RaboDirect Pro 12 - General Season Discussion

Teferi

Tough away match for Munster.

wonton

ulster vs leinster heineken cup final and quite possible munster vs leinster rabo final....sweet jesus.

skregs

wonton wrote: »

ulster vs leinster heineken cup final and quite possible munster vs leinster rabo final....sweet jesus.

Good luck with that. I see a Leinster/Os final and the Welsh to win it again. Whens the last time Leinster beat Ospreys?

totallegend

skregs wrote: »

Good luck with that. I see a Leinster/Os final and the Welsh to win it again. Whens the last time Leinster beat Ospreys?

Last season, at the RDS. But they do have the measure of Leinster alright, would not be confident about playing them at all.

RuggieBear

i'd be more worried about the semifinal tbh. Glasgow are no mugs and Leinster might have one eye on the following weeks match...

[Jackass]

skregs wrote: »

Good luck with that. I see a Leinster/Os final and the Welsh to win it again. Whens the last time Leinster beat Ospreys?

The last time they played them last season.... and they lost to them twice this season, the first being the first game of the season, when Leinster fielded a second string team as no Irish international players (including squad members) were available, and they lost the return fixture with a very hotly contested result, as Leinster were disallowed a try that pictures show were definitely down, and then lost by a point to a late try and where the conversion hit the top of the bar (thus going "through" the post and not in between them, and was the same reason Nigel Owens cited for disallowing Leinsters penalty against Clermont, which the TMO agreed went over the bar and not through....so shouldn't have been a score in O's game either...but I digress...)

They are our bogey team, no doubt, but I think we'd beat them if we played them in the final.

CatFromHue

In the Magners/Rabo they have the edge on us they've P8 W4 L3 D1. How many of those were full strength teams I don't know but certainly in the away HEC game this season that was a tough game.

Judgement Day

Leinster vs Ospreys in the final I reckon, with Leinster to win. With all Munster's injury problems the away semi against Ospreys is a monumental ask. I hope I'm wrong as back to back 'All Irish' finals would be some achievement.

CatFromHue

In both the HEC and the Rabo Glasgow and The Ospreys have lost the same amount of games, have the same amount of LB points, and Ospreys have only one more TB point!

I'm actually a bit surprised by that!

CIARAN_BOYLE

[Jackass] wrote: »

The last time they played them last season.... and they lost to them twice this season, the first being the first game of the season, when Leinster fielded a second string team as no Irish international players (including squad members) were available, and they lost the return fixture with a very hotly contested result, as Leinster were disallowed a try that pictures show were definitely down, and then lost by a point to a late try and where the conversion hit the top of the bar (thus going "through" the post and not in between them, and was the same reason Nigel Owens cited for disallowing Leinsters penalty against Clermont, which the TMO agreed went over the bar and not through....so shouldn't have been a score in O's game either...but I digress...)

They are our bogey team, no doubt, but I think we'd beat them if we played them in the final.

Leinster led all game but had two injured THs and had to play McGrath there which left Leinster being murdered in scrums. To only lose by a point in that circumstance wasn't a bad showing imo.

irishbucsfan

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Leinster led all game but had two injured THs and had to play McGrath there which left Leinster being murdered in scrums. To only lose by a point in that circumstance wasn't a bad showing imo.

Probably down to the fact that McGrath was better than Hagan!

Podge_irl

Ospreys have a great record against Leinster. However I think after last year Leinster are very dead set on getting the double and I wouldn't want to be the team standing in their way.

Careful Now

Leinster lost 3 matches all year and 2 of those to ospreys. Hope we get to play them in final and stop the rot cause they've been our bogey team last few years.

Big Nelly

Careful Now wrote: »

Leinster lost 3 matches all year and 2 of those to ospreys. Hope we get to play them in final and stop the rot cause they've been our bogey team last few years.

