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#Post#: 62807--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: March 31, 2021, 5:57 pm
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--- Quote from: deadlyfrom5yardsout link ---
>
> Bit surprised at the slightly defeatist attitude about The
Challenge Cup. It is still a Major Trophy.
>
--- End Quote ---
Fair enough about the attitude but I’m not how it can be
considered a major trophy when the qualification criteria is
being in the bottom half of your league. Leicester played in
Europe for about 25 years before they “qualified” for it; do you
think they were particularly proud that year?
#Post#: 62808--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: Bolly-Quin
Date: March 31, 2021, 7:10 pm
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While I agree with BB in that the Challenge Cup might not be a
"Major" trophy, I'd still like Quins to win it (again).
Leicester did start the professional era on the top and have
only recently been benthic - I bet they'd like to win it now;
similarly, for a club that is rebuilding (again), it could be
seen as a building block for the future.
I'm sure we'd all like to see the Club win the Champions Cup,
but if we always put out a second team for fixtures because we'd
want to concentrate on the league, they'll never acclimatise to
taking both league and cup games seriously.
Seems to me that this is the perfect opportunity to see how this
squad will fare chasing both...
#Post#: 62810--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: Banstead Quin
Date: April 1, 2021, 3:28 am
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Completely agree, I'd be happy to win the Challenge Cup every
year as it'll eventually lead to success in the Champions Cup
once you understand how to play and win in Europe.
Great for our younger players like Smith & Dombrandt to start
adding trophies to their name.
#Post#: 62815--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: April 1, 2021, 4:00 am
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And The Gang of Four too.
#Post#: 62822--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: April 1, 2021, 5:43 am
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--- Quote from: Banstead Quin link ---
>
> Completely agree, I'd be happy to win the Challenge Cup every
year as it'll eventually lead to success in the Champions Cup
once you understand how to play and win in Europe....
>
--- End Quote ---
I'm not sure there's any correlation. If you look at the
finalists from both competitions there's very little overlap.
The only team to have won both in the last ten years is Leinster
and they only got into it by just failing to qualify for the
Champions Cup knock out stages. They also preceded their win by
winning the Champions Cup in the previous two years.
#Post#: 62826--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: MadMax
Date: April 1, 2021, 6:10 am
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I think it is always good to try to win the competitions you are
in otherwise you end up like the perennial mid-table Premier
League football teams who scramble to finish high enough to
qualify for the Europa League and then play their reserves in
that competition the following season in order to keep their
players fresh enough to be able to win a Europa League place the
following season!
#Post#: 62828--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: Liverpoolquin
Date: April 1, 2021, 6:18 am
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For me I think this game should be used to allow the fringe
players to get some meaningful game time. I’d start players like
Els, Musk, Tizard, Steele, Herron, Taps and Earle.
#Post#: 62829--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: PinguthePenQuin
Date: April 1, 2021, 6:37 am
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Why should making changes mean the club aren't taking it
serious? Let's face it, Steele, Taps, Lasike and Lang is an
international backline! Add in Earle, Lynagh, Murley and
Herron....that's not a bad set of backs. Plus, you'd hope they
would all be hungry to play and earn the shirt!
I'd play that backline and mix up the forwards a little.
#Post#: 62830--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: Brown Bottle
Date: April 1, 2021, 6:54 am
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--- Quote from: MadMax link ---
>
> I think it is always good to try to win the competitions you
are in otherwise you end up like the perennial mid-table Premier
League football teams who scramble to finish high enough to
qualify for the Europa League and then play their reserves in
that competition the following season in order to keep their
players fresh enough to be able to win a Europa League place the
following season!
>
--- End Quote ---
I think the same thing already happens in rugby. I think in
football there is a large financial incentive to qualifying for
Europe; not so sure about English rugby as PRL certainly used to
favour an equal split and I don't know what the prize money is
or how it's allocated.
#Post#: 62834--------------------------------------------------
Re: European game team selection
DIR By: Banstead Quin
Date: April 1, 2021, 7:37 am
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--- Quote from: Brown Bottle link ---
>
> I'm not sure there's any correlation. If you look at the
finalists from both competitions there's very little overlap.
The only team to have won both in the last ten years is Leinster
and they only got into it by just failing to qualify for the
Champions Cup knock out stages. They also preceded their win by
winning the Champions Cup in the previous two years.
>
--- End Quote ---
I think if you actually look at Champions Cup winners then you
can't really break into that group on pure ability alone,
running alongside a heavy domestic campaign. Sarries and French
teams threw tons of money at it so had pretty much 2
international teams to pick from, Leinster rest all their best
players in the domestic tournament and what's left is good
enough to qualify each year. By resting your talent, you get to
put your best performance in, in each round.
I'd argue only Exeter have bucked that trend last year but would
they have won the Champions Cup without the Covid break enabling
them to rest players or get their injured players back? Maybe
not.
So I'd agree that there is no correlation but I would say that a
mindset shift in how to approach European tournaments would
eventually lead to success.
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