Champions Cup 2019/20

Flamin' 'eck, that is unnecessarily complicated.
You'd pity the Blues players, who thought they were on holidays and now have to stay fit just in case!

I like the little footnote that says if Ospreys host the game on May 29th it will be at an alternative venue as the Liberty is unavailable. Let's see, there's a lovely stadium ten miles away that they could play Scarlets in
So if Leinster win, Ospreys might get straight in, or they might lose home advantage for a playoff that takes place five weeks after the end of the regular season.
Odd that they didn't take account of the fact that if Sale don't make the top 6 on May 18th (more likely after the draw with Bristol tonight), they will know the line-up then, so no need to wait 11 days.

Yeah La Rochelle can go very close to wrapping it up tonight if the results go as expected. They could be 8 - 10 clear of Montpellier and Bordeaux.

Now that all that egg-chasing is done with, we can concentrate on the highlight of everyone's rugby season, the European Draw, which will presumably be in late June and follow the same format as recent years: www.epcrugby.com/2018/06/19/pool-draws-2...pions-challenge-cup/

Connacht and Treviso's defeats ensure that Connacht are the fifth ranked Pro14 team and will definitely be in Pot 3 in the draw, which means we can get one of the less scary Pot 4 teams (though admittedly there aren't many soft touches).

The leagues are kept apart for the first three pots, which means we can't get Glasgow (or another Irish province). We also obviously can't get a team from our own pot, which includes the fifth ranked teams and two of the three fourth ranked.

So in summary we will definitely get one English and one French team from the semi-finals in their leagues, at least one of which must be a finalist. Plus one team from Pot 4, which can be from any league.

Ranking depends on the playoffs so not possible to know exactly how they'll finish up, especially in France, where in theory any of the top 9 teams could still win it.
But basically in England, Exeter, Saracens and Gloucester are guaranteed top 4 plus Northampton or Harlequins.
In France, Toulouse and Clermont are in and you would have to fancy Lyon and Racing to get home barrages and win them (but you can never write off Castres).

Pot 4 then includes Treviso and the Pro 14 playoff winner (Ospreys/Scarlets/Cardiff), almost certainly Sale, probably one of La Rochelle or Castres plus another Pro14 or English team (likely Bath) depending on how the whole 20th place shenanigans works out.

I'd like to get Lyon as they're the most beatable of the potential options. Ideally Lyon make the final (home barrage plus semi against Clermont in Bordeaux, not very likely but not impossible), then we can get Quins or Saints as our Pot 2 team. Would need a lot of luck for that though. A more realistic ambition would be Exeter and Lyon.
From Pot 4, you'd think Treviso are the best option as the World Cup might prevent them performing at the level they did this season.

Ospreys v Scarlets confirmed for Saturday night.
Sale are surely odds on to qualify now. Seventh would now be good enough for them as long as La Rochelle make top 6. So beating Gloucester would do it. Bristol or Wasps could sneak in if Leicester do a job on Bath.

connemara man wrote: He was grand if anything Scarlets got the rub of the green, ospreys shown a harsh yellow card

You'd have to wonder though why they wouldn't send the Welsh officials up to Scotstoun, and give the Swansea gig to Johnny Lacy et al.. , but we digress.

Bath are confirmed into Pot 4 along with Ospreys and Treviso. Sale should join them as long as La Rochelle get a better result at home to Bordeaux than Montpellier get away to Clermont. That's not a given though as Clermont have nothing really to play for.
Harlequins go into Pot 3 along with Connacht so we can't get them in the draw. Bath would be a nice spot to visit.