Pool draw for European Rugby, 29 June

by **George Carlin** Mon 27 Jun 2016, 9:17 am

Champions Cup Pool Draw 2016/17

Pool 1: Racing 92, Glasgow Warriors, Leicester Tigers, Munster Rugby
Pool 2: Connacht Rugby, Wasps, Toulouse, Zebre
Pool 3: Saracens, RC Toulon, Scarlets, Sale Sharks
Pool 4: Leinster Rugby, Montpellier, Northampton Saints, Castres Olympique
Pool 5: Exeter Chiefs, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Ulster Rugby, Bordeaux-Begles

Challenge Cup Pool Draw 2016/17

Pool 1: La Rochelle, Gloucester Rugby, Benetton Treviso, Bayonne
Pool 2: Ospreys, Grenoble, Newcastle Falcons, Lyon
Pool 3: Brive, Worcester Warriors, NG Dragons, Enisei STM
Pool 4: Cardiff Blues, Bath Rugby, Pau, Bristol Rugby
Pool 5: Harlequins, Edinburgh Rugby, Stade Francais Paris, Timisoara Saracens

#####

EPCR weekends - 2016/17 season

Round 1: 13/14/15/16 October
Round 2: 20/21/22/23 October
Round 3: 8/9/10/11 December
Round 4: 15/16/17/18 December
Round 5: 12/13/14/15 January 2017
Round 6: 19/20/21/22 January 2017
Quarter-finals: 30/31 March - 1/2 April 2017
Semi-finals: 21/22/23 April 2017

Finals Edinburgh 2017

European Rugby Challenge Cup final: Friday 12 May, BT Murrayfield Stadium
European Rugby Champions Cup final: Saturday 13 May, BT Murrayfield Stadium

by **RDW** Mon 27 Jun 2016, 9:53 am

Prediction - Leicester will draw Zebre.

Since 2008 they've drawn the Italian whipping boys in all but one season - incredible luck!

by formerly known as Sam Mon 27 Jun 2016, 11:00 am

RDW I'd rather we drew more challenging teams, it isn't that interesting gaining easy points. No offence to the Ulster fans but if we don't draw them again that'll be good, we've played them far too often on recent years (and mainly lost).

by **RDW** Mon 27 Jun 2016, 11:05 am

I would have thought 10 guaranteed points while being able to rest your best players would be a good thing!

Looking at the ranks there are likely to be a few horrendous groups again. From rank 1 to rank 6 there really isn't much between most of those teams, Saracans, Racing and Toulon aside!

by formerly known as Sam Mon 27 Jun 2016, 12:23 pm

We've had some scares away from home and often seem to be battling a lengthy injury list and a mud bath most seasons we play an Italian team though. Makes things more difficult than expected.

I'd like a group of Pau and Cardiff as it's been a while since we've played either of them. LA Rochelle maybe as well, that's a beautiful and completely rugby mad city. That would offer some nice variety to what we've had in recent years.

by **RDW** Mon 27 Jun 2016, 12:36 pm

formerly known as Sam wrote:I'd like a group of Pau and Cardiff as it's been a while since we've played either of them. LA Rochelle maybe as well, that's a beautiful and completely rugby mad city. That would offer some nice variety to what we've had in recent years.

You'd have to drop down into the Challenge Cup then!

by formerly known as Sam Mon 27 Jun 2016, 3:20 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:
formerly known as Sam wrote:I'd like a group of Pau and Cardiff as it's been a while since we've played either of them. LA Rochelle maybe as well, that's a beautiful and completely rugby mad city. That would offer some nice variety to what we've had in recent years.

You'd have to drop down into the Challenge Cup then!

would help if I read the correct table on your post wouldn't it. We'd probably have a better chance to win the Challenge Cup.

by toml Mon 27 Jun 2016, 4:13 pm

formerly known as Sam wrote:RDW I'd rather we drew more challenging teams, it isn't that interesting gaining easy points. No offence to the Ulster fans but if we don't draw them again that'll be good, we've played them far too often on recent years (and mainly lost).

Come on mate Ulster Leicester is a great rivalry. We always have a good match and yours is a club we have alot of respect for. I dont want to get Saracens because apart from the fact they are one of the strongest sides, I don't really like them. It feels like along with Toulon they have bought success and surely there should be some rules where teams can't rack up massive debts.

I would like Leicester, Glasgow and Clermont for Ulster but I don't think the seedings would allow it

by **Notch** Mon 27 Jun 2016, 5:00 pm

My big hope is that Ulster get Exeter, hopefully they get Tier 1 status. I like playing new teams and I like and admire Exeter as a club, and they have some very passionate and noisy fans. Racing 92 would be my second choice of the top seeds. Would be disappointing to draw Saracens or Toulon again. Neither have been much craic in terms of traveling supporters compared to other French or English clubs, although for those who can afford a trip to the continent Toulon at least offer an amazing away fixture.