Dodgy match officials for the match we lost, we scored a try and wasn't allowed, they didn't score a try and was allowed. Also the kick to win looked wide

Mostly was against a second string Leinster team with Osprey having more or less full strength team out. Wouldnt worry about them

profitius

Big Nelly wrote: »

Dodgy match officials for the match we lost, we scored a try and wasn't allowed, they didn't score a try and was allowed. Also the kick to win looked wide

Mostly was against a second string Leinster team with Osprey having more or less full strength team out. Wouldnt worry about them

Munster lost 2 dodgy matches to them too. First was in TP where James Jones let everyone know where he was from. The second in Wales was infamous for Munster having 7 or 8 scrum penalties in a row on the Ospreys line before the Ospreys got a penalty to clear. Those matches were all 10 pointers considering the league positions.

The Ospreys are a difficult team to beat though. Leinster should beat them but aftera HEC final you'd never know.

ormond lad

This was bound to happen followingn the 2 games earlier in the year
http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/5836.php
Cardiff Blues are moving back to the Arms Park next season. they've negotiated a release from their lease agreement on cardiff city stadium

thomond2006

ormond lad wrote: »

This was bound to happen followingn the 2 games earlier in the year
http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/5836.php
Cardiff Blues are moving back to the Arms Park next season. they've negotiated a release from their lease agreement on cardiff city stadium

Good decision, the move to CC Stadium has been a disaster. This season Cardiff got around 2,500 there for an LV Cup game, Munster A would draw a bigger crowd.

I'd love to know the terms of the release and how much Cardiff Blues had to pay to get out of it.

Wexfordboy89

just wondering if anyone knows who the new Italian team will be or is there even going to be a new team?

ormond lad

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

just wondering if anyone knows who the new Italian team will be or is there even going to be a new team?

Fairly sure there is a new rome based franchise

Wexfordboy89

ormond lad wrote: »

Fairly sure there is a new rome based franchise

oh rite is there not a team there already think there called lazio or something could theny be promoted to the rabo?

CatFromHue

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

oh rite is there not a team there already think there called lazio or something could theny be promoted to the rabo?

I don't think there is anything official yet. They'd want to get the finger out though as time is ticking.

thomond2006

I doubt there will be a promotion from the top finishing Italian domestic team, the new Rabo entrant will have to be financially strong and viable.

Wexfordboy89

thomond2006 wrote: »

I doubt there will be a promotion from the top finishing Italian domestic team, the new Rabo entrant will have to be financially strong and viable.

just thought that the main structure of the club being there ie players,ground,fan base it would be easier than trying to start a new club from nothing all they would need is some funding.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

just thought that the main structure of the club being there ie players,ground,fan base it would be easier than trying to start a new club from nothing all they would need is some funding.

They might take advantage of that but I reckon its going to be an FIR owned franchise. None of the Super 10 teams have the infrastructure or players to handle Pro12 Rugby.

Most of the players will probably transfer from Aironi anyway.

irishbucsfan

Is it definitely not going to be Aironi again? I heard they might return under FIR control?

[Jackass]

Nothing is written in stone, but I'd say it's unlikely, as it's simply a failing franchise. No point in trying to keep it alive. Much more scope building a team from Rome or Milan.

P_1

[Jackass] wrote: »

Nothing is written in stone, but I'd say it's unlikely, as it's simply a failing franchise. No point in trying to keep it alive. Much more scope building a team from Rome or Milan.

Weren't Aironi essentially a team built around Milan though?

lologram

pithater1 wrote: »

Weren't Aironi essentially a team built around Milan though?

They're in Viadana, 2 hours from Milan.

P_1

lologram wrote: »

They're in Viadana, 2 hours from Milan.

* Slinks away to revise my Italian geography.

ambid

I haven't seen this posted anywhere but apparently Cardiff are moving back to the Arms Park next year http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/cardiff-blues-leave-cardiff-city-823824

That's probably a good thing for all concerned as the groundshare with the football team didn't really work. If it had worked then the glamour of a new stadium could have been great, but it didn't and it's impressive to see everybody just moving on. Hopefully this will mean less vast banks of empty seats at Cardiff games next year.

Besides the crazy owner of the soccer team is thinking of changing their strip and stadium seats to from blue to red as he thinks red is a lucky colour! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/cardiff-city/9254868/Cardiff-Citys-kit-change-will-leave-club-in-the-red-say-industry-experts.html Imagine the "Cardiff Blues" playing in a stadium with thousands of empty red seats

Podge_irl

The CCS is a fair bit out of town and a bit soulless. Think this is a good move.

