When an elite competition like the European Cup comes up with a dullard draw which has deposed two-time champions La Rochelle playing four-time winners, and beaten finalists for the last two years, Leinster, in the same pool for the second year in succession (2023-24 and now 2024-25), you know it is heading for trouble.
They played twice last season, in the pool and quarter-finals, and if that was not enough repetition they also played each other in the preceding two finals (2022 and 2023).
Now comes the overkill with Leinster and La Rochelle probably playing another two times this season. If that duplication was not enough, Northampton are also drawn in the same pool as Munster for the second season. Then there’s another Round of 16. This bogus knock-out stage features too many also-rans – including undeserving 7th and 8th placed Premiership clubs.
It is why in two seasons it has produced 15 home wins from 16 matches. Such predictability is a competition killer, and is turning what was the greatest annual club tournament in rugby union into a pale imitation of its former self.
To make matters worse three of last season’s four quarter-finals were also blow-outs. The European Cup has to be elite, and that means a return to the old glory format of four teams in five/six homeand-away pools deciding the quarter-finals.
The reasons for preserving the new formula given by the EPCR chief executive Jacques Reynaud in last week’s edition of TRP were totally at odds with reality.
He mistakenly believes the quality of the semi-finals and final is enough to bail out the rest of the failing format. Maybe Reynaud should ask himself why there has been so little appetite among broadcasters to claim the UK broadcast rights?
It’s not all right Jacques – and it’s time to fix it.
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