Writing in The Guardian, Shaun Edwards says the Challenge Cup is enjoyable, but he feels he's missing out as he looks forward to the weekend's Heineken Cup action.
"I still feel a little like the bloke who wasn't invited to the party and is left on the sidelines. No disrespect to Paris, Bayonne, Rome or any other of the fine sides like the table-topping Saracens who tussled with Toulon last night, but after six years of Heineken Cup rugby, winning the competition twice, I'm missing it like hell, especially as once again it's proved to be a competition that constantly surprises.
"Those with even short memories will recollect me predicting success for at least two of the Irish regions. The argument went along the lines of the Heineken Cup being made for sides who could rest important players and then get them to peak condition for a limited programme.
"Leinster, I remember, had done particularly well in recruiting the likes of the international scrum-half Eoin Reddan from Wasps, the prop Mike Ross from Harlequins and the Lions second-row Nathan Hines. The feeling was that with an Irish back line that included Brian O'Driscoll and other Lions in Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney, the beefed-up pack would go even better than it did last season when Leinster pipped Leicester in the final in Edinburgh.
"Now their competition hangs in the balance and should they go down at Brive there will be more than a few red faces returning to Dublin on Saturday night."
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