Conor O’Shea hopes for Heineken Cup solution

Harlequins coach Conor O'Shea hopes a solution is found which will see English clubs participate in the Heineken Cup. The former Irish international said players, coaches and supporters of English clubs love the Heineken Cup and all want to see a situation where they continue to play in it.

O’Shea, whose Harlequins side could become the first to lose their opening two games and still reach the quarter-finals, are back in contention after a stunning 32-8 win over Jonathan Sexton’s Racing Metro at the weekend.

O'Shea said the match summed all that was good about the Heineken Cup on an evening when Racing moved the match 400kms away in Nantes and the crowd of 29,000 were still cheering and roaring on their team despite the big upset.

“Yes, we will miss it massively,” said O’Shea about the likely non-involvement of English clubs next season. “To have the honour to come to places like Nantes, to play in front of that crowd, to play against a team that good and to play in places like Clermont is a massive thing for us.

Nantes experience
"It energises people, it gives us a variety to who we play, it gives supporters excitement. I went out for a walk around Nantes last Friday night, I had never been to Nantes before, and it is what makes the European Cup so special, people go to places they have never been before. And I hope at some stage we are playing in it but I will leave that to the people who decide.

“We love this competition and we will focus on our job which is this weekend and it will be massive. I can’t wait to entertain Racing because they are a great side and our supporters will come so see many world-class rugby players. That’s what this competition is about,” said O’Shea.

Their bonus-point win over Metro has hauled them back into contention after they picked up a late bonus point away to Clermont and another win over Sexton’s men will leave O’Shea’s men with a strong chance of qualifying.

“If we do a job next week then it comes down to some titanic games in January. As a club we love the Heineken Cup and it is something we want to have a crack at and at least we are not out.”