Euro Jollies Next Season

[Heathen]

Is it possible to get 2 French teams?

Quite possible that there will be 3 pools with two French sides in them.

R26 fixtures include La Rochelle at home to Bordeaux and Clermont at home to Montpellier.

Montpellier are currently in 6th ahead of la Rochelle on the same number of points. La Rochelle are effectively already qualified for next year's Heiny as losing finalists in the ECC. Should they finish 6th then there will be 8 French sides in the Challenge Cup.

[BG]

Will there be any Italian teams in the Champions Cup next season. I'm not sure there were any this season (I may be wrong)

[Heathen]

Yes - Benetton Treviso.

Qualification from the Pro 14 is the top 3 in each conference and they were :

Glasgow, Munster, Connacht from Conference A and Leinster, Ulster and Benetton from Conference B and the 4th place playoff to decide the 7th side. Ospreys beat Scarlets 21-10 in this.

So the 4 Irish provinces, Glasgow, Benetton and Scarlets qualify from the Pro14.

So Cardiff, Zebre, Edinburgh, Scarlets and Dragons will be in the Challenge Cup with Wasps.

[BG]

Considering the success of the Welsh national team, to only have 1 Welsh region in the Champions Cup must be setting alarm bells off at the WRU


PS
How's the weather Heathen.. assuming you arrived at your destination?

[Heathen]

Bryan, yes we got here OK and the weather has been good, considering we are only 70 miles south of Caen.

The HEC is now sorted :

Sarries, Chiefs, Glaws, Saints, Quins, Bath and Sale

Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Connacht,  Glasgow, Benetton, Ospreys

Toulouse, Clermont, Lyon, Racing, La Rochelle and Montpellier.

The Challenge cup is :

Wasps,  Bristol, Worcester, Leicester and Irish.

Cardiff, Zebre, Scarlets, Edinburgh, Dragons

Castres, SF, Toulon, UBB, Section Paloise, Agen, Bayonne and either Grenoble or Brive. Grenoble must now beat Brive to remain in the Top14.

And - One club from the Continental Shield which features representatives from emerging countries and the Italian Eccellenza, and the winner of a play-off between Enisei-STM and Timisoara Saracens.

Could be some interesting trips - Bordeaux and Agen, I would be very happy with. As I imagine would Backdoc!

[westwaleswasp]

Mark my words, the   "joys" of Newport await!

[mike909]

Mark my words, the   "joys" of Newport await!

As someone who had an ex partner from not far off, "Joy" and Newport were rarely found in the same thought or sentence...

[Heathen]

Bayonne beat Brive 21-19 to win ProD2.

Grenoble now have to beat Brive to stay in the Top14 next season.

[westwaleswasp]

Mark my words, the   "joys" of Newport await!

As someone who had an ex partner from not far off, "Joy" and Newport were rarely found in the same thought or sentence...

Oh yes, the only joy in Newport is the way to Cardiff.

[backdoc]

"Could be some interesting trips - Bordeaux and Agen, I would be very happy with. As I imagine would Backdoc!"

Indeed, and I include Bayonne as I have had two incredible rugby weekends there in the past.
We won in Bordeaux in the group stages in 2002/3 before winning the Parker Pen Trophy. Oogie scored an amazing try.
We drew in Agen in 2011 - Dai's first game [friendly]. I spent half the afternoon looking after Joe L who had a head/neck injury. Dai was hugely impressed with his new 1 [MacIntyre aged 19].

[mike909]

Mark my words, the   "joys" of Newport await!

As someone who had an ex partner from not far off, "Joy" and Newport were rarely found in the same thought or sentence...

Oh yes, the only joy in Newport is the way to Cardiff.

Yep - Parkway to Cardiff is quite rapid!

[Tervueren]

There is another Joy they'd be welcome to

[Neils]

Zebre is a lovely trip even in deepest January.

[FishingWasp]

Mark my words, the   "joys" of Newport await!

As someone who had an ex partner from not far off, "Joy" and Newport were rarely found in the same thought or sentence...

My main memory ofNewport is , when living in Cardiff, Mrs FW and I went there to see The Exorcist (not Joy S, but the film) due to the film being banned in Cardiff ( by the councilors who hadn't seen it!). I can fully understand why the nearest thing to a bypass, the M4, gets clogged up with people avoiding Newport. Of course it all in jest as it may have changed, and I'd give Rodney Parade a try before judging.
Oh yes, the only joy in Newport is the way to Cardiff.

Yep - Parkway to Cardiff is quite rapid!

[Rifleman Harris]

I lived in Caerleon just by Newport. Newport is OK, I liked it there. Cardiff is better for a night out I guess, but I would sooner live in Newport than Cardiff.