Behind the scenes of the Heineken Cup 2

Pool 2 Wasps 25 - 11 Castres Wasps will be dissapointed not to have consolidated the 4 try bonus point victory given their dominance. It was 20-3 at half time and the scoreline only looks as close due to a late Nallet try. Wasps lookes quite slick but then they should have against an unconvincing French try. Sackey, Cipriani and Voyce shon, so perhaps better news for England than Wasps. Pool 3 Leicester 12 - 6 Ospreys Leicester showed massive committment and huge power but that won't take them all the way. The Ospreys were bullied in both the lineout and the scrum and looked rather innefective before the strong Leicester defence. Had the Tigers taken better options the game could have been won earlier, however had the Ospreys shown more awareness during a late 5 metre scrum then they could have stolen the game. The Ospreys are a different proposition at home but this was a very poor performance from the Welsh. They improved in the 2nd half but perhaps missed Henson. Regardless, Tommy Bowe looked promising at 13. The losing bonus point may be significant come the return match in Wales.

Tah, yesterday was just one of those games. I think it's either the 1st or 2nd game that Leinster have won at Edinburgh in 8 attempts. Overall Leinster contrived to be cynical and narrow but somehow they ended up with a bonus point victory. They scored all of their tries in a 20 minute period and that was largely down to sheer opportunism (O'Driscoll specifically) and weak one-up defence. One of the tries was scored through a blatant forward pass and the rest were well taken by a very talented back line. I don't think any other teams would have been too excited or intimidated by the performance of Leinster, however. Edinburgh and Glasgow are perfect microcosms of the trials and tribulations of Scottish rugby - small, under-supported and under-funded. Andy Robinson has done a great job but there isn't really enough talent spread throughout the squad. There would be hope could they a) get all the best Scottish players back in Scotland, or b) purchase some experienced SH talent. The best they could hope for is a strong performance at home and being competative in the away games.

Benjamin, how bad are Edinburgh really? Is there any hope on the horizon for them?

Pool 2 Edinburgh 16 - 27 Leinster A rather fortuitous win for Leinster. Their 4 try, bonus point victory arose through sheer opportunism and weak Edinburgh defence. The 5 points place the Dublins side firmly in the driving seat of pool 2. Pool 3 Perpignan 27 - 16 Treviso The expected thrashing never occurred as Treviso put in a tremendous effort despite conceding two yellow cards. Perpignan had a few injuries at no.10 but that must not detract from the Italian committment, however the missed bonus point may come back to haunt the Basques. Pool 4 Ulster 10 - 26 Stade Francais It was obvious throughout the game that Stade had another gear left in the tank but they still required 3 drop goals to win. Ulster were fiery but innacurate thus Stade deservedly won their first ever game - in 5 attempts - at Ravenhill. Scarlets 22 - 29 Harlequins Harlequins were very poor in the 1st half, the Scarlets were very good. The Scarlets didn't capitalise on their first-half performance. Harlequins improved. A surprise win for the West Londoners but this shows that they mean business. If Quins can win all of their home games then this result will throw the pool wide open. Good news for England - Monye continued his try-scoring heroics and Care and Easter looked very influential.

