OK but think the semi would have been between 7th and 8th of the Guiness pro 12, and then final against anglo-french winner, in the former version

I'm with Connachta on this one.
This is an improvement for the Pro12 teams.
The system as it stood yesterday was that the two best unqualified Pro12 teams would have travelled to England and France. Based on last season that would have meant being away to Wasps or Stade Francais - neither would have been impossible, but a bloody big ask. Beating one would probably mean playing the other. Not sure how home advantage would be decided in the final, probably another coin toss. So a 50% chance of two away games. I would give very little chance to either of the Pro12 qualifiers.

Now as it stands, we would have a 50% chance of a home semi with a guaranteed home final if we win.
So eighth is worth slightly less (i.e. nothing) but seventh is worth so much more.

Seventh is very achievable this season. It's where the bookies have us at present.

rossie wrote: ......... Inspite of improved investment over the last 3 years connacht have failed to reach 40 points. That's how tough it is. Yes the Italians are now both crap ..............

If the Italians are as "crap" as you suggest there is no reason why we should not pick up all 16 points form the 4 games. With the 12 points we already have, that would be 28 points 'virtually in the bag'. It will be a bloody disappointing season if we can not get at least another 13 points from the other 15 games and therefore breaking the 40 point mark.

8th spot was within reach with a 4 to 5 point improvement on last season. 7th realistically requires a 15 point improvement which will probably take 3 years to achieve if given the opportunity. This is a very tough league in spite of what the English and French would have you believe. Inspite of improved investment over the last 3 years connacht have failed to reach 40 points. That's how tough it is. Yes the Italians are now both crap ( which is a separate matter and must be addressed by the celtic unions imo) but accumulating points has always been difficult for the bottom 5 teams.

secondary benefit : with the decisive match always at the Celts', huge attendence will be regularly expected, and small-capacity stadium like Scotstoun or Sportsground will be widened in the middle-term! Clan tier-2 here we are!!!

salmson wrote: So the format for the 20th-place-in-the-Not-HEC will be decided by a different format than previously proposed....

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7th in Pro12 (assuming the Italian teams continue to suck) plays 7th in Premiership, home advantage decided by a coin toss.

Winner of that is then at home to 7th place in the Top 14.

So all the French need to do to have a 7th club in the top competition is have someone win a European play-off match away. :evil:

I'm smelling complete disinterest from our Gallic brethren.

It's the greatest news of the day

The 8th spot was just an illusion : two away matches in a row, with 20% chance to win each, meant 4% to win both and qualify
Whereas now, ok it will be 7th or nothing, but we could have both play-off matches at home, and at least the last one guaranteed

ummm, wrote: From what I remember, and I admit Wray and his cronies changed goalposts so many times I might be remembering an old proposed system that never got off the ground, the idea was the playoff was to be between Top 14 and and LNR with Pro12 left out completely.

That was just for this season (and no justification was given there either). We were definitely supposed to have two from next year. Essentially our chance to make the playoffs is greatly reduced because the French don't want to play two bloody games post season...

I don't see how it's disastrous. Everyone's targeting top 6, now even if you miss out on top 6 there's still another way into Europe.

Might be bad in terms of team mentality when making targets, but other than that there is now the possibility that another pro12 can make it. If Connacht target top six they were always going to have to target the points you mention.

From what I remember, and I admit Wray and his cronies changed goalposts so many times I might be remembering an old proposed system that never got off the ground, the idea was the playoff was to be between Top 14 and and LNR with Pro12 left out completely.

But feck it, they're missing out no matter. What the idiots should be doing is taking the next 3 from each league and making a mini tournament out of it, winner gets Europe. Fans who would otherwise be watching their leagues knockout stages with no interest would now have reason to watch their own teams.

So I was right!
From connachts pov that's a big change and not to their advantage. If you look at the last 4 seasons which are the relevant ones as they include the Italians then 7th place accumulated 41, 50, 50 and 49 points. Last year Cardiff were a shambles but still finished 7th and 41pts. They have invested heavily and will expect to improve on that this season. Imo it 7th will return to around 50 points this season. As connachts have so far failed to break the 40 points ceiling in the 12 team format this represents a huge changing of the goalposts. I know you guys are on a high atm and rightly so given the great start but in reality this is disastrous for connachts Imo.

Irish Times:

The initial plan to decide next year’s play-off qualifier again involved the seventh-placed sides from England and France, but with the eighth- and ninth-placed teams from the Pro12, or in case those clubs had already qualified, the highest ranked clubs not already qualified.

We've been skanked out of one playoff place is what I'm seeing.

Decadence wrote:

ummm, wrote: It's for next season, so nothing changes for 2014/15
To be honest this is great, the highest loser in the Pro12 are supposed to be left out in the cold next year. This way every league has a chance.

Not really, the PRO12 was out in the cold this year, but we were supposed to get two teams into the playoffs from this season onward according to the previous agreement. From next season we only get one, with the problems Rossie mentioned.

I don't get the rationale behind this change at all, they seem to be saying that cutting the playoffs from 3 matches to two is a big gain? And why would the PRO12 agree to this?

I'd never heard we were going to get two in the playoffs. Are you sure about that?

Hang on everyone, I'm talking crap (what else is new, they say)

Rosie, you're right. This this a rule change for next years Euro competition, so it means the qualification at the end of THIS season's leagues

This is still good. We were all saying we need top six, but now seventh (or even 8th if the top 7 contains one from each union) will still mean the chance through thej knock out stage

Pretty good news for the Pro 12, TBH

ummm, wrote: It's for next season, so nothing changes for 2014/15
To be honest this is great, the highest loser in the Pro12 are supposed to be left out in the cold next year. This way every league has a chance.

Not really, the PRO12 was out in the cold this year, but we were supposed to get two teams into the playoffs from this season onward according to the previous agreement. For next season we only get one, with the problems Rossie mentioned.

I don't get the rationale behind this change at all, they seem to be saying that cutting the playoffs from 3 matches to two is a big gain? And why would the PRO12 agree to this?

Okay thanks. I thought it was a permanent change and that's the way it's being reported elsewhere. Their french obviously isn't as good as yours!

It's for next season, so nothing changes for 2014/15

To be honest this is great, the highest loser in the Pro12 was supposed to be left out in the cold next year. This way every league has a chance.

You would have to wonder who decided this, what consultation process was involved and why it has been decided now and not before the season commenced. It dramatically changes the landscape for teams in the pro12. Teams started season with a minimum goal of 8th to have a chance of ercc qualification. That has gone up to 7th which is a huge jump for some teams points wise over a season.