AViewFromLe2 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 2:13 pm
Really struggling with the concept of not taking Europe seriously, especially after the great result on Sunday. Beating Stormers now means we probably only need one more win to qualify, and if we do beat Stade, then it possibly opens up finishing in the top 2 in the pool and a home R16 game, and even more ambitiously a home QF if we were to finish top in this pool. Whilst that sounds fanciful, two of Stade, Stormers and La Rochelle could be winless after the first two games depending on how results land. Beating Stade provides us with an awesome opportunity to progress in this competition, I don't believe we should turn that down. Relying on beating Leinster at home and not taking the away games seriously, is too big a risk, and would really undermine the great achievement of last Sunday.
I also don't understand the mentality of why we should not take Europe seriously. If it is too big a distraction to our league hopes, then why did we enter it in the first place? We should ask to either not enter or always go into the Challenge Cup if it is too big of an inconvenience for us.
It also makes it harder to recruit elite World Class players if our message is that we're only bothered about the league. Good luck trying to get Jasper to stay for another season if you tell him that. Elite players want to win things, and beat the best. If we aspire to be an elite club then we should act like an elite club, and that means trying to win Europe and not backing out because it sounds too tricky. Good luck trying to sign elite players if our message is that the league takes precedence or we're not fussed by Europe. Our Head Coach, OHC, and numerous other players have all said in the media that they want to win this competition - they would not want to play here if our ambitions did not match theirs.
Our most famous victories have come in this competition and in circumstances where things are against us. In 06/07 we lost the first game at home to Munster, we were told we faced an uphill battle to progress, but we got stuck into it and ended up with one of our most famous nights at Thormond Park - using the logic of some people on here, then that would not have happened as we would have given up after the first game and played our youngsters throughout the group games.
What happens if we were to get an easy pool, and favourable R16 and QF fixtures, but then had to play Leinster and then probably another heavy hitter in the final, would we back out at the semi and play a weakened side as it sounds too hard? No of course not, so why should we do that now? You've got to play the best teams at some point so why not take it seriously.
It is also massively disrespectful to our fans who spends thousands of pounds to travel to France to not play a strong side. It would be pretty gutting if loads of our lot went out there, only for us to not reward them by playing a weakened side.
McKellar can do what he wants, it's his call after all. And if he does play a mix and match side and we still win, then fair play to him and the players selected, but that would be too much of a risk for me given we have made a great start. Not taking Europe seriously to only concentrate on the league, does not sit with the values and philosophies of this club which is to be best at all we do.