Pool 4 Harlequins - those Harlequined hoodlums look a good outside bet for qualification, Dean Richards has the team playing an excellent brand of football and their recent results have been very, very encouraging. People often have the impression that Richard's preferred personal playing style would be extended onto his teams however this was not the case at Leicester and neither is it the case at Harlequins. Very much the opposite in fact. Last year Harlequins produced an excellent run towards the top of the GP but their play-off surge was - somewhat ironically - made redundant by Leicester in the last game of the season. Due to the youth of that team a lot of pundits have been all too willing to assume that the same players would not yet be ready for the big time. Not so. Quins are 4th in the league and have scored the 2nd most tries in the GP, behind Bath. Not only that but they managed to give the Ospreys (borderline) 1st team a good lesson in Wales. That performance bodes well for this tournament. The pack is lightweight but competative nonetheless: Ceri Jones, Gary Botha and Mike Ross provide a solid, well-rounded front row unit. The 2nd row is less well-rounded but equally as competative as the front-row. Evans, Robson and Kohn won't be winning many England caps but they do a job. The back row by comparison is the piece de resistance. Captain Will Skinner, flanker George Robshaw and 8 men Nick Easter and Tom Guest are just excellent. Paul Volley and Andre Vos have not yet been missed - which is the biggest compliment one could offer the foursome. Skinner is a true nose-to-the-floor openside and having been ommitted from the England EPS squad he may well have a point to prove. It should be noted that he was the recent England Saxons captain. Englands loss is therefore Harlequins gain. Robshaw is a young blindside dynamo. He provides both the necessary short-yards physicality and height in the lineout. Tom Guest has the ability to cover both blindside and 8, and if Robshaw is a dynamo then he is close to Dr. Manhattan material. He has pace, vision and size and is my tip as a Lions bolter. It won't be long before he plays for England, he is yards better than the pedestrian Jordan Crane. In direct contrast to these young Turks is the bulk and mauling ability (no longer) of Nick Easter. He plays closer to Dean Richards than Pierre Spies and yet he still knows his way to the try line. Easter, IMO, was England's best player last year. He is direct, large.. and on occasions most definitely in charge. If Quins occasionally struggle up front then he is the man to take the load away. He has good vision and good hands for a big man, however it is testament to the ability of Guest that Easter has either been sidelined in the 6 jersey or placed on the bench. The Harlequins backs are quick, inventive and liberal, so to speak. They know their way to the try line and know how they want to play. Once the temporary, winter 10 man game was dispatched sometime in January this year, there was only one way Quins could travel - onwards and upwards. Danny Care directs the team, with Andy Gomarsall providing reliable backup from the bench, and Nick Evans is the perfect conduit between Care and the the classical 13, Gonzalo Tiesi. David Strettle is as electric as Care and Mike Brown, although not perhaps England quality, is a model of consistency. He played every minute of every game last season and is a try scoring fullback as potent as any in the competition. Epi Taione is a useful squad addition and provides cover at 6, 12, 13 and 14, whilst the academy continues to churn out useful players: Lambert, Masson and Amemsbury. Overall this seasons H'Quins has a much more rounded look to it. It has size, skill and determination however the HC is a hige step up. If Quins can win all of their home games then who knows?

Ian, the signs have been encouraging so far. Jones, Botha, Ross, Skinner, Gomarsall, Evans and Tiesi all will be around during the international periods. The problem I think won’t be the missing players but the winter conditions, and whilst Evans is used to bad weather having played in Otago I think that the pack will be under the cosh. I think it’s rather ironic that the only reason Quins lost against the Ospreys was because they were trying to play too narrow and too conservatively in the last 8 minutes or so. Had they decided to either throw it about or lump it into touch in the Ospreys half then they most likely would have won.

Quins update Nick Evans has only played 60 mins for Quins and will not return until next week v Ulster in the HC. Streetle is out until Xmas at the earliest. Of the SH imports, Botha, Tiesi and Malone are regulars the others are bit players. Majority of Quins side are English players with probably the greatest number of exciting young English players of any GP team. Probably inexperience will catch them out as the season progresses but in the meantime thay have scored more tries than any GP team and are playing an exciting open style of rugby, without Evans. In addition to the HC there is the Heineken Challenge Cup which on the face of it is step down from the HC. Last night Northhampton Saints beat Toulon 56-3, although Toulon had a weaken side to see young English players running amok was very satisfying. Foden (21), Ashton (20), Myler (21) scored the majority of the points, Rooney the ex OZ RL star was playing for Toulon.The GP clubs take the competition seriously as the winner gets an automatic place in next seasons HC.

Hey Sid, Thanks for pointing out that the Beer Mug is going to be on ESPN and that it's avail with Foxtel basic sport package. I've had the basic sports package since arriving from NZ in 2005 to ensure I could see the S14 and internationals. But we can't get ESPN. I checked last night. I called Foxtel and apparently the old basic sports package didn't include ESPN but the new one does. They've switched me to the new one for no difference in cost (actually slightly cheaper). That was close. I was starting to get some serious rugby withdrawal symptoms. Should be right after this weekend...

