Heineken Cup 2010/2011

[bluntiger]

Rankings are as follows at the moment: (taking into account this season's results so far and excluding those from 2005/06)

1 Munster, 2 Leinster, 3 Toulouse, 4 Leicester, 5 Wasps, 6 Biarritz*, 7 Cardiff Blues, 8 Stade Francais**, 9 Clermont Auvergne, 10 Northampton, 11 Ospreys, 12 Bath, 13 Gloucester*, 14 Scarlets*, 15 Perpignan, 16 London Irish, 17 Saracens, 18 Sale**, 19 Ulster, 20 Glasgow, 21 Harlequins*, 22 Bourgoin**, 23 Edinburgh, 24 Dragons, 25 Newcastle**, 26 Worcester**, 27 Connacht*, 28 Treviso, 29 Brive**, 30 Castres, 31 Toulon, 32 Bristol**, 33 Agen**, 34 Viadana, 35 Montauban**, 36 Leeds**, 37 Montpellier**, 38 Bayonne**, 39 Racing Metro.

22 teams have already qualified, 6 French, 6 English, 3 Welsh, 3 Irish, 2 Scots, 2 Italian. The teams marked with * can still qualify depending on who wins the two trophies. The teams marked with ** cannot qualify regardless of results.

The 8 teams remaining in the comps can still get points and climb the rankings, although the top 4 are all guaranteed to be top sides next season.

Assuming seeding, the second seeds look formidable! The key draw is to have an Italian team in your pool (as we and Ospreys have for the last two seasons) so two teams qualify from the pool.

[LeinsterCormac]

The situation for seeding is still pretty fluid in many places. Cardiff could leapfrog Wasps in the seeding if they beat them this weekend in the Amlin. Of the teams you highlighted Stade Francais definitely won't qualify and Leicester can't draw the other English sides highlighted, so the chances of them drawing the Ospreys again are very high. If we assume that Biarritz and Gloucester take the two remaining places the seeding at the moment would produce four tiers as follows;

Tier 1: Leinster, Munster, Toulouse, Leicester, Wasps, Biarritz
Tier 2: Cardiff, Clermont, Northampton, Ospreys, Bath, Gloucester
Tier 3: Perpignan, London Irish, Saracens, Ulster, Glasgow, Edinburgh
Tier 4: Dragons, Treviso, Castres, Toulon, Aironi (Viadana), Racing Metro

From that scenario, Leicester could draw the relatively "easy" pool of Cardiff, Edinburgh/Ulster and Castres or such nightmare pools like Clermont, Glasgow, Racing Metro or perhaps Ospreys, Saracens, Toulon.

If seven English sides qualify the lowest ranked English team (Saracens) will find themselves in a pool with another English side. Likewise, if seven French teams qualify the lowest ranked (Racing Metro) will be in a pool with another French side.

[bluntiger]

If seven English sides qualify .....

I thought the extra place between the English and French teams was decided based on which country had a team which progressed further in this years competition ie if a French team progressed further than an English team, then the French got 7 placed for next season.

If that is the case, the French have two semi-finalists and all the English teams are out so there should be 7 French teams and only 6 English teams in the HC 2010/2011.

[LeinsterCormac]

If seven English sides qualify .....

I thought the extra place between the English and French teams was decided based on which country had a team which progressed further in this years competition ie if a French team progressed further than an English team, then the French got 7 placed for next season.

If that is the case, the French have two semi-finalists and all the English teams are out so there should be 7 French teams and only 6 English teams in the HC 2010/2011.

The qualification rules have changed for next season. Now there are 22 automatic qualifieres (6 from Eng and Fra, 3 from Wal and Ire, 2 from Sco and Ita), and the final two come from the winners of the HEC and Amlin trophies. If these teams have already qualified, then their country gets an extra space. However, England, France, Ireland and Wales can only have a maximum of one extra team in the competition so if one country wins both tournaments, they get one extra team and the highest non-qualified team from the rankings gets the last slot. However, if the maximum number of teams have already qualified from that country, it goes to the next available team.

Example: If Toulouse win HEC and Toulon win Amlin - then Biarritz qualify as seventh ranked French side in Top 14. The top ranked non-qualified side is Stade Francais but they wouldn't be allowed in as France already has seven qualifiers, so Gloucester are currently next in line.

