Heineken Cup 2020/21

[Jonny tight lips]

I’ll take that

[colinmtn]

What is going on with those pools?
Northampton don't seem to be playing Montpellier.
Who actually qualifies and how?

Each pool has 4 teams from each league (Pro14, Top14, and Premiership) broken into Tiers 1-4.

Leinster as Pro 14 Tier 1 play the Tier 4 teams from the other 2 leagues home and away (Montpelier and Northampton).

Northampton as Premiership Tier 4 play Tier 1 from the other 2 leagues home and away (Leinster and Bordeaux).

We are competing with all 12 teams in the pool to make the next round. Top 4 overall after 4 games go into the quarters.

[neill_m]

2020/21 HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP

POOL A (with opponents in brackets)

Bordeaux-Bègles (Dragons, Northampton Saints)
Leinster Rugby (Montpellier, Northampton Saints)
Wasps (Dragons, Montpellier)
Bath Rugby (La Rochelle, Scarlets)
Edinburgh Rugby (La Rochelle, Sale Sharks)
RC Toulon (Sale Sharks, Scarlets)
La Rochelle (Bath Rugby, Edinburgh Rugby)
Sale Sharks (Edinburgh Rugby, RC Toulon)
Scarlets (Bath Rugby, RC Toulon)
Dragons (Bordeaux-Bègles, Wasps)
Montpellier (Leinster Rugby, Wasps)
Northampton Saints (Bordeaux-Bègles, Leinster Rugby)

POOL B (with opponents in brackets)

Exeter Chiefs (Glasgow Warriors, Toulouse)
Lyon (Glasgow Warriors, Gloucester Rugby)
Ulster Rugby (Gloucester Rugby, Toulouse)
Bristol Bears (ASM Clermont Auvergne, Connacht Rugby)
Munster Rugby (ASM Clermont Auvergne, Harlequins)
Racing 92 (Connacht Rugby, Harlequins)
ASM Clermont Auvergne (Bristol Bears, Munster Rugby)
Connacht Rugby (Bristol Bears, Racing 92)
Harlequins (Munster Rugby, Racing 92)
Glasgow Warriors (Exeter Chiefs, Lyon)
Gloucester Rugby (Lyon, Ulster)
Toulouse (Exeter Chiefs, Ulster Rugby)

2020/21 season weekends

Round 1 – 11/12/13 December 2020
Round 2 – 18/19/20 December 2020
Round 3 – 15/16/17 January 2021
Round 4 – 22/23/24 January 2021
Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals, 1st leg – 2/3/4 April 2021
Challenge Cup Round of 16 – 2/3/4 April 2021
Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals, 2nd leg – 9/10/11 April 2021
Challenge Cup quarter-finals – 9/10/11 April 2021
Semi-finals – 30 April – 1/2 May 2021
2021 finals – Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Challenge Cup final – Friday 21 May
Heineken Champions Cup final – Saturday 22 May

[neill_m]

Round 1 – 11/12/13 December 2020 Leinster v Montpellier
Round 2 – 18/19/20 December 2020 Saints v Leinster
Round 3 – 15/16/17 January 2021 Leinster v Saints
Round 4 – 22/23/24 January 2021 Montpellier v Leinster

[The Doc]

Round 1 – 11/12/13 December 2020 Leinster v Montpellier
Round 2 – 18/19/20 December 2020 Saints v Leinster
Round 3 – 15/16/17 January 2021 Leinster v Saints
Round 4 – 22/23/24 January 2021 Montpellier v Leinster

It's the hope of having some spectators at the January game that'll kill me!!!

[bronxbull]

We had some weekend there when Luke scored the 3 tries in Franklin's Gardens in 2013....
lost the next game in the Aviva unfortunately.

[deco]

I never get tired of watching this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuVyB0 ... e=youtu.be

[wixfjord]

Haven't seen any of Mont this season, they're 3 losses and 2 wins after 5 games.

They've a serious squad, but getting them at home first up and away last is definitely a bit plus, and would definitely prefer Mont to Toulouse.

Saints are pretty much the same side as last season but have lost Reinach and gained Isiekwe.

So both beatable.

[wixfjord]

So basically we need to be within the top four of our pool to get into knockouts.

Quite a few sides there that will take points off one another you'd think. Besides us there isn't much in the way of clear favourites.