Clermont are always great craic, best fans in Europe most likely, so that would be my choice from Tier 2 if we're not in that Tier, and Bordeaux-Begles are a team with huge support who play attacking rugby so would like to get them.

My dream pool;

Exeter Chiefs
ASM Clermont
Ulster
Bordeaux-Begles

by **George Carlin** Mon 27 Jun 2016, 6:06 pm

I remain steadfast in my belief that tradition will prevail and Glasgow will not need an opposition - finding, as they always do, a way to beat themselves in all of their home games.

Am terribly worried that we do not yet seem to have signed someone to replace Leone Nakarawa.

by Kingshu Mon 27 Jun 2016, 6:46 pm

While I do like the use of League position to work out Tiers, I do not think Playoffs should be taken into account.

I.e Connacht should be tier 2 as Leinster toped the league,
Aviva Prem is uneffected
Top 14 Racing Metro finished 4th but are top seeds

I know it means that Champions won't be drawn together, but personally I would prefer it if the advantage went to the teams that topped the League table.

Theres not much advantage in finishing 1st or 2nd in Leagues anymore with there being a grand final and think this would give that bit extra to the team that finishes top.

Plus imagine a year where say the 5th and 6th teams in France made the final and 3rd and 4th in Aviva Prem and Pro 12. It turns things on their head a bit.

Personally I think the tiers should be League based and if you get a group with the 3 Champions in it, so be it, they should have topped their domestic league.

by **LondonTiger** Mon 27 Jun 2016, 6:59 pm

Connacht, Glasgow and Bordaux would be nice - all teama we have not played in a long time, if ever.

by Kingshu Mon 27 Jun 2016, 8:29 pm

I think the best Ulster can hope for is

Exeter Chiefs
Ulster
Montpellier
Zebre

While Exeter Chiefs are a good team, I think they are the weakest of the tier one teams we can get (Saracens, Toulon, Racing 92)
Montpellier, don't seam to care about Europe, Bottom of group 14/15 and 2nd bottom to Terviso in 13/14
Zebre weakest team in it

Worst group

Saracens
Toulon
Ulster
Castres/Sale Sharks

by Pete330v2 Tue 28 Jun 2016, 9:13 am

Kingshu wrote:I think the best Ulster can hope for is

Exeter Chiefs
Ulster
Montpellier
Zebre

While Exeter Chiefs are a good team, I think they are the weakest of the tier one teams we can get (Saracens, Toulon, Racing 92)
Montpellier, don't seam to care about Europe, Bottom of group 14/15 and 2nd bottom to Terviso in 13/14
Zebre weakest team in it

Worst group

Saracens
Toulon
Ulster
Castres/Sale Sharks

You know what our luck's like, you can bet we get the latter draw Sad

by Kingshu Tue 28 Jun 2016, 12:44 pm

I think Munster will have a hard time of it this year, being a bottom tier team.

Best they can get is:

Exeter Chiefs
Montpellier
Scarlets
Munster

But could end up with

Saracens
Toulon
Leicester Tigers
Munster

Unrelated, why have Romania entered Timișoara Saracens rather than București Wolves into the Challenge cup?

by **LondonTiger** Tue 28 Jun 2016, 1:57 pm

Kingshu wrote:I think Munster will have a hard time of it this year, being a bottom tier team.

Best they can get is:

Exeter Chiefs
Montpellier
Scarlets
Munster

But could end up with

Saracens
Toulon
Leicester Tigers
Munster

Unrelated, why have Romania entered Timișoara Saracens rather than București Wolves into the Challenge cup?

Leicester cannot be a Tier 4 team so cannot be drawn with Sarries.

Bucuresti Wolves were a select team formed purely for Euro comps, Timisoara are, I think, reigning club champions.

by **LondonTiger** Tue 28 Jun 2016, 2:05 pm

Actually this tells us how Timisoara Saracens qualified:

http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychallengecup/2015-2016-qualifying_competition.php

Effectively they topped their pool in a Pre-qualifying competition (with Rovigo topping other pool) which then gave them a home and away series with Calvisano. The Romanioans won both legs to qualify alongside the Russiand who beat Rovigo.

by Kingshu Tue 28 Jun 2016, 3:45 pm

LondonTiger wrote:
Kingshu wrote:I think Munster will have a hard time of it this year, being a bottom tier team.

Best they can get is:

Exeter Chiefs
Montpellier
Scarlets
Munster

But could end up with

Saracens
Toulon
Leicester Tigers
Munster

Unrelated, why have Romania entered Timișoara Saracens rather than București Wolves into the Challenge cup?