Pool 4 cont. Scarlets - oh Llanelli, where art thou? One of the oldest dynasties in rugby history has been reduced to rubble by the provincial onslaught. Having watched the Kevin Costner vehicle 'Field of Dreams' the Llanelli board have finalised the new stadium, the wittily named Parc Y Scarlets - "if you build it, they will come" etc, which is just as well because the team has been frustratingly inconsistent during years gone by. In any case the Scarlets appear on the up and up, however there is a significant difference between the Magners League and facing Stade in Paris. The pack has often been the weakness of the team and new signing Kees Meeuws is injured... oh dear. Former Welsh international Iestyn Thomas (loosehead prop) is not a good player and fellow Welsh international, hooker Matthew Rees, is penalty prone and liable to throw the ball into the crowd, so innacurate is his throwing in. The second row features journeyman All Black Simon Maling, the capable but lightweight Scott MacLeod and various other shirt-fillers, Vernon Cooper and Lou Reed. Fortunately the back row is a far more competative group, with British Lion Simon Easterby captaining the side and David Lyons, Gavin Thomas and Daffyd Jones providing quality assistance. Overall not a unit to be feared, but at least the Scarlets have Deacon Manu and Mahroni Schwalger... The Llanelli backs are normally quite inventive but Lion Dwayne Peel has left for Sale and Tongan scrum-half Sililo Martens is an inadequate replacement. The backs to a man are excellent; Morgan Stoddart, Daniel Evans, Daffyd James, Mark Jones, Jonathan Davies, Gavin Evans, Rob Higgit and Regan King but... and there is a big but... Stephen Jones resides at no. 10. He seems to attract masses of good praise from British journalists when it is patently clear that he is literally appalling. That was proved beyond doubt during the 05 Lions tour. If you were to watch him during a game it would soon dawn on you that the man is an imposter. He falls off tackles, throws the simplest of short, four yard passes forward, his kicking is wildly inconsistent and he has the pace and turning ability of a canal barge. Simply put he is atrocious, and yet there is still a debate in Wales as to whether he should still be the starting Welsh no.10. For some of his criminal play he should be getting 10 years. Ulster - here's a good one, this always makes me laugh - Matt Williams. What an absolute joker. What a man, like King Midas but in reverse. Anyhow, back to rugby. Williams took over Ulster last season and they're an absolute laughing stock. I feel sorry for BJ Botha. I do, I honestly do. The pack is weak. The lineout is good, the scrum poor. To be fair to Williams Ulster have lost a few hardy players, Simon Best, Justin Harrison, Neil Best and Roger Wilson, but the subsequent recruitment was poor. Robbie Diack and Botha look more than determined to mix it but Williams is relying on a 35 year old openside. The front row has always been shaky and so he decided to purchase Carlo del Fava - even if he is very good... at being a 2nd row, and he ignored half of the front row, thus all scrums are unbalanced. Travelling to Ravenhill was always a troublesome proposition but certainly not under William's tenure. His press bytes are akin to Peter de Villiers and having watched some of the Ulster games on setanta and BBC N.Ireland I feel able to comment that his tactical appreciation is just as negligent. Sadly for Ulster fans the backs are even worse than the forwards. David Humphreys was an irreplaceable loss. The departure of Tommy Bowe was not. In light of this Williams decided to replace the big, physical try-scoring Ulster native with a big physical Fijian wing with no real pedigree. Now I don't know much geography but I am under the distinct impression that Fijians don't really enjoy cold weather. Thus far Nagusa has rewarded Williams with not a single try. Ulster are so bad that I don't even want to talk about them. They proudly sit at the foot of the ML.

Pool 4 Stade Francais Paris - despite the traditional stereotype that French flair runs amok in Paris it is obvious that this truism doesn't apply to the Parisian rugby fields. Over the past decade Stade Francais have been one-dimensional, mechanical and all too obvious with their style of play, something that is in direct contrast to their rather lavish jerseys. The team has all of the ability in the world and yet chooses to grind out results. Even a liberal muskateer like Galthie got caught up in the rugby machine, however in a great irony it seems that stodgy Ewen McKenzie is finally casting off the shackles of rugby repression. Although it has to be said that seeing the big man plodding about in a pink tracksuit was a rather unedifying experience. It made me feel a bit nervous, truth be told... Anyhow Stade are unbeaten this season and are building an ominous head of steam. Realistically they should qualify with ease. Incidentally Stade are going to play Harlequins at the Parc des Princes, I believe, and Harlequins are hosting the French at Twickenham. The pack is monstrous. Very technical and very large. Roncero, Szarzewski and Marconnet provide huge quality in the front row and tighthead Pierre Correia - who made such a lasting impression on James Horwill - alternates as bench cover with the giant Franck Montanella. French internationals Marchois, Aurodou and Pape form the second row team. Worryingly for the rest of Pool 4 the back row is the pick of the bunch: Mauro Bergamasco, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Simon Taylor, Antoine Burban, Pierre Rabadan and Sergio Parisse. If Szarsewski can improve his lineout throwing then there are no real weaknesses. Roncero and Marconnet are two of the best scrummagers in the world, the back row has good height and Bergamasco is a proven 7. This is perhaps the best pack in the tournament. The backline is equally gifted. Beauxis, Mirco Bergamasco, Hernandez and Corleto are all stars in their own right however there are issues over the centre partnership. Stephane Glas is simply too old and Brian Liebenberg is simply a donkey. If Stade want the ball to reach the back three then they must deploy Mirco Bergamasco at 12. Mark Gasnier is currently injured and will continue to learn the game from the sensible position of the right wing when he returns. It is interesting to note that despite all the fanfare that Gasnier has accumulated, McKenzie has spoken of Hernandez in the same terms as Daniel Carter. IMO Hernandez is still too inconsistent but perhaps this is the year that he truly hits his straps. In any case, it is more than likely that this is the year that Stade his their straps.

