Hard to predict anything better or worse than second place in the pool given Sale's greater efficiency in the bonus point market.
To win, we'd need them to lose one of their home games against the French teams they hammered away so we can forget about that as a realistic prospect.
Qualifying from second is very possible though, as points are fairly well shared out in the other pools. All second place teams have between 8-10 points (and there are a few third-placers on 7-8 who could come into play) so basically if we win our three remaining games, we just need no more than two of those teams to win all three, and with Saints going to Clermont and Bristol and Zebre both to go to La Rochelle, we should be OK.
Winning all three is of course far from assured given the rotation (the Blues game the week after round 6 is so much more a priority), but it's at least more or less in our own hands.
Bookies still have us 4th-6th favourites to win it (though the odds get pretty long after Clermont and La Rochelle).

Even if we pull off an away win in Sale, it would be hard work to get a top 2 seeding after leaving that TBP behind. We'll also need a favour from Pat and Mul to keep La Rochelle's points tally in check. With those two results we would have a half decent chance of top 2 and maybe something like a home quarter against Worcester/Bristol followed by potential home semi against Quins to set up a final with already-qualified Clermont.
I'm not exactly fancying a result in the AJ Bell though. Brewery Field six days later is definitely a higher priority on my list of targets.

I dont get why Aki starts, Butler a bit it's puzzling too.
The rest is ok IMO, even Roux Godwin Niyi and so on, they have not been really overused, it's ok (except Carty, but there's no real choice here).
Copeland and Cannon even need gametime.

Next week, Horwitz would have been introduced gently by Eagles game and could start, Buckley, Dillane, Farrell and Bealham will be rested/fiiter

So Probably in Manchester, the best we could put to grab something over there (without Aki and Butler, at worse) :

1) Buckley
2) McCartney
3) Bealham
4) Roux
5) Dillane
6) Boyle
7) Fainga'a
8 ) Copeland
9) Marms or else
10) Horwitz
12) Farrell
13) Godwin
11) Healy
14) Niyi
15) Kell or Leader

16) Shane
17) McCabe
18) Carey
19) Cannon
20) one of Masterson/SOB
21) whoever, thin margin
22) Carty
23) Kell/Leader

We chose to go 80% full-strenght tomorrow, but we can still go in England 90% full-strenght with this team....

Joy Neville costing us the qualification. BP for Sale because of a silly red card, when Perpignan would have held if not win.
Sale have the BIG BIG advantage to receive us 1st
We have to go full-strenght there. If we don't manage to pick a BP, we can rotate for the next 4 rounds

Perpignan with a host of changes for their opener, which is not much of a surprise. They have their usual back 3 and a couple of back row starters but the rest seems all second string.
Sharks look to be going all out for it. They're not likely to make top 6 in the Premiership but at the same time aren't at huge risk of relegation so they may as well prioritise the Challenge Cup for the moment.

I kinda miss those Thursday night games. They used to set the mood for the weekend ahead ...

salmson wrote: Can't understand why Horwitz wasn't registered in the first place if there's no limit on player numbers.

It's also a bit odd that you still have to deregister a player in those circumstances. You can have as many as you like at the start but can't increase that number.

Horwitz in for Ronaldson:

www.the42.ie/munster-champions-cup-croni...ded-4276203-Oct2018/

Academy player Conor Fitzgerald is the third 10 in the squad. Can't understand why Horwitz wasn't registered in the first place if there's no limit on player numbers.

pinky wrote: No word on Horwitz being registered by the noon deadline so looks like our fly-half resources will remain thin. You'd imagine Jack has to get a rest at some point but mightn't have that luxury ...

I think I read Dave Finn or The Second Row on twitter saying Horwitz has replaced Ronaldson.

No word on Horwitz being registered by the noon deadline so looks like our fly-half resources will remain thin. You'd imagine Jack has to get a rest at some point but mightn't have that luxury ...

@ConnachtClan I have one spare ticket which I am selling for the @connachtrugby v @Bordeaux @epcrugby @ERChallengeCup match on October 13th. The ticket is for the @GrantThornton Stand. The Face Value is €40 But I am selling for €30. Please PM me if interested.

ConnachtCows wrote: Makes sense for the last round to be TBC. The TV companies will want to certain games played at times that suit them. They just wont know what those certain games are until after the 4th round realistically

As for the fixtures, considering going to the Sale away game.
The times for the home matches are frustrating. All Saturday afternoons (or early evening)
Whatever the reason, Friday Night matches seem to have been killed off

Just looking back to the old days when we hadn't any lights. KO was a Saturday, 3pm. Simple.

The difference is huge. Connacht can't be relagated.
+ Domestic league matters more in France (and England to a lesser extent)

Fast twitch wrote: ...
Bordeaux 8th place
Perpignan 14th place
Sale 11th place.
...

Connacht are in the equivalent of 10th place in the Pro 14

Great to see Horwitz back.
Could be still windy on Saturday so hope he has gotten used to Galway weather.
Bordeaux 8th place
Perpignan 14th place
Sale 11th place.
All these teams need a bit of good news but they all probably need to focus on their own league.
I'm more optimistic now than when the pool was drawn.
Especially after hearing we're in it to win it.

This guy can't catch a break...