Magners league: Irish predictions

d-gal

So how do you think the four will do?

Reckon Leinster will do best with the strength and depth.
Munster will only be half arsed as usual and will focus more on the HC.
Ulster to struggle a little without Humphs, Bowe, Best and Wilson.
Connacht to finally make a decent impact due to Murphy and Roberts

[Jackass]

I reckon Leinster and Ulster will be in the top 3 with Munster about 4th or 5th and Connacht will finish 8th and qualify for HEC.

RuggieBear

[Jackass] wrote: »

I reckon Leinster and Ulster will be in the top 3 with Munster about 4th or 5th and Connacht will finish 8th and qualify for HEC.

I think I'd agree with that.

Not sure Leinster will retain the title but I'd want them to be top three at worst...oh and thrash Llanelli for the embarrassment they inflicted on us last season.

Podge_irl

[Jackass] wrote: »

I reckon Leinster and Ulster will be in the top 3 with Munster about 4th or 5th and Connacht will finish 8th and qualify for HEC.

I'd fancy Munster to finish ahead of Ulster. I'd say Leinster either first or second, with Munster 3rd, Ulster 4th or 5th and Connacht 8th/9th - depends how well the new guys settle in and whether or not Bradley stops being an idiot.

Amazotheamazing

Depends if Munster bother this year or not, imo. They have greater depth than the other provinces.

Hope Williams does something with Ulster.

Will be interesting to see if Cheika's Leinster can give gametime to all their backs, still weak in the forwards, imo.

toomevara

Edinburgh to surprise, Ospreys to win. Munster/Leinster to finish in top 6, relative to their HC campaigns...i.e. the better they do in the HC the less well they'll fare in the ML.

buck65

Leinster to win Ospreys a close second
Munster 3rd
Ulster 6/7th
Connacht well down.

Heroditas

Ospreys are a shambles currently. I would expect them to struggle. They'll be also busy looking at the HECand also that ridiculous EDF Cup

toomevara

Heroditas wrote: »

Ospreys are a shambles currently. I would expect them to struggle. They'll be also busy looking at the HECand also that ridiculous EDF Cup

Yep, thats their natural state, but when/if they get it together,,,fantastic outfit...and as for that idiotic EDF cup, dont get me started! Must surely be one of the reasons the Welsh regions don't fare so well in the HC

Hansel

Everything that I've heard from the Munster camp so far indicates that they're going to go all guns blazing in the Magner's League this year. They want to do a double. With the internationals away a lot less this season, we may just see them take it more serious than previously. I expect only one or two front liners will be rested per games, in order to give younger lads more experience surrounded by the big guns.

I think it'll be between Leinster and Munster for the Magner's this year. Ulster and Connacht will improve, and possibly both get HEC spots.

toomevara

Hansel wrote: »

Everything that I've heard from the Munster camp so far indicates that they're going to go all guns blazing in the Magner's League this year.

Thats the buzz alright. just about raising the bar from last season, but squad depth will be an issue...

Colm_OReilly

Someone care to explain why the EDF cup is a shambles?

Apologies if this is too far OT but genuinely don't know much about the EDF Cup.

Thanks,
Colm

Heroditas

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Someone care to explain why the EDF cup is a shambles?

Apologies if this is too far OT but genuinely don't know much about the EDF Cup.

Thanks,
Colm

The Guinness Premiership clubs field weakened teams in it. If it didn't offer a HEC place to the winner, they'd care even less about it. The Welsh love it because it's an opportunity for them to beat the English .... however, that rivalry isn't particularly reciprocated.
The Welsh love it for the money and the crowds but apart from that, it's a dead rubber of a tournament and yet another distraction in an already packed calendar.

Hansel

toomevara wrote: »

Thats the buzz alright. just about raising the bar from last season, but squad depth will be an issue...

The only issue I see with our squad depth is that it's possibly too strong. It's unlikely that we're going to be able to keep everybody happy with a lot of gametime. I can't think of one position that we're overly weak in. What is your concern?

[Jackass]

Hansel wrote: »

Everything that I've heard from the Munster camp so far indicates that they're going to go all guns blazing in the Magner's League this year. They want to do a double.

I really hope that's the case. And with the league getting more and more competetive and EDF energy cup in its last official season (and hopefully no other competition organised to replace it) the Welsh sides will be back focusing on this as their main domestic competition and main chance of silverware, so it could be a big few seasons for the league and really move it into it's rightfull place as on a par at least with the best leagues in Euorope.

Amazotheamazing

Hansel wrote: »

The only issue I see with our squad depth is that it's possibly too strong. It's unlikely that we're going to be able to keep everybody happy with a lot of gametime. I can't think of one position that we're overly weak in. What is your concern?

I tend to agree, here's our first team, imo. * denotes International experience, ** denotes International A level experience.

