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Time to End Italian Clubs' Champions Cup Misery

Zebre shipped 12 tries when they faced Wasps in the opening round of the tournament. They meet again this weekend

It’s not easy watching Italian sides struggle in the European Champions Cup – so, please, let’s end their ritual humiliation, begs James Harrington.

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Zebre – the token Italian side in this season’s European Champions Cup – have so far earned zero points from five pool matches and leaked an average of 58 points per game.

The chances of either of those stats for the Parma-based side improving on the final weekend of the pool phase are marginally worse than those of a whelk surviving a supernova.

They are the side that stand between not-quite-yet-qualified Wasps and a home quarter-final. While it is unfair and inaccurate to dismiss the game as little more than an extended training run for the Premiership side – Zebre are supplying 15 of the 32 players called up to Italy’s training squad for the rapidly approaching Six Nations – it’s safe to expect the English club will book their place in the last eight at a canter.

In fact, things have are so bad at the still-proud Italian club that they have just parted company with head coach Gianluca Guidi. Last weekend’s hammering at Connacht was one dire result too many.

Current qualification rules for the European Champions Cup state that one of the seven Champions Cup places assigned to the Pro 12 must go to the highest placed Italian side.

Although it is too early to call next season’s Italian representatives, as of January 17, 2017, Treviso are best placed to qualify for next season’s competition. They are 11th and have racked up 11 points from 13 games – although Zebre, who are propping up the table, could yet overtake them. They are a mere two points behind with two games in hand.

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To give a little context, Treviso are seven points behind 10th-placed side Edinburgh, and have played one game more. They are 16 points off Cardiff in seventh, and 38 points behind leaders Ospreys.

If Pro12 sides could be relegated, the dogfight would be between these two Italian sides. And yet one of them will be involved in the draw for next season’s flagship European competition.

It must be time to end this Italian experiment. Neither side in the Pro 12 is capable of competing. Better that they enter the Challenge Cup, where Treviso at least have won twice this season. Better that the Pro 12’s seven Champions Cup slots are taken by the top seven sides, without this token gesture.

When an Italian side finishes in the top seven – which Treviso did in 2012/13 – they will at least qualify for the Champions Cup by right.

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Long gone are the days that anyone in the English or French leagues could patronise the Pro 12. The top seven at this stage are Ospreys, Munster, Leinster, Glasgow, Scarlets, Ulster and Cardiff.

Of those sides, Munster and Leinster have booked their places in the Champions Cup quarter finals. Glasgow need a draw or better at already out-of-it Leicester to be certain of a last-eight berth; Scarlets came closer than anyone to ending defending champions Saracens’ 14-match unbeaten Champions Cup run in dramatic style at the weekend; Ulster’s qualification hopes ended in an epic blood-and-thunder defeat at Exeter last weekend; Ospreys are in the knockout phase of the Challenge Cup, and they could well be joined by Cardiff, who are currently second in their pool, and at home to Bristol this week.

That is a contingent worthy of the Champions Cup. And, Connacht, who are outside the top seven, are one big performance at Toulouse away from the quarter-finals. Half the teams in the last eight could yet come from the league, along with four of the eight quarter-finalists in the second-tier Challenge Cup.

Meanwhile, Zebre have shipped 290 points and 43 tries and scored just 69 points, including eight tries. It’s painful to watch. It must be humiliating to be involved in.

The Pro 12’s top seven at the end of last season were Leinster, Connacht, Glasgow, Ulster, Scarlets, Munster, and Cardiff.

Zebre – this season’s Champions Cup qualifiers – finished 11th out of 12. Above Treviso. The two sides have finished bottom of the pile every year since Treviso’s high-flying adventures in the 2012/13 season, and yet one is guaranteed a place at European club rugby’s top table.

So, to be Italy’s representatives in the Champions Cup, one side simply has to finish above the other. That’s barely a challenge. And it’s doing down a league brimming with quality.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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