if we get toulon and if they dont travel well, like the amlin, we could dream of topping the group.

we then could have a ''home'' quarter final in limerick. whatever tickets we cant shift, our friends in munster would be more then happy cheering us on vs leinster in TP.

were aloud dream, right?

Dream draw for me if possible (sure someone will tell me if not), would be

Pot 1 - Clermont or Toulon - 1st game and at home, big number in the Sportsground.
Pot 2 - Cardiff - easy travel for both sets of fans and maybe a win or 2.
Pot 4 - Exeter - as above.

And who knows :whistle: :whistle:

Really just anyone bar Harlequins will be nice.

Agreed. Don't want to see Gloucester or Toulose for the same reason.

salmson wrote: There are 7 French teams so one group will have 2 French teams, which means we can get pretty much anyone, but the odds aren't even.

Don't think that's quite right. I can't find it officially explained anywhere, but as far as I know from previous draws, if there are seven teams from any one country, the lowest ranked of those teams has to be in a pool with another team from the same country.
So last season, there were seven French and Montpellier were lowest ranked, so they went in with Toulon, season before Gloucester were lowest and landed in with Quins, before that it was Racing in with Clermont.
Racing and Castres are exactly equal on the rankings but they have Castres listed higher (maybe because they got more points in their pool this season).
So basically they will keep the other six French teams apart in the draw and Racing will just be left til last and put in whatever pool is left. You can see this in the highlights of last years draw if you can stand listening to Craig Doyle. They conveniently leave out the bit at the start where they explain what the hell is going on.



So based on that, Connacht couldn't get Perpignan or Castres, so the probabilities would be.

Cardiff 20% - that would mean Gloucester or Exeter from Pot 4 (10% chance each)
Big 4 English team from Pot 2 80% - that would mean Racing/Treviso/Zebre from Pot 4 (27% each)

So that would mean more than 50% chance of an Italian team, and Cardiff/Exeter wouldn't be a bad combo either.
Hopefully will avoid Racing. We'll have enough big teams coming over as it is, so would be nice to have a more winnable fixture in there somewhere.

Of course the ERC could just change the format and not tell anyone.

Good weekends rugby. Good atmosphere in Dublin.

Leinster showed they are true champions with how they handled being sent to the Amlin. They responded with 3 comprehensive victories. Once I saw them showing the right attitude against Wasps I knew they'd finish the job. As they say the way to prove you are too good for a competition like the Amlin is to go out and win it comprehensively which they did.

Dissapointed Clermont couldn't finish the job in the main event. Looked pretty comfortable at 15-6 but didn't push on and Toulon hung in there. Exciting finish to the game. Good to see the stadium close to capacity too which says a lot for how the competition has developed. Plenty of heart broken Clermont fans leaving the Aviva.

As for next season delighted we once again have Heineken Cup rugby on our doorstep, each season at this level is huge for Connacht's development on and off the pitch. All of the Tier 1 sides are frightening, Tier 2 is strong also bar maybe Cardiff.

I'd take a group of Any of the 3, Leicester and Zebre. 2 money spinners and the possibility of a couple of wins to try and pick up ranking points. Really just anyone bar Harlequins will be nice.

swift4prez wrote: we have to have a french team from pot 1 so we cant have another french team in our group?

Unfortunately it's much more complicated than that:

There are 7 French teams so one group will have 2 French teams, which means we can get pretty much anyone, but the odds aren't even. I had a go at the odds of the draw the other day and stuffed it up too, so here's the revised list (I think):

We can't get Irish teams

There must be one English team in each group, if we avoid the English teams in pot 2 we must get one of the ones in pool 2.

If we avoid Perpignan in the second pot, then there is a 2/5 chance they got paired with one of the other French teams from pot one, and a 2/3 chance that Montpelier in pot 3 got paired if Perpignan didn't; which hugely reduces the chance of us getting one of the French teams in pot 4.

