Ulster Bank League 2013-2014 talk/gossip/rumours

Stainalert

Have watched a lot of A rugby and an awful lot of AIL rugby and I have to say I completely agree with Bamboozle - AIL is a much better place for players to learn their trade. It is a real competition with real consequences if teams and players fail to perform. That is how players learn. If the IRFU channelled its resources into the the AIL rather than the A league you would see the standard of AIL rugby rise again. Pretty sure a top AIL team like Clontarf would go toe to toe with an A team. As per units and combinations learning to play with each other at A level there is plenty of evidence of that happening in the AIL for example Lansdowne's front five last season had 4 academy / development players - They got to play a lot more games together as a unit then they ever would done at A level in high pressure games and hostile environments.

iamjenko

When they reduced the AIL 1A to eight teams, had home and away matches and play offs at the end of the season the standards were dnerally higher and teams were in with a shout til the very end, made for great viewing

bamboozle

iamjenko wrote: »

When they reduced the AIL 1A to eight teams, had home and away matches and play offs at the end of the season the standards were dnerally higher and teams were in with a shout til the very end, made for great viewing

I believe the decision to scrap the top 4 play-offs ends was for last and this season, i'd love to see them return. I'd also love to see representation from each of the provinces in 1A as that would really improve the standard especially if the likes of Buccs or Corinthians were involved with half the Connacht development and academy getting serious game time consistently.

I note that Mick Kearney is named in the 2nd row with Clarke for Connacht, he played the first 3 or 4 rounds of the AIL got some decent game time, injuries got him back into the Connacht squad and a couple of weeks later he's starting HC 2nd row against Toulouse.

The Lost Sheep

bamboozle wrote: »

My colours are firmly nailed to the AIL mast, just look at the props who have come through this season at provincial level, Moore, Cronin, Furlong, McGrath - they were all consistently playing tough AIL matches last season against grizzled veterans, its an excellent way for players to develop and learn.

A few weeks back the UCD team arrived at Clontarf top of the table with a team packed of present academy players and future internationals, after 60 minutes UCD were physically drained with players needing attention all over the pitch - why? cause the clontarf pack beat them up and drained them. The following week St. Mary's did a similar job on them, you can rest assured the likes of Boyle, Coughlan-Murray, Gilsenan, Leavy, J. Coughlan, Luke McGrath will have come out of those two games realising that they have a fair bit to go to reach their potential and by consistently playing tough games like these will they develop into the players they are capable of.

The quality of player in A fixtures might be better but the intensity and passion in the UBL i think is far better.

I agree with that and the AIL is good place to learn but the A game is vital due to getting players in provincial system and playing patterns etc.
"passion" is not that relevant and I would disagree that the intensity is far better. A level especially games in B&I Cup against stronger English championship and welsh premiership sides is much more intensive than AIL

Stainalert wrote: »

Have watched a lot of A rugby and an awful lot of AIL rugby and I have to say I completely agree with Bamboozle - AIL is a much better place for players to learn their trade. It is a real competition with real consequences if teams and players fail to perform. That is how players learn. If the IRFU channelled its resources into the the AIL rather than the A league you would see the standard of AIL rugby rise again. Pretty sure a top AIL team like Clontarf would go toe to toe with an A team. As per units and combinations learning to play with each other at A level there is plenty of evidence of that happening in the AIL for example Lansdowne's front five last season had 4 academy / development players - They got to play a lot more games together as a unit then they ever would done at A level in high pressure games and hostile environments.

Provincial A rugby in the B&I Cup is a competition with real consequences and its better for the provinces to concentrate their resources on an A team under their total control than AIL teams where the provincial coaches have little role and much less control.
No I do not think a top AIL side would go toe to toe with an A side.

Anyway how do people feel the games will go this weekend? Especially the lower divisions as these are discussed here much less than 1A.

Beery Eyed

I still think that all of these points fit with the potential setup that I was mentioning - A strong AIL season running for the majority of the current season, and a competition for representative or "A" teams following this. Towards the end of the season is when the provinces are generally putting out full strength teams, so there’s very little inclusion for the fringe/academy guys anyway. It would allow the AIL to be fully focused and intense when it's on, and the next competition would be the last stepping stone to provincial level, which would be made up from a selection of the best players from the AIL (including all academy/fringe provincial players). In my opinion this would avoid conflicts, improve consistency for all teams, and encourage players throughout the game that if they play well enough then they could potentially take the steps through the system to top level rugby.

