100 Day's and counting! RWC - 2011 | Thebigtip

With rugby's premier event bearing down hard and fast on us within just over two months and counting, and with both hemisphere's club competitions coming to their tail end - it seems fitting to have a wind down of who the competitions big boys are going to be, whose favourite to surprise a few fans and who to look out for in terms of individual brilliance.

Over the next few weeks in the build up to the sports ultimate prize, we'll put the spotlight on each of the Six Nations and Tri, or rather Quad Nations teams with Argentina to be included in the competition prior to this year; Picking them apart and placing the limelight on their key players and their stereotypical tactic's and selections.

As for this week's issue, we'll take a broad assessment on how both hemisphere's are coming along in their domestic and cross-country tournaments.

First up is the North, who have, bar France's Top 14, have come to an end in each of their prospective tournaments. The premier of which being the Heineken Cup being Europe's equivalent to Super 15 rugby - and has been claimed in recent history to be top club competition 

in global rugby by the likes of Sean Fitzpatrick and Bob Dwyer, the Wallaby's 1991 World Cup winning coach; A title that these critics would know a thing or two about.

In the competition this year one team stood out among the rest and for those who watched this ever expanding competition, which has now expanded club matches to the Catalan regions of Spain, including Biarritz playing their home Quarter final against Biarritz in Barcelona in front of a record 50,000 sell out crowd  for a Quarter final (a record that lasted all of one day until Leinster played Leicester in Lansdowne road), that team being Leinster. The Irish province leapt at the competition to win their second set of medals in three years, winning it previously in 2009. That makes it four trophy's for the Irish provinces in six years, withMunster winning it in 2006 and 2008.

Leinster were by far and away the best team in the competition, beating the best of Europe - Literally, as from the off they were placed in the group of death, consisting of ASM Clermont Auvergne, the Top 14 Champions - Racing Metro, the 2009 Top 14 Champions and Saracens, second in the Aviva Premiership last year (and champions as of 2011). Dismissing all of the teams, thrashing in some cases and recording only one loss away to Clermont in Stade Marcel Michelin, one of rugbys toughest venues.

To complicate matters they then faced Leicester and Toulouse, two of Europe's most dominant teams in the competitions history. Leinster overcame both teams to face an unbeaten Northampton in the final, making not only one of the most exciting routes to the final in possibly the history of the cup, but also gave us one of the best finals in the cups history too, in a game of literally two half’s as the cliché goes with the 'Boys in Blue' overcoming a 16 point deficit to score 27 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters to cement their second title.

Elsewhere down South Super rugby has had two notable changes. The competition down South, like its Northern rival, has expanded and has seen another team in the form of the Melbourne Rebels joining the tournament, as well as seeing a system overhaul as the format for qualification to the knock out stages has seen the introduction of 'conference's' - Where each countries five teams are pitted into sub-groups - and the two with the most points come the end of the 18th round qualify, the two out of those six with the most points getting a bye from the quarter finals and get automatic qualification into the semi-finals.

The pick from each country being the Stormers from South Africa, who despite being a strong team over the past five years have come of age, becoming the better out of all the South African province's after the Bulls having an extremely poor season by their own and by Super rugby champion standards. The Sharks have had an up and down season; But require composure now as the tournament comes to an end, with qualification for the play off spots being intense.

The Crusaders in somewhat stereotypical fashion have produced some of the tournaments best games and have been one of the choice

teams of the tournament, but have faded slightly towards the end. The Auckland Blues have taken to the top of the New Zealand conference as of now. The other franchises being out of the play off zone and with only three rounds left, look set for a barren year.

The Australian teams have had a seasons poles apart. The Rebels in an unsurprising scenario have finished last - But its hardly a disappointment considering the clubs come from literally nowhere in its inauguratatory tournament with players from England, Wales, South Africa and of course Australia. The same excuse can't be granted to the Brumbies or Western Force who've had extremely poor seasons - Meaning Australia making up the numbers for the bottom of the table with three out of the bottom five being from the continent. On the upside the Waratah's are eyeing qualification in the face and the Reds have been the team of the tournament and sit nicely at the top of the table and look set to remain their after beating their New Zealand rivals the Crusaders who too play an expansive style of rugby.

With that round up England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand all look set to knock lumps out of eachother in the World Cup this Autumn given how all countries have province's on fire that are set to make up the numbers in their national squads. Thats not to write off France or South Africa, but highlight the domestic success of the other countries.