Sport

Quarter final place for Irish would be achievement

THE threats, doubts and gloomy forecasts having been removed and, with sponsorship and television rights in place, the European…

By EDMUND VAN ESBECK
Sat Oct 12 1996 - 01:00

THE threats, doubts and gloomy forecasts having been removed and, with sponsorship and television rights in place, the European Cup and Conference competitions finally start this afternoon.

The inaugural Cup competition last season was a considerable success even though English and Scottish clubs did not participate. This season's cup competition is very much bigger and should be even better. The Conference adds a new tier below the top level.

As last season, Ireland will be represented by Leinster, Munster and Ulster in the Cup and Connacht enter the European scene by participating in the Conference. London Irish will also compete in the Conference.

Last season 12 teams contested the initial stages of the Cup in four groups of three. The four group winners qualified for the semi finals. This season the groups represent a much tougher proposition. There are four groups of five with two from each group qualifying for quarter finals.

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Leinster defeated Milan and Pontypridd last season to reach the semi final at which stage they lost to Cardiff 23-14. Munster defeated Swansea and then lost in the last minute to Castres and went out of the competition on points difference, while Ulster had a torrid time losing to Cardiff by 46-6 in their first match. That killed any chance they had Swansea, who despite their loss to Munster, knocked Castres out on points difference last season to reach the semi final, failed to get into this season's competition and compete in the Conference in which they meet London Irish today. Castres, Begles and Dinamo Bucharest are three more of last season's contenders now in the Conference. That leaves eight survivors from last season: Ireland's three representatives, Cardiff, Pontypridd, Benetton, Milan and Toulouse, who won the title last season and are favourites to win it again.

Bearing in mind the quality of the entry, it would be a considerable achievement for any of the Irish provinces to gain a quarter final place. Indeed such an attainment could prove outside the range of Cardiff, who lost narrowly to Toulouse in the final last year.

The biggest threat to French supremacy looks likely to come from England and Harlequins in particular. Indeed, the English entry of Harlequins, Wasps, Leicester and Bath looks the strongest in depth of any of the participating nations and it will not be surprising if England have four representatives in the quarter finals.