Leicester cannot be a Tier 4 team so cannot be drawn with Sarries.

Bucuresti Wolves were a select team formed purely for Euro comps, Timisoara are, I think, reigning club champions.

oh yeah missed that, Each pool must have one from each league drawn from Tier 1,2 or 3. No pool will have a second team from the same league until the allocation of Tier 4 takes place

Meaning we would have to swap Tigers for Scarlets.

Still not sure why Romania entered Timisoara Saracens (Club Champions) rather than the select team they used to enter? Surly the select team had better players overall?

by **RDW** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 12:08 pm

Pool draw is at 1pm today

by funnyExiledScot Wed 29 Jun 2016, 12:29 pm

I'm hoping Edinburgh draw La Rochelle. I hear it's lovely, and I spent my school French lessons listening to poor quality recordings of people from La Rochelle all introducing themselves in a very formal manner and wondering where their train station was.

by **RDW** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:20 pm

Pool 1: La Rochelle, Gloucester Rugby, Benetton Treviso, Bayonne

Pool 2: Ospreys, Grenoble, Newcastle Falcons, Lyon

Pool 3: Brive, Worcester Warriors, NG Dragons, Enisei STM

Pool 4: Cardiff Blues, Bath Rugby, Pau, Bristol Rugby

Pool 5: Harlequins, Edinburgh Rugby, Stade Francais Paris, Timisoara Saracens

Fairly evenly matched pools I would say.

by **LondonTiger** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:23 pm

Pool 4 has some nice local derbies.

Baptism of fire for Timisoara Saracens

by **RDW** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:25 pm

LondonTiger wrote:Pool 4 has some nice local derbies.

Baptism of fire for Timisoara Saracens

Edinburgh have probably drawn the strongest 1st seed and 3rd seeds but the Romanian make up for that a little bit!

by **LondonTiger** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:35 pm

Glasgow and Racing for us

by funnyExiledScot Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:36 pm

We didn't do well with Stade. The Dragons would have been ideal.

The "Romanians" have a Kiwi coach and used to be coached by Chester Williams. They are also, perhaps obviously, a feeder club for Sarries.

by **LondonTiger** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:39 pm

Pool 1 - Racing, Glasgow, Leicester, Munster

by **RDW** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:40 pm

Some brutal groups in the Champions Cup, as expected!

by **Notch** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:41 pm

Before the draw I posted

Notch wrote:My dream pool;

Exeter Chiefs
ASM Clermont
Ulster
Bordeaux-Begles

Get in!!!

Should I buy a lottery ticket? Smile

by **Notch** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:42 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:I'm hoping Edinburgh draw La Rochelle. I hear it's lovely, and I spent my school French lessons listening to poor quality recordings of people from La Rochelle all introducing themselves in a very formal manner and wondering where their train station was.

Sounds like a problem for visiting fans to me.

by marty2086 Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:43 pm

Munster are fooked

Like the look of Ulsters group, not easy but definitely doable

by **LondonTiger** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:44 pm

Pool 2: Connacht Rugby, Wasps, Toulouse, Zebre
Pool 3: Saracens, RC Toulon, Scarlets, Sale Sharks

by **LondonTiger** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:44 pm

Pool 4: Leinster Rugby, Montpellier, Northampton Saints, Castres Olympique

Pool 5 as Notch said

by **RDW** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:45 pm

Pool 1: Racing 92, Glasgow Warriors, Leicester Tigers, Munster Rugby
Pool 2: Connacht Rugby, Wasps, Toulouse, Zebre
Pool 3: Saracens, RC Toulon, Scarlets, Sale Sharks
Pool 4: Leinster Rugby, Montpellier, Northampton Saints, Castres Olympique
Pool 5: Exeter Chiefs, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Ulster Rugby, Bordeaux-Begles

by **Notch** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:45 pm

marty2086 wrote:Like the look of Ulsters group, not easy but definitely doable

We're not going to win the European Cup- we need to try and win the league. With that in my mind I wanted two things

1) To play against teams that play attacking, adventurous rugby
2) To play against teams that have good travelling support and whose fans are good craic

We just got my dream draw, for once Smile

by **RDW** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:51 pm

All the groups are tough but the Toughest groups look like Group 1 and Group 4, and Wasps will be pretty happy with their draw.

