RaboPro12 13/14 season thread

CatFromHue

The Rabo Youtube channel has a tendency to call every try outstanding/super/excellent but this one was pretty good actually!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wMecLzFpBw

matthew8

The great prop try:

rockbeast

Suggesting something horrible here BUT is there a chance that both Munster and Ulster will want to lose their match:eek:

They'd both fancy their chances against Leinster and it would probably make sense to finish 4th and not face glasgow away...

Could be interesting....;)

thelad95

rockbeast wrote: »

Suggesting something horrible here BUT is there a chance that both Munster and Ulster will want to lose their match:eek:

They'd both fancy their chances against Leinster and it would probably make sense to finish 4th and not face glasgow away...

Could be interesting....;)

Naaa Munster will more than likely beat 'embra' tomorrow rendering next weeks game a dead rubber. In fact, it looks like the only thing to be decided next week will be who gets the Italian RCC spot.

ssaye2

CatFromHue wrote: »

The Rabo Youtube channel has a tendency to call every try outstanding/super/excellent but this one was pretty good actually!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wMecLzFpBw

Ridiculous, reminds be of the try in the lions tour almost

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr0MfJcCCdw

matthew8

Edinburgh and Munster are both very hot and cold. Edinburgh in bad form but they did have a win at home to the Ospreys. Not a foregone conclusion, especially as half of Munster's team isn't first choice.

shuffol

Seymour has scored some great tries this season

Fireball07

rockbeast wrote: »

Suggesting something horrible here BUT is there a chance that both Munster and Ulster will want to lose their match:eek:

They'd both fancy their chances against Leinster and it would probably make sense to finish 4th and not face glasgow away...

Could be interesting....;)

I'm not saying I wouldn't rather a semi-final against Leinster, but if we can't beat Glasgow, we're not going to win the thing anyway.


Munster are not scared of Glasgow and they're not scared of Leinster either. And neither are Ulster. We've already won in Scotstoun this year. We may have been very lucky, but we ground out the victory and I'd have faith in us to do it again. Have to start standing up in the big games.

phog

rockbeast wrote: »

Suggesting something horrible here BUT is there a chance that both Munster and Ulster will want to lose their match:eek:

They'd both fancy their chances against Leinster and it would probably make sense to finish 4th and not face glasgow away...

Could be interesting....;)

I can't speak for Ulster but I doubt Munster would fear Glasgow away in a s/final. While Glasgow have improved they are certainly beatable. As a fan I'd be very disappointed in the players if I thought they'd be thinking an away game in Glasgow might be too much for them.

umop.episdn

I think Munster would prefer the away semi v Glasgow at the moment. A hard, competitive game would await them, but it's by no means anywhere near an impossible task.
A final against Leinster is what we want...and a bit of silverware of course!

former legend

From the league's perspective, the last thing we want is a third all Irish final in four years.

umop.episdn

former legend wrote: »

From the league's perspective, the last thing we want is a third all Irish final in four years.

The best teams go through. It's not the Irish sides fault that the Welsh sides are hemorrhaging their best players to other leagues & that there is only 1 competitive team in Scotland.

rockbeast

umop.episdn wrote: »

I think Munster would prefer the away semi v Glasgow at the moment. A hard, competitive game would await them, but it's by no means anywhere near an impossible task.
A final against Leinster is what we want...and a bit of silverware of course!

Fair play to you for thinking that BUT munster would have a better chance of beating us/Leinster in Ireland`in the RDS...IMO

umop.episdn

rockbeast wrote: »

Fair play to you for thinking that BUT munster would have a better chance of beating us/Leinster in Ireland`in the RDS...IMO

We can wait for the final in Dublin
Will I bring you a hang sandwich & a bottle of Nash's lemonade?

sydthebeat

There's is very very little between the four teams at the moment.

But my fear as a Leinster supporter is we seem to have gone backwards and stagnated.... even if we are top. Our first 25-26 players have played a lot of rugby this season.

Munster are improving. Glasgow are improving. Ulster are very unlucky with injuries which will cost them ultimately I think.

rockbeast

umop.episdn wrote: »

We can wait for the final in Dublin
Will I bring you a hang sandwich & a bottle of Nash's lemonade?

Nash's is a refreshing drink.

Slice of cheese and wholewheat for the samdo:D

umop.episdn

You'll have a hang sammich & like it, wholewheat? Bet you city types take blackcurrant in your glass of Guinness too!

rockbeast

umop.episdn wrote: »

You'll have a hang sammich & like it, wholewheat? Bet you city types take blackcurrant in your glass of Guinness too!

