jean valjean wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 9:16 pm
If Edinburgh mange to beat the stormers then we qualify for a home semi??
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No.
They obviously back tracked from this then... The two highest-ranked winners from the Final Eight (quarter-finals) will play their Final Four fixtures (semi-finals) at home.
I suppose its fair that a lower ranked team earns the right to take over the seeding by beating the higher one.
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They have both formats on their web site.
I suspect it is the one you quote above (from April iirc) which supercedes the original idea which they list under the rules of the competition (although they include the caveat - "unless we decide to shift the goal posts")
BR wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 2:31 pm
By the way does anyone know how the semi final venues are chosen?
From URC:
Semi-final 1 (SF1) - the winner of QF1 versus the winner of QF4. The winner of QF1 will be the ‘home’ Club unless Pro Rugby Championship determines otherwise.
Semi-final 2 (SF2) - the winner of QF2 versus the winner of QF3. The winner of QF2 will be the ‘home’ Club unless Pro Rugby Championship determines otherwise.,
Also from URC:
The two highest-ranked winners from the Final Eight (quarter-finals) will play their Final Four fixtures (semi-finals) at home
jean valjean wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 9:16 pm
If Edinburgh mange to beat the stormers then we qualify for a home semi??
Sent from my SM-F711B using Tapatalk
No.
They obviously back tracked from this then... The two highest-ranked winners from the Final Eight (quarter-finals) will play their Final Four fixtures (semi-finals) at home.
I suppose its fair that a lower ranked team earns the right to take over the seeding by beating the higher one.
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Source? BRs post suggested some ambiguity?
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Bart S wrote: ↑Sun May 22, 2022 12:16 am
Last time against Munster ulster were stuck in 2nd gear
Need Marty back to ensure the scrum doesn't go into reverse.
Has Billy got the nous to drive ulster forward?
Bench needs reviewed. Can't afford within the matchday squad to be carrying any (non-fee paying) passengers
Will be a tight game. Need to execute the clutch kicks well
If ulster deliver on all of these things they may end up with a ticket to the semi finals
Our scrum Is fine with TOT at prop, it’s when his replacement usually comes on we suffer. I think o’toole is a better prop than Moore, he offers better impact in the last 25minutes, so that’s why he usually sits on the bench, whilst being ahead of him in the Irish pecking order.
Ulster have the beating of Munster, although Lowry will be a huge miss. Have the beating of the Stormers as well if that fixtures comes to pass.
The good news is that we are finally secure in euro qualification so that's a big story. To miss that would have been so cruel for what has been a generally good season.
As regards the QF/SF I don't get the pessimism about Munster. At home, and provided we get marty, dwayne, and iain on the pitch we will be ready for them. Bookies will rightly have us comfortable favourites and I think we will get passed them with room to spare.
That would send us to stormers for a SF. Home advantage isn't a massive thing for stormers and we beat them last time but for a cheating TMO. We will beat them again with the excitement of a SF. That means we end up back in the Aviva with Mexico, who I'm sad to say will probably pump us by 50 in the final. Still, getting to the final would be a successful season all things considered. Plus in a final match? Who knows, every once in a while we surprise Leinster. Maybe this will be one such game.
I'd agree that playing the stormers away wouldn't be a massive issue, the problem would be playing a final the week after a near 20k miles round trip.
I'd hope in future they'd give a 2 week break between the semi and the final. I'm sure there will be plenty of feedback provided by the clubs regarding the travel schedule and hopefully it will become less of an issue in future. Would it be too hard to give teams a bye week after each mini tour?