Leinster head coach Leo Cullen believes a “good little tweak” to the Investec Champions Cup bonus-point system will have a big impact on matches this season.
Tournament organisers have adopted the French Top 14 system, which awards a bonus point to teams that score at least three more tries than their opponents, rather than simply crossing the tryline four times.
The change is designed to keep matches competitive until the final whistle, with teams now at risk of losing their bonus point if they concede late tries.
Teams that lose by seven points or fewer will still receive a losing bonus point, but they can no longer collect two bonus points from a defeat.
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“There’s definitely a lot more jeopardy for longer in games where the bonus point structure has come in [in France],” Cullen said.
“Watching Top 14 games, it is a more exciting last 10 or 15 minutes because some games [in other leagues] can fizzle out when a team has scored four tries and the other has scored one. It can fizzle out and a team might come back and score a couple of tries and there’s no actual consequence from it.
“A team that is trying to stay three or four tries in front, you’re encouraged to keep playing and the game continues on with much greater competitiveness to the end.
“If it totally blows out, it’ll totally blow out but generally speaking it’s a better system for the fan, but this is the first time we’ll be experiencing it.”
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Cullen believes the revised system will discourage teams from easing off once they have secured four tries.
“It creates more competition for longer in a game; scoring four tries and you go into cruise control and get the job done… you see less games like that in the Top 14 with the way the bonus point system works.
“So, we’ll see how it plays out in the Champions Cup,” he added.
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
The post Cullen: More jeopardy in Champions Cup appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen believes a “good little tweak” to the Investec Champions Cup bonus-point system will have a big impact on matches this season.
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