Connacht need to be more competitive against Ulster before any serious discussion about finishing ahead of them in the table can take place. This season is a prime example. Connacht headed up to Ravenhill to play an Ulster team that had lost 4 straight games including one at home to Treviso and came away with nothing. Sure their internationals were all back, but at minimum a strong challenge was required and a reversal would have been a strong psychological blow early in the season. At the very least their positions would be flipped ATM. Connacht must beat them in April when they come to the Sportsground. It won't get them ahead of Ulster this season, but it will be a good building block for the next.

I've always been for committing limited resources to the Amlin and since they've done away with the possibility of a pool runner-up making it to the knockout stage it makes even more sense. The one caveat would be if they find themselves in a pool they have a good chance of winning than I say give it a good lash.

One bad game in the Pro12 and you're still in with a shout of finishing well, one bad game in the Amlin and you're stuffed.

eastcoastconnacht wrote: Does anyone feel that there is any merit to experimenting next season if we dont get in to the H Cup again and using the Amlin cup simply as the games where we rotate/rest and give players experience. That way completely focusing on the league and scrapping like our lives depended on it for ever single point in a massive push to overtake Ulster for the third spot from the league. With the small squad we have, can we realistically put our heart and soul in to the Amlin and try and finish above Ulster to qualify for H Cup on our own merit. Or do you think we should try as best we can on both front of league and cup?

Perversely, does anyone feel that there is any merit next season using the RABODIRECT as the games where we rotate/rest and give players experience?! I think we've more chance of winning the Amlin Cup than finishing higher than Ulster next year. Although this Cup has become harder to win - it's possible.

I agree @eastcoastconnacht we do not have the resources at the moment to over take Ulster...But I do think we are making great strides... To overtake Ulster we would need as you say to scrap for our Lives and get Lucky, or Get some investment from some form of Millionaire who has a passion for Connacht...we Live in hope!! But we are making progress, with the Academy and the raising the profile of the Club in the Province.
taking our average gate attendance from 1500 to almost 4000.. but we must sustain that next year with or without the Heineken Cup... Ulster's average attendance is 6-8000, Connacht need to be pulling that in too to be competing with them.

For a long time I've had a problem with the qualification process the H Cup and as has been pointed out I think it would take a run of a few years in the competition for us to see some real long term benefits. As long as the system stays the same we will need to pray for an Irish winner of one of the European Cups as I just dont think we have the resources to compete with Ulster over a full season.
I do feel that under Eric we are making great strides forward and becoming alot more competetive but with Ulster being able to pull out the money to bring in the likes of Pienaar, Muller and Afoa it would take one hell of a season by Connacht to finish above Ulster.

Does anyone feel that there is any merit to experimenting next season if we dont get in to the H Cup again and using the Amlin cup simply as the games where we rotate/rest and give players experience. That way completely focusing on the league and scrapping like our lives depended on it for ever single point in a massive push to overtake Ulster for the third spot from the league. With the small squad we have, can we realistically put our heart and soul in to the Amlin and try and finish above Ulster to qualify for H Cup on our own merit. Or do you think we should try as best we can on both front of league and cup?

OldSchool wrote: Would it not benefit the RaboDirect Pro 12 if there was a better qualification for the Heineken Cup, like the French and English leagues.
Lets take one of the qualifying spots away from every country
This would make all the games more exciting towards the end of the table, going into the last game of the season with qualification in your own hands or waiting on results from other games to see if you get that last qualifying spot
As a lot of Connacht's Seasons have been finished before the 6 nations or a few great days out in Europe
Lets make the RaboDirect Pro12 more exciting

The problem is the pro 12 is not a feeder league to the HEC, the unions are. The pro 12 is a marriage of convenience for four independent unions without enough teams to have their own separate leagues.

It's not great, but until the unions change their approach to the league there will be no change to HEC qualification.

As it is the scots and italians are guaranteed HEC games and all the financial implications that entails. Does anyone think they would vote for change? Turkeys and Christmas springs to mind.

I agree it needs reform but I think the table should be based on merit or if taking places away from a country it should be Scotland and Italy. It was an Irish 1-2-3 last year would it have been fair for Ulster to miss out while Aironi with one win all season qualified?

Itll be a long time before we see qualification by merit through the Rabo league though with so many vested interests. We benefitted through Leinster's win last year but if it was the same as the other leagues it should just have won an extra HC place for the Rabo league which would have gone to Dragons.

I think the system works well for the Welsh with 3 qualifying has made it competitive the last two years. If we could improve it could make it more competitive with Ulster for the final Irish spot but Scotland and Italy are out on their own with qualification guaranteed.

My opinion is that there should be 8 rabo teams, 7 from the other 2 and others going to Challenge Cup winners and HC Winners or their league in other words an 8th team from England/France, 9th team from Rabo.

I also think the challenge cup needs to reduce its numbers. No offence to the Italian sides (who have beaten us), Spanish team or Bucharest but I think these teams should play off in September/October for 1 or 2 slots in the Challenge Cup and run a shield competition for those who miss out in these games with promotion and relegation each season. (team with least points of all the groups). Too many one sided games which aren't good for the generating revenue or publicity. Dragons, Perpignan and Exeter in the one group is strong but all the CC groups should have this quality of group to help ease the drop from HC level.

I completely agree, but I cant see it happening for quite a while unfortunately.
A big club will need to miss out on the HC before anyone considers making changes

At the moment, isn't it only one Welsh, and one Irih team that will always miss out, regardless of where we finish in the table? It is pretty bad. All we would need is two or three years of qualifying in a row, to turn us into a middle sized team. How could that not help Irish rugby?
It's the Scots and Italians that would need to be convinced, and why would they give up a spot when it helps their National Teams?

Would it not benefit the RaboDirect Pro 12 if there was a better qualification for the Heineken Cup, like the French and English leagues.
Lets take one of the qualifying spots away from every country
This would make all the games more exciting towards the end of the table, going into the last game of the season with qualification in your own hands or waiting on results from other games to see if you get that last qualifying spot
As a lot of Connacht's Seasons have been finished before the 6 nations or a few great days out in Europe
Lets make the RaboDirect Pro12 more exciting