Here are my predictions for the final round of Challenge Cup group matches, where most of them seem fairly straightforward.
EDINBURGH to beat Timisoara Saracens by 23
BRIVE to beat Newport Gwent Dragons by 16
WORCESTER WARRIORS to beat Enisei-STM by 13
BATH to beat Pau by 26
CARDIFF BLUES to beat Bristol by 23
LYON to beat Grenoble by 8
OSPREYS to beat Newcastle Falcons by 13
GLOUCESTER RUGBY to beat Bayonne by 18
LA ROCHELLE to beat Benetton Treviso by 18
STADE FRANCAIS to beat Harlequins by 4
Are there any you disagree with?
Fancy Quins to bead Stade, Quins have named a strong side and have publicly stated they are going for quarter final qualification, Stade out of it and probably a bit disinterested, haven’t seen the Stade line-up though.
Possibly, and I did pause over that one, but Quins’ away form has been dreadful this season, and every French side is tough to beat at home. I’d love to see them win it though.
I admit it is more of a gamble/hunch rather than pragmatic pick…
Always good to go with your gut! Let’s see what happens.
I have a very large gut Hutch and it is telling me that Quins can’ t keep playing as badly as they have been (I hope). They need to qualify to give the rest of the season some interest. The rest I don’t really care about at present though I think Falcons will do better than you think and Grenoble may surprise Lyon.