CatFromHue

ambid wrote: »

Besides the crazy owner of the soccer team is thinking of changing their strip and stadium seats to from blue to red as he thinks red is a lucky colour! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/cardiff-city/9254868/Cardiff-Citys-kit-change-will-leave-club-in-the-red-say-industry-experts.html Imagine the "Cardiff Blues" playing in a stadium with thousands of empty red seats

The Cardiff who's......

thomond2006

Viadana's bid to become Italy's second team in the PRO12 next season has been rejected by Italian Rugby Federation (FIR).

The Italian governing body will instead launch its own franchise to replace Aironi, who have pulled out of next season's competition on financial grounds.

Aironi was formed from a merger of a number of historic Italian clubs including Viadana and Parma.

The Italian Federation ruled on Monday that Viadana's candidacy had been rejected because of its questionable economic viability and that a franchise completely under FIR's own control would replace Aironi.

Treviso are the Italians' other representatives in the competition.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_7770342,00.html

durkadurka

Embra sign Izak van der Westhuizen


http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/edinburgh-news

Getting to the semi does wonders for your pulling power.

wonton

just realised now that the final is on sunday not saturday, what the actual fúck......

durkadurka

There would have been a clash with the kiss ball

wonton

feck, thought the soccer recitals werent on till june?

Podge_irl

I'm very happy its on Sunday. I'm going to Whisky Live on Saturday

irishbucsfan

Anybody have any idea of how tv audiences have been affected by the move to FTA?

Winters

It was poor planning by Cardiff Blues moving to Leckwith. Ideally they should have stayed in Cardiff Arms Park and moved 1 or 2 games per season to the new Cardiff City Stadium to test the waters. Instead they signed a 25 year lease and had to buy themselves out of it. Hopefully the move back will boost attendances and interest.

Glasgow will begin next season in the Scotstoun Stadium in the west end. Anyone here have any experience of it? Attendances have gone up recently in Glasgow and I would say seeing as its smaller (5K) it could have a better atmosphere but sadly there is an athletics track which I fear might take away from that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotstoun_Stadium

I feel for the Aironi players at the moment. They must all be out of contract and in limbo whether to stay or go looking for places abroad. With no decision made yet I can't see them being any better next year than they were last year.

Edinburgh are going to be a decent outfit next year and that home quarter in Murrayfield looks like it boosted their 2012-2013 budget by a couple of players or so. Well done Michael Bradley.

Blackheath

Simon Easterby has taken over as head coach at Scarlets.

[Jackass]

Also the replacement for Aironi is going to be based in Parma.

Missed oppertunity for Rome imo. Especially since the national team play there now, would be great to give the fans a local team and a massive city to grow in.

Morf

Parma is a lovely spot though.

I'd really like to go back actually.

Teferi

What is the reasoning there? Rome seems like the perfect place for a team.

irishbucsfan

Teferi wrote: »

What is the reasoning there? Rome seems like the perfect place for a team.

Italian rugby is mad

CatFromHue

Just reading about the Celtic Warriors who were the fifth Welsh region.

For the one season they were about they had a great record.

They came 4th in the Celtic league finishing ahead of Cardiff and Neath Swansea and finished second in their group in Europe behind Wasps who went on to win it that year.

Some of their players were pretty handy too and really helped the clubs they went to after the Warriors demise. Ryan Jones, Ceri Sweeney, Gareth Thomas, Sonny Parker, Kevin Morgan, Neil Jenkins, Gethin Jenkins, Dafydd James, Brent Cockbain, and Gareth Cooper all player for them.

CatFromHue

Edinburgh have started pre season already!

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/14195.php

CatFromHue

Edinburgh have started pre season already!

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/14195.php

profitius

CatFromHue wrote: »

Edinburgh have started pre season already!

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/14195.php

Thats crazy.

molloyjh

CatFromHue wrote: »

Edinburgh have started pre season already!

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/14195.php

So have Connacht...

http://www.connachtrugby.ie/2012060782863/players-back-in-training-at-connacht