My ultimate hope is that the AIL would become stronger through a system like this though, and that is why I'm mentioning it on this thread. I really believe that if we create a path for players to realistically make their way to provincial (professional) level, by showing their quality in the AIL, then it would become a competition that would demand attention from supporters and media. The old AIL wasn’t just attended purely because of the rivalries between clubs. If this was the case the big crowds would still be there. The interest levels also came because supporters wanted to see who the next internationals would be, and the AIL was the place to see that first hand. This was removed when provincial rugby came in, and the rugby crowds moved to watching these games, where current and future Irish players were lining out in front of them each week. If we can get the AIL back to being a crucial part of determining which players will make it on to “A” level, then provincial, then international, I think the league would instantly become a more important feature for Irish rugby fans & media.

The Lost Sheep

Beery Eyed wrote: »

I still think that all of these points fit with the potential setup that I was mentioning - A strong AIL season running for the majority of the current season, and a competition for representative or "A" teams following this. Towards the end of the season is when the provinces are generally putting out full strength teams, so there’s very little inclusion for the fringe/academy guys anyway. It would allow the AIL to be fully focused and intense when it's on, and the next competition would be the last stepping stone to provincial level, which would be made up from a selection of the best players from the AIL (including all academy/fringe provincial players). In my opinion this would avoid conflicts, improve consistency for all teams, and encourage players throughout the game that if they play well enough then they could potentially take the steps through the system to top level rugby.

My ultimate hope is that the AIL would become stronger through a system like this though, and that is why I'm mentioning it on this thread. I really believe that if we create a path for players to realistically make their way to provincial (professional) level, by showing their quality in the AIL, then it would become a competition that would demand attention from supporters and media. The old AIL wasn’t just attended purely because of the rivalries between clubs. If this was the case the big crowds would still be there. The interest levels also came because supporters wanted to see who the next internationals would be, and the AIL was the place to see that first hand. This was removed when provincial rugby came in, and the rugby crowds moved to watching these games, where current and future Irish players were lining out in front of them each week. If we can get the AIL back to being a crucial part of determining which players will make it on to “A” level, then provincial, then international, I think the league would instantly become a more important feature for Irish rugby fans & media.

That wont happen as provincial pro sides lose out as they can control an A side and work things better with their own A sides instead of all the fringe pro players playing across several club AIL sides.
Look id love it if the AIL was much bigger and was stronger but that's not going to happen. The provinces are too big.
Ive been on and off attending games since the start of the AIL between games in Donnybrook, Limerick, Tipperary. I especially remember the season when Shannon played their home games in Clanwilliam(Tipp Town) when there was work being in Thomond.

Beery Eyed

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

That wont happen as provincial pro sides lose out as they can control an A side and work things better with their own A sides instead of all the fringe pro players playing across several club AIL sides.
Look id love it if the AIL was much bigger and was stronger but that's not going to happen. The provinces are too big.
Ive been on and off attending games since the start of the AIL between games in Donnybrook, Limerick, Tipperary. I especially remember the season when Shannon played their home games in Clanwilliam(Tipp Town) when there was work being in Thomond.

I'm not sure that this contradicts anything I've said though. Provincial sides would still have A fixtures to utilize, and the fringe players already play at AIL level when they're not involved in the rabo or A games, so that wouldn't be different. The difference comes in creating some consistency in the timing of the competitions so that they don't overlap, because that doesn't benefit anybody.

The Lost Sheep

Beery Eyed wrote: »

I'm not sure that this contradicts anything I've said though. Provincial sides would still have A fixtures to utilize, and the fringe players already play at AIL level when they're not involved in the rabo or A games, so that wouldn't be different. The difference comes in creating some consistency in the timing of the competitions so that they don't overlap, because that doesn't benefit anybody.

Im saying the provinces wouldn't want putting all A games to end of season and want the A games throughout the season to provide game time for contracted players in games above AIL standard. The main A games are Heineken Cup weekends and they don't clash a huge amount with AIL.

