European and IRB rankings: A rigourous tweak required.

Any result over three years old should drop out of the reckoning,

In the ERC rankings, the likes of Tigers past performances weigh too heavily.

In the IRB, top fifteen contests should be treated as double points as if it were an RWC game...

I don't agree (but as a Leinster & Irish fan I wouldn't as the rankings currently reward recent performances).

The ERC rankings take into account how many seasons? It's not like the Tigers victories in at the turn of the millenium are still being included. If anything, it is their consistent topping of groups and reaching semifinals and finals (though not winning in a number of years) that is being rewarded.

I also don't think that Racing or Toulon should be bumped up the rankings because of recent player purchases, but should only be rewarded once they show consistently on the HC stage that they are an elite team.

I subtle tweak, maybe.

Comparing the ERC and iRB rankings is a non-starter, they use different algorithms. What is wrong in one is not necessarily wrong in the other. One all-encompassing tweak is imprecise.

The ERC rankings should certainly be weighted, though. A result from 4 years ago should not be considered as valid as a result from this year.

The idea of doubling points in the RWC is not very smart, it unduly disrupts the rankings. A different multiplicative factor would be better.

Just done a quick check by making the last 2 seasons twice as important as the previous two.

Only 2 changes to the seedings

Leicester and Saints change seedings with Saints now a 1st seed
Ulster and Irish change seedings with Ulster now a 2nd seed

i.e. very little change

How bored were you

How about a descending factor: 2011 * 4 + 2010 * 3 + 2009 * 2 + 2008

I know

I'm not doing it again by the way ! - I actually thinking a decending formula, as you suggest, would give too much weight to the last year. I

The point remains the change would not be as great as some expect.

Why do Cardiff hang around in the top echelons?

It's not just lurking amongst the also-rans in the ML - they always reflect their Nation's HEC contribution - great hosts.

Do Cardiff tend to go get a good run through the Amlin (winning it recently enough) when they don't get out of the group stage and they were also in an epic semi with Tigers only 3 seasons ago so I'd say the rankings are accurate but that they don't tend to get the recognition of progressing through the competitions (and obviously haven't been in HC finals)

Cardiff have made a HC SF and won the Amlin in the last 4 years - that is why they are a 1st seed