RaboDirectPro12 2012/13 General Discussion (with transfers/season preview)

errlloyd

Zebre

Hagz wrote: »

Rory Lamont has retired.

Ah that's such a **** one, he had so much promise. I think at times he was better than Sean

Between him and Evans Scotland have actually been very unlucky with permanent injuries.

P_1

jacothelad wrote: »

I think it's daft playing Connacht at Musgrave. Stupid bit of business.

Yeah in a business sense that was a blunder, I wonder if politics influenced that decision though to be honest. Perhaps the good folk of Cork were getting slightly fed up of having the 'lesser' matches being given to them.

freyners

Zebre

P_1 wrote: »

Yeah in a business sense that was a blunder, I wonder if politics influenced that decision though to be honest. Perhaps the good folk of Cork were getting slightly fed up of having the 'lesser' matches being given to them.

was a douche move to away supporters at the very least

Mal-Adjusted

jacothelad wrote: »

I think it's daft playing Connacht at Musgrave. Stupid bit of business.

How many games are brought to Musgrave each season? for an interpro, it seems nuts with Galway only 2 hours (by bus!) from Limerick.

My girlfriend is a huge Connacht supporter and I was planning to bring her to this match until I saw that it was in Cork...just too far.

thomond2006

Zebre

So that is how the league finished!

A couple of stats:

Wins/Losses/Draws

• Most Wins: 17 (Leinster & Ulster)
• Most Draws: 2 (Benetton Treviso)
• Most Losses: 22 (Zebre)
• Most Try Bonus Points: 9 (Leinster & Glasgow Warriors)
• Fewest Try Bonus Points: 1 (All five bottom clubs)
• Most Losing Bonus Points: 9 (Zebre)
• Fewest Losing Bonus Points: 1 (Leinster)

Tries

• Most Tries Scored: 66 (Glasgow Warriors)
• Fewest Tries Scored: 28 (Cardiff Blues)
• Most Tries Conceded: 72 (Newport Gwent Dragons)
• Fewest Tries Conceded: 25 (Ospreys)
• Best Try Difference: +36 (Glasgow Warriors)
• Worst Try Difference: -41 (Newport Gwent Dragons)

Points

• Most Points Scored: 585 (Leinster)
• Fewest Points Scored: 291 (Zebre)
• Most Points Conceded: 589 (Newport Gwent Dragons)
• Fewest Points Conceded: 324 (Glasgow Warriors)
• Best Points Difference: +229 (Ulster)
• Worst Points Difference: -282 (Zebre)

---

Below was my prediction at the start of the season (see the OP) of league placings:

1. Leinster
2. Ospreys
3. Munster
4. Ulster
5. Edinburgh
6. Scarlets
7. Glasgow
8. Connacht
9. Cardiff
10. Treviso
11. Dragons
12. Zebre

How right/wrong (!) I was! + denotes that a club finished above what I predicted and - below.

1. Ulster (+3)
2. Leinster (-1)
3. Glasgow (+4)
4. Scarlets (--)
5. Ospreys (-3)
6. Munster (-3)
7. Treviso (+3)
8. Connacht (--)
9. Cardiff (--)
10. Edinburgh (-5)
11. Dragons (--)
12. Zebre (--)

.ak

Zebre

Great season for Treviso it has to be said. 7th is nothing to be sniffed at... although I do understand the drop between the top.

Teferi

Scarlets

I really do think they should start awarding a trophy to the regular season winner and then another for the overall champion.

P_1

Just shows how costly that loss at home to Ulster was for Leinster, a nice 'easy' semi final against the Scarlets would have been very nice

thomond2006

Zebre

To finish 12 points away from the playoffs is very disappointing. Costly results at home to Ospreys, Scarlets and Cardiff really did for us.

its_phil

Teferi wrote: »

I really do think they should start awarding a trophy to the regular season winner and then another for the overall champion.

That would demean the playoffs completely and lead to stupid debates over what trophy is better.

bilston

Zebre

.ak wrote: »

Great season for Treviso it has to be said. 7th is nothing to be sniffed at... although I do understand the drop between the top.

It's just a matter of time before Treviso are threatening the play offs, actually it wouldn't take a huge leap for them to be up there even as soon as next season.

tolosenc

Zebre

Teferi wrote: »

I really do think they should start awarding a trophy to the regular season winner and then another for the overall champion.

They do that in the NHL, and nobody cares about it. It's not quite as ridiculous as when they hand out a trophy to the winners of the promotion playoffs in English football.

irishbucsfan

tolosenc wrote: »

They do that in the NHL, and nobody cares about it. It's not quite as ridiculous as when they hand out a trophy to the winners of the promotion playoffs in English football.

