Champions Cup Round 1 thoughts

[DGP Wasp]

Montpelier will almost certainly rest a lot for the trip over here.
Meanwhile Leinster host Northampton and Dragons travel to Bordeaux.  Be interesting to see what Saints do against Leinster.  Strong chance they will not see it as a priority.  Dragons likely to be well beaten in Bordeaux whatever team they send.
Come January, Wasps and Leinster could very easily be on 10 points apiece, Saints on 1 and Dragons and Montpelier 0.  In that situation it truly will be game over for those 3 and I'd expect them to lose interest very rapidly, meaning Wasps' and Leinster's passage to the quarters could be pretty straightforward, with Toulon, Bordeaux and La Rochelle scrapping it out for the other 2 spots.

Wasps have a great opportunity here to progress further in Europe than we have for a while, so I'd be disappointed to see too many rested through these pool games.  Not to mention the importance of getting our mojo back, building confidence with a couple of good European results hopefully then having some knock-on effect when we get back to the Prem.

[Neils]

Boyd said that Saints would rest senior squad for Leinster match. Expect a cricket score.

[jamestaylor002]

Wasps have a great opportunity here to progress further in Europe than we have for a while, so I'd be disappointed to see too many rested through these pool games.  Not to mention the importance of getting our mojo back, building confidence with a couple of good European results hopefully then having some knock-on effect when we get back to the Prem.

Completely agree with you - I think the Dragons game was a perfect opportunity to get that winning feeling back which hopefully translates back into the Prem

[Covkid40]

if we had won all three of the opening premiership matches I think you would have seen a very different team on Saturday. As it was I think Lee just wanted to get back to winning ways, losing becomes a habit just as much as winning does.

[Heathen]

If we do well in the first 3 matches, there could be an option for Lee to rest a few in the last pool game. Hopefully, by then, some of the cavalry should have returned.

[Montague Withnail]

Montpelier will almost certainly rest a lot for the trip over here.
Meanwhile Leinster host Northampton and Dragons travel to Bordeaux.  Be interesting to see what Saints do against Leinster.  Strong chance they will not see it as a priority.  Dragons likely to be well beaten in Bordeaux whatever team they send.
Come January, Wasps and Leinster could very easily be on 10 points apiece, Saints on 1 and Dragons and Montpelier 0.  In that situation it truly will be game over for those 3 and I'd expect them to lose interest very rapidly, meaning Wasps' and Leinster's passage to the quarters could be pretty straightforward, with Toulon, Bordeaux and La Rochelle scrapping it out for the other 2 spots.

Wasps have a great opportunity here to progress further in Europe than we have for a while, so I'd be disappointed to see too many rested through these pool games.  Not to mention the importance of getting our mojo back, building confidence with a couple of good European results hopefully then having some knock-on effect when we get back to the Prem.

Saints' form has been so bad for so long that it's tempting to say they should forget Europe and focus on premiership survival. I'm not sure that's right though, what they really need is a confidence win - they've got a good squad they just need to get out of the rut. They should go into giant-killing mode and give Leinster their best shot - imagine the confidence from beating them in Dublin!

[HDAWG]

I see people discussing solutions to team form on whether you should or shouldn't drop out a tournament.

I'll just point out Falcons went all in for Champions Cup 2 seasons ago, beat Toulon in historic victory and still got relegated in the prem.

There is no right answer and it's glass half full Vs glass half empty for all situations.

[Hymenoptera]

Are you forgetting that our, mostly, second string team thrashed Sarries a matter of weeks ago?

I'll probably never forget that game, it was heroic, but you can't expect results like that week in week out.

I'm not saying we could, or should, expect that on a regular basis, merely pointing out that our strength in depth isn't, perhaps, as wanting as you're implying. I think there are a couple of weak areas, 2nd row most notably, where we could do with an uplift, but I don't think we're that much worse off than most teams.

Your using a previous example to justify your opinion, ignoring other more recent examples that counter your opinion.

[hookender]

Tom Cruse makes champions cup team of the week
https://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/1058801791?-11081:2392

[hookender]

Whilst West makes sky sports team

[Shugs]

I must admit I'm perplexed by some of the negativity. A couple of months back we were a line out and drive away from winning the Prem final. Squad hasn't changed. I don't see why we can't do really well in the HC and get into the play offs. I don't buy the resting stuff. I'm not sure it achieves much or that players like it. Go from game to game, put your strongest team and, and see what happens from there.

[Neils]

I must admit I'm perplexed by some of the negativity. A couple of months back we were a line out and drive away from winning the Prem final. Squad hasn't changed. I don't see why we can't do really well in the HC and get into the play offs. I don't buy the resting stuff. I'm not sure it achieves much or that players like it. Go from game to game, put your strongest team and, and see what happens from there.

Unfortunately the agreement with the RFU requires clubs to rest England internationals. 

[Hymenoptera]

Like you, some will recall that game and even the proceeding performances and rightly state that the team has it in them as it hasn't changed, nothing wrong with that. Myself, I use the more recent performances and comparative opposition as a gauge of where we are and at the moment, we are nowhere near that level.
Played 4 won 2, both wins against weakened opposition, one loss was an away spanking, the other was an X rated horror movie at home. Once we get near the previous level, I'll be more optimistic.

[Shugs]

Weakened sides? Over those 4 games we've been missing, at some point, Minozzi, Robson, Willis J, Willis T, Vailanu, Launchbury, Rowlands, Vellacott, Umaga, Mills, Fekitoa, Watson, Harris, McIntyre, Oghre, Douglas, Gaskell, Shields, Simonds, Curran and probably a couple I've missed. We've been weakened as well.

[Shugs]

I must admit I'm perplexed by some of the negativity. A couple of months back we were a line out and drive away from winning the Prem final. Squad hasn't changed. I don't see why we can't do really well in the HC and get into the play offs. I don't buy the resting stuff. I'm not sure it achieves much or that players like it. Go from game to game, put your strongest team and, and see what happens from there.

Unfortunately the agreement with the RFU requires clubs to rest England internationals.

Yes, fair enough, you're strongest side whilst in the rules.