Horan*, Flannery*, Hayes*
POC* DOC*
Quinlain* Leamy* Wallace*
Stringer* O'Gara*
Dowling**, Mafi, Tipoki, Howlett*
Hurley**

So very experienced first team, but if you look to our second team

Pucerellio* Sheehan* Buckley*
MOD* Ryan**
O'Sullivan** Williams Ronan**
O'Leary* Warwick
Murphy* Tipoki Earls** Horgan*
Howlett*

Obviously what would happen in reality is Leamy would probably switich to 6 before JOS would play there, etc, but we could in theory field two teams, I could have included academy players, or switched Manning in at 10 and put Warwick to 15, but it's clear we have about 30 very experienced players.

After that, we have guys like Holland, O'Donnell, Darragh Hurley, Timmy Ryan, Duncan Williams, Doyle Gleeson etc who could play ML if needs be.

Munster have imo, huge strenght this season, we're probably weakest at fullback but even there we could switch guys like Howlett or Warwick there.

toomevara

Second string half-pairing not strong enough...imo...but i take the points made re:strength in depth, perhaps I'm being overly pessimistic...wouldnt be the first time...

Amazotheamazing

toomevara wrote: »

Second string half-pairing not strong enough...imo...but i take the points made re:strength in depth, perhaps I'm being overly pessimistic...wouldnt be the first time...

Very hard for an Irish province to fund two top quality outhalves, they don't come cheap.

In the longer term, we'll have to hope Manning continues to improve and some youngster comes through.

toomevara

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

In the longer term, we'll have to hope Manning continues to improve and some youngster comes through.

Absolutely..develop local talent first and foremost, its just that dreaded Munster scenario, a serious injury to ROG and suddenly its a whole different ballgame....*blesses self, throws salt over back*

Heroditas

Paul Warwick isn't too shabby a replacement if something critical happened to O'Gara. I know he may not have impressed as well as he can play at Munster so far but he was outstanding at Connacht and if he got a decent enough run at 10, he'd probably recapture that form. He's a very talented rugby player.

Amazotheamazing

Heroditas wrote: »

Paul Warwick isn't too shabby a replacement if something critical happened to O'Gara. I know he may not have impressed as well as he can play at Munster so far but he was outstanding at Connacht and if he got a decent enough run at 10, he'd probably recapture that form. He's a very talented rugby player.

He is, but he's needs to work on his kicking, great runner of the ball, but lets his game down with his kicking, imo.

Zzippy

Heroditas wrote: »

Paul Warwick isn't too shabby a replacement if something critical happened to O'Gara. I know he may not have impressed as well as he can play at Munster so far but he was outstanding at Connacht and if he got a decent enough run at 10, he'd probably recapture that form. He's a very talented rugby player.

I wouldn't say he was outstanding! Adequate would be more the word I'd use. Then again, he's better than most of the other outhalves we've had lately.

On topic, I'm surprised several posters think Ulster will finish so high up this year. Why??

Heroditas

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

He is, but he's needs to work on his kicking, great runner of the ball, but lets his game down with his kicking, imo.

Positional/territiorial/tactical kicking or penalties/conversions?
I always thought he had a good % for place kicking but his tactial kicking leave a bit to be desired. I guess seeing that his background was in 7s for Australia, it wouldn't be his main weapon.

Hansel

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Very hard for an Irish province to fund two top quality outhalves, they don't come cheap.

In the longer term, we'll have to hope Manning continues to improve and some youngster comes through.

If Andrew Burke can stay fit when he's over his current injury, he'll make it to international quality, or at least that's what my people in the know tell me. I haven't seen him play myself, but I'd trust these opinions.

Amazotheamazing

Hansel wrote: »

If Andrew Burke can stay fit when he's over his current injury, he'll make it to international quality, or at least that's what my people in the know tell me. I haven't seen him play myself, but I'd trust these opinions.

The guy is barely finished school, and is often injured, I don't think we can rely on anything about him just yet. Would love to see a local guy come through, but reckon he should be working out why he's getting so many injuries and what needs to be done to avoid them. What AIL club is he with, think I heard Garryowen?

Amazotheamazing

Heroditas wrote: »

Positional/territiorial/tactical kicking or penalties/conversions?
I always thought he had a good % for place kicking but his tactial kicking leave a bit to be desired. I guess seeing that his background was in 7s for Australia, it wouldn't be his main weapon.

Other way round imo, he's an ok kicker tactically, not of O'Gara's class (but few are) but he's place kicking can be very poor. Both can be worked on, to some degree anyway.

bleg

warwick had a good game on friday night. he's an adequate sub for rog.

toomevara

bleg wrote: »

warwick had a good game on friday night. he's an adequate sub for rog.

'adequate' oh dear, think that word says alot...personally, I wouldn't want to be an 'adequate' substitute for anyone...at anything....