I'm guessing that some people still consider Springbok front row forwards as the peak of scrummaging prowess, however van der Linde is a lazy scrummager and prone to incorrect binding. Regardless he does provide experience and real BULK, the Leinster pack is actually very slight, but for the money I assume he's being paid I think it would have made far more sense to purchase an Italian. Calvisano are overflowing with quality props. I have never really valued van der Linde, he certainly isn't a 50 cap Springbok.

I cannot fathom why Leinster would waste money on CJ van der Linde. He's a worthless scrummager, lazy, a liability in the loose, and undisciplined. Frankly, from a Springbok point of view, I'm glad to see him go.

Skip, The Heineken Cup is broadcast live on ESPN. You'll need Foxtel's basic sports package to see it.

Dear all, Who is broadcasting the HC & ERC in Australia. Can you see it online anywhere?

Colin, I went for Danny Care ahead of Evans on the basis that Care has more of the ball and therefore has more direction into what happens with it and also the pace of the game. I think that Care has run the Quins games to this point. I did consider Evans heavily but felt that Strettle has that uncoachable quality that can turn a game on his own. It's irrelevant I suppose as both are injured. Personally I think Thomas is the unsung hero of the Wales and Ospreys pack. He runs lineouts, rarely gives away penalties and always tops the tackle count. The work that Thomas does allows Jones to carry the ball. I also think that Jones needs to lose a bit of weight and put in some more 80 minute performances. I'm not suggesting that I know more than the Ospreys conditioners but he seems a bit lethargic recently. Pundits seem far too willing to jump on the Jones bandwagon and personally I can't see their justification. As a captain he struggled to close the game out against Harlequins and his yellow card didn't help. It has been conveniently forgotten that it was Jones' last minute penalty that allowed Beauxis to kick the Ospreys out of the HC two seasons ago, his logic being that he didn't think Beauxis could kick that far. I think there's a lot of room for him to improve and this talk of him being a Lions captain is a tad premature.

You missed out Nick Evans as one of Harlequins' SH players and thus I would have him as a key man. Also wouldn't you say Ryan Jones is more of a key man than Jonathan Thomas. Although he perhaps hasn't produced his Wales form regularly enough for the Ospreys, on his day he is one of the best number 8's around.

