Try Harder wrote: Anyone know when the dates and times for the first three rounds will be announced. More than happy to go back to either Toulouse or Parma.

It used to be around the end of July but it was August 14th last year (later for Connacht's Challenge Cup group).
Some of that might have been due to all the messing around with Enisei (also lack of urgency due to RWC), so maybe now that they've decided they won't play in Siberia, they can get it sorted earlier.

Talking about getting the away LBP, remember the TBP counts win, lose or draw, Wasps have more of an attacking mindset than some English clubs, hopefully get some free flowing rugby against them. Toulouse have dropped back in the last few years, their interest might depend on the state of the pool when we play them.

ConnachtCows wrote: Harlequins
Zebre
Biarritz

That one seems handy now. How did we not win the cup that year

Anyone know when the dates and times for the first three rounds will be announced. More than happy to go back to either Toulouse or Parma.

Great Draw! Toulouse aren't the team they used to be and wasps in Coventry stadium half full of Connacht fans.... Also, one of the top two best placed 2nd teams usually come from a group with the Italian team. Get ten points against Zebre; win other two home games and pick up one or two bonus points.... easier said then done but still think we have a great chance to qualify out of this one.

greyingbeard wrote: Decent chance of qualification from the group, some nice rugby spots to visit

Think it could be a tight group. If we could organise the double header to be against Zebre, that would be swell

Decent chance of qualification from the group, some nice rugby spots to visit

So let me make sure this is correct.
This is our 4th season in the Heineken Cup.

In those seasons we have played
Harlequins
Gloucester
Toulouse

---

Harlequins
Zebre
Biarritz

---

Saracens
Toulouse
Zebre

---

Wasps
Toulouse
Zebre

Thats
Toulouse x3
Zebre x3
Harlequins x2
Gloucester x1
Biarritz x1
Wasps x1
Saracens x1

If the Rugby Gods owe us any more favours, can we please have the Toulouse trip in October when the weather is a bit nicer and the flights are direct? And not on a Sunday please as the flight home leaves at 15.35 (or on the following Wednesday).

Birmingham and Milano will sort us out for the other two no matter when they fall.

The Pool of Deja Vu

a.k.a. The Pool of Salmson's Dreams

Wasps, Toulouse and Zebra

Pinky - Start planning

Pool 1 Racing, Glasgow, Leicester, Munster

Pool 2 Connacht, Wasps, Toulouse, Zebre

Pool 3 Saracens, Toulon, Scarlets, Sale

Pool 4 Leinster, Montpellier, Northampton, Castre

Pool 5 Exeter, Clermont, Ulster, Bordeaux

I'm hyped now.
Been listening to the anthem on repeat on the EPRC site.

Here we go

live.epcrugby.com/eng/player1.php

Link only seems to appear via an ad banner on the epcr website and doesn't seem to be there at all on the mobile version.

ConnachtCows wrote:
Will need to be aiming for at least 21 points
14 at home
7 away

19 points has been enough under the 5 groups/3 runners up format, 20 was enough for the couple years before of 6 groups/2 runners up.

10 points against the 4th tier team, 2 home wins against the good teams and a bonus point against one of them home or away should give us 8th place in the QF draw.

ConnachtCows wrote: The one thing that I'm taking from these permutations and combinations conversations, is that there are no easy draws.

I was thinking that alright. The flipside is that nearly every team is attractive from some perspective, be it potential beatability (Zebre, Castres), rugby history (Clermont, Leicester), attractiveness as an away destination (Montpellier, Bordeaux, Exeter) or ease of access for the away trip (Sale, Wasps).
So I'll have something to smile about whatever happens.
Would kinda like to avoid Toulon (combination of being bloody hard to beat while also not feeling particularly privileged to play them), Wasps (do I watch the match in Coventry and then go to London for pints?), and Sale (two trips to the England plus would be one of the trickier of the fourth seeds).