Anyway tonight's games in Division 2B finished: Nenagh 41 Richmond 8 and Midleton 14 Sundays Well 22
Nenagh open 8 point lead at top ahead of tomorrow while Sundays Wells move up to 10th from 15th while Richmond's loss puts them down in 15th on points difference
2nd hat-trick plus another try in 3 weeks from 19 year old from Nenagh.

bamboozle

if you look back at the last few AIL winning teams, although this doesnt apply much to Lansdowne last season, but Marys and Old Belvedere were perfect examples of teams with little or no academy or representative players and played with settled teams week in week out, even lansdowne last season pretty much had Moore, Sexton and O'Conell all the time so they also had a settled team.

I'd love to see the likes of that Lansdowne team have taken on one of the provincial A teams, it would have been very tight and i'd like to think the team bond and familiarity would have seen lansdowne win out.

anyway,

Ballynahinch v Clontarf - am hoping Tarf will nick a tight game, Ballynahinch will lose a couple of players to the Ulster Ravens, tarf have had a settled team.
Lansdowne V Dolphin - Lansdowne
Old B v Garryowen - Garryowen to finally get a win what with Old B probably without Leo A, Conan, Crosbie and Marshall.
Marys v Con - Marys
YM v UCD - YM, UCD will be missing a lot of players

KJY

Thinking about going to Lansdowne vs Dolphin tomorrow, anyone know would there be an gate charge?

Hagz

Lansdowne beat Dolphin 61-11

PlayerTrader13

Hagz wrote: »

Lansdowne beat Dolphin 61-11

no need to wonder which team relies on contracted players

guapos

http://www.irishrugby.ie/rugby/ulster_bank_league_results_and_fixtures.php

"DECEMBER 2013
Sat 7th Dec 13 14:30 Div1A Ballynahinch 12 - 16 Clontarf Ballymacarn Park Barrie O'Connell (IRFU) More
Sat 7th Dec 13 14:30 Div1A Lansdowne 61 - 11 Dolphin Aviva Stadium Brian MacNeice (IRFU) More
Sat 7th Dec 13 14:30 Div1A Old Belvedere 15 - 5 Garryowen Anglesea Road Shane Kierans (IRFU) More
Sat 7th Dec 13 14:30 Div1A St. Mary's College 18 - 22 Cork Constitution Templeville Road Michael Black (IRFU) More
Sat 7th Dec 13 14:30 Div1A Young Munster 22 - 16 UCD Tom Clifford Park Paul Haycock (IRFU) More"

The Lost Sheep

Lads there's more than just 1A games/results...

Will have full round up later but here's a short review of weekend games
No change to the top 3 in division 2B however Sunday Wells win has lifted them from 15th to 11th and puts Suttonians in big trouble at the bottom as the Dublin side are now 8 points adrift of 15th place and the lads from Sutton will have a huge job after Christmas if they wish to remain a senior club for 2014-2015

In Division 2A no change at the bottom however big changes at the top with leaders City of Derry dropping to third with Ulster rivals Ballymena and Queens University moving up to take the 2 automatic promotion places into Christmas and the new year.
In Division 1B no change at the top but the students of Trinity won their second league game of the season to lift themselves off the bottom and are now up in eighth place.
In the top flight no change at the top or bottom with the top 2 and bottom 2 sides remaining the same after the weekends action

good_afternoon

How are last years schools players getting on? Interest in Limerick players really.
Goggin - YM
Glynn, O'Shea, Lyons - Shannon
Frawley, McMahon - Garryowen
Airey, Bourke - Bohs

Ive left out some but a lot of lads coming straight out of school to first team rugby.

The Lost Sheep

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Lads there's more than just 1A games/results...

