European Challenge Cup and Champions Cup Draws
European Challenge Cup
By Andrew Collins
June 10 2014
Cardiff Blues have been given a favourable draw in their first season out of the top tier of European Rugby, while the Dragons have been less fortunate…
Cardiff Blues have been drawn again Aviva Premiership’s London Irish, Grenoble of France and FIRA 1 – a team yet to be confirmed, but will be decided by a play-off at a later date. ERC have not yet announced the teams who will be involved in that play-off, however it is likely to be from Romania, Georgia or Spain.
The Dragons, meanwhile, have been drawn alongside Stade Francias, Newcastle Falcons and FIRA 2 – the second of 2 play-off qualifiers.
As with the European Champions Cup, pools are drawn using tiered rankings, with the top 5 rated teams making up the ‘Tier 1’ teams, the next 5 made up ‘Tier 2’ and so on. Rankings are based on each team’s success in recent European competitions. Thanks to the Blues’ relatively good European form over the past 5 years, they were in the top tier meaning they could not be drawn against fellow Tier 1 sides Exeter Chiefs – who did the double on the us in last season’s Heineken Cup – Stade Francais, Edinburgh Rugby and Gloucester Rugby.
The full European Rugby Challenge Cup draw is as follows:
Pool 1
Cardiff Blues
London irish
Grenoble
FIRA 1
Pool 2
Exeter Chiefs
Bayonne
Connacht
La Rochelle
Pool 3
Stade Francias
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newcastle
FIRA 2
Pool 4
Edinburgh Rugby
Bordeaux Begles
London Welsh
Lyon
Pool 5
Gloucester Rugby
Brive
Zebre
Oyonnax
In the European Champions Cup, the Scarlets have been drawn in a jaw-droppingly tough pool, while the Ospreys may struggle to qualify from Pool 5. Here’s the full European Rugby Champions Cup line up:
Pool 1
Saracens
Munster
Clermont
Sale
Pool 2
Leinster
Castres
Harlequins
London Wasps
Pool 3
Toulon
Leicester
Ulster
Scarlets
Pool 4
Glasgow
Montpelier
Bath
Tolouse
Pool 5
Northampton
Racing Metro
Ospreys
Treviso
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Its June, and theres still not even a hint of who the FIRA teams might be or how they'll be selected. Pretty poor.
Best guess is some Italian, Romanian and maybe Spanish and Portuguese teams in some play offs September. But nobody knows.
Likely to be Valencia, Bucarest or Italian TI10 team Viadanna etc.....
Quote:Cardifflose
Same as ERC, start mid Oct but ends in April, FIRA were in Amlin and played off to be in that so again nothing new so no worry.
Likely to be Valencia, Bucarest or Italian TI10 team Viadanna etc.....
I'm not sure thats true. Think the play offs are a new innovation.
But am sure it will be sorted, this certainly didn't have the feel of a thrown together cup, and looking at the top tier comp can't wary to be back in that would love us to be in group 1 or 3 full house every game
In other words, we should genuinely target winning this competition - no disrespect menat to any other sides, but we are capable of beating every team in that draw on our day, and if we can build on the end of season form then this could be an exciting and prosperous tournament for us!
Admin of theArmsPark.co.uk,
Make Noise and You Will Be Heard!
Quote:theArmsPark.co.uk Admin
I didn't relaise that there won't be any Champions Cup drop downs, as previously with HEC.
In other words, we should genuinely target winning this competition - no disrespect menat to any other sides, but we are capable of beating every team in that draw on our day, and if we can build on the end of season form then this could be an exciting and prosperous tournament for us!
Yes I hadn't realised about the non-drop down either! I've got mixed feelings on that but yes it helps our chances for sure
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So for us, it could be a Georgian side, a Portuguese side, or Rovigo from Italy.
The rankings are based on the previous seasons league position, not on previous European success