They give out a trophy for the regular season in the AFL as well I think.

its_phil

bilston wrote: »

It's just a matter of time before Treviso are threatening the play offs, actually it wouldn't take a huge leap for them to be up there even as soon as next season.

If the turn the home ground into a fortress the it is very realistic. I'd love them to get an easy group in the HC next year, they'd offer a lot more than Cardiff

its_phil

tolosenc wrote: »

They do that in the NHL, and nobody cares about it. It's not quite as ridiculous as when they hand out a trophy to the winners of the promotion playoffs in English football.

Ah the playoffs in the Chanpionship deserves a trophy when you consider the financial pressures! £20m match its worth now!

But no one really cares about the trophy there. I'm sure if they scrapped the trophy, fans wouldn't even notice

thomond2006

Zebre

The issue for Treviso is holding onto their best players. Both Zanni and Benvenuti have been linked to Perpignan, Treviso can't afford to lose that quality. Mirco Bergamasco is being released by Racing Métro, Treviso should definitely look to signing him up.

The club is owned by the Benetton family, if they put in more money then Treviso could become a rich club very quickly!

errlloyd

Zebre

thomond2006 wrote: »

The club is owned by the Benetton family, if they put in more money then Treviso could become a rich club very quickly!

A little while ago there was talk of the family removing their backing. Like they did their basketball team. Did anything come of that.

lologram

errlloyd wrote: »

A little while ago there was talk of the family removing their backing. Like they did their basketball team. Did anything come of that.

Haven't heard anything about it since. Unless they have financial issues I don't know why they would leave now that Treviso are starting to make the grade properly

irishbucsfan

errlloyd wrote: »

A little while ago there was talk of the family removing their backing. Like they did their basketball team. Did anything come of that.

That was about politics in the election of the President of the FIR. The Italians dared to not elect a Treviso man.

The Benetton family are good for their money, not so good for what they expect in return for it.

Teferi

Scarlets

tolosenc wrote: »

They do that in the NHL, and nobody cares about it.

Yeah thats where I took the idea from. It would be nice to mark the achievement of coming first in the regular season.

bilston

Zebre

its_phil wrote: »

Ah the playoffs in the Chanpionship deserves a trophy when you consider the financial pressures! £20m match its worth now!

More like £100m nowadays!

its_phil

bilston wrote: »

More like £100m nowadays!

£120m I found out. Such a gap between rugby and football.. The Rabo probably cost Sky pocket change!

bilston

Zebre

its_phil wrote: »

£120m I found out. Such a gap between rugby and football.. The Rabo probably cost Sky pocket change!

Definitely the new Premier League TV deal starting next season is worth £3bn and then the foreign TV rights are worth 70% of that so thete you go £5bn over 3 years. Thats serious serious money.

I wonder how much Sky are paying for the Rabo? 0.5% of that?

awec

Player of the Year - Nick Williams

Young Player of the year - Luke Marshall

Try of the year - Andrew Trimble

its_phil

awec wrote: »

Player of the Year - Nick Williams

Young Player of the year - Luke Marshall

Try of the year - Andrew Trimble

Much deserved for Williams and Marshall. If there was a comeback player of the year Williams would have taken that too.

Not sure about Trimble. Bevington v Ulster or Vainikolo v Treviso would have been my choices. But he's played that well any award is deserved, hopefully he gave the credit to Pienaar!

awec

To be totally honest, I don't think his try against Connacht was that good if I am thinking of the right one. But sure, the lad deserves an award for his contribution this year.

Big Nick has been awesome this season, pre-injury more so. I think it took until about January for teams to realise you need to tackle him round the ankles otherwise you can expect to be put on your arse.

its_phil

Might add Michael "King of the Choke Tackle" Swift won the Chairmans award for his contribution to the league and dedication to Connacht Rugby. Hopefully he gets the IRUPA Unsung Hero Award too. The man deserves it.

bilston

Zebre

awec wrote: »

To be totally honest, I don't think his try against Connacht was that good if I am thinking of the right one. But sure, the lad deserves an award for his contribution this year.

Big Nick has been awesome this season, pre-injury more so. I think it took until about January for teams to realise you need to tackle him round the ankles otherwise you can expect to be put on your arse.

Assume it was the from the other week which started with him bursting down the wing passin inside to Pienaar and then Pienaar gave Trimble a reverse flick back to Trimble and then he beat he beat one more player to score in the corner...that's how I remembered it anyway, I thought it was good! Is that the one you're thinking of?

errlloyd

Zebre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuJnOi7_bWU

This one?

bilston

Zebre

errlloyd wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuJnOi7_bWU

This one?

That's it. Was going to post it this morning but you saved me the trouble. Cheers.

I think that was a top top try and not just for Pienaars flick but that certainly added to it.

