Guinness Pro12 2014/2015 Season thread

.ak

total former wrote: »

Rhys Webb is the Pro12 player of the year, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne is young player and Townsend is coach of the year.

Hard to argue any of that really.

Ian Madigan is the Golden Boot winner (88% success rate) and Connacht win the 'fair play' award.

Rhys Webb defo deserved it, can't think of anyone that came close to it, he had an absolute stormer of a season.

Also, if the try of the season nominations hadn't been put up so early I imagine he'd have won it for his try against Glasgow last week. Sublime for me, mixed the set piece, team play and a bit of exceptional individual skill, the perfect all round try.

thomond2006

phog wrote: »

From Twitter

Thought he was going to Edinburgh.

As for Scotland representation.... sigh. The dilution of international rugby continues. When will this end?

total former

Full story:
http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/15/05/18/warriors-sign-fijian-winger-naiyaravoro

The guy was quoted over the weekend as saying he'd turn down a move to Scotland and stay in Australia if Cheika picked him for the Wallabies.

Not a good advertisement for the 'residency' rule...

.ak

thomond2006 wrote: »

Thought he was going to Edinburgh.

As for Scotland representation.... sigh. The dilution of international rugby continues. When will this end?

I think the answer is obvious isn't it?

When NZ stop poaching islanders?






:pac:

thomond2006

.ak wrote: »

I think the answer is obvious isn't it?

When NZ stop poaching islanders?






:pac:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/conor-oshea-you-shouldnt-play-for-a-nation-just-because-it-is-professionally-convenient-31228746.html

aimee1

thomond2006 wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/conor-oshea-you-shouldnt-play-for-a-nation-just-because-it-is-professionally-convenient-31228746.html

that would be my view on it as well. I think the residency rules in several sports are a joke.

Larbre34

aimee1 wrote: »

that would be my view on it as well. I think the residency rules in several sports are a joke.

Agreed, there needs to be some worldwide resolution to the residency and parentage rules in international sport, a common framework. Maybe the Olympic movement would be a good forum. This flags of convenience situation is a nonsense.

For me it would be 10 years residency, and your Ma or Da and/or your own place of birth. No granny rule. And playing for two different Countries in different codes devalues both.

total former

Pro12 have confirmed that both semis will be live on Sky Sports and terrestrial, so Munster game is on TG4 while Ulster is on TG4 and BBC NI.

.ak

Kinda looking forward to watching the semis without having the nerves of my team being in them.


... Kinda.

wp_rathead

.ak wrote: »

Kinda looking forward to watching the semis without having the nerves of my team being in them.


... Kinda.

Us Connacht have been enjoying them like that for years

sydneybound

Alberto di Marchi and Luke McLean have been let go from Sale and are linked with a move back to Italy. I presume both will go back to Treviso, who have signed a couple of decent players for next season hopefully should make them stronger.

Chief87

4 fairly evenly matched teams for this weekend..weird not having Leinster in the top 4 though.

oneofakind32

So how does everyone feel after the year?
Was Sky Sports a good thing?
For the last couple of years the pro12 had attendance increase year on year but if I had to guess I'd say that the figures are down this year. Leinster and Munster crowds seemed to be down anyway. Connacht's numbers stayed strong as did Ulsters. The Welsh were delighted with Judgement day. A Scottish team won for the first time. Zebre improved slightly and Traviso went backwards. The gap to the Italians is more pronounced than ever and they have fair amount of debt.

Greyian

oneofakind32 wrote: »

So how does everyone feel after the year?
Was Sky Sports a good thing?
For the last couple of years the pro12 had attendance increase year on year but if I had to guess I'd say that the figures are down this year. Leinster and Munster crowds seemed to be down anyway. Connacht's numbers stayed strong as did Ulsters. The Welsh were delighted with Judgement day. A Scottish team won for the first time. Zebre improved slightly and Traviso went backwards. The gap to the Italians is more pronounced than ever and they have fair amount of debt.

Looking at the fixtures/results section on the Pro 12 site, total attendances last year stood at 1,117,896 (excluding the final, no figure given). If we assume the final was 20,000, that would be 1,137,896.
This season, total attendances stood at 1,212,211, so 6.5% growth across the league this season.

