What A Difference A Year Makes

daveirl

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Sundy

yeah i had forgotton about connacht nearly being disbanded. i think their improvement comes form picking up a few good players like jackman has really boosted their squad.

And you cant forget the curse of internationals- leinster have been crippled by having so many players on the irish squad for the wc and 6n and loads of injuries to add to that.

cant remember which game it was(one of the welsh teams) when the commentator said that leinsters injury list was more impressive than the oppossitions team! That nite they had 5 players on special permit from the league

daveirl

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Sundy

you can see their point though they hardly want to cut most of the irish team out of the ERC do they?

daveirl

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damnyanks

Being kicked out of the heiniken cup might be sorta good for them. They'd make the needed changes and then create more competition for the 3rd spot.

Someone will have to give way eventually.

galwaydude

been from galway myself this is terrific, though have to throw caution to the wind and we are only in the semi final stages yet, but fair play considering we dont get half the funding other provinces get, so even if we loose next week im proud of what they have achieved so far this season.
PS best of luck to my team who are playing in the connaught junior cup QF today,

GreenHell

Great to see Connacht doing well. If Connacht win the biro IRFU should start howling for the biro to have its own qualification place into the HEC. There is one extra place with Welsh teams reducing their numbers to five.

Trojan

Aye, tis good to wear the green jersey up here in Dublin - all the Leinster supporters haven't said a word this season

Excellent win at the weekend over good opposition, hopefully that's put them in good order for next weekend!

Hairy Homer

There is no way the IRFU can chop Ulster out of the Heineken Cup. They said it would be determined on Celtic League and Cup placings. Ulster have already won the cup and are strong contenders for the League. It is not possible to say to a team like that that they must give way.

Speaking as a Leinster fan, I think that the IRFU should hold to its rules and let whoever comes fourth in the league of the Irish provinces, (or third if Connacht win the Biro cup and thereby qualify as of right) should drop out. Leicester won't be playing the HC next year. Why should the Irish fancy dans expect special treatment?

Of course there is a strong case for saying Wales should not have five representatives and that one of their teams should therefore give way, but that's a difficult one to argue where it really matters.

Jilm

Originally posted by Hairy Homer
Of course there is a strong case for saying Wales should not have five representatives and that one of their teams should therefore give way, but that's a difficult one to argue where it really matters.

Wales will only have 4 teams in next years ERC. The extra spot will go to either a French team or an English team depending on who fares better in the rest of this years ERC.

As for Ulster, I was also lead to understand that because they won the Celtic Cup they qualified for next years ERC. Also if Ireland don't have a team in the ERC semis, we would only have 2 teams in next years comp.

So, if Munster lose next weekend and Connacht win the Parker Pen shield, those two teams should be Connacht and Ulster ...no Munster or Leinster. 'course IRFU wouldn't let that happen, I think theyre changing the rules to a ranking system from what I read in the Irish Times (Munster 1st, Leinster 2nd, Ulster 3rd).

daveirl

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