Tox56

The Goodman try against the Scarlets was a good off the cuff try too, don't think the conditions were great either so it was some really good handling. Was certainly Leinster's try of the season even though Mike Ross's two yard belly flop officially got the prize

Ardillaun

Who would ye say is the RABO ref of the year? Or should I say the least bad one?

freyners

Zebre

Ardillaun wrote: »

Who would ye say is the RABO ref of the year? Or should I say the least bad one?

Patterson is probably the one for me but thats cause I cant remember him bending us over likes some of the other refs (like the unholy trinity of Philips, McEnemeny and Fitzgibbon). TBH the standard of the refs in the rabo is brutal, even refs that I generally have a bit of time for (Owens and Rollaind) seem to be afflicted by the malaise when they ref in it

.ak

Zebre

McEnemey is actually my favourite ref so far. Considering he's so new he has a great feel for the game, and is extremely clear in his communications to the teams.

.ak

Zebre

Tox56 wrote: »

The Goodman try against the Scarlets was a good off the cuff try too, don't think the conditions were great either so it was some really good handling. Was certainly Leinster's try of the season even though Mike Ross's two yard belly flop officially got the prize

It's a pity the nominations didn't wait until after last weekend. I think all of the best Leinster tries this season were scored in the Biarritz game.

.ak

Zebre

Interesting stats. Top 10 points scorers!



Madigan is devastating...

Riskymove

.ak wrote: »

It's a pity the nominations didn't wait until after last weekend. I think all of the best Leinster tries this season were scored in the Biarritz game.

maybe, but these were Rabo awards weren't they?

.ak

Zebre

Riskymove wrote: »

maybe, but these were Rabo awards weren't they?

No it was the Herald's Try of the Year for the Leinster awards, the Mike Ross try was in the Amlin. Slightly off topic tho! :P

From a Leinster POV those stats are made even more impressive by the fact that both Sexton & Madigan feature.

All others are "just the kickers" from their respective teams.

Only 9 teams has 'sole' points scorers high enough to feature.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Zebre

Deleted User wrote: »

From a Leinster POV those stats are made even more impressive by the fact that both Sexton & Madigan feature.

All others are "just the kickers" from their respective teams.

Only 9 teams has 'sole' points scorers high enough to feature.

or that Sexton features with less than 2/3s of the gametime of the person with the next lowerst gametime

jacothelad

Zebre

.ak wrote: »

Interesting stats. Top 10 points scorers!



Madigan is devastating...

What does it all mean? Who scored the 30 tries for instance? Does it mean that 30 tries were scored while he was on the pitch? That he scored them? That he scored 48 conversions and 108 penalties?

Podge_irl

Zebre

He scored 30 points from tries personally Jaco and so on. The 399 points were scored by players other than him.

jacothelad

Zebre

Podge_irl wrote: »

He scored 30 points from tries personally Jaco and so on. The 399 points were scored by players other than him.

I get it now. The graph and key make it look like tries scored rather than points etc... I don't really know how Kidney could have missed what madigan was doing. Everyone in the country except him, Hook and Trermenjus apparently.

Podge_irl

Zebre

jacothelad wrote: »

I get it now. The graph and key make it look like tries scored rather than points etc... I don't really know how Kidney could have missed what madigan was doing. Everyone in the country except him, Hook and Trermenjus apparently.

Well the three of them are pretty good company for each other.

Its not the clearest of graphs and I didn't cop on to the minutes played figure at first. Still, while Jackson was the right call in the AIs, but the 6N he incredibly wasn't (which is no slight on him, Madigan was simply doing extremely well), but that's not how Kidney works - he always has an order of precedence in his head that rarely changes.

Madigan well deserves his Rabo player of the year award, though I think the last two weeks have shown that Sexton is still a better player. Interesting times ahead.

P_1

What do the numbers beside the player's names signify? Ian Madigan - 1416 for example.

Buer

P_1 wrote: »

What do the numbers beside the player's names signify? Ian Madigan - 1416 for example.

Minutes.

.ak

Zebre

The fact that sexton has the least game time but the highest stat for team scores just goes to show how good he is. He really is the master at pulling the strings. His assists must be through the roof at this stage.

Podge_irl

Zebre

.ak wrote: »

The fact that sexton has the least game time but the highest stat for team scores just goes to show how good he is. He really is the master at pulling the strings. His assists must be through the roof at this stage.

Eh...that's the total points scored for the entire team all season. Hence why Sexton's and Madigan's are exactly the same :P

.ak

Zebre

Podge_irl wrote: »

Eh...that's the total points scored for the entire team all season. Hence why Sexton's and Madigan's are exactly the same :P

Am I reading it wrong? 471 vs 399?

Edit: never mind, I get it now! Oops

decisions

Zebre

That graph is more confusing than project maths :pac: