Rochelle were missing a lot of big guns in Skelton, Teddy Thomas, Bourgarit, Rhule, Danty (and Latu and Vunivalu lol) and lost by only 2 points. La Rochelle might not be done just yet with an almost guaranteed home R16.

English clubs aren't going well at all, French & Irish dominate. Also SA clubs not great with the supposed match of the round with Sharks v Toulouse being a bit of a stop/start with Sharks never really firing a shot.

Toulon blitzed Harlequins but the saving grace for England was Cheika's Tigers who smashed Ulster. They play a fun brand of rugby with Perese/Kata in the centres then absolute speed out wide, fun to support.

Power rankings have to be 1. Leinster/Toulouse 3. Toulon 4. Bordeaux 5. Glasgow Warriors

Final pool matches present some interesting possibilities and refreshingly they're not about the big dogs but the little teams!:
- Clermont v Ulster are stuck at the bottom of their pool on tied 5 points each. But the two teams above them, Benneton and Bath on 7 points, are almost guaranteed to lose their games (against La Rochelle and Leinster). So winner of Clermont v Ulster will get their 2nd win and a spot in R16 finals lol.

- The loser of the top of the table battle of Northampton v Munster will lose their home final place to the winner of mid table battle Saracens v Castres.
- And if Castres are the losers of that battle, then Stade Francais can sneak into the finals with their bottom of the table clash against Jake White's winless Bulls.

- In the final pool, Glasgow and Toulon are guaranteed home R16 rights, but Harlequins, Stormers and Sale are all tied on 5 points. Harlequins and Sale take on Glasgow and Toulon both at home, normally I'd say they'd lose that but as the two away teams are guaranteed home finals, probably send understrength teams. Then Stormers are up against the hapless Racing 92, so could pick up a win as well. This will all come down to points differentials, winning won't secure you a spot so expect big scores.

Have to give it to the organising of the competition, they've made it really interesting so far and with none of previous year's dead rubbers or capitulating teams.

 

[Wilson]

Italy interested in a new European club comp:

Italy propose new European club competition

The Italian Rugby Federation (Federazione Italiana Rugby) are open to the possibility of creating a new international club competition...

www.rugbypass.com

The Italian Rugby Federation (Federazione Italiana Rugby) are open to the possibility of creating a new international club competition with the help of the Georgian, Spanish, Romanian, and Portuguese unions as stated in an interview given by its president Andrea Duodo.

It's not clear but I assume this would be in addition to their URC participation, not instead of it. That said, with the talk there is about the Welsh potentially jumping ship to an English comp, and the risk that Scotland and Ireland would follow, it wouldn't surprise me if this is also a safety net for the Italians if the URC does come crashing down.

 

[Highlander35]

Italy interested in a new European club comp:

Italy propose new European club competition

The Italian Rugby Federation (Federazione Italiana Rugby) are open to the possibility of creating a new international club competition...

www.rugbypass.com

It's not clear but I assume this would be in addition to their URC participation, not instead of it. That said, with the talk there is about the Welsh potentially jumping ship to an English comp, and the risk that Scotland and Ireland would follow, it wouldn't surprise me if this is also a safety net for the Italians if the URC does come crashing down.

My own reading is that it's a plan for a URC B using the existing "professional" clubs in line with the other moves (i.e. selling Zebre to a local enterprise) and providing an (eventual) route to Challenge Cup and potentially URC inclusion for these sides, which are currently locked away behind invitational places currently offered to the Cheetahs and Black Lions.

It may however be as you say, positioning themselves as the lead in a Southern European (plus Romania) URC alternative if it all goes tits up.

 

[Dctarget]

Perese has been named in Opta's team of the week for the European Champions Cup, very happy for him after a fairly tumultuous career. A fun, rare type of skillset too, only 27, hope he continues to go well.

On English shores, Izaia Perese was instrumental in ensuring that Leicester Tigers recovered from a slow start to record a vital victory against Ulster. Proving too much to handle in the middle of the park, he recorded 109 metres gained and a gargantuan 12 tackle busts. His total tally for the season now stands at 17, the highest of any player.

(Aussie Meafou named too).

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

My own reading is that it's a plan for a URC B using the existing "professional" clubs in line with the other moves (i.e. selling Zebre to a local enterprise) and providing an (eventual) route to Challenge Cup and potentially URC inclusion for these sides, which are currently locked away behind invitational places currently offered to the Cheetahs and Black Lions.

It may however be as you say, positioning themselves as the lead in a Southern European (plus Romania) URC alternative if it all goes tits up.

Could be a way of providing a few of their more competitive domestic clubs with a pathway. A few of them are bidding for Zebres licence.

 

[Dan54]

Pretty fun round of Champions Cup.

La Rochelle v Leinster was closer than I expected, La Rochelle were missing a lot of big guns in Skelton, Teddy Thomas, Bourgarit, Rhule, Danty (and Latu and Vunivalu lol) and lost by only 2 points. La Rochelle might not be done just yet with an almost guaranteed home R16.

English clubs aren't going well at all, French & Irish dominate. Also SA clubs not great with the supposed match of the round with Sharks v Toulouse being a bit of a stop/start with Sharks never really firing a shot.

Toulon blitzed Harlequins but the saving grace for England was Cheika's Tigers who smashed Ulster. They play a fun brand of rugby with Perese/Kata in the centres then absolute speed out wide, fun to support.

Power rankings have to be 1. Leinster/Toulouse 3. Toulon 4. Bordeaux 5. Glasgow Warriors

Final pool matches present some interesting possibilities and refreshingly they're not about the big dogs but the little teams!:
- Clermont v Ulster are stuck at the bottom of their pool on tied 5 points each. But the two teams above them, Benneton and Bath on 7 points, are almost guaranteed to lose their games (against La Rochelle and Leinster). So winner of Clermont v Ulster will get their 2nd win and a spot in R16 finals lol.

- The loser of the top of the table battle of Northampton v Munster will lose their home final place to the winner of mid table battle Saracens v Castres.
- And if Castres are the losers of that battle, then Stade Francais can sneak into the finals with their bottom of the table clash against Jake White's winless Bulls.

- In the final pool, Glasgow and Toulon are guaranteed home R16 rights, but Harlequins, Stormers and Sale are all tied on 5 points. Harlequins and Sale take on Glasgow and Toulon both at home, normally I'd say they'd lose that but as the two away teams are guaranteed home finals, probably send understrength teams. Then Stormers are up against the hapless Racing 92, so could pick up a win as well. This will all come down to points differentials, winning won't secure you a spot so expect big scores.

Have to give it to the organising of the competition, they've made it really interesting so far and with none of previous year's dead rubbers or capitulating teams.

Thought it was a bloody good round too Dc, have watched 4 of games, and thoroughly enjoyed them. Do like the style of rugby played up that way, plenty of variety.