European Challenge Cup

[bluntiger]

What is the point of this competition?

Seems to me that it is a competition for the GP teams who fail to qualify for the HC, then add some semi/non-professional teams to make up the numbers and proceed to thrash them in front of pittiful crowds. Check out Irish - 25 points from 5 games, what kind of competition is that? Saints 24 points from 5 games.

I am sure the do-gooders will spout something about spreading the rugby word and inclusion, but it is not worth the effort.

On the Saints website, it is clear that the only motivation to be included in the ECC is that if they win it (and it will be between Saints, Irish, Saracens, Worcester and Brive IMO) they qualify for the HC next season and that is their most likely avenue to do so.

[dailywaffle]

Isn't it proposed that, from next season, the ECC playoff stage will include some 'unlucky losers' from the HEC? Which would clearly add to its credibility.

For obvious reasons (i.e. HEC spots), we do not want Saints, Sarries or Wuss to win the darn thing.

[fallingwithstyle]

Would be good if Irish or Sarries win it as it'll free up a further spot to be based on Premiership position come the end of the season.

[dailywaffle]

Would be good if Irish or Sarries win it as it'll free up a further spot to be based on Premiership position come the end of the season.

Irish or Brive would be good.
Sarries would not be good, if you assume that they will finish outside of the top 6.

[westy154]

Rah rah rah, come on the Irish.

[bluntiger]

Also EDF Cup winners qualify for the HC if they are English so that will be Gloucester or Saints. I will be shouting for Blues or Ospreys in the EDF and Irish for the ECC so that the top 6 from the GP qualify for the HC next year.

Seriously, Saints believe the only chance that they will qualify next year for the HC is by winning either the EDF or the ECC.

[zena beck]

What is the point of this competition?

Seems to me that it is a competition for the GP teams who fail to qualify for the HC, then add some semi/non-professional teams to make up the numbers and proceed to thrash them in front of pittiful crowds. Check out Irish - 25 points from 5 games, what kind of competition is that? Saints 24 points from 5 games.

I am sure the do-gooders will spout something about spreading the rugby word and inclusion, but it is not worth the effort.

On the Saints website, it is clear that the only motivation to be included in the ECC is that if they win it (and it will be between Saints, Irish, Saracens, Worcester and Brive IMO) they qualify for the HC next season and that is their most likely avenue to do so.

will you be saying that if the tigers are in that next year and as for london irish just look where there are in the leauge table top i think. come on london irish

[bluntiger]

What is the point of this competition?

Seems to me that it is a competition for the GP teams who fail to qualify for the HC, then add some semi/non-professional teams to make up the numbers and proceed to thrash them in front of pittiful crowds. Check out Irish - 25 points from 5 games, what kind of competition is that? Saints 24 points from 5 games.

I am sure the do-gooders will spout something about spreading the rugby word and inclusion, but it is not worth the effort.

On the Saints website, it is clear that the only motivation to be included in the ECC is that if they win it (and it will be between Saints, Irish, Saracens, Worcester and Brive IMO) they qualify for the HC next season and that is their most likely avenue to do so.

will you be saying that if the tigers are in that next year and as for london irish just look where there are in the leauge table top i think. come on london irish

Yes zena, I will be questioning why we are travelling to some unknown club in Italy or France to play in front of less than 1000 fans and put 80+ points on the board without reply. Totally pointless!

[boon]

Also EDF Cup winners qualify for the HC if they are English so that will be Gloucester or Saints. I will be shouting for Blues or Ospreys in the EDF and Irish for the ECC so that the top 6 from the GP qualify for the HC next year.

Seriously, Saints believe the only chance that they will qualify next year for the HC is by winning either the EDF or the ECC.

not strictly true.

many think the cup competitions are probably our likelier route to hc rugby, and i tend to agree, but the league is still very much a possibility in my book. as i said before the recent derby match, i see saints as a side thats getting better, and we are still going strong at home. win tomorrow and we are guaranteed a home q/f - win that and we are quaranteed a home s/f.

of course if irish win the ecc that spot will pass down to 7th place in the league, which may not hurt us.

i only ever shout for the saints, but in other matches if a welsh side were playing an english side, as an englishman i would plump for the english team. so (unless you are welsh) bluntiger, it seems a bit mean spirited of you to plump for a 'foreign' side over your near neighbours.

[bluntiger]

of course if irish win the ecc that spot will pass down to 7th place in the league, which may not hurt us.

Not true boon, only the top 4 GP finishers are guarenteed HC rugby plus the ECC and EDF winners (if English). So if Irish win the ECC and finish in the top 4, then the fifth placed team in the GP qualifies, the same with the EDF.

Therefore to give us the best possibility of qualifying for the HC next year (of course we believe we can finish in the top 4), it suits us best if Irish win the ECC (and finish in the top 4) and either Blues or Ospreys win the EDF. That way the top 6 in the GP qualify for the HC next year.

If there were nothing in it for us, I would absolutely support Saints, great club, great tradition but top 6 GP finishers gives us a better chance.

[zena beck]

What is the point of this competition?

Seems to me that it is a competition for the GP teams who fail to qualify for the HC, then add some semi/non-professional teams to make up the numbers and proceed to thrash them in front of pittiful crowds. Check out Irish - 25 points from 5 games, what kind of competition is that? Saints 24 points from 5 games.

I am sure the do-gooders will spout something about spreading the rugby word and inclusion, but it is not worth the effort.

On the Saints website, it is clear that the only motivation to be included in the ECC is that if they win it (and it will be between Saints, Irish, Saracens, Worcester and Brive IMO) they qualify for the HC next season and that is their most likely avenue to do so.

will you be saying that if the tigers are in that next year and as for london irish just look where there are in the leauge table top i think. come on london irish

Yes zena, I will be questioning why we are travelling to some unknown club in Italy or France to play in front of less than 1000 fans and put 80+ points on the board without reply. Totally pointless!

well there is a possiblity you and your team could be travelling to the unknown

[Hans Hullabaloo]

Went to the Newcastle vs Brive game last week, not only was it dismal weather but no one really wanted to be there; the club didn't even offer a match day program

[Bill W]

Went to the Newcastle vs Brive game last week, not only was it dismal weather but no one really wanted to be there; the club didn't even offer a match day program

I knew Falcons were in Finacial trouble.

Didn't realise it was that bad!!

[Hans Hullabaloo]

Went to the Newcastle vs Brive game last week, not only was it dismal weather but no one really wanted to be there; the club didn't even offer a match day program

I knew Falcons were in Finacial trouble.

Didn't realise it was that bad!!

Well it certainly is different from Welford Road, We had to ask them to put Rugby instead of Football on the TV in the Clubhouse bar

[Mr. Grumpy]

From a purely pragmatic perspective, if you didn’t have the ECC you would have 6 clubs from the Premiership without fixtures for 9 weekends. You could have an extended Heineken Cup featuring more ECC teams, but then you would dilute the quality of that competition. You have to give the clubs that aren’t in the Heineken Cup fixtures somehow, so I think it does serve a purpose.

Hopefully with some HC teams dropping into the ECC next season as pool runners-up, and if someone can encourage the French clubs to be bothered with it, it should increase the quality and profile of the competition.

A small thing, but regarding Newcastle, not even bothering to put out a programme for spectators is really poor. They should really be trying to make a great matchday experience to get any first time spectators back again. I worry a bit for Newcastle sometimes.