Lions duo return to start for Scotland in crucial Tonga clash

But wants the point of bitting the bullet in favour of EPCR? What's to gain simply by shifting incentive from one comp to another?

Randomness might not have that result very often, but I'd have thought you'd planned to not have that possiblity. Did you actually think of either of those two situations? Why do you find that idea less palatable?

I like your idea even less now I'm afraid to say, I don't think I realised you literally wanted four Champions Cup teams to come back no matter what. I think you'd need to fix that part. Maybe I haven't looked at it enough to see that you're always pretty much filling those with good teams, I still need to see some sort of limit on it like Ro16 or something though.

"some smart scheduling will have to be done"

I think they need to allow the SA teams to put as many of their away fixtures into a single european tour as possible, but that'll do nothing for the French, who just have too many games!

"I'm not sure how we can avoid teams to send a B team in any format"

you can't ever prevent it, but you can incentivise sending first teams by making performance in the CC count towards qualification for next year's competition.

"Same reason countries do/don't get in WC's of course"

Sorry, are you saying teams that put in more applications get more places in the world cup? or am I completely misunderstanding.

Well some smart scheduling will have to be done, but I'm not sure how we can avoid teams to send a B team in any format. I genuinely just don't like the luck of the draw for who's home or not

"Agreed with 4 pool of 4 and home and away games?"

I understand the appeal of pools of 4, but 6 pool games might not go down well with the French or the South Africans given already cramped schedules. I do still think that you're right that that would be the best system, but there is going to be a real danger of French and SA sides sending b-teams which could really devalue the competition unless there is a way to incentivise performance, e.g. by allowing teams that do well one year to directly qualify for the next year's competition.

In their only two seasons! No, but they had more quarter finalists. Same reason countries do/don't get in WC's of course (the All Whites example I gave, they've never deserved entry based on quality). It's fine if you chose to put forward an idea without that factor having merit, it will stand on it's own two feet whether it passes or not.

I don't think he did, he just didn't realise EPCRs previous results would mean even more imbalance, not also that there was a cap system. We'd need to look to at the impact of league size in this equation as well.

But I should stop saying what he meant as he also didn't specifcally talk about SA's part in URCs increased presence either. That was just me jumping at reasons.

I don't think its accurate that the South Africans have been the best of URC's contribution to EPCR rugby. In their first two seasons years they didn't get a single team to the semis, and at the rate they're going this season they'll be lucky to get anyone to the round of 16!

And I don't know why countries with more applicants should get more places, if the teams that apply don't meet the requirements to qualify.

Please disgregard, I see it's below