3 of the 4 top teams in Europe are from the Rabo

First topic message reminder :

Discuss.........

PS. Leinster have to play the other 3 top teams in Europe, 3 weeks in a row.

very well said aukster

hi - whatever - something is broke and needs fixing - don't think the Irish side scares too many top sides out there

my worries are that a new coach would just get frustrated with the overall culture - though I'm not in revolution mode just a bit of shaking up

it's all a bit frustrating as you've got to think the players are out there

but for the moment might as well enjoy the success of the provinces - they are working for whatever reason(s) -

There's something that I don't understand. When the English sides were dominating the H cup the qualifying rules for the H cup were the same and the numbers and methods of qualifying for Rabo countries were the same. The system worked great for them in this period. If the English sides have not done as well recently why would this be seen as a permanent problem and not a glich?

Sorry if this is an ignorant question. I've never followed English rugby and don't know if or how the clubs are having a tougher time now.

no your spot on there losing so they want to change the rules

Intotouch wrote:There's something that I don't understand. When the English sides were dominating the H cup the qualifying rules for the H cup were the same and the numbers and methods of qualifying for Rabo countries were the same. The system worked great for them in this period. If the English sides have not done as well recently why would this be seen as a permanent problem and not a glich?

Sorry if this is an ignorant question. I've never followed English rugby and don't know if or how the clubs are having a tougher time now.

I don't think the qualification process was the exact same. The Celtic League had ten teams in it up to 2009? The last couple of spots involved playoffs between England, France and Italy and the Celtic league and Super 10 I think.

The reality is that the Pro12 teams like Leinster have got smarter over time. The Welsh not as much. They didn't feature as much in the early noughties in the business end of the comp. Their successes since 2008 have come about with a greater and smarter focus on the H Cup but also being able to fight well in the Pro 12 too.

Whats also strange is that 3 out of 4 Welsh fans disappear once the 6 nations is over, only to reappear the following year!

HERSH wrote:Whats also strange is that 3 out of 4 Welsh fans disappear once the 6 nations is over, only to reappear the following year!

For large chunk of welsh fans 6 nations is be all and end all rugby wise

hmm - the Irish side are divisional sides - (and Edinburgh the East of Scotland side) - the English and French Clubs are clubs in the true definition of the word - the HC is not really like for like

HERSH wrote:Whats also strange is that 3 out of 4 Welsh fans disappear once the 6 nations is over, only to reappear the following year!

HERSH wrote:Whats also strange is that 3 out of 4 Welsh fans disappear once the 6 nations is over, only to reappear the following year!

Absolutely!We seem to do OK in the 6N's wheras you lot seem to struggle a bit.
If we keep winning the Big Boys stuff you can fret about the minor stuff.HC form was meant to show where Wales would fall short.Righto!!!!!

HERSH wrote:Whats also strange is that 3 out of 4 Welsh fans disappear once the 6 nations is over, only to reappear the following year!

7 out of 8, I reckon.
But as they claim to support "all the regions" (in other words they support none) it's ok.

Croyman wrote:

hmm - the Irish side are divisional sides - (and Edinburgh the East of Scotland side) - the English and French Clubs are clubs in the true definition of the word - the HC is not really like for like

The HC is not really like for like? English Clubs like London Wasps and London Irish - professional teams created in the mid-nineties. Wasps RFC is the true amateur club. London Wasps is a commercial franchise effectively. London Irish is probably the same since it left Sudbury.

The Irish sides are surely provincial since they're derived from the four provinces of the island.

incidentally wasps are going down the tubes

tecphobe wrote:incidentally wasps are going down the tubes

Incidentally so are quite a few other teams. Been talking to any Welsh or Italian fans lately?

london irish wasnt made in the mid-nineties????? london irish was formed in 1898...

None of the AP teams finished bottom of their group and only one of them actually got pumped in terms of being miles away from second place.

They may not have progressed from the pool stages, but they weren't embarrassed either.

Bath are pretty shoite at the moment, but it still took last minute scores from Glasgow and Montpelier to beat them at their home grounds.

I'm happy with the way other countries choose their HC representatives based largely on their performance in the Rabo, I don't see the problem really, I also don't see how you can make comparisons between the Rabo, the AP or T14 based on the HC performances of their representatives either, it's just apples and pears.

The final round of the AP last season produced 1 game out of the 6 fixtures that actually had nothing riding on it, this season it could be 1 or it could be none depending on the relative performance of Wasps and Newcastle in the next 2 rounds and who play each other on the final day.

What's in store for the final day fixtures of the Rabo I wonder? Maybe 3 out of 6?

Whatever anyone else says about the AP or the T14, pretty much every game, every weekend is meaningful and therefore competetive all the way through the season, the Rabo just isn't set-up that way, I haven't got any beef with that, it's just the way it is.

But I know which I prefer, even when it means no HC rugby for my club, I wouldn't change it for anything.

Incidentally, there may be a game or 2 in the Championship that has something at stake on the final day too...

I have a great London Irish hat thing with the emblems of all the clubs that made (make) up the London Irish professional club

LI of course, Richmond, London Scottish (any more)

3 out of 4 facts about Welsh rugby are false.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:london irish wasnt made in the mid-nineties????? london irish was formed in 1898...

London Irish Professional as opposed to London Irish amateur.

I think people should look at exeter and sarries. To be fair apart from their las HC game they did well while staying second in the league.
Exeter have inproved on last year and are in a shout of the play-offs while also topping one of if not the hardest group in the Amlin and only just lost out to SF. They have a good scum and exciting back line.
Truth is to succed in europe you need both to be average at worse. That is why Rabo teams do well.
We say the exciting English teams do well but it is a given that they have a solid scum because of where they play.

Should teams not look at improving both parts. Look at munster they struggled in all but one game because their scum was poor.

Look at the english teams that do and did well. They weren't one dimensional, they could use the backs some bit.

Treviso showed that with a strong pack you can be compeditive at home.

Others showed with strong backs you can be compeditive.

Only the ones that had both made it through to the 1/4s except Munster which I am glad they did. It is the same every year