Neil Back

Irish and French favourites

Fri Oct 09 03:28PM

I don't think I'm alone in thinking that the Guinness Premiership has yet top catch fire this season, and as a result I cannot see an English team lifting the Heineken Cup.

Don't get me wrong, I want an English club to win it, but I don't think it will happen because as a whole the teams are not playing well enough.

Clearly we've not had a good start to the season at Leeds, but I think many of the other clubs are also still finding their way and, with the exception of London Irish, not scoring many tries.

Take my old club Leicester, for example - they've crossed the whitewash just three times in five games and they are the defending Premiership champions and losing finalists in last season's Heineken Cup.

At this stage I don't think you can look much further than the old favourites of Leinster and Munster, along with the top French sides Stade Francis and Toulouse.

French clubs have been missing in action from the latter stages in recent years and I have a feeling they will feature more prominently this season.

I know it has been said before, but the leading Celtic League clubs do have an advantage when it comes to Europe.

I'm not saying it is unfair, it's just the way it is, but they are better able to prepare for the Heineken.

In many respects they use the Celtic League as preparation for Europe. They do not have to worry about relegation and they are pretty much guaranteed a place in the tournament every year, so they can look to develop players in the league matches.

At the start of every season the likes of Leinster and Munster will have one clear goal, and that is to win the Heineken Cup, and they can keep key players fresh for that challenge.

The Premiership is a fantastic tournament and its intensity lasts for the whole of the season, but the Heineken Cup is the most challenging club competition in the world.

The pool matches are not necessarily of a higher quality than the Premiership, but when you get to the knock-out stages in Europe you are playing the equivalent of international rugby.

With its different cultures, stadiums, fans and languages, the Heineken Cup makes for a wonderful experience. That's why we play the game, to experience big European occasions.

There's a long way to go this season, but if I had to make a prediction now I would say Munster and Stade Francais to reach the final, with the Parisians lifting the trophy for the first time.

Comments1 - 8 of 8

So leinster r favourites when they just got beaten by london irish at home
yeh there realy goin 2 win aren't they!!!!
From alex.kiely1 on Sat Oct 10 05:07PM
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MUnster got nilled by leinster and london irish beat them so i don't see how leinster and munster will win
From alex.kiely1 on Sat Oct 10 05:08PM
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I see Stade Francais & Clermont going far this season, and this afternoon's results certainly confirm that this year might just be it for one of them.
From po_drevillon on Sat Oct 10 05:51PM
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Im from Munster and Im sorry to say I think theyre going a bit downhill. Over the last few years they have in my opinion been by far the best team in Europe. Even last year they were the best team but diddnt show up in the semi final. They were world class all the way through the year up until that point.Munster would have demolished Leicester in the final.This year they look differant. Theyve never made so many mistakes. I cant see them finding there form too soon.In my opinion either leinster or london Irish will win. I still dont see a french side winning. Munster might pick it up and if they do I think they will win.
From andyhorgan28 on Sun Oct 11 12:33PM
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Coaching Leeds Carnegie cannot make one very sanguine about English prospects. However, Sale and the ex-pat London Irish could be in the running, even the side that Back's cheated so famously for could spring a surprise.
From tonypearce189 on Sun Oct 11 02:00PM
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Sorry Andyhorgan28 but the best team in Europe every year is the team with their name on the trophy & as it stands that team is leinster as it was Munster the year before .You can play world class as much as you like in the group games & the quarters but if you re not the winners at the end of the final 80 mins it means absolutely nothing .
From firstchoicepm on Mon Oct 12 03:04PM
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munster are never great starters but they have probably the best squad now that they have ever had.they are just a bit rusty.too many players on lions duty.write them off at your peril.they will be very hungry this season.munster to win the heineken cup.
From dermotmullane on Mon Oct 12 05:19PM
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Lucky britons, u do have a wonderful host for this blog in the person of Neil Back. We (french) have the worst journalist ever call Pierre Salviac, he allways like to critizice the british. After saying that all the english player should get out of France, now he advice the people in charge of the H cup (mainly british) to copy the french model.......
Can we change ? We take Neil Back u take Salviac ? It's fair, isn't it ?
From ceheses on Tue Oct 13 08:19PM
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