Heineken cup draw

[johnthegriff]

Leicester Tigers Away Supporters Club will be travelling to all three venues. We have had good times before in Paris (a first time visit to Racing's new ground), Llanelli the Parc y Scarlet and Belfast, the results on previous occasions have not necessarily gone our way but it is a new season and the beauty of sport is that previous results count for nothing, we always travel with optimism and we never let 80 minutes spoil the three days we are away. I will give details of our trips as soon as possible after the match dates and times are announced although I can say I will probably be looking at three nights away with an excursion of some sort on the free day as we will probably be told the weekend of the match long before the actual kick off day and time.

[chris111]

It’s a shame in some respects we’ve lost the Italian teams, but it does mean that next year there’s a reasonable chance in every group that 2nd place might see you through to the QF.

This will also hopefully mean fewer ‘dead rubbers’ in the last couple of rounds as there seems to ha e been in the past few years. In the past everyone has known that unless you’ve got an Italian team in your group, once you’ve lost the chance of top spot you might as well give up.

[JP14]

While Racing are not new opponents, the chance to play at the U Arena will be an intriguing experience.

[Rugbyflanker]

Exeter and Sarries should romp their group if on top form. Us and Wasps have a slight chance of a runner up with Wasps more likely than us while Falcons and Bath are goners.

[ellis9]

What if Tigers are on top form? Could we not top our pool?

You say Exeter and Sarries should top their pool if on top form but fail to say the same for us? Then again, why should I expect anything different from you? I'd say if we are on top form, we could top our pool.

[Rugbyflanker]

Really? With Scarlets and R92? Not for me. We are playing for 3rd with Ulster.

[BFG]

Pool One: Leinster; Wasps; Toulouse; Bath.

Pool Two: Castres; Exeter; Munster; Gloucester.

Pool Three: Saracens; Glasgow; Lyon; Cardiff Blues.

Pool Four: Scarlets; Racing 92; TIGERS; Ulster.

Pool Five: Montpellier; Newcastle; Edinburgh; Toulon.

No easy games.
Saracens possibly the most fortunate.
Exeter could come unstuck again.
Home form and defence will need to be very strong with Scarlets and Racing 92.
The added bonus of seeing former Tigers meet in pool five.

[TigerCam]

Really? With Scarlets and R92? Not for me. We are playing for 3rd with Ulster.

As Lawrence said to the fictitious Sherif Ali 'Nothing is written!" The Scarlets and R92 while showing good form last season are very beatable so I see no reason why the Tigers cannot top the pool?

[ourla]

Really? With Scarlets and R92? Not for me. We are playing for 3rd with Ulster.

I would agree based on the season just gone.

I worry about us. Don't worry I don't lose any sleep over it. But I worry in the sense of whether we can get our "mojo" back. On the positive side we've got good prospects coming into the pack, which wasn't all that bad in the first place. We desparately needed someone like Bakewell so with him, Stanko, etc. We clearly have plenty of ammo in the back line. On the flip side, it's all unproven. We aren't in a Sarries, Chiefs, Falcons situation were we have a settled coaching, player set up and it's about making small improvements and getting the best of them. I worry a bit about the strength in depth and there is still one or two passengers. Some good early season performances could set a platform that sees that confidence, arrogance even to surface. But these last 2/3 years have hit hard.

[Rugbyflanker]

Good post ourla,seems like some folk have been asleep for 4 years

[TigerCam]

Really? With Scarlets and R92? Not for me. We are playing for 3rd with Ulster.

I would agree based on the season just gone.

I worry about us. Don't worry I don't lose any sleep over it. But I worry in the sense of whether we can get our "mojo" back. On the positive side we've got good prospects coming into the pack, which wasn't all that bad in the first place. We desparately needed someone like Bakewell so with him, Stanko, etc. We clearly have plenty of ammo in the back line. On the flip side, it's all unproven. We aren't in a Sarries, Chiefs, Falcons situation were we have a settled coaching, player set up and it's about making small improvements and getting the best of them. I worry a bit about the strength in depth and there is still one or two passengers. Some good early season performances could set a platform that sees that confidence, arrogance even to surface. But these last 2/3 years have hit hard.

Poor years indeed, more than 2/3 IMO but the glass is always half full and it just need topping up.

[jgriffin]

Good post ourla,seems like some folk have been asleep for 4 years

To hear tell the rot set in when Deano left.................

[ellis9]

Really? With Scarlets and R92? Not for me. We are playing for 3rd with Ulster.

So you honestly don't believe that if Tigers play to their best, they can top the group?

If they play like the past few seasons they won't but if we play as well as we can do, I don't see why we can't top the group.

[biffer]

Really? With Scarlets and R92? Not for me. We are playing for 3rd with Ulster.

So you honestly don't believe that if Tigers play to their best, they can top the group?

If they play like the past few seasons they won't but if we play as well as we can do, I don't see why we can't top the group.

Racing can blow hot and cold at times and no longer have Carter. Lambie is out for six months so it’s Russell at ten. Catch him on a bad day and you can get after them. For Scarlets, they’ve lost Berne, Barclay and Williams, all key players in their success of the last few seasons and I’m not convinced the replacements are as good. Good set of backs and play fast rugby, it’s Patchell that really makes them tick, massively under rated. Halfpenny is on the down slope and doesn’t pose a threat in open play any more, their back three isn’t exceptional, but the centres are and it’s that 10-12-13 area that you have to neutralise. They also don’t have any depth so if there are injuries there’s a massive drop off in talent (see the pasting Edinburgh gave their second string near the end of the season and compare it to the playoff game v Glasgow a few weeks later). So although a bit of luck would be required, it’s far from impossible. Alternatively Tigers might meet Russell on one of his complete genius days and get ripped into shreds, and Scarlets might have everyone fit and firing with their forwards clicking.

[johnthegriff]

Since the end of the season all teams have made changes, players have departed new guys have come in, some clubs have changed coaches, new systems, new players mean changes that are not always for the better. Early season games can bring injuries sometimes two players in the same position which can hurt any team. There are no weak pools in the Heineken competition now all teams participating have a chance of reaching the knockout stages, last season we had two close games against Racing, decisively beat French Champions Castres at home but two off days against Munster ended our chances of going through. We should not be over confident at this stage but neither should we be defeatist, we have to win our home games and pick up some points away, I doubt any team in our pool will achieve six wins, who takes points from who in non Tigers games could be crucial. I just love the competition and am really looking forward to it starting in October.