So I make it:

England Pot 2, Italy pot 4 :- 53%

( Toulon/Toulouse/Clermont plus Saffracens/Quins/North'n/Leics plus Treviso/Zebre )

France Pot 2, England Pot 4 :- 17%

( Toulon/Toulouse/Clermont plus Perpignan plus Exeter/Gloucester )

Wales Pot 2, England Pot 4 :- 17%

( Toulon/Toulouse/Clermont plus Cardiff plus Exeter/Gloucester )

England Pot 2, France Pot 4 :- 13%

( Toulon/Toulouse/Clermont plus Saffracens/Quins/North'n/Leics plus Racing/Castres )

Connman wrote: Toulon, Toulouse or Clermont at the Sportsground next year??? TASTY!!! BE A BIG PAYDAY THAT...9000+ i'd imagine!!

Clermont or Toulouse possibly if it's priced and marketed well, the 9000 against Toulouse was helped by being the first ever HEC game at home. Toulon despite the names are not a good team to watch..

isnt this the draw we have, we take out irish teams, we have to have a french team from pot 1 so we cant have another french team in our group? am i right or wrong?
were 80% to get an english team in pot 2 so wouldnt that take glaws and bath out too? if we dont get cardiff in pot2 were 100% getting zebre/treviso??

Pot 1	Pot 2	Pot 3	Pot 4
	Northampton		Gloucester
Toulouse	Harlequins		Bath
Clermont	Cardiff
Toulon	Saracens
	Leicester		Treviso
		Connacht	Zebre

pinky wrote: As it stands if Leinster and Clermont both win, the pots would be:

Pot 1	Pot 2	Pot 3	Pot 4
Leinster	Northampton	Edinburgh	Gloucester
Toulouse	Harlequins	Ospreys	Bath/Exeter
Clermont	Cardiff	Scarlets	Castres
Toulon	Saracens	Glasgow	Racing
Munster	Leicester	Montpellier	Treviso
Ulster	Perpignan	Connacht	Zebre

toulouse, cardiff, connacht, zebre. id take that.

doesnt these pots mean that leinster, munster or ulster will play vs johnny sexton?

Toulon, Toulouse or Clermont at the Sportsground next year??? TASTY!!! BE A BIG PAYDAY THAT...9000+ i'd imagine!!

eezipc wrote: It does seem Connacht are ranked 21st but the rankings are a bit bizarre.
Castres, Racing are ranked 25 and 26.
So the four seeds are:
1: Leinster, Toulouse, Clermont, Toulon, Munster, Ulster.
2: Northampton, Harlequins, Cardiff, Saracens, Leicester, Perpignan.
3: Edinburgh, Ospreys, Scarlets, Glasgow, Montpellier, Connacht
4: Gloucester, Castres, Racing, Exeter, Benneton, Zebre.

Not 100% sure if this is correct but it is how I understand it.

If this is wrong, can someone correct it please.....

I can understand why the English/French are a bit annoyed at the qualification system though. Connacht/Perpignan qualify due to their country winning a european title which is fair enough but Cardiff, Edinburgh and Zebre finished lower than Connacht in the Pro12 but they qualify regardless.

Frankly can't be doing with French/English concerns, Scots & Italians have only two Pro sides each and in the interests of the development of the game their participation is a very small price to play....

It does seem Connacht are ranked 21st but the rankings are a bit bizarre.
Castres, Racing are ranked 25 and 26.
So the four seeds are:
1: Leinster, Toulouse, Clermont, Toulon, Munster, Ulster.
2: Northampton, Harlequins, Cardiff, Saracens, Leicester, Perpignan.
3: Edinburgh, Ospreys, Scarlets, Glasgow, Montpellier, Connacht
4: Gloucester, Castres, Racing, Exeter, Benneton, Zebre.

Not 100% sure if this is correct but it is how I understand it.

If this is wrong, can someone correct it please.....

I can understand why the English/French are a bit annoyed at the qualification system though. Connacht/Perpignan qualify due to their country winning a european title which is fair enough but Cardiff, Edinburgh and Zebre finished lower than Connacht in the Pro12 but they qualify regardless.

Connacht ranked 21st on ERC site at the moment, but Biarritz, Stade and Wasps are all in next year's Amlin so this, I assume, means we're Tier 3?

We also have to face Toulon, Toulouse or Clermont

Perfect result for Connacht and Perpignan

A great game of Rugby and Heineken Cup for us for another year. Sweeeeeettt!!!!

Thank you Leinster and I am sorry for doubting you.