Will have full round up later but here's a short review of weekend games
No change to the top 3 in division 2B however Sunday Wells win has lifted them from 15th to 11th and puts Suttonians in big trouble at the bottom as the Dublin side are now 8 points adrift of 15th place and the lads from Sutton will have a huge job after Christmas if they wish to remain a senior club for 2014-2015

In Division 2A no change at the bottom however big changes at the top with leaders City of Derry dropping to third with Ulster rivals Ballymena and Queens University moving up to take the 2 automatic promotion places into Christmas and the new year.
In Division 1B no change at the top but the students of Trinity won their second league game of the season to lift themselves off the bottom and are now up in eighth place.
In the top flight no change at the top or bottom with the top 2 and bottom 2 sides remaining the same after the weekends action

weekend results
Division 1A
Ballynahinch 12 Clontarf 16
Lansdowne 61 Dolphin 11
Old Belvedere 15 Garryowen 5
St. Mary's College 18 Cork Constitution 22
Young Munster 22 UCD 16
Division 1B
Belfast Harlequins 19 Corinthians 21
Dublin University 20 Blackrock College 13
Malone 18 Shannon 19
Terenure College 63 Dungannon 7
UL Bohemians 31 Buccaneers 16
Division 2A
Ballymena 19 Bruff 15
Banbridge 29 Rainey Old Boys 10
Cashel 11 Seapoint 15
Highfield 13 NUIM Barnhall 31
Naas 21 Bective Rangers 18
Queen's University 31 City of Derry 5
UCC 9 Old Wesley 13
Galwegians 34 Old Crescent 0
Division 2B
Nenagh Ormond 41 Richmond 8
Midleton 14 Sunday's Well 22
Ards 18 Tullamore 24
Armagh 29 Sligo 13
De La Salle Palmerston 37 Suttonians 14
Greystones 30 Skerries 23
Thomond 24 Instonians 9
Boyne 3 Navan 28

good_afternoon wrote: »

How are last years schools players getting on? Interest in Limerick players really.
Goggin - YM
Glynn, O'Shea, Lyons - Shannon
Frawley, McMahon - Garryowen
Airey, Bourke - Bohs

Ive left out some but a lot of lads coming straight out of school to first team rugby.

McMahon is doing ok getting some AIL time as sub but O Shea, Goggin, Lyons, Airey all getting plenty of starts and game time with their respective clubs.

Plenty of players same age but without same provincial pedigree doing as well if not better albeit at a lower level to the above with likes of Nenagh, Bruff, amongst others like Jack Donovan who has 7 trys for Nenagh in his last 4 appearances for the Nenagh first team including a hat-trick Friday Night against Richmond.

The stand out result of the final weekend of games in the top flight in 2013 was the 50 point hammering handed out by Lansdowne to Dolphin which lifts them to third place and 6 points behind Old Belvedere in second place. First and Second had closer than expected wins over the two bottom sides however Ballynahinch yet again claimed a losing bonus point to aid them as they try cling onto the coat tails of St Marys in eighth place and get out of the relegation play off spot. Garryowen lost yet again but only by 10 points in a much improved performance compared to some of their previous games however they will really need a win first time out in 2014 to build some momentum if they are to have any hope of staying in the top flight for the 2014/2015 season.

No change in the top 4 of 1B following the eighth round of fixtures this weekend however big changes at the bottom with Dublin University off the bottom off the bottom following their 7 point victory over seventh placed Blackrock College on Saturday. With 2 sides relegated automatically there is no safety net of a relegation playoff so every point is vital.

Its Ulster all the way in Division 2A with 3 Ulster sides at the top with Ballymena and Queens University occupying the important promotion places as they enter the Christmas break however both sides will drop down a place if Galwegians, as expected, win their game in hand against Banbridge on January 4th the weekend before the next full round of fixtures in this division.

In the bottom tier Nenagh lead the way by 4 points to Greystones. The leaders had a comprehensive win over Richmond Friday Night 41-8 scoring 6 tries with most of the damage coming from in form 19 year old winger Jack Donovan who scored his second hat-trick in 4 weeks as he kept up his impressive form upon return from Injury.
At the other end in the battle to remain a senior club Sundays Well had a huge win over Cork Rivals Midleton Friday Night and with results going their way on Saturday the Musgrave Park side have now jumped up from 15th to 11th albeit on points difference. Things are getting very tight at the bottom with just 6 points between 7th and 15th.
Bottom side Suttonians lost heavily to De La Salle Palmerstown on Saturday and are now 8 points adrift of 15th and face a huge task in 2014 if they wish to stay in the senior ranks. Their game against Boyne when the league resumes on January 11th is vital to their survival hopes as their 3 games after the Boyne clash are all against sides in the top 6.

