SASaffolk
Captain30,741 posts
SASaffolk Captain30,741 posts
08 Dec 2023, 15:23#1
So yet again we see a SA side disrespecting the Champions Cup competition and sending out a B side against Leicester
How the fuck is the URC more important to the Stormers than the Champions Cup
If this is how the SA sides are going to treat these competitions then fucking kick them out
Dobson and co - you bunch of idiots - get your priorities right and show some respect to the fans
Jake did it last year but seems to have caught a wake up this season putting out a full strength side out in their first Champions Cup match
STStavanger1
Pro4,532 posts
08 Dec 2023, 15:50#2
Have you not read Dobson's comments on why he's doing this? Or have you not been following the Champions Cup over the years?
He's not prioritizing the URC over the Champions Cup. He just doesn't think he can play the same team two weekends in a row factoring in travels and get a result in both games. He's prioritizing the home games in the Champions Cup. The Lions are doing something similar in the challenge cup and I wouldn't be surprised if the Bull rotate for Lyon the weekend after next.
With the change to the Champions Cup format you don't need to win every group game. Win all your home games and pick up some bonus points and you will qualify out of the group stage.
Its not just the SA team's doing this, the French and English have been doing it for years as well. Montpellier the 2022 Top 14 champions sent its academy team to Leinster that year and it got wacked by over 80 point. They still got out of groups.
Some teams will put more or equal focus on the Champions Cup as there own leagues so they get home fixtures our of groups. La Rochelle and Leinster for example but its far easier on them to do so from a travel perspective. Stormers quite frankly don't have the depth to compete on two fronts. They really struggled already in their URC away games.