neill_m wrote: Current standings

Clermont 25 (Dragons A)
La Rochelle 20 (Zebre A)
Sale 17 (Perpignan H)
Worcester 17 (Stade H)
Quins 16 (Agen A)

Connacht 17 (Bordeaux A)
Bristol 16 (Enisei H)
Saints 16 (Timisoara Sarries H)

Treviso 15 (Grenoble A)
Ospreys 12 (Pau A)

Thanks, Zebre are still in the hunt, currently on 14 with home match to La Rochelle next. Very slim chance though given Bristol’s last match

Relieved to get a win yesterday but we blew a big chance at 17-0 when we quick tapped a penalty in the corner when Sale were getting destroyed by our maul and on a final warning.

In the end relieved to get a win if even for the sake of morale.

Really we blew the chance of winning the group in the earlier games.

Grenoble v Treviso is on Friday so at least we will know what we need. Hopefully we can just get through even if its Clermont away and reevaluate in April.

Cardiff is certainly the bigger game for our season though.

Betty Swallocks wrote: Clermont away is now the almost certain quarter final tie, and we have to hope that Treviso lose in Grenoble or they could pass us for the No8 qualifying spot.

You're making the assumption we lose. We've already won in France this season, we're 6 from 9 over there in the previous 5 seasons, and UBB are unlikely to give a toss with a home Top 14 game the following week.

Not really
BP in Bordeaux in it's Sale away again
Simple win and it's Clermont
LBP and we're out

Basically I'd prefer we send the most "A" team" we can in Bordeaux.
Will be hard to get 5 points anyway, and Clermont away is just bad for confidence, will end with 50 points conceeded.
Even with TBP you saw Sale, winning home was difficult, away is a 1% chance

Champions Cup qualifying is the priority, let's focus on Pro14 now it's over for a home QF Rest Kelleher and Faing'aa absolutely, Kerrins for Blade too. Give Maksymiew/Gallagher/C.Fitzgerald/De.Buitlear/Carey a start

Clermont away is now the almost certain quarter final tie, and we have to hope that Treviso lose in Grenoble or they could pass us for the No8 qualifying spot.

Current standings

Clermont 25 (Dragons A)
La Rochelle 20 (Zebre A)
Sale 17 (Perpignan H)
Worcester 17 (Stade H)
Quins 16 (Agen A)

Connacht 17 (Bordeaux A)
Bristol 16 (Enisei H)
Saints 16 (Timisoara Sarries H)

Treviso 15 (Grenoble A)
Ospreys 12 (Pau A)

Fast twitch wrote: Perpignan 27 Bordeaux 34. Bonus point for Bordeaux. On 11 points now.

Bordeaux have been a different team since Joe Worsley took over from Rory Teague.

They've beaten Toulon (h), Castres (a), Racing (h) and Pau (a) in the league and also had the away win at Sale.

Perpignan 27 Bordeaux 34. Bonus point for Bordeaux. On 11 points now.

BP win for La Rochelle v Zebre 32-12.

I agree, Sale have no premiership match till 16 Feb so I think they will put out a fairly strong side, I hope we put out a strong side also, shud be a cracking game

Harlequins are on a bit of a run and are up to third in the Premiership now (though plenty bunched below them).
The way I see it the likely home QFs are:
Clermont - nailed on for a top seeding and will definitely qualify via the Top 14
La Rochelle - one win from the two Zebre games should be enough for a home QF. Looking very good for top 6 in France.
Sale/Connacht - Sale in line for a top 2 seeding if they win on Sat. Connacht would be third unless La Rochelle drop points
Harlequins/Ospreys - will likely play each other in the QF anyway, home advantage at stake

The possiblity of poxing into the Champions Cup without even having to win a semi-final is a big incentive to win on Saturday, but if anything the incentive is even greater for Sale as they would probably end up with a home quarter and semi (and final just up the road).

The few weeks off after round six gives a bit of an advantage to the English teams with less imperative to rest players, though with Sale having played nearly the same 15 the last 3 games, they might be tempted to give some of them a breather.

They've gone full-team in the last 3 games. I'm optimistic they rotate a lot, and that we can reach the 5-1 or 4-0 split to top the pool.

Sale beat Saracens last night 24-18 to move 4th in Premiership. They now have serious momentum ahead of next week. May opt not to focus on Europe having moved to 4th in table in England.

That seems a bit harsh to me. I know there was precedent with a Bucharest game before but there was about 2 metres of snow this time so you'd imagine there wasn't a whole pile they could do. EPCR surely the main culprit for scheduling a game there that weekend rather than giving them two home games in October like used to be the case.

(I'd bet Heidelberg's pitch was playable)

Saints awarded 28-0 win (5-0 MP) for Romanian trip.

FIXTURE UPDATE | The EPCR have confirmed that our final @ERChallengeCup pool game against Bordeaux-Begles will take place at Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday January 19th 2019 (k/o 3pm Irish time). #StrongerInGreen