Stainalert

http://www.espn.co.uk/australia/rugby/story/208543.html

Interesting concept

Beery Eyed

That looks like a great move by Australia. It's exactly the type of competition that I was hoping might be possible at some point for us. One that would sit between provincial & club rugby, just like the ITM in NZ & the Currie Cup in SA. From watching those competitions over the years, and the players/coaches that have come through them, I am convinced that they are the reason for the constant conveyor belt of talent that comes through.

8-10 teams in Ireland would be 2-3 teams per province, made up of the fringe/academy provincial players & the best club players. I think it could be a brilliant competition if it was done well.

PlayerTrader13

so after a condensed AIL season finishes, this new format would start involving the best club players and academy players?

maybe 8 teams in total?

Beery Eyed

PlayerTrader13 wrote: »

so after a condensed AIL season finishes, this new format would start involving the best club players and academy players?

maybe 8 teams in total?

I think that concept could be workable, & ultimately very attractive in terms of the teams that could be developed.

PlayerTrader13

don't think its workable numbers wise or financially..

Beery Eyed

PlayerTrader13 wrote: »

don't think its workable numbers wise or financially..

Not sure what you mean by numbers wise?

Financially, it would be an investment in the game, just as the ARU have committed to making, and as the NZRU & SARU make each year by funding the ITM & Currie Cups respectively. They do it because it reaps significant rewards

PlayerTrader13

and irish rugby don't have the money..

don't think there is (approx 200 players) that are upto A level standard for such a competition..

The current system works fine, if they could increase the amount of A games it would be even better...

focus should be on improving the coaching standards.

Beery Eyed

PlayerTrader13 wrote: »

and irish rugby don't have the money..

don't think there is (approx 200 players) that are upto A level standard for such a competition..

The current system works fine, if they could increase the amount of A games it would be even better...

focus should be on improving the coaching standards.

Well, there are some assumptions being made on finances there, but what I would say is that the competition would involve players that are already contracted & being paid by the IRFU/provinces, so it wouldn't actually require further investment in that respect. The rest of the players would be amateur players looking to impress, with the hopes of gaining a contract for the following season, just as they do in the southern hemisphere competitions.

As for improving coaching standards, a competition of this nature would be a major benefit to this. In NZ & SA, when a Super XV team looks for their next coach the logical step is often an ITM/Currie cup coach who has done well. In this scenario, an AIL coach who has impressed could also get involved at this level, and then ultimately could get involved provincially. Like the players, it provides a platform.

The other benefit from this level of competition is the opportunity for young referees to get high level games before moving on to professional level competitions. This aspect is often left out, but the numbers & standards of referees coming through is often a good indicator of the health of the game in a country.

PlayerTrader13

your proposing a slimmed down version of the AIL essentially.

Beery Eyed

PlayerTrader13 wrote: »

your proposing a slimmed down version of the AIL essentially.

Actually, no. Slimming down suggests that I'm undermining it. Again, I have been involved with the AIL at many levels throughout my life, so I only make these suggestions because I think they could lead to improvements on all fronts.

AIL currently tends to run from the end of September/start of October, until Mid/End of April. That’s around 7 months (29/30 weeks) to play 18 league games.

I don’t see why it couldn't potentially be started earlier (end of August/start of September) and run for around 25 weeks (including several break weeks & Christmas) until around the end of February. Start the regional comp in April, after a few weeks of rest & training together as a squad, & then play 7 game weeks until around mid-June (based on 8 teams, including some rest weeks). That’s roughly the same time that the internationals finish up.

Look, these are only rough suggestions, so what I would say is that the focus should be on the ways in which we can improve our setup rather than the obstacles which are potentially in the way.