... Pool 3 (cont.) Perpignan - their home ground is a bear pit and aside from the home team brutality it is a lovely away day/weekend for the fans. The USAP pack is aggressive and big, containing slightly unhinged internationals Tincu (Romania), Mas (France), Hines (Scotland) and Alvarez-Kairelis (Arg.). They have an excellent home record and often win through sheer intimidation. If Leicester attempt to meet the home aggression then they will come a good 2nd. Unfortunately for the Basques the hugely powerful ex-Leicester player, Henry Tuilagi, is injured although Vaki and Tonitu are more than able replacements.However this ferocity does occasionally develop into full-on brutality and last year the England prop Perry Freshwater broke the cheekbone of England A flanker, Kieran Roche, with a deliberate elbow to the face. If you can ignore any attempts at foul play then you are half-way to beating the nutty boys. I imagine this is easier said than done though. The team had a good season last year and despite their typical French away game frailties they were very unlucky not to beat London Irish in England. Fly -half has often been a problem position for Perpignan but the signing of Dan Carter should remedy this, especially in tandem with the homegrown international pair of Grandclaude and Marty. If Carter doesn't succeed then Perpignan will suffer accordingly. Nonetheless they should win all of their home games and win in Italy, as should Leicester and the Ospreys. Therefore away bonus points will be vital, as they will be in all groups... which I suppose goes without saying. I would classify Perpignan as the French Leicester but I am sure that Carter can take them to new heights, thus it will be between the Ospreys and the Basques to top the group. Ospreys - good squad but lacking bottle. I think that is the general opinion of must rugby fans. In a sense they are flat track bullies. They have the best squad in Wales - virtually the Welsh team, and have acquired some excellent foreign players - Holah and Nutbrown, and yet they always flatter to deceive. I think a lot of that was due to the inadequacies of recently departed coach Lyn Jones, but time will tell. A rather worrying sign is that Harlequins 2nd and 3rd team, masquerading as the 1st xv, managed to give them a bit of a lesson last week. Maybe that is the wake up they need having coasted through the Magners? In terms of ability the Ospreys have it all but are often bullied out of close games. It is all well and good suggesting that Ryan Jones should be the next Lions captain but he has yet to lead his club to tangible glory. IMO he rides on the hard work of Jonathon Thomas far too much. The pack, although mobile and highly skilled has a tendency to be outscrummed, specifically Duncan Jones, and Mike Phillips, who often takes the sting away from a retreating pack, is injured, as is new signing Nutbrown. In light of this a lot of responsibility must fall upon James Hook, a player who still manages to go from sublime to ... less than sublime all too frequently. Ultimately the Ospreys can go all the way if they want it enough, their backline is exceptional but it must learn to rely a little less on Shane Williams. The return of Henson therefore, is a very positive omen. Justin Marshall stated that the team lacked the mental strength to hit the highest peaks. To that extent this coming European campaign will be a very real litmus test. Treviso - mmm... not much to say about the Italian team. Fraser Waters is an excellent capture, but one man can't stop the flow of the tide. Quality players are few and between. Literally. The majority of the squad are honest journeymen, Hottie Louw, Michael Horak etc. Perhaps Treviso will see the tournament as a welcome addition to life's rich and great tapestry?! I wouldn't be surprised to see the men in white and green slip to some big shellackings.

Pool 3: Leicester - since Dean Richards left Leicester have never been the same. Pat Howard was an able replacement but his teams were often out-thought by Wasps in the crunch games. Loffreda was rather abject but given that he had never coached professionally it was a rather bizarre and unfortunate appointment by the Leicester board. Having reiled on brute power for far too long it seems equally bizarre that Peter Wheeler thought it best to give the vacant Head Coach position to the man least likely to diversify the Leicester brand. Meyer, although highly rated in SA and perhaps the SH, never had the Bulls playing much galactico rugby and beyond a callow S14 title he never achieved all that was possible with such a talented squad. Despite being a genuinely likeable man I would be infinitely surprised were he to galvanise Leicester toward any sort of greatness. In a nutshell, Leicester have always had the brawn but rarely the brains. The pack is meaty with Ayerza and Castrogiovanni true modern day props, however due to Castrogiovanni's injury the rather cumbersome Julian White is the no. 3 anchor, and whilst a destructive scrummager he simply does not offer the same carrying option that Castro does. Chuter and Kayser provide excellent hooking skills although Kayser's throwing is notoriously hit and miss. Ben Kay has still not found his 2003 WC form... 5 years later and so Corry and Marco Wentzel lock the scrum. Wentzel is certainly no Matfield, which IMO typifies the current problems of Leicester. The back row is competative. Tom Croft is the next England blindside and is as fast as Tom Varndell over 40 metres. Newby and Moody are injured therefore Ben Herring, who is playing very well - but has this bizarre tendency to kick the ball away in attack, and Jordan Crane are at 7 and 8. Crane is admired in England... but not by me. He is slow and plodding. A real carthorse. Without Castrogiovanni and Moody the pack is not mobile enough. Meyer needs to take the forwards away from their traditional maul mentality. The backs have similar problems to the forwards. Harry Ellis seeks contact far too often and yet Toby Flood is far too clever for his outside backs. It is no surprise then that Meyer has brought in the boot of Hougaard. Dan Hipkiss has great potential but is under-utilised by the Tigers, he has this great ability to act as a back row target. Tuilagi and Varndell have not progressed in 3 years and whilst Varndell is exceptionally fast he doesn't have a natural rugby intellect. The only true footballers in the squad are Mauger, Flood and Geordan Murphy. Unless this team evolves then I would expect the Ospreys to qualify. If the truism applies that you should never write of Wasps, then it also applies to Leicester, however I do have this sneeking feeling that they are too one-dimensional. Their position in the GP belies their poor form and like Sale they will eventually be caught out.