POOL A (with opponents in brackets)
Bordeaux-Bègles (Dragons, Northampton Saints)
Leinster Rugby (Montpellier, Northampton Saints)
Wasps (Dragons, Montpellier)
Bath Rugby (La Rochelle, Scarlets)
Edinburgh Rugby (La Rochelle, Sale Sharks)
RC Toulon (Sale Sharks, Scarlets)
La Rochelle (Bath Rugby, Edinburgh Rugby)
Sale Sharks (Edinburgh Rugby, RC Toulon)
Scarlets (Bath Rugby, RC Toulon)
Dragons (Bordeaux-Bègles, Wasps)
Montpellier (Leinster Rugby, Wasps)
Northampton Saints (Bordeaux-Bègles, Leinster Rugby)

[curates_egg]

What is going on with those pools?
Northampton don't seem to be playing Montpellier.
Who actually qualifies and how?

Each pool has 4 teams from each league (Pro14, Top14, and Premiership) broken into Tiers 1-4.

Leinster as Pro 14 Tier 1 play the Tier 4 teams from the other 2 leagues home and away (Montpelier and Northampton).

Northampton as Premiership Tier 4 play Tier 1 from the other 2 leagues home and away (Leinster and Bordeaux).

We are competing with all 12 teams in the pool to make the next round. Top 4 overall after 4 games go into the quarters.

Seems like a very complicated way to do things.
I presume, if teams are on the same match points, it is points difference that separates them.

[nc6000]

It will be interesting to see how this all works out, I have my doubts but do have a strong suspicion that it was a case of making sure to avoid reverting back to the 6 pools of 4 format which previously worked so well.

[Xanthippe]

Seems like a very complicated way to do things.
I presume, if teams are on the same match points, it is points difference that separates them.

Here you go

If two or more clubs in the same pool are equal on match points, their ranking will be determined as follows:
I. the best aggregate points difference from the pool stage
II. if equal, the number of tries scored in the pool stage
III. if equal, the club with the fewest number of players suspended for disciplinary incidents in the pool stage
IV. if equal, by drawing lots

There are some very interesting new rules around squad and team selection

Each club must nominate a squad, however, there is no limit on the number of players nominated at first registration of the season. A minimum of 12 of the players nominated by the club must be capable of playing in front row forward positions.

For Second Registration, clubs can add up to three players to supplement their squads and one of the players must be a front row player.

Each club may register up to five Additional Players during the pool stage but none during the knockout stage, each to replace a player previously registered. A minimum of three Additional Players must be front row players, one Additional Player can be from any position and one Additional Player must be a medical replacement.

Also this very interesting new rule (I wonder who this one was written for)

Each club is permitted an unlimited number of ‘non-European players‘ in each match day squad for the 2020/21 season.

Full Rules HERE

[Jonny tight lips]

It will be interesting to see how this all works out, I have my doubts but do have a strong suspicion that it was a case of making sure to avoid reverting back to the 6 pools of 4 format which previously worked so well.

Yeah since 3/5 second placed teams have made it out of the group it’s been too easy to make the quarters.

[curates_egg]

Thanks Xan.
I think they should have gone rock-paper-scissors for the last one.

Do Montpellier still have the highest amount of non-EU players?

Edit: It is a no-deal Brexit clause, so the English clubs can continue to play if they crash out.

[Dave Cahill]

Edit: It is a no-deal Brexit clause, so the English clubs can continue to play if they crash out.

That was taken care of ages ago, when the Russian teams entered the Challenge cup. A European player is one eligble to play for a member country of Rugby Europe or a player from a country with a reciprical labour agreement with the EU. The RFU is a member of Rugby Europe. This is to do with bubbling.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Bubbling?

[Dave Cahill]

Bubbling?

Bubbling!

[fourthirtythree]

Babbling?

[riocard911]

Bubbling Brook?....

[joooooe]

Edit: It is a no-deal Brexit clause, so the English clubs can continue to play if they crash out.

That was taken care of ages ago, when the Russian teams entered the Challenge cup. A European player is one eligble to play for a member country of Rugby Europe or a player from a country with a reciprical labour agreement with the EU. The RFU is a member of Rugby Europe. This is to do with bubbling.

Well, yes...and no. If there's a hard Brexit the UK will no longer avail of the reciprocal labour agreements with, say, South Africa. While all of their English players will be eligible (they are from a 6 Nations/Rugby Europe country), their South African players would not. Hence the rule change is required in order to accommodate Brexit.