PlayerTrader13

I meant your proposing a condensed AIL season then followed by essentially a slimmed down AIL like competition following it..

backgreen

good_afternoon wrote: »

How are last years schools players getting on? Interest in Limerick players really.
Goggin - YM
Glynn, O'Shea, Lyons - Shannon
Frawley, McMahon - Garryowen
Airey, Bourke - Bohs

Ive left out some but a lot of lads coming straight out of school to first team rugby.

youths guys doing just as well,adrian enright on the wing with bohs,dave evans at 9 with shannon, tim tobin centre shannon ( achilles injury at present) all only
18/19 and holding their at senior level

The Lost Sheep

backgreen wrote: »

youths guys doing just as well,adrian enright on the wing with bohs,dave evans at 9 with shannon, tim tobin centre shannon ( achilles injury at present) all only
18/19 and holding their at senior level

Enright looking very good. Do you think he has potential to go further greenback?
Jack Donovan Nenagh doing very well. 7 trys last 4 games with Nenagh. Hat-trick v Richmond at weekend to add to his hatrick v Sundays Well last month and good performances v Skerries amongst others

PlayerTrader13

Enright played 20s for Munster this year didn't he?

name is familiar enough to me.

backgreen

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Enright looking very good. Do you think he has potential to go further greenback?
Jack Donovan Nenagh doing very well. 7 trys last 4 games with Nenagh. Hat-trick v Richmond at weekend to add to his hatrick v Sundays Well last month and good performances v Skerries amongst others

enrights best position is wing,its a very competetive position so will need a bit of luck..what's jack donovan position? what youths team did he play with?

The Lost Sheep

PlayerTrader13 wrote: »

Enright played 20s for Munster this year didn't he?

name is familiar enough to me.

He did. 2nd year playing 20s

backgreen wrote: »

enrights best position is wing,its a very competetive position so will need a bit of luck..what's jack donovan position? what youths team did he play with?

maybe. Enright isn't bad at full back either.
Donovan didn't play youths provincial side. Called up but never played with 94s as dropped before interpros that year and only interpros he played were Schools A in 2012. is a winger/13.

backgreen

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

He did. 2nd year playing 20s
maybe. Enright isn't bad at full back either.
Donovan didn't play youths provincial side. Called up but never played with 94s as dropped before interpros that year and only interpros he played were Schools A in 2012. is a winger/13.

great to see a guy coming through like that,sean o brien played with leinster A schools all is not lost ,must keep a look out for him

Nialler15

backgreen wrote: »

great to see a guy coming through like that,sean o brien played with leinster A schools all is not lost ,must keep a look out for him

Sean O Brien came through youths not schools. Played for Tullow all the way up unless I missed something?

The Lost Sheep

Nialler15 wrote: »

Sean O Brien came through youths not schools. Played for Tullow all the way up unless I missed something?

He did come through youths system but also played with Leinster A schools side which is for players in Section A schools.
Blackrock etc are section C schools, section B are Vinnie Murray schools and section A schools compete in McMullan Cup

backgreen

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

He did come through youths system but also played with Leinster A schools side which is for players in Section A schools.
Blackrock etc are section C schools, section B are Vinnie Murray schools and section A schools compete in McMullan Cup

spot on ..yea know your rugby LS

backgreen

AIL div 1b today shannon 20 dublin univ 5

The Lost Sheep

backgreen wrote: »

AIL div 1b today shannon 20 dublin univ 5

Buccaneers and Terenure next weekend the only remaining game in AIL in 2013.
Should be a fantastic game between 1st and 2nd place in 1B next Saturday

backgreen

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Buccaneers and Terenure next weekend the only remaining game in AIL in 2013.
Should be a fantastic game between 1st and 2nd place in 1B next Saturday

yea should be a good one..terenure are the stand out team in 1b this season,corinthians and buccs a little fragile of late..bohs and shannon in a solid position and should build on it for next season

Stanza2

backgreen wrote: »

yea should be a good one..terenure are the stand out team in 1b this season,corinthians and buccs a little fragile of late..bohs and shannon in a solid position and should build on it for next season

Agreed. Terenure easily stand out team, most consistent by far in 1B. Should be a good game next week as Buccs have no Eagles games which eats up some of their best players. Bohs seem to be building nicely.

Hagz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmfDXccd4l8

Some very good finishing there. Tired legs defending but still, a very decent highlights package game!

What's going on with this coverage btw? Are we going to get 1/2 a week from the AIL? It's the perfect medium for it. Should we be requesting it from our clubs or from the IRFU?