Sarries v Toulon will be epic but I suspect Scarlets and Sale will be trying to avoid last place only!

by **George Carlin** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:53 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Pool 1: Racing 92, Glasgow Warriors, Leicester Tigers, Munster Rugby

by marty2086 Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:53 pm

Notch wrote:
marty2086 wrote:Like the look of Ulsters group, not easy but definitely doable

We're not going to win the European Cup- we need to try and win the league. With that in my mind I wanted two things

1) To play against teams that play attacking, adventurous rugby
2) To play against teams that have good travelling support and whose fans are good craic

We just got my dream draw, for once

You say that Notch but I think if a number of things happen we stand a chance

Herbst has sorted him scrumagging out, though Clarkes still in place so that's up in the air
We get out of the group
A few young forwards step up especially in the back row
And Coetzee is back for the knock out rounds

Ok we need to keep our first choice back rows fit too so maybe next year then Doh

by Golden Wed 29 Jun 2016, 1:57 pm

Castres
Leinster
Montpellier
Saints

Tough enough on paper. Hopefully the franks get disinterested early.

by whocares Wed 29 Jun 2016, 2:00 pm

Notch wrote:Before the draw I posted

Notch wrote:My dream pool;

Exeter Chiefs
ASM Clermont
Ulster
Bordeaux-Begles

Get in!!!

Should I buy a lottery ticket?

feck me - it's the same group than last time with Ulster instead of Ospreys (so even more difficult for us). Also ASM will clearly seek revenge from last game and spank us twice Sad

will be tough, need to start to finish above 7th in the T14 to have a better draw - think there will be some priority made on the local league this time but still fancy us to be competitive at least at home. if anything the squad is of similar level but not better- only notable addition being Madigan we lost a few players through retirement.

by marty2086 Wed 29 Jun 2016, 2:03 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:All the groups are tough but the Toughest groups look like Group 1 and Group 4, and Wasps will be pretty happy with their draw.

Sarries v Toulon will be epic but I suspect Scarlets and Sale will be trying to avoid last place only!

Toulon might not be the same prospect they once were, after the Top 14 collapse, a new inexperienced coach and a raft of changes

by the-goon Wed 29 Jun 2016, 2:14 pm

When will the scheduling be announced?

by **RDW** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 2:31 pm

the-goon wrote:When will the scheduling be announced?

I haven't seen it anywhere but it is usually around August they decide which games are on which weekends, then the exact dates and KO times follow after that.

by **LondonTiger** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 2:37 pm

From Tigers website:

Order of fixtures, and the confirmed dates and kick-off times for the opening four rounds will be announced by tournament organisers European Professional Club Rugby and their broadcast partners later this summer. The opening weekend is on October 14/15/16, after six rounds of Aviva Premiership league action.

by Gooseberry Wed 29 Jun 2016, 2:42 pm

George Carlin wrote:
RDW_Scotland wrote:Pool 1: Racing 92, Glasgow Warriors, Leicester Tigers, Munster Rugby

Jesus. How did Tigers avoid getting Scarlets Ulster and an Italian team like usual?

by **RiscaGame** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 2:47 pm

Oh heck. Nos da Scarlets.

Bet the Walesonline click gatherer is happy that he will probably get to stick the boot into you guys though.

by Guest Wed 29 Jun 2016, 3:12 pm

For frig's sake, will Glasgow ever get an even slightly kind pool? Or at least Treviso/Zebre?

That said, at this level you should be beating who's in front of you no matter what to mount any sort of challenge, and they've consistently failed to do so.

by **George Carlin** Wed 29 Jun 2016, 6:05 pm

EPCR weekends - 2016/17 season:

Round 1: 13/14/15/16 October
Round 2: 20/21/22/23 October
Round 3: 8/9/10/11 December
Round 4: 15/16/17/18 December
Round 5: 12/13/14/15 January 2017
Round 6: 19/20/21/22 January 2017
Quarter-finals: 30/31 March - 1/2 April 2017
Semi-finals: 21/22/23 April 2017
Finals: Edinburgh 2017

Challenge Cup final: Friday 12 May, BT Murrayfield Stadium

Champions Cup final: Saturday 13 May, BT Murrayfield Stadium.

by Kingshu Wed 29 Jun 2016, 6:29 pm

No Welsh regions getting to the knock out rounds again this year it seams
would love it if Scarlets did, but that is the worst possible group they could have got.

by yappysnap Wed 29 Jun 2016, 6:35 pm

Happy with the Quins pool.

Should be some really good games but we'll know early on if we're going out or not so can focus on the Jeff early doors.

Need to finish top 6 this season so we get in with the big boys in the top league.

by formerly known as Sam Wed 29 Jun 2016, 7:18 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:I'm hoping Edinburgh draw La Rochelle. I hear it's lovely, and I spent my school French lessons listening to poor quality recordings of people from La Rochelle all introducing themselves in a very formal manner and wondering where their train station was.

LA Rochelle is lovely and some of the food on offer there is fantastic. Not the cheapest but they are rugby mad and you do have to use the old French lessons as not everyone knows English like in the more touristy bits.

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