Don't make me report you for trolling...:D

Pints of stout and Jameson chasers:)

awec

Now that we have our semi final there's a good chance we will send the kids to Thomond next week.

phog

awec wrote: »

Now that we have our semi final there's a good chance we will send the kids to Thomond next week.

Who's out through injury for s/finals?

thomond2006

3.5. If two or more Teams finish with the same number of league points, their placings will be determined by the following criteria in descending order:

number of matches won;
the difference between points for and points against;
the number of tries scored;
the most points scored;
the difference between tries for and tries against;
the fewest number of red cards received;
the fewest number of yellow cards received.

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/statzone/competition_rules.php

Ulster have won 14 and Ospreys have won 12, meaning Munster vs Ulster is a dead rubber for Ulster.

Eod100

thomond2006 wrote: »

Ulster have won 14 and Ospreys have won 12, meaning Munster vs Ulster is a dead rubber for Ulster.

Munster too pretty much. Unless they beat Ulster and Glasgow lose/draw with Zebre.

Morf

awec wrote: »

Now that we have our semi final there's a good chance we will send the kids to Thomond next week.

Assuredly I think you'll find "espoirs" is the term . . .

jacothelad

phog wrote: »

I can't speak for Ulster but I doubt Munster would fear Glasgow away in a s/final. While Glasgow have improved they are certainly beatable. As a fan I'd be very disappointed in the players if I thought they'd be thinking an away game in Glasgow might be too much for them.

Full strength Munster and Ulster sides would have no problem beating Glasgow in a high pressure game.. Munster might be nearing that situation with mainly Ryan and Archer out but Ulster have no chance of competing realistically. Without Best, Court, Lutton, Afoa, Fitzpatrick, McAllister, Ferris, Pienaar and the others the team is weakened beyond reasonable expectations. I would say the final will be Leinster v. Munster.

danthefan

jacothelad wrote: »

Full strength Munster and Ulster sides would have no problem beating Glasgow in a high pressure game.. Munster might be nearing that situation with mainly Ryan and Archer out but Ulster have no chance of competing realistically. Without Best, Court, Lutton, Afoa, Fitzpatrick, McAllister, Ferris, Pienaar and the others the team is weakened beyond reasonable expectations. I would say the final will be Leinster v. Munster.

I'm sure they're both capable of beating Glasgow, but no problem? I don't think so tbh, makes it sound like the result would be a foregone conclusion.

thomond2006

Nobody is going to tell me Munster will have it easy in Glasgow since it wasn't so long ago that a strong Munster side got absolutely hockeyed there!

Buer

I just don't get the lack of rating when it comes to Glasgow. They went to Thomond and clinically dispatched Munster 22-5. 9 of the players starting that night for Munster started in Toulon.

They then hockeyed Ulster in Glasgow as well as winning in Ravenhill.

They won those games without guys like Pyrgos, Hogg, Grant, Lamont, Jackson, Kellock etc. They've been missing a lot of players of late too but people tend to ignore that.

They've not had a perfect season by any stretch but they deliver in spades in the league and form is so important. You can't just turn it on as you want. Glasgow vs Munster is going to be a very tight game.

danthefan

thomond2006 wrote: »

Nobody is going to tell me Munster will have it easy in Glasgow since it wasn't so long ago that a strong Munster side got absolutely hockeyed there!

Ehhh... that was in Thomond.

Eod100

Hard to see the current order changing next week.

So chances are it's Leinster v Ulster and Glasgow v Munster.

Eod100

danthefan wrote: »

Ehhh... that was in Thomond.

Presume it's the game last year there where Glasgow won 51-24

thomond2006

danthefan wrote: »

Ehhh... that was in Thomond.

Eod100 wrote: »

Presume it's the game last year there where Glasgow won 51-24

What eod says Dan! We got murdered over there the week before our win at Harlequins.

danthefan

thomond2006 wrote: »

What eod says Dan! We got murdered over there the week before our win at Harlequins.

Fair enough.

BazPM

Rhys Ruddock, Sean Cronin and Jordi Murphy in Rabo team of the season. It's been some year for Jordi, capped at international level and has been hailed as the best 7 in the Rabo this season. He has some career ahead of him

phog

Glasgow are certainly not a soft touch but I doubt Munster would travel their in hope rather than a belief that they could win.

If we play close to our best then beating Glasgow shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

phog

BazPM wrote: »

Rhys Ruddock, Sean Cronin and Jordi Murphy in Rabo team of the season. It's been some year for Jordi, capped at international level and has been hailed as the best 7 in the Rabo this season. He has some career ahead of him

Where's the team announced, who selected it?

