Cup games disappoint, but blame it on the rain

PERHAPS the expectation level was too high. Maybe it was the memory of the outstanding fare on offer last season in both semi-finals and final.

Whichever way you look at it, the quality of last weekend's first round matches in this year's Heineken Cup was disappointing.

Undoubtedly the weather played its part. In the opening game of the competition in Stradey Park, Toulouse struggled in driving wind and rain to beat Llanelli in a dour contest. Similar conditions prevailed from Newport to Thomond Park, ensuring that try scoring was at a premium. The geographical scope of this competition was illustrated by the fact that players in Glasgow were close to hypothermia, while their Leinster counterparts were losing pounds playing in the heat of Treviso. These are the elements that make the Heineken Cup what it is faced with challenges outside of the norm, the team that adapts best will prevail.