So where do we stand after round 5

A lot clearer now after round 5 so how does it look for round 6

Pool 1 - Leinster (17 pts) at home to Ospreys and O's are out of it - maybe no BP - so Leinster win and end up on 21pts
Pool 2 - Toulon (20 pts) away to Glasgow - strange feeling that Toulon (not the best of travellers) are going to come up short but probably get LBP - 21pts
Pool 3 - Toulouse away to Zebre and should be 5 pts - 24pts
Saracens home to Connacht - should win but no BP - so 19 pts
Pool 4 - Clermont home to a woeful RM - 5 pts so go to 24pts
Pool 5 - Shoot-out at Welford Rd - maybe it's the green-tinged specs but Ulster to win and go to 26pts, Tigers to get LBP and 21 pts
Pool 6 - Munster to beat Embra but no BP so end up on 22pts

So seedings for QF would go - not sure how they sort out seedings when teams are level on pts - is it pts difference, tried difference? Anybody know

1 - Ulster
2 - Clermont/Toulouse
3 - Toulouse/Clermont
4 - Munster
5 - Leinster/Toulon
6 - Toulon/Leinster
7 - Leicester
8 - Saracens

Whichever way it turns out will make for some tasty QF's. A long way away but think the French will win the cup - Toulouse or Clermont

Given the Blues shocking season in the league this season its quite shock that they could be in the mix, winning bp would see them on 18 not quite enough but should see them drop into the Amlin, again given form bit of shock.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Given the Blues shocking season in the league this season its quite shock that they could be in the mix, winning bp would see them on 18 not quite enough but should see them drop into the Amlin, again given form bit of shock.

I think our depth was severely tested this season, we are really down to fringe players in some positions given the absences of big players.

Pool 1 - Leinster (17 pts) at home to Ospreys and O's are out of it - maybe no BP - so Leinster win and end up on 21pts
After our abysmal showings v Saints at home and Castres away, I expect us to explode and spank O's at the RDS. 22 pts.

Pool 2 - Toulon (20 pts) away to Glasgow - strange feeling that Toulon (not the best of travellers) are going to come up short but probably get LBP - 21pts
Fancy Glasgow to win that one as well. Toulon 21pts.  

Pool 3 - Toulouse away to Zebre and should be 5 pts - 24pts
Yup.
Saracens home to Connacht - should win but no BP - so 19 pts.
I have a dream... But Id give Sarries 5pts in reality. 20pts.  

Pool 4 - Clermont home to a woeful RM - 5 pts so go to 24pts
Its Frogs v Frogs. Could go any way. Bet its a kick-fest. Sexton to win it. 21pts for Clermont.

Pool 5 - Shoot-out at Welford Rd - maybe it's the green-tinged specs but Ulster to win and go to 26pts, Tigers to get LBP and 21 pts.
Think Ulster are under-cooked for this one. Tigers to squeeze it and win the group on 24 pts. Ulster get RU on 23pts, which would be harsh.

Pool 6 - Munster to beat Embra but no BP so end up on 22pts
Munster will bate de bejayus out of Edinburgh. 23pts.

Pool 1. Leinster 22 pts
Pool 2. Toulon 22pts
Pool 3. Toulouse 24pts.  
Pool 4. Clermont 20pts
Pool 5. Tigers 24pts
Pool 6. Munster 23pts

RU's:  
7. Ulster 23pts.
8. Sarries 20pts.


Then again Ted, it could and probably will, all end up so different... Got to love the Heino.

Can't see Clermont losing at home and I think Toulon will grind it out against Glasgow...i think its between Clermont and Toulouse to be honest but its shaping up nicely..

Beste wensen Gibbo...

Can somebody remind me of the "rule" deciding who gets home advantage in the Semi Finals? And where is this year's final held?

Ineffable wrote:Can somebody remind me of the "rule" deciding who gets home advantage in the Semi Finals? And where is this year's final held?

It's an open draw, once the QFs are confirmed they draw the semis. They pick two games at random and say the winner of this game will play the winner of the other game at home*

Final is in Cardiff this year

*home country, not home stadium

Interesting that it looks like 2 english, 3 irish, 3 french teams.

Bloody home draws.

Why do we have to suffer them over home/away fixtures?

I want to see the best team win the EC and not the teams coming through the weakest pools being further advantaged.

e.g. Leinster most likely wouldn't have fallen out at this stage last year had the whole shebang had a sensible structure in the first place.

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:Bloody home draws.

Why do we have to suffer them over home/away fixtures?

I want to see the best team win the EC and not the teams coming through the weakest pools being further advantaged.

e.g. Leinster most likely wouldn't have fallen out at this stage last year had the whole shebang had a sensible structure in the first place.

Not so sure that a weak team is causing a skew this year PC, apart from Zebre maybe. Yes Treviso have provided BP wins for Ulster and Tigers but they also both had to win home and away to Montpellier, which is no mean feat. If the teams most likely to qualify do so at this stage you could hardly say any of the other teams were that hard done by.

Only one team is unbeaten - that does not say to me that any group was particularly weak.

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:Bloody home draws.