Another example: If Leinster or Munster win HEC and Connacht win Amlin, then Connacht take the fourth Irish spot and Biarritz take the final spot as the highest ranked non-qualified team.

[Tigerbeat]

24 top flight club teams from six countries compete in the Heineken Cup.

These will include a minimum of:

* France: 6 teams (selected by performance in Top 14 Championship)
* England: 6 teams (selected by performance in Guinness Premiership and EDF Energy Cup)
* Wales: 3 teams (selected by performance in Magners League)
* Ireland 3 teams (selected by performance in Magners League)
* Scotland 2 teams (selected by performance in Magners League)
* Italy: 2 teams (selected by performance in Super 10 Championship)

For the 2009/10 season the 23rd Heineken Cup team will come from England.
For the 2009/10 season the 24th Heineken Cup team will come from Wales.

HEINEKEN CUP QUALIFICATION
Another significant boost for the tournament sees the winner of the Amlin Challenge
Cup, who will continue to qualify for the following season’s Heineken Cup, also earn an
additional Heineken Cup spot for the country of the winner.

From the 2009/10 season both the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup winners
will qualify automatically for the following season’s Heineken Cup and will each earn an
extra Heineken Cup spot for their countries – over and above their guaranteed
allocations.

However, England and France, who have six automatic places, will only be allowed a
maximum of seven teams, so if either country wins both the Heineken Cup and
Amlin Challenge Cup the second additional spot will pass on to the club with the
highest ERC European Ranking who has not already qualified from any of the other five
nations.

The changes mean that the Italian / Celtic League 24th Place Play-Off is no longer
required and the extra place earned by England this year, which was available to the
most successful nation from England, France or Italy, is also no longer applicable.

Teams will continue to qualify through their domestic tournaments with each nation
having the following number of automatic places:
England and France – 6 each
Wales and Ireland – 3 each
Scotland and Italy – 2 each
22 sides in total plus the Amlin Cup Winners and HC winners


If Wasps win the Amlin and a French side win the Heineken Cup, France and England would have 7 sides each qualifying for next years competition.

[Cagey Tiger]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8593335.stm

Heineken Cup 2010/11
*Full details of pools and fixtures will appear here when confirmed

The six tier 1 teams - Munster, Toulouse, Leinster, Leicester Tigers, Biarritz Olympique and Cardiff Blues - will be kept apart in the draw for the six pools of four teams each.

*Fixtures, dates and times are subject to late change

Qualifiers: Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Saracens, Bath Rugby, London Wasps, London Irish; Perpignan, RC Toulon, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Toulouse, Castres Olympique, Racing-Metro 92, Biarritz Olympique; Leinster, Munster, Ulster Rugby; Benetton Treviso, Aironi Rugby; Glasgow Warriors, Edinburgh; Ospreys, Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons; Scarlets OR Gloucester Rugby

If the Blues win the 2009/10 Amlin Challenge Cup, Scarlets will qualify for the 2010/11 Heineken Cup. If Toulon win then Gloucester Rugby are the highest placed club in the ERC European Rankings from the other five nations who have not already qualified and so will secure that final place in next season's Heineken Cup.

Had a very quick look at the ERC site and (if I have read it right) Tier 2 will be Wasps, Clermont, Ospreys, Saints, Bath and either Glaws or Scarlets, so not much choice for us there - Clermont, Ospreys or possibly Scarlets.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ROUND 1

7-10 October

ROUND 2

14-17 October

ROUND 3

9-12 December

ROUND 4

16-19 December

ROUND 5

13-16 January

ROUND 6

20-23 January

QUARTER-FINALS

8-10 April

SEMI-FINALS

29 April - 1 May

FINAL

20-22 May

*Fixtures, dates and times are subject to late change

[Purebob]

* sigh *

Cardiff has a lovely stadium but it is the absolute worst to get away from in the evening. Three hours to the M4 from the Millennium stadium was my best ever record. :(

[Purebob]

Parked on a factory car park behind the station. Was a nightmare to get out of cardiff.

[Northern Tiger]

Its cardiff in 2011, real pity as really fancied Rome, mind you better than twickers!!

[Bill W (2)]

http://www.leicestertigers.com/forum/vi ... =1&t=29514

[Northern Tiger]

I am assuming you guys are saying that I should really not have posted this as its already on a thread, however unless you want you want to read through all the info on that thread you would not know, where the final is.