In terms of competitiveness though, the Italians were absolutely woeful this season.

The Lost Sheep

oneofakind32 wrote: »

So how does everyone feel after the year?
Was Sky Sports a good thing?
For the last couple of years the pro12 had attendance increase year on year but if I had to guess I'd say that the figures are down this year. Leinster and Munster crowds seemed to be down anyway. Connacht's numbers stayed strong as did Ulsters. The Welsh were delighted with Judgement day. A Scottish team won for the first time. Zebre improved slightly and Traviso went backwards. The gap to the Italians is more pronounced than ever and they have fair amount of debt.

Fairly ok. Sky were certainly a good thing.

Italians were poor and may be again this season but hopefully with the changes in their agegrade/academy set ups they'll be better in next few years at bringing players through which should eventually kick on to their pro12 sides
Attendances slightly up but Munster not getting as big crowds in Limerick as they used to. Musgrave being closed for large part of season wasn't great in relation to that. Musgrave open all through season should help things next season even with world cup on.

errlloyd

I think it was a very successful season. A few big changes.

Neutral Final venue - It was a success this year, Kingspan is a great venue.
Qualification for RCC - Made it much more exciting all year.
Sky coverage - If there was a decent amount of cash involved I'd be happy enough.

The actual development of the league was fine. The Italians were disappointing. Glasgow beginning to sell out is great news, on the field and off the field they're improving.

bilston

awec wrote: »

I see paddy power have released their odds for the winners next year already:

Leinster 15/8
Ulster 11/4
Munster 7/2
Glasgow 9/2
Ospreys 8/1
Scarlets 33/1

I predict:

1. An Irish winner again

2. The same top 4 teams as this year, just in different order. The gap between the top 4 and the rest will be bigger.

Leinster aren't going to fall away that badly :-)

bilston

errlloyd wrote: »

I think it was a very successful season. A few big changes.

Neutral Final venue - It was a success this year, Kingspan is a great venue.
Qualification for RCC - Made it much more exciting all year.
Sky coverage - If there was a decent amount of cash involved I'd be happy enough.

The actual development of the league was fine. The Italians were disappointing. Glasgow beginning to sell out is great news, on the field and off the field they're improving.

One thing that helped the league was the change in the calendar. Having the knockout stages of the Champions Cup two weeks apart definitely benefitted the Pro 12 in terms of hype asnit meant the last three weeks were all about the Pro 12.

On the other hand it seemed to damage the Champions Cup.

Using the Kingspan as a neutral venue worked very well. However the final can't be at the Kingspan every year and while I think the RDS would be a great venue I'm not sure where else with a decent capacity would sell out. Scotstoun is too small, I have my doubts as to whether Thomond would sell out if Munster weren't there, and the less said about Wales the better.

thomond2006

I wonder if the change to neutral venues stipulates a new host country every season.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

I wonder if the change to neutral venues stipulates a new host country every season.

It should simply rotate around the 12 clubs imo.

Clubs who cannot host (re: venue size etc) can simply pass it on.

thomond2006

Deleted User wrote: »

It should simply rotate around the 12 clubs imo.

Clubs who cannot host (re: venue size etc) can simply pass it on.

Munster vs Leinster at the Sportsground. Only the super ultras would get in. Awesome!

bilston

Is there a minimum capacity requirement?

The Lost Sheep

thomond2006 wrote: »

I wonder if the change to neutral venues stipulates a new host country every season.

Doubt it. Don't see a final in Italy for a while yet and it really depends on who tenders/wants to host game.

bilston wrote: »

Is there a minimum capacity requirement?

I assume same as before(18000). Wasn't it 18k before this?

bilston

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Doubt it. Don't see a final in Italy for a while yet and it really depends on who tenders/wants to host game.
I assume same as before(18000). Wasn't it 18k before this?

Yes now you mention it that was why Ulster couldn't host it a couple of years ago.

wp_rathead

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Doubt it. Don't see a final in Italy for a while yet and it really depends on who tenders/wants to host game.
I assume same as before(18000). Wasn't it 18k before this?

Would love to see a Pro 12 final here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadio_Flaminio