Why do we have to suffer them over home/away fixtures?

I want to see the best team win the EC and not the teams coming through the weakest pools being further advantaged.

e.g. Leinster most likely wouldn't have fallen out at this stage last year had the whole shebang had a sensible structure in the first place.

It becomes more of a joke when a team (in a really tough group featuring Toulouse, Ulster, and London Irish) manage to win all their games, topping the table with 6 wins and 3 try bonus points, even though they were expected to be 3rd/4th. Then they go on to beat the reigning HEC champions Munster, but have then have to deal with an away semi-final. Where is the reward for the team there? (P.S. I don't have a chip on my shoulder, I have a bleeding chip shop   )

The home QF is not too bad but the fact an undeserving team can get a home semi-final seems just wrong.

The semi-finals are a home country advantage, not a home advantage- it's  not quite the same. Normally they are held in larger stadiums with plenty of room for opposing fans to come over.

They can't be played in a teams main home ground. There is a slight advantage to the 'home' side, but not as much as there would be in a genuine home match.

Scarletspiderman undeserving? Surely that's very subjective.

If one of the best runners up wins away from home they'll have to take one hell of a scalp.

Not a bad line up for a top 8.

Gibbo, if Racing on their current form, Sexton (who has not looked like a multiple HEC winner, frankly, but at least looks like he cares) or not, can beat ASM at home, for me that is the biggest upset this year by a million miles. Racing look like they'd give Worcester a great chance at a first win away, ASM are a better side, who don't choke in the groups, with a team ethic and a team that has already gelled and are unbeaten at home in over 70 matches. Not a chance it happens. French teams also have a huge home advantage against Ftejch teams away and Quins murdered the Racing pack. Scarlets had the beating of them. What do you think Domingo etc will do? They have no heart and will get slaughtered. Also ASM have something to play for (a guaranteed home SF if they thrash them) Racing won't even make the Amlin if they destroy ASM

Notch wrote:The semi-finals are a home country advantage, not a home advantage- it's  not quite the same. Normally they are held in larger stadiums with plenty of room for opposing fans to come over.

They can't be played in a teams main home ground. There is a slight advantage to the 'home' side, but not as much as there would be in a genuine home match.

It all depends. For Leicester for example, home-country advantage is more or less home advantage when they can play in the Walkers Stadium etc, or even for Cardiff Blues even having the Millennium right next door.

'shocked - the undeserving thing was very subjective, but I was being a bit tongue in cheek about one specific season.

Looks like a 3 horse race between Toulon, Leinster and Clermont, with the dark horses being Munster and the winner between Ulster and Leicester.

Though saying that scarletspiderman if Saracens do qualify for the quarter finals we will have been fortunate but that's the way the pools have gone.

rodders wrote:Looks like a 3 horse race between Toulon, Leinster and Clermont, with the dark horses being Munster and the winner between Ulster and Leicester.

In most sensible predictions Leinster will have to travel away to Toulon or more likely to Clermont... That's a spicey meat'a'ball...

Mickado wrote:

rodders wrote:Looks like a 3 horse race between Toulon, Leinster and Clermont, with the dark horses being Munster and the winner between Ulster and Leicester.

In most sensible predictions Leinster will have to travel away to Toulon or more likely to Clermont... That's a spicey meat'a'ball...

Oh..you guys are fieced then.....Munster to win the cup .....

i think it's crazy that we, the blues, are in with a chance of a run in the Amlin considering the injury list and the way we've been playing.

I wonder if so many teams have had a shout at getting Amlin/HC place on the ladt weekend.

Have to say must groups have been compeditive and most matches aswell.

Every country bar italy have a shot at a team getting more games. Most 2+ teams

From a Munster perspective it looks like even a BP win at home wont be enough for home QF. How that match against Edinburgh has cost us.

We need either Toulouse or Clermount not to get BP against Zebre / Racing. Or we need Glasgow to beat Toulon. Not hopeful of any of these.

Whatever happens I reckon Leinster will get Clermont in the 1/4s. I would prefer Toulon I think.

BlueMuff wrote:From a Munster perspective it looks like even a BP win at home wont be enough for home QF. How that match against Edinburgh has cost us.

We need either Toulouse or Clermount not to get BP against Zebre / Racing. Or we need Glasgow to beat Toulon. Not hopeful of any of these.

I can esily see Glasgow beat Toulon if they put the right team out and play to their potential.

Well after their nasty, cynical performance at Scotstoun this season don't see that Glasgow Warriors owe Munster anything tbh !

Brendan wrote:I wonder if so many teams have had a shout at getting Amlin/HC place on the last weekend.

Have to say must groups have been compeditive and most matches aswell.

Every country bar italy have a shot at a team getting more games. Most 2+ teams

The 'as it stands' qualifying/seedings table for both comps will be ever changing over the weekend.

gc - Blues can still qualify for the HC by my reckoning. They need Sarries to lose to Connacht (with no tbp to Connacht) and bag a tbp win of their own. Plus hope that other results go their way -esp. Saints v Castres.

There's only one guaranteed r/u - Ulster or Leicester.

There are still 3 Amlin spots very much up for grabs though.