Dallaglio questions Euro qualifying

Lawrence Dallaglio today called for European rugby chiefs to re-examine the qualification procedure for Heineken Cup entry after condemning the easier passage into the tournament enjoyed by Celtic teams.

Most provincial sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales are guaranteed entry into Europe’s most prestigious club rugby competition every season, no matter where they finish in the Celtic League.

But it is a different story in England and France – the most heavily represented countries in the Heineken Cup – where clubs battle it out in their domestic leagues for a coveted place among Europe’s big-guns.

Dallaglio – who will lead defending champions Wasps in their campaign opener against Biarritz on Sunday – insists the current rules need to be re-addressed.

“There is a discrepancy with qualification in that there will be a lot of teams who will start this season’s Heineken Cup in the knowledge they are already in next year’s,” said the former England number eight.

“English sides have to finish fourth or fifth in the Premiership which throws up a dilemma for us because our league is consequently just as important as the Heineken Cup.

“There are certain teams who may not be as passionate about the Celtic League as we are about the Premiership because they’ve already qualified for the Heineken Cup. The whole qualification process really needs looking at.

“It’s a European competition and that has to be reflected in its make-up but it takes a little bit of pressure off you when you go into the tournament knowing you’re definitely going to be in the next one.”

Wasps director of rugby Warren Gatland concurred with Dallaglio’s sentiments and pointed out that some sides shape their whole season around peaking for the Heineken Cup – at the expense of their performance in the Celtic League

He said: “If you look at the Irish teams in particular they don’t take the Celtic League very seriously. They rest a lot of players and try and build themselves up so they are ready for the Heineken Cup.”

Wasps will not meet any Celtic sides in the pool stages and have still been saddled with one of the toughest groups in the tournament after being drawn alongside Leicester, Biarritz and Calvisano.

Despite Dallaglio’s claims to the contrary, Calvisano should pose only a modest challenge. But two-time winners Leicester – who top the Premiership – and last year’s beaten semi-finalists Biarritz are among the toughest of assignments.

Wasps are in fine form, however, and even minus a host of injured internationals they have embarked on a five-match winning run which Gatland insists is crucial preparation for their cup defence.

“When we look back on the start of the season we were a little bit flat because of the success we’d had last year and there were a few players injured,” he said.

“We didn’t perform in the opening two games but we’ve got things back on track at the moment. We’ve slowly been building up momentum to the opening game of the Heineken Cup.

“We felt that if we could win five in a row in the Premiership, beat Biarritz and then win at Calvisano we would be very difficult to stop because of the momentum and confidence we’d built up.

“There’s a winning habit in this team at the moment. Out of the last 30 games we’ve only lost five which is a pretty good record.”

Gatland hopes Josh Lewsey will be available for Sunday and the England winger is scheduled to play in a second team match against Oxford University tomorrow night.

Former All Blacks prop Craig Dowd will also feature against the students but is not expected to make his first team return until Calvisano on October 30, which is also the date pencilled in for Simon Shaw’s competitive comeback.

Centre Fraser Waters should be available for bench duty against Biarritz and it is hoped Matt Dawson will overcome a hamstring strain in time for the match.