00lk

Hi

Does anyone have an idea yet as to whether the likely Glasgow v Munster Semi Final Fixture would be on Sat 17th or Sun 18th in Glasgow ?

danthefan

00lk wrote: »

Hi

Does anyone have an idea yet as to whether the likely Glasgow v Munster Semi Final Fixture would be on Sat 17th or Sun 18th in Glasgow ?

It's not scheduled yet since the league don't know who is playing who and where they'd be playing.

awec

BazPM wrote: »

Rhys Ruddock, Sean Cronin and Jordi Murphy in Rabo team of the season. It's been some year for Jordi, capped at international level and has been hailed as the best 7 in the Rabo this season. He has some career ahead of him

To be honest, the team of the year is total nonsense. I near crashed the car when I heard it on the radio it was that daft.

Jordi Murphy the best 7 in the Rabo? That's bollocks. Lualala the best 13? Nonsense.

Muller the best 5? Muller has been pretty average this year, I am certain there are players who have outplayed him all year.

Who picks this team?

awec

phog wrote: »

Where's the team announced, who selected it?

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/14946.php#.U2erf_lkSCQ

1 Kilcoyne
2 Cronin
3 Lee
4 AW Jones
5 Muller
6 Ruddock
7 Murphy
8 Copeland
9 Davies
10 Biggar
11 Trimble
12 Dunbar
13 Lualala
14 Hassler
15 Williams

Those in bold I have serious issue with. I am unsure if Davies has outplayed Pienaar, maybe he has.

Tox56

awec wrote: »

To be honest, the team of the year is total nonsense. I near crashed the car when I heard it on the radio it was that daft.

Jordi Murphy the best 7 in the Rabo? That's bollocks. Lualala the best 13? Nonsense.

Muller the best 5? Muller has been pretty average this year, I am certain there are players who have outplayed him all year.

Who picks this team?

The Rabo team isn't to pick the best players in each position full stop, its to pick the players who performed best in the league most consistently. A whole host of good players haven't played enough in the league to be considered. I dunno what the full team is this year but in previous years they also have a bias for the under appreciated players

awec

Tox56 wrote: »

The Rabo team isn't to pick the best players in each position full stop, its to pick the players who performed best in the league most consistently. A whole host of good players haven't played enough in the league to be considered. I dunno what the full team is this year but in previous years they also have a bias for the under appreciated players

Yea, I know. I still wouldn't pick Murphy (who has started only 6 games for Leinster this year in the league), Muller (who has been pretty average all year) or Lualala (who has also been distinctly average).

Tox56

awec wrote: »

Yea, I know. I still wouldn't pick Murphy (who has started only 6 games for Leinster this year in the league), Muller (who has been pretty average all year) or Lualala (who has also been distinctly average).

Fair enough, I would also say that McGrath who was Leinster POTY should be in at 1 but then again these lists are meaningless anyway

awec

Is it some league committee that just meets and picks the team?

phog

00lk wrote: »

Hi

Does anyone have an idea yet as to whether the likely Glasgow v Munster Semi Final Fixture would be on Sat 17th or Sun 18th in Glasgow ?

Last year, I think 1st played 4th on the Sat while 2nd played 3rd on the Fri.

That might have been at the request if the host clubs.

phog

awec wrote: »

Yea, I know. I still wouldn't pick Murphy (who has started only 6 games for Leinster this year in the league), Muller (who has been pretty average all year) or Lualala (who has also been distinctly average).

awec wrote: »

Is it some league committee that just meets and picks the team?

I think it's journalists that select them and going by this tweet it reminds me of the GAA All Stars, fit the player in, somewhere, anywhere.

Simon Thomas (@simonrug) tweeted at 2:13 PM on Mon, May 05, 2014:
@rava_ian Personally, I went for Cave and Laulala, with Laulala at 12.

TBH, the selected team is a bit odd, certainly in some positions better players have played on a regular basis this season.

awec

Lualala at 12? Has he ever played there for Munster? :pac:

Brewster

Does a win of any kind guarantee Glasgow the home semi? Munster can tie them with a BP win but Glasgow finish second having won more games?

umop.episdn

awec wrote: »

Lualala at 12? Has he ever played there for Munster? :pac:

He played a few with Earls at 13

CatFromHue

Brewster wrote: »

Does a win of any kind guarantee Glasgow the home semi?

Yup it will

Eod100

Brewster wrote: »

Does a win of any kind guarantee Glasgow the home semi? Munster can tie them with a BP win but Glasgow finish second having won more games?

Yeah, if Glasgow win and Munster get the win with a bp, both will be on 78 but Glasgow go through on matches won. Only way Munster could go through is if Glasgow lose/draw or Leinster lose by more than 7.