Dissapointing as not getting the win in Worcester was.
Looking at the current standings and remaining fixtures , IMO we still have a decent chance of a Top 2 seed given the way they fall...

Anything other than a scratch Oyannax coming to Galway, and a resultant five points for us will be a huge surprise.
As well as Edinburgh have been going, I still think they're vulnerable to a loss in Paris when push comes to show.
And the same goes for Pau, Gloucester on a freezing cold Friday night could serve them up a bonus point loss.
And as I expect,a non-bonus point win for Gloucester would still leave them behind us (just as well given their Zebre assisted Try count).

So all that being said, that would leave us with a second seed placing.
A home 1//4 final and home 1/2 final if we were to get past Worcester a second time, albeit (barring a London Irish premiership revival) a full strength Warriors side travelling to Galway...

pinky wrote: Northampton win will help (I think)

Edit: Prob need Munster win to deny them top 2.

Yeah, Clermont looking like second seed, barring an unlikely Ospreys win.

Apparently we could have kicked a pen in the end, but it seems we were right to look for BP.
Edinburgh may win vs less interested Stade Français, and Newcasle trashed Enisei (6 point-difference in their favour over Connacht now).

Don't agree with those saying "game after game".
The european rules are special. They condition your SF from your pool result in reality;

Now it's clear : ok we have to win a home QF. That's a minimun.
But then, we have to pray Gloucester play the competition 100% and win away to Newcastle in SF
Then, even losing away SF (in Edinburgh I hope), we would be likely to qualify (assuming Leinster/anyone else prevent Clermont from winning the other cup)

Northampton win will help (I think)

Edit: Prob need Munster win to deny them top 2.

It was Luke McAllister and I think he got injured too.

They have a mountain of injuries, particularly at half back. At one stage Parra was the only fit 9 or 10 in their squad; they'd been playing Toeava at 10 until last week when they stuck an 18 year old in there. Think they recently signed a Kiwi or Australian 10 from Toulon as injury cover but can't recall exactly who and he hasn't played yet in any case.

Things are always extremely tight in France and they could end up quite easily in the top 6 yet, despite being 10th currently they are just 7 points off 6th and with the depth their squad has if they get their act together they could still pull it off.

For me, the other big game in Europe for Connacht this weekend is Northampton v Clermont.
Bookies now have Clermont seventh favourites for the Top 14 so there is a very real risk they will miss out on qualification by that route, in which case winning the Champions Cup would mean no qualification place for the Challenge Cup winner. As it stands they are odds on for a top 2 seeding and a likely home country semi-final. They will surely stuff Ospreys in the Michelin so if Saints can overcome the 15/8 odds (along with La Rochelle or even better Munster winning away and of course Leinster winning), that would at least help throw a few obstacles in their way ...

We will have the best team.
And no they have some really key injuries (Te'o, Lance, Schonert), and their substitute front row looked very weak vs Bath
If they rest 3/4 + those 3 unavailable, I'm confident.
It won't be easy, it will be dirty, it should be raining, but we're able to have the result.

If we don't, we don't deserve Champions Cup. Simple as

connachta wrote: Yeeeeeeeeeeeeees

It won't be an "A" team but look how resting 3/4 key players affects a team (except Leinster)!

www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/wrfc/15813...s_club_s__priority_/

If we're anything off our best, there's no guarantee of a win away from home even if they rest a few.
They have decent depth..

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeees

It won't be an "A" team but look how resting 3/4 key players affects a team (except Leinster)!

www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/wrfc/15813...s_club_s__priority_/

BTW there's one, and only one thing I don't get from Keane

I've seen Coaches not using 1 sub, and maybe use another very late

But Keane keeps 3/4 on the bench on a regular basis, and they're not Academy benchers there to make the number because of injuries.

On monday : Roux Irish International, unused, Dawai, experienced Fidjian International, used for barely 10 min, McCabe unused, Griffin Emerging Irish, European experienced, unsued...

overstrander wrote:

connachta wrote:

Podge57 wrote:

Tall Paul wrote: The way KK is rotated the squad I think we should put our strongest possible teams for all matches.

With all the Wales injuries, will Cardiff loose more players than us to the 6N?
This maybe another factor to consider.

All we need to do is match Cardiff result in the rest of the games, and better then in one game.
I think this is possible to do, and easier thing to do IMO.
I would love is to win the challenge cup.
I think the pro 14 is the easier way to qualify

And Ospreys? They may in fact prove our undoing.

we could prevent Ospreys to catch 8 points with head-to-head against them
We won't catch Cardiff because they have an easy run-in.
And in the end it seems K.K agrees with me on the ChallengeCup road, we should be full-strengh for Worcester (Masterson, Coulson, Farrell, International players preseved)

I'd say you agree with KK (if you knew what he was thinking). I doubt KK gives a damn about your or any of our opinions.

K.K listens to me every day. Of course my way of saying that is toungue in cheek.
Though, on my own point of view, my prefered choices are the one K.K made a few day later, and I'm really happy about having him a main coach.
Both selections and gamestyle (Lam inspired ponderated by kicks and static phases)

connachta wrote:

Podge57 wrote:

Tall Paul wrote: The way KK is rotated the squad I think we should put our strongest possible teams for all matches.

With all the Wales injuries, will Cardiff loose more players than us to the 6N?
This maybe another factor to consider.

All we need to do is match Cardiff result in the rest of the games, and better then in one game.
I think this is possible to do, and easier thing to do IMO.
I would love is to win the challenge cup.
I think the pro 14 is the easier way to qualify

And Ospreys? They may in fact prove our undoing.

we could prevent Ospreys to catch 8 points with head-to-head against them
We won't catch Cardiff because they have an easy run-in.
And in the end it seems K.K agrees with me on the ChallengeCup road, we should be full-strengh for Worcester (Masterson, Coulson, Farrell, International players preseved)

I'd say you agree with KK (if you knew what he was thinking). I doubt KK gives a damn about your or any of our opinions.

Priorising Worcester, resting 3 main players in addition to international guys, over Munster game, vs interpro rivals is a hell of a sign we're going for the Cup as better road than the league.