Friday
POOL 4
LEISTER V STADE
FRANCAIS
Leicester Tigers: Mathew Tait (capt); Adam Thompstone, Peter
Betham, Matt Smith, Vereniki Goneva; Owen Williams, Ben Youngs; Marcos Ayerza,
Tom Youngs, Dan Cole; Mike Williams, Mike Fitzgerald; Tom Croft, Brendon
O'Connor, Lachlan McCaffrey
Replacements: Leonardo Ghiraldini, Matias Aguero, Fraser
Balmain, Dom Barrow, Jordan Crane, Sam Harrison, Seremaia Bai, Telusa Veainu
Stade Francais: Hugo Bonneval; Julien Arias, Paul Williams,
Herman Meyer Bosman, Jeremy Sinzelle; Morne Steyn, Julien Dupuy; Zak Taulafo,
Laurent Panis, Adrien Oleon; Paul Gabrillagues, Pascal Pape; Patrick Sio, Sylvain
Nicolas, Sergio Parisse (C)
Replacements: Dany Priso, Zurabi Zhvania, Rabah Slimani,
Alexandre Flanquart, Jonathan Ross, Julien Tomas, Waisea Vuidarvuwalu, Josaia
Raisuqe
Leister has got the squad to win this match at home and I
would be very surprised if they found any difficulty. I think that with players
like tom young’s in there squad I think that they have got enough but I do
think they will have difficulty getting the bonus point.
Saturday
POOL 1
ONONNAX V ULSTER
I think that going to France is a very difficult thing to do
to win a match in the European cup. I do think that if Ulster is able to play
this smart they should be able to win but playing smart is something that
harder to do during a game than you would think. I think Ulster will win but it
will be close and there will not be that much in it.
SARACENS V TOLOUSE
This is a match that is very difficult to predict. I think
that Toulouse have got traditionally more quality but matches are not won bu
that type of thing. I would go Tolouse but by no more than 7 points.
POOL 3
RACING V GLASGOW
This match is even harder to predict than any of the others
as one of the big questions that needs to be asked is are Glasgow improving and
if they are it will be learned in matches like this against one of the best
rugby teams. If they can compete then they can win but |Glasgow have had a habit
of not living up to their potential in Europe.
NORTHAMPTON V
SCARLETS
I would have to go for Northampton as they are playing in a
better league with better players competing in it this is shown by the amount
of Welsh players leaving Wales for England in the last few years. Northampton
might be a good outside bet for the whole thing.
POOL 4
MUNSTER V TREVISO
Munster have to get 5 points from this match to show that
they have the potential to be a force in European Rugby again without the
legend that is Paul O Connell. Connor Murray seems to be the next leader of
Munster but we are a few years until that happens. There form in the pro 12
says this could be an easy match for them
SUNDAY
POOL 2
BORDEAUX V CLERMONT
AUVERNE
Clermont are on top of the French league so this should be an
away banker and Clermont have shown time after time that they are one of the
best in French Rugby but French teams do have strange records away so nothing
is certain
OSPREYS V EXETER
How good are Exeter we are going to learn that on Sunday when
they play the Ospreys as they seem to be the most improving side in the competition
and this is the type of match they must win to show that they are going to be a
force in Europe or are they going to be a bit like Glasgow and fall back.
POOL 5
LEINSTER V WASPS
Leinster are one of the best teams in Europe and I feel that
this is going to be a hard match for Wasps to win. I think that Leinster have
got enough purely because they are doing well in the pro 12 this should go to
Leinster as a win.
TOULON V BATH
Toulon are the best team in Europe at the moment and you
could see them just getting better and better in this competition and I could
see this as a rout maybe by 60 points if Toulon get things right in ways that
we know that they can. The matches with Leinster will define this pool.
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