Pool 2: Wasps - Wasps are in the unenviable position of having lost two talismans, Dallaglio and Fraser Waters, and whilst pundits all over England like to refer to Dallaglio's loss as the reason for the clubs poor form Paul Sackey - the England winger, has said that Waters loss has been the greater. As organiser of their rush defence he was key. A vastly underrated player Waters now plies his trade in Italy. It should also be noted that Dallaglio has employment at Wasps and so is often around the training ground or the boardroom. Ian McGeechan is blaming the ELVs for stifling his teams penchant for creativity but the fact of the matter is that the players are taking bad options. Lewsey is playing horribly and Sackey and Flutey are injured. However, not all is gloom and doom. Cipriani is on his way back and Ibanez is a talisman in his own right. As long as Wasps can remedy their poor lineout and shaky scrum then they are always dangerous. They have, after all, just beaten Leicester at Leicester. I would expect Wasps to win all of their home games and perhaps even win in Dublin. Traditionally slow starters - never write off this team, it simply contains too much class. NB - for the avid stattos out there, Tom Voyce is currently 9th in the HC all-time top ten try-scorers list with an impressive 21 touch downs. Leinster - like Wasps they have a poor scrum, and thus van der Linde has been brought in, however the scrum is an 8 man job and so he shouldn't be too pressured by the fans. Having tried hard to fight the stereotype of having all the skill in the world but little mongrel to match Leinster also brought in Elsom to bolster the forwards. Unfortunately for the pair Leinster were stuffed in their debut, at home, versus Munster. Leinster have often been the European bridesmaid but this season they could potentially go all the way. As aforementioned Wasps are not setting the world alight so it is down to Michael Cheika to really turn it on this year. The backs are a delight to watch, specifically Luke Fitzgerald, however Contepomi blows too cold before he blows hot. Unless Contepomi plays 10 instead of 12 Leinster only have the callow, yet promising, Jon Sexton as an alternative fly half option. Therefore if the pack struggle there is no real kicking alternative. Ultimately whether Leinster progress depends on the pack but that Shane Horgan and Brian O'Driscoll are in the top ten Heineken Cup all-time try scorers, 23 and 20 tries respectively, illustrates perfectly the ability of the back line. Stuart Barnes is picking Leinster as his tip for the title but I still have reservations over their consistency. Far too flaky for my liking. Castres - woeful form, weak defence, no real European pedigree. Castres have a tough pack but the excellently resilient Lionel Nallet is often fighting an up-hill battle. Given their league form it is likely that Castres will ignore the HC but their league form also means that they are under no pressure whatsoever. I would mention that French teams perform well when least expected but in reality there are hardly any Frenchmen in the team. The front row,which includes Hoeft, Lensing and Saayman, should unsettle all of the other teams but beyond that too much rests on Nallet, Masoe, Phil Cristophers and mini-kicking dynamo Romain Teulet. Castres will probably place last which means we might see more terrace tears from ex-beast Gerard Cholley as we did last time that Wasps beat Castres in France (16-13 2006/07). Castres would probably stand a greater chance if the big old boy came out of retirement. Edinburgh - Andy Robinson has reinvigorated the team who have an excellent native core; Jacobsen, Ford, Hamilton, Hogg, Rennie, Blair, Godman, Cairns, De Luca and Paterson, but little grit. The team are inconsistent scrummagers, which can largely be attributed to Gavin Kerr, and rely far too much on the boot of Paterson. The backline provides spark, like Leinster, but also like Leinster the pack is lightweight. Robinson is an excellent club coach so I wouldn't write them off, especially given that Robinson has coached the majority of the Wasps team, but simply put, Edinburgh do not possess the big hitters that Wasps and Leinster can call on. It should also be remembered that Edinburgh play at Murrayfield which is of course close to empty thus their home games are eerily bereft of atmosphere. I suspect that the plucky Scottish side will finish 3rd.

Harlequins are 4th in the GP.