The new format is still stupid, but less stupid than the last one. It's just hard to get a good format with 3 leagues without having teams from the same league play each other. The bigger problem is 16 out of 24 teams getting into the knockouts. The group stage is almost meaningless. I think they're trying to make it almost all about knockouts. Why not just go to a full knockout tournament with repechages for teams who lose in the first and second rounds if that's what they want?
There is a lack of jeopardy because Leinster and the top French teams have a + €20m salary budget and the English and Welsh clubs €9-5m please talk about this !
Yeah so that just isn’t true. Not in Leinsters case anyway. Nobody knows what budget they have but it’s reckoned it could be as high as €9m possibly. Also nearly the whole squad is homegrown so they are just retaining the players that they have created and why wouldn’t you? The lack of jeopardy is because you can win 2 group games and be into a handy tie in the last 16 making the first few months of the competition a procession.
@@slugger7520 Not denying that. Doesn’t mean I have to cheer for them. Besides, I’ve always liked Toulouse, and I’d rather have a crack at Stade Rochelais in the group stages in December.
@gavindoyle692 Fair Enough Gavin- Unfortunately your first comment came across to me as sour grapes.I always enjoy the craic with La Rochelle and looking forward to beating them next time .
They should get Keith Wood on whatever the English version of OTB is some good points for them to take on board no idea why he's preaching them to Irish rugby though
DM1999, Because he's talking about a "problem" which Irish teams are sitting on top of. However, it is something that's gone over your head. You can be complacent, even smug, if you do not realize you may have a "tiger" by the tail. Remember the "Celtic" one?
@@ccahill2322 What problem are Irish teams sitting on top of? Nearly 90% of the revenue form Ireland is generated from the national team and international games from a financial point of view the club is just to keep them busy outside international windows
Change is constant.. get over yourselves. You can complain all you like.. money money 💴 is the driver. . Being a rugby purist, will not grown the bank balance I’m afraid… the only mitigation is having more players, but that also comes with high costs, not every team will afford big squads.
Why can't the IRFU create another professional team in Ireland? We don't need a 5th province to do that. Call them the Irish Barbarians. That way we wouldn't need to consider the likes of London Irish to develop more of our own players. I know that we are tribal and the fan base is available to support their home province. However if we want another professional team to develop our depth and strength, we need to work outside the box
@@niallhogan4174 Good for them, but we don't have to copy New Zealand. I often hear the question being raised about developing Irish players who don't get enough game time in Ireland. If we want to, we can do our own thing and develop another team rather than considering London Irish, or saying, "but we only have 4 provinces". Let's move beyond limiting beliefs and narratives 🙂
@@nukefluke what I was saying is they only have four teams, even with all the talent they have they didn't bother to create an extra team. It has been proven that concentrating your players in less teams is what helps to develop more talent. The young players gain knowledge from the best players and have to push themselves to be better to get in the team. The best players will make it and the rest will have to go to other teams.
@@niallhogan4174 New Zealand have 5 super rugby teams plus the 14 semipro National Provincial Teams which the non Allblack Super Rugby guys also play in.
The new format is still stupid, but less stupid than the last one. It's just hard to get a good format with 3 leagues without having teams from the same league play each other. The bigger problem is 16 out of 24 teams getting into the knockouts. The group stage is almost meaningless. I think they're trying to make it almost all about knockouts. Why not just go to a full knockout tournament with repechages for teams who lose in the first and second rounds if that's what they want?
you forget how some teams can complety change from one season to another, Eg a few big spenders and a team that didnt perform last will will next!
Didn’t John Robbie sit on the bench for South Africa many years ago.
Rassie lives rent free in alot of people's head's 😂
It’s amazing, Rassie is living the heads of the OTB hosts especially.
There is a lack of jeopardy because Leinster and the top French teams have a + €20m salary budget and the English and Welsh clubs €9-5m please talk about this !
Yeah so that just isn’t true. Not in Leinsters case anyway. Nobody knows what budget they have but it’s reckoned it could be as high as €9m possibly. Also nearly the whole squad is homegrown so they are just retaining the players that they have created and why wouldn’t you? The lack of jeopardy is because you can win 2 group games and be into a handy tie in the last 16 making the first few months of the competition a procession.
This Leinster fan for one won’t be cheering for La Rochelle. Never. Allez Stade Toulousain! ❤️🖤
Get a life mister.We lost against a great team. Allez Rochelle - bonne chance in d final
@@slugger7520 Not denying that. Doesn’t mean I have to cheer for them. Besides, I’ve always liked Toulouse, and I’d rather have a crack at Stade Rochelais in the group stages in December.
@gavindoyle692 Fair Enough Gavin- Unfortunately your first comment came across to me as sour grapes.I always enjoy the craic with La Rochelle and looking forward to beating them next time .
Woody got the Fiji-NZ thing, for Nacewi, the wrong way round.
They should get Keith Wood on whatever the English version of OTB is some good points for them to take on board no idea why he's preaching them to Irish rugby though
DM1999, Because he's talking about a "problem" which Irish teams are sitting on top of. However, it is something that's gone over your head. You can be complacent, even smug, if you do not realize you may have a "tiger" by the tail. Remember the "Celtic" one?
@@ccahill2322 What problem are Irish teams sitting on top of? Nearly 90% of the revenue form Ireland is generated from the national team and international games from a financial point of view the club is just to keep them busy outside international windows
the type casting needs to learn spacing keithwood looks like one word
How was the old format beneficial to the Irish teams only 3 could qualify now all 4 do
Change is constant.. get over yourselves. You can complain all you like.. money money 💴 is the driver. . Being a rugby purist, will not grown the bank balance I’m afraid… the only mitigation is having more players, but that also comes with high costs, not every team will afford big squads.
Why can't the IRFU create another professional team in Ireland?
We don't need a 5th province to do that. Call them the Irish Barbarians. That way we wouldn't need to consider the likes of London Irish to develop more of our own players. I know that we are tribal and the fan base is available to support their home province. However if we want another professional team to develop our depth and strength, we need to work outside the box
Only 4 teams in New Zealand they have an abundance of talent seems to work for them.
@@niallhogan4174 Good for them, but we don't have to copy New Zealand. I often hear the question being raised about developing Irish players who don't get enough game time in Ireland. If we want to, we can do our own thing and develop another team rather than considering London Irish, or saying, "but we only have 4 provinces". Let's move beyond limiting beliefs and narratives 🙂
@@niallhogan4174 5. But I'm not sure that's the reason for their abundance in talent.
@@nukefluke what I was saying is they only have four teams, even with all the talent they have they didn't bother to create an extra team. It has been proven that concentrating your players in less teams is what helps to develop more talent. The young players gain knowledge from the best players and have to push themselves to be better to get in the team. The best players will make it and the rest will have to go to other teams.
@@niallhogan4174 New Zealand have 5 super rugby teams plus the 14 semipro National Provincial Teams which the non Allblack Super Rugby guys also play in.