IngazZagni

Deleted User wrote: »

Some very good finishing there. Tired legs defending but still, a very decent highlights package game!

What's going on with this coverage btw? Are we going to get 1/2 a week from the AIL? It's the perfect medium for it. Should we be requesting it from our clubs or from the IRFU?

I would like to see the IRFU being consistent and showing at least one game live per game week via the website. The lack of consistency means I don't know if they are showing a game or not and then sometimes miss it when they do.
That Lansdowne vs Dolphin game was streamed online live via ihigh.com. Watched it live myself.

PlayerTrader13

Kelleher looked nice.

CGD

IngazZagni wrote: »

I would like to see the IRFU being consistent and showing at least one game live per game week via the website. The lack of consistency means I don't know if they are showing a game or not and then sometimes miss it when they do.
That Lansdowne vs Dolphin game was streamed online live via ihigh.com. Watched it live myself.

Lansdowne organise that themselves, it would be nice if the IRFU showed a bit more interest and had their own highlights package each week. Most clubs would be only delighted to send in their own videos and the IRFU could edit and distribute around for viewing

Stainalert

http://www.redfm.ie/shows/bigredbench/podcast-1415-december/

Interesting views from the Dolphin & Con coaches

The Lost Sheep

backgreen wrote: »

yea should be a good one..terenure are the stand out team in 1b this season,corinthians and buccs a little fragile of late..bohs and shannon in a solid position and should build on it for next season

Wouldn't say both Connacht sides have been that fragile of late. Affected by Connacht call ups and some bad luck with injuries but not exactly fragile.

Deleted User wrote: »

Some very good finishing there. Tired legs defending but still, a very decent highlights package game!

What's going on with this coverage btw? Are we going to get 1/2 a week from the AIL? It's the perfect medium for it. Should we be requesting it from our clubs or from the IRFU?

Bit of both. Clubs should be requested to do it and IRFU should be helping cover a game or two a weekend as "game of weekend". Clubs are videoing their own games so coverage is there and just need to get someone to put everything together

IngazZagni wrote: »

I would like to see the IRFU being consistent and showing at least one game live per game week via the website. The lack of consistency means I don't know if they are showing a game or not and then sometimes miss it when they do.
That Lansdowne vs Dolphin game was streamed online live via ihigh.com. Watched it live myself.

Would be great 1 game a weekend - across any of the divisions.

Munster Cup finals are this weekend. Senior Cup is Friday night in Thomond and Senior Plate is in Dooradoyle Saturday.
Garryowen and Cork Con in the Senior Cup with Nenagh and Young Munster in the Senior Plate.
Cork Con to win the Cup and Munster's to win the Plate but it will depend how Young Munster approach the game as if they don't play with full side like Dolphin did against Nenagh in last years final Nenagh could regain the trophy.

In other games for sides outside of AIL in the coming weeks Wesley and Navan played tonight in 2A/2B Cup tonight. Bective and DLSP play tomorrow while Tullamore and Naas play on the 28th as do Seapoint and Boyne

PlayerTrader13

Stainalert wrote: »

http://www.redfm.ie/shows/bigredbench/podcast-1415-december/

Interesting views from the Dolphin & Con coaches

awful moaning going on about the A teams.

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny

PlayerTrader13 wrote: »

awful moaning going on about the A teams.

Ya i agree, Ford & Mulcahy complaining about player drain from their clubs to the A side, just shows the effect of their recruitment schemes! The likes of Dolphin could lose Both Scannells, both 2nd Rows, 1/2 Backrows, Bohane and Sweetnum, also a prop or too on occassion. Similarly at Con. Whilst clubs like YM lose Alan Cotter & Brian Haugh (Note that Dan Goggin was on bench previously) and G'owen lose 1/2 players.

Both Cork sides recruited based on provincial too much! Is their own failings and should leave the complaining aside, they should've seen it coming!!

I would have to agree wit Ford regarding the league schedule. Is a bit strange, a week on with 3 wks off, than 4 weeks in a row, week off and 3 weeks (or whatever it is), is a bit demanding on lads physically

PlayerTrader13

Cant remember which coach but thought it was interesting he wasnt shy in saying that the Leinster system produce better quality backs..