2003-04 Heineken Cup Rugby

[crookycymru]

Pool Stages


POOL ONE
Team P W D L BP F A Pts
Stade Francais 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Leicester 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gwent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ulster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



POOL TWO
Team P W D L BP F A Pts
Leeds 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neath/Swansea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Edinburgh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Toulouse 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



POOL THREE
Team P W D L BP F A Pts
Sale Sharks 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cardiff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Leinster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Biarritz 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



POOL FOUR
Team P W D L BP F A Pts
Agen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Borders 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Llanelli 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Northampton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



POOL FIVE
Team P W D L BP F A Pts
Bourgoin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Munster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Treviso 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gloucester 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



POOL SIX
Team P W D L BP F A Pts
Celtic Warriors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Calvisano 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wasps 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Perpignan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



NOTES


Each team receives two points for a win, one point for a draw and no points for a defeat.

If two teams finish level on points, the team finishing higher is the team with the most points in the two matches between the two.

The six pool winners and the two best second-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals.

A team will win a bonus point by scoring four tries or more in a match, or by losing by seven or fewer points.

 

[crookycymru]

Fri 5 Dec 19:15 Pool 6 Celtic Warriors v Calvisano
Fri 5 Dec 19:45 Pool 4 Llanelli Scarlets v Northampton Saints Sky
Sat 6 Dec 14:30 Pool 5 Benetton Treviso v Gloucester
Sat 6 Dec 15:00 Pool 3 Leinster Lions v Biarritz Olympique RTE / Sky / Sport+
Sat 6 Dec 16:00 Pool 1 Stade Fran?ais v Leicester Tigers FR2 / Sky
Sat 6 Dec 17:00 Pool 3 Sale Sharks v Cardiff Blues Sky
Sat 6 Dec 19:30 Pool 4 Agen v The Borders
Sat 6 Dec 19:30 Pool 5 Bourgoin v Munster Sport+
Sun 7 Dec 13:00 Pool 2 Edinburgh Rugby v Toulouse Sky / FR3
Sun 7 Dec 14:30 Pool 1 Gwent Dragons v Ulster
Sun 7 Dec 14:30 Pool 2 Leeds Tykes v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Sun 7 Dec 15:00 Pool 6 London Wasps v Perpignan Sky / Sport+

 

[Pumpkin]

Hard to get any coverage over here of this cup. So Will have to rely on your thoughts crooky

 

[crookycymru]

First games start on Friday evening (British Time)

Will post from Thursday onwards....look forward to contributions from Hoss as always!

 

[crookycymru]

Will play just one outright bet at this stage.

Very hard to oppose Munster in Group E. They are virtualy unbeatable at home, and are more than capable of picking up some away victories. That will be enough to top the group outright.

3 Points Munster to win Group E at 1/1 with Totalbet

Friday 5th December

Llanelli vs Northampton

Will open this years tournament with a bet on Wales best region at the moment, and the team most likely to lift the Heineken Cup from Wales.
The Scarlets have been in impressive form in the Celtic League since their international players have been away, and are even stronger now these players have returned. They name a very strong, side, and in paticular a pack that is a match for anybody in the tournament. They have backs that can cause a lot of damage, and they should be allowed enough ball tonight.
The Saints have named not their strongest team, bu a formidable enough team to compete at this very high level. Look out for the England World Cup stars to come off the bench at some point during the game. At this point I expect them to be behind.
Stradey Park in Llanelli is very much a fortress, and a very tough place to go and play rugby. Add the extra needle any Wales-England fixtures creates, and you have to feel the Scarlets hold a stong edge this evening.

2 Points Llanelli (-5) a 9/10 with BetDirect

Also will be introducing spread bets into these rugby pages. Will open with a sell of IG Index quote that the game will be 45-48 points. One feels that is a little high considering it is the opening game, and both teams will be edgy. Expect a scrappy game with few tries.

0.2 Point Sell at 45 Total Match Points with IG Index

 

[alb]

Glad you reconsidered.

Missed field goal on the last play. Those damn ties! It looks like you made about 4 units on the under though. Unfortunately, I can't get an IG account.

 

[crookycymru]

Llanelli 14-9 Northampton
Celtic Warriors 35-24 Calivasano

Hugely disappointing loss this evening. I can handle backing a loser, but when that loss comes, despite your side dominating the whole eighty minutes.

I had a bad feeling as soon as Stephen Jones missed that easy conversion early on, and he went on and missed another three easy chances. Northampton must be counting their lucky stars they picked up a bonus point, in a game they were never going to win.

I feel I had this game down to a tee. Picked up some good money on the spreads, but I know most would have backed Llanelli on the handicap, so that was my main priority tonight.

Nothing to do, but get on with it, and get stuck in to tomorrow.

 

[Pumpkin]

Follwed in on the spread - good to see this type of betting be used here on madjacks.

Can be very profitable if used wisely.

:nono: be very wary spread betting if you don't understand how it works

 

[crookycymru]

Good point Pumpkin.....spread betting is very volatile.

I did not even use a spread betting account in my first few years punting. One I realised what sports I could make my profit in, I have used them successfully. However, my account is capped so I know the maximum win/lose for each bet.

If you are a punter who lacks discipline, then I would advise anyone to leave spread betting alone. It is very exciting, paticularly for live matches, which can easily increase the temptation to bet for the sake of it. Maintain a high level of discipline, and it could be very profitable.

 

[crookycymru]

Saturday 6th December

Leinster vs Biarritz

Biarritz were a team I had huge respect for last season, and they were a outright selection this time last year. They lost narrowly to the same opposition in the quarter finals, so will not fear the Leinster challenge. However, I do not expect them to be as strong as last season. They were a bit of a unknown quantity then, but teams will be well aware of what they are capable of this time around, not least Leinster who had to battle hard to beat them to the semis in earlier this year.
They travel to Donnybrook boosted by the return of several international stars. However, stalwart Serge Betsen misses out through suspension. He stands for everything Biarritz are about. A superb mauler and tackler, they will miss his presence tomorrow.
Leinster are able to field a full strength team apart from the admission of Puma fly half Felipe Contepomi, who misses out due to a administrative cock up. They have a wealth of talent both up front, and behind in the backs, where they are led by the world class Brian O'Driscoll.
They will target this match as a 'must win' game, and given that Biarritz have struggled on their travels to date this season (they have lost their last six games on the road!!), Leinster should be able to notch up a victory with a bonus point.

2 Points Leinster (-8) at 10/11 Generally

Moving on to the only spread bet of the day. It is somewhat surprising that Sporting Index believe the French are capable of scoring up to twenty points tomorrow. In fact, as well as struggling to win away from home, they are hardly scoring any points. A aggregate of just fifty seven points in their last six away matches does not bode well. Given they are more likely to try and win this game up front, rather than supplying their backs with quality ball, it looks like they wont be troubling the scorer too often again tomorrow.

0.4 Point Sell Biarritz Total Points at 18 with Sporting Index

Sale Sharks vs Cardiff Blues

As with Leinster, Sale will have targeted this match as a game they should, and probably will win.
The Blues, despite being able to field a host of internationals have struggled to adapt to regional rugby, and one feels the Heineken Cup is coming a little early for them at this stage. They are not playing as a unit, and instead have to rely on their few world class players, namely Martyn Williams and Iestyn Harris. If they are to compete in this game, they must keep the game tight, and win the battle up front.
It is very much a tale of two sides with the Sale Sharks. On one side, you have a world class back line, packed with youth and experience, and they will look to Jason Robinson, to rack up the points tomorrow. Their chances in this game hinder on wether their pack can secure enough posession. If they can compete up front, then their backs will flourish against the Blues. The only concern is that the forwards, especially the front five, are young and inexperienced. They field a decent enough back row, and they must be worth backing to small stakes to clear the spread tomorrow.

1 Point Sale (-13) at 9/10 with BetDirect

Stalling on a play in the Bourgoin-Munster game. Will post as soon as I see the Bourgoin team, which at this stage is to be confirmed.

Good Luck

 

[british bulldog]

Gareth

I would like to take this opportunity to also appologise to you as I behaved childishly and to extend my best wishes for your return the the forum.

Good Luck with whatever you play in the future.

Derek

 

[alb]

The bigger play comes through and your spread profits increase. Man, I got to find a way to get an Index account. Munster squeaks a 1 point win.........good for our future.


:weed:

 

[british bulldog]

ALB

I don't know if some spread betting accounts are open to North Americans.

You have a similar type of sportsbook in the States.

Tradesports. it is a person to person site which allows you to buy and sell points for a tick. Each tick is worth 1 unit and each game is 100 units total.

So if line was set at 42 and you sold then your max profit would be 42 and max loss 58.

Crooky I think, when he says he has a stop loss on his bets, has a stop loss/profit of 50 points (unit stake) or whatever he chooses. Very wise in a volitile market. I myself only use my account for cricket (80% of the time) and some minor plays in other sports. I don't use the stop method if I am a good few points up on the year, although upon thinking about a post Crooky made about my spread bet I had on the cricket, a stop loss/profit would have been a wise move as a loss of over 150 units can hurt if playing at a full point. I chose to play at half a point so I suppose in effect I played a stop for 75 units loss but no stop on profit.

Perhaps I ought to look into this stop abit more and go back over past bets in the last three years to see if it would save some losses and probably lose some profit. But if my ROI can be improved upon and I put less of my bank in jeopardy then that would be a good move.

 

[crookycymru]

Posting away from home at the moment, so no time for writeups.

2 Points Edinburgh (+12) vs Toulouse at 9/10 with Tote

1 Point Wasps (-8) vs Perpignan at 9/10 with BetDirect

No plays on the spreads.

Good Luck

 

[alb]

You da man! I missed the first one but nailed the London Wasps.

:Yep:

 

[crookycymru]

Treviso 12-33 Gloucester
Leinster 32-6 Biarritz
Stade Francais 26-15 Leicester
Sale Sharks 26-24 Cardiff Blues
Bourgoin 17-18 Munster
Agen 27-8 Scottish Borders
Wasps 28-7 Perpignan
Leeds Tykes 29-20 Neath/Swansea Ospreys
Gwent Dragons 24-15 Ulster
Edinburgh 23-16 Toulouse


Pleasing opening weekend of the Heineken Cup. It started badly on Friday night, but the Cardiff game apart, all teams did, or should have covered the handicap.

The first two spread betting plays prove very profitable.

On to Round Two next weekend.

Further plays and record updated around Thursday!

 

[alb]

Just a question. Why is Edinburgh still best price 7/1 to win the group after their upset. Surely another Toulouse loss leaves it for them.

 

[cameroncrazie]

Another great weekend crooky. Thanks as always.

I can't believe I can't get an IG Index account because I'm based in the U.S. Damn American government trying to protect me from my "destructive" gambling habits. I guess I need a baby sitter even at 29. Or maybe trying to make sure I don't make $$$ without them taking their cut. Either way a crock of sh*t.

 

[crookycymru]

Alb,

Toulouse are virtually unbeatable at home. Despite the defeat by Edinburgh (it was very much on the cards!!), the team have just been reunited, after their players coming back from the World Cup. They are only going to get better, and while nobody from this group are going to win in Toulouse, the French will probably win their last two away games. If they were going to lose any match in the group, it was this opener in Edinburgh.

Cameron,

I agree that is pretty hard to swallow, as we Brits live in a country with relaxed gambling laws. I have never looked into it, but are there alternative options?? I really dont know, but it is pretty unfair that Americans cant open accounts over here.

 

[crookycymru]

Friday 12th December

Ulster vs Stade Francais

Tomorrow nights matches look a little tricky apart from one stand out bet.
Ulster have turned Ravenhill into something of a fortress in both the Heineken Cup and Celtic League over the past seasons. The best teams from all around Europe have tried and failed to win there, and I dont expect a different scoreline tomorrow night.
They enter the match, having lost against the Gwent Dragons last weekend. If this match was important then, it is vital now, as defeat will certainly leave them with little hope of progressing from the group.
Admittedly, they are up against a very strong team full of world class players. However, take those players to a freezing cold Friday night in Belfast, full of screaming Northern Irishmen, and see how they react. They have been poor on their travels in the French league this season. They have lost their past five away matches in the French Championship, and look unlikely to succeed where the likes of Northampton, Biarritz, Cardiff, London Wasps, have failed before. In fact you have to go back to the 19th January 2001, when Ulster were last beaten in the Heineken Cup at Ravenhill. At this level, that is a very impressive home record, and that can carry them to victory again tomorrow night.

3 Points Ulster (+3) at 4/5 with BetDirect

I bet this game at 9/10 earlier, but it has now drifted to 4/5. Anybody with a BetDirect account need to get on now, as this price will not last the morning. Any readers without a BetDirect account should bet the match off scratch with a host of other firms including Bet365.

Just to remind you that my rugby bets are graded on a 1-4 point basis. This is nearly as big as they come....I know I am putting pressure on myself, as this could well lose, but please assure you bet the rugby bets to the advised staking plan.

Nothing yet on the spread betting front, but may add a play on the other Friday night matches tomorrow around 6pm (GMTime)

Good Luck