The winners of the Heineken Cup quarter-finals featuring London Irish and Perpignan and Saracens and Ospreys will play their semis on home soil, European Rugby Cup (ERC) said on Tuesday.
Reuters reports that should London Irish win they would face Toulouse or Cardiff Blues at Twickenham while a Perpignan victory would mean a semi-final at the Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier.
Ospreys will be rewarded with a semi-final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium if they triumph while victory for Saracens would mean they face Munster or Gloucester at Coventry City Football Club’s Ricoh Arena.
“We are delighted to have four world-class stadiums on stand-by in France, England and Wales to host the various semi-final options,” ERC chair Jean-Pierre Lux said in a statement.
“This means fans will know exactly where they are going once their team has won through to the last four.”
Montpellier’s Stade de la Mosson has never hosted a Heineken Cup match while Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium have staged finals but not semis.
The quarter-finals are this weekend, with the semis on April 26-27
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did anybody read justin marshalls remarks on rugby365??
nope… what did he say?
Plenty of rugby this weekend then…
Haven’t read the comments barend…but I bet you’re gonna tell us… 😉
Legendary All Black No.9 Justin Marshall, now playing for Welsh club the Ospreys, reckons the Super 14 is stale in comparison to European competitions.
Marshall said players from the Southern Hemisphere weren’t going there for the money, but rather for the excitement of Northern Hemisphere rugby.
Writing in The Observer, Marshall explains that the Heineken Cup, which reaches the quarterfinal stage this weekend with Ospreys travelling to Saracens, is where it’s at.
Super Rugby, according to the former Crusader, is a bore by comparison.
The Heineken Cup is too muddy… 😈
It is this buzz and variety that Marshall says gives the Heineken Cup the edge over Super Rugby.
“This is a far superior competition – it is much tougher and it offers up the variety that is terribly missing in the Super 14,” he wrote.
“There, you have the same teams and the same players.
“One year you’ll be playing at the Bulls and the next you’ll have the Bulls at home, but that’s about as far as the variety goes.
“If you play 10 years of that as I did it get tedious.
“That is what pushed me away – I just got stale.
“It is a serious problem for the Southern Hemisphere teams, and it extends to the Tri-Nations, where the same players pull on different coloured jerseys and do it all over again.
“That is why viewing figures and attendances are dropping – it is basically New Zealand, Australia and South Africa playing each other for six months of the year, and after a bucket-load of that, people are turning off their televisions,” he added.
Marshall his clearly loving it in Wales and is predicting his adopted country to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy in 2011.
Good morning all.
Go Brent!!!! 😀
“Marshall his clearly loving it in Wales and is predicting his adopted country to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy in 2011.”
Marshall is clearly fooked in the head
he’s a tosser
Hey Rob – hope you are rested from your trip home.
I am missing ALL the rugby this weekend. 😥
Anyone know a Bar in Thailand that has DSTV? I am sorted for Sundays F1 GP already. 😎
That’s what you get for going to Thailand without me!!! (I am beginning to sound like a stuck record now). 😉
😆 If it’s any consolation we will be thinking about you guys. 😉
That helps! 😀
Well I leave for my short cruise on Monday with my mom and my two sisters to celebrate my mom’s 70th birthday and my sister’s 50th. Should be an absolute ball!
Then the end of the month I have just booked a house in Mozambique so that we can go and do some diving.
Oh and regarding that 16 man issue. Doesn’t look like any further action will be taken:
“This looks increasingly unlikely after SA Super 14 director Johan Botes claimed that an on-field penalty was awarded against the Sharks for fielding 16 players, and no more action can be taken.”
KSA – use Mediazone, you monkey!
yeah – Ness, that’s my thought too. They were penalised, as per the laws.
Tell the Reds to get their bonus points the old fashioned way – by actually playing for them.
For sure Rob!
Got a message from Ruan last night that the weather in Wellington is cold and windy but the guys are preparing for the game and they all sound very positive.
Hope the hotel connection is good enough.
But I didn’t even think of that.
And here’s me thinking Rob wasn’t even a pretty face, Now I find out he is clever. 😉
KSA – my boet just got back from Thailand, and he mentioned an Aussie bar – if you can deal with it – that showed the rugby. Not sure of the name, but do a google search for Thailand Aussie bar and you will get your answer
cold weather = even worse hands. I don’t like it.
Sauce.
you’re are a star. I will wear my Sharks jersey, that should shut the Aussie’s up. 😉
I’m more “ruggedly handsome” than pretty 😉
you have a Sharks jersey? Thought you only had england ones
I have a CC AND S14 Jersey. 🙄 I am changing my ways. 😆
we need to put up a gallery of everyone in their various Sharks jerseys
I have sent you guys a picture of myself and my two colleagues at work during the WC. Two of us had a Bok shirt on and the other one an England shirt.
Sauce.
It seems I may be sorted. 😎
Will give em a call when there.
http://www.downunderbarbangkok.com/
Forget about “seems” I am sorted.
I AM sorted.
http://www.theofficebkk.com/eventguide.php
KSA – when do you leave?
dude… they’re showing Dragons v Sharks at the same time as Hurricanes v Sharks and they reckon both are live…
Have a backup plan!
We leave tonight/tomorrow morning at 03:50 from Bahrain. So will leave KSA at 00:30/01:00 to get to Bahrain.
Arrive back Next thursday at 18:15. So only miss one weeks matches.
Above times all KSA. (Subtract 1 hour to get SA time)
Rob
Multiple TV’s. It’s a regular thing HERE as well at the Brit club in Bahrain. 3 or 4 sports events across 5 or 6 tv’s. quite funny actually.
I only leave Monday morning so won’t miss any of the games. Will miss some games the following Friday though (11th April).
Sounds a bit dodgy though……..The Office is a “No hassle” bar although we have over 60 hostesses to pamper those who desire it!
😳
Some bars have more than one tv rob
Damn!!! Didn’t realise the Sharks were playing on the Friday morning.
Rob
When does Quinny leave?
Oh oh – depends what you call “dodgy” though.
ahhhh
KSA, I have no idea
Nessa
Gallery pic 5 and 6 suggest dodgy to me.
http://www.theofficebkk.com/gallery.htm
but as long as I can see the TV I am happy
downunderbarbangkok !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No man.
Seriaas?
downunderbarbangkok?
KSA – you know those are unlikely to be women, right?
Ha ha – see what you mean. 😆
Girly boys
PJLD / Nessa/
I will be safe. I will let my Bouncer do the talking for me.
BTW my Bouncer’s name is Kette. 😉
Dawn what is strange about that?
It is called the Downunder bar and it is in Bangkok…………..
Down Under Bar Bang Kok.
Your bouncer will do just fine – if she’s anything like me. 😉
I apologise.
My perverted mind does not always work on the same plane as others.
should we be talking about Kette’s bouncers so openly? 😉
02.04.08 09:44:38 – barend
Justin Marshall saying: “That is what pushed me away – I just got stale.”….you mean slow not stale Justin, the NH rugby is just the pace for a player like you who is slowing down.
okay Now that I have made Dawn feel all awkward………..who’s next. 😉