Guinness Pro12 2015/2016 Season thread

Cookiemunster

bilston wrote: »

Hopefully Rees has that wrong.

It might not go down well with some but I think next time round the Pro 12 really need to go for an exclusive deal with Pay TV. They'd get more money, I don't think it would affect attendances negatively in Ireland and if anything it will improve attendances in Wales as BBC Wales and S4C would no longer carry live coverage.

Sky's actual coverage has been pretty good. However they haven't advertised it or hyped it nearly as much as I thought they would.

I agree. Every match being televised reduces attendance. I know quite a few people who don't go to Thomond Park because the match is on free to air TV. Some of those are season ticket holders.....

galwaylad14

Cookiemunster wrote: »

I agree. Every match being televised reduces attendance. I know quite a few people who don't go to Thomond Park because the match is on free to air TV. Some of those are season ticket holders.....

Ya but having them on free to air TV increases the exposure the league gets does it not? More people watch the games than would ordinarily do so were they on paid tv.

Also given that the league features 4 countries it's not practical for the average fan to get to many away games so it's nice to be able to watch those games on free to air TV.

Fair point on it reducing attendances though but I don't think this is the way we should be going about trying to increase the attendance

awec

bilston wrote: »

Hopefully Rees has that wrong.

It might not go down well with some but I think next time round the Pro 12 really need to go for an exclusive deal with Pay TV. They'd get more money, I don't think it would affect attendances negatively in Ireland and if anything it will improve attendances in Wales as BBC Wales and S4C would no longer carry live coverage.

Sky's actual coverage has been pretty good. However they haven't advertised it or hyped it nearly as much as I thought they would.

NO NO NO NO NO NO :mad::mad:

I want to watch Ulster every week, not once a month whenever it happens to be their turn to be televised.

whatawaster

I agree also that an exclusive deal with Sky wouldn't be a bad thing.

It would be good for the league to get sky fully behind it and make it their flagship rugby competition. Show 3 games every weekend and a decent highlights package with analysis for all the games on a Sunday/Monday evening.

BBDBB

The thing that increases and decreases attendances more than whether its televised is the entertainment on display and the relative success or failure it creates. Whilst a significant few are die hard, through thick and thin supporters, most have a limit to how committed they are prepared to be. That alters towards the positive with more success and decreases with "failure" (an absence of success/competitveness)

bilston

awec wrote: »

NO NO NO NO NO NO :mad::mad:

I want to watch Ulster every week, not once a month whenever it happens to be their turn to be televised.

Well fair enough. With any luck any exlcusive deal would mean the broadcaster would show at least 3 games a week.

At the end of the day if we want to compete financially with the English and French you have to take difficult decisions.

The Pro 12 is a rareity in that it is a domestic sporting league that is live on FTA TV.

awec

bilston wrote: »

Well fair enough. With any luck any exlcusive deal would mean the broadcaster would show at least 3 games a week.

At the end of the day if we want to compete financially with the English and French you have to take difficult decisions.

The Pro 12 is a rareity in that it is a domestic sporting league that is live on FTA TV.

BBC Sport have done more to promote rugby in Ulster than Sky will ever do.

Having it's own dedicated broadcaster that is FTA is huge for Ulster Rugby. I get it's not great for the rest of the league, but Ulster losing that would be a massive thing.

MarinersBlues

galwaylad14 wrote: »

Ya but having them on free to air TV increases the exposure the league gets does it not? More people watch the games than would ordinarily do so were they on paid tv.

Also given that the league features 4 countries it's not practical for the average fan to get to many away games so it's nice to be able to watch those games on free to air TV.

Fair point on it reducing attendances though but I don't think this is the way we should be going about trying to increase the attendance

100% agree with this.

You will create a bigger audience having it free to air.

Higher visibility will generate more interest which will increase participation and attendance in the LONG run.

Having Heineken Cup on RTE was the prime exposure for the provinces in Ireland.
The fact that the PRO12 is now more competitive and has more at stake than before means it would would get more people interested if they could watch the games.

Zzippy

Cookiemunster wrote: »

I agree. Every match being televised reduces attendance. I know quite a few people who don't go to Thomond Park because the match is on free to air TV. Some of those are season ticket holders.....

That says more about those people than the impact of tv. Ulster are on FTA TV every home game and their attendance is very healthy...

Cookiemunster

Zzippy wrote: »

That says more about those people than the impact of tv. Ulster are on FTA TV every home game and their attendance is very healthy...

Belfast isn't Munster. Most of the people going to Ravenhill on a Friday night will be from Belfast, so don't have to travel far. A huge proportion of the Munster support live over an hour from Limerick and if the match is on TG4 and the weathers bad, they won't travel.

Also there's a reason that NFL has the blackout rule in the US and the English FA don't allow any televised games at 3pm on Saturdays. Live matches on TV takes from attendances.

Bazzo

I think not televising matches purposefully to try to drive up attendances is alienating a large portion of your potential fanbase who actually can't physically get to the game.

I can't get to the majority of Connacht games but I go when I'm home and I buy plenty of merchandise. If they were trying to drive their attendences up by not airing matches I'd be pretty pissed off and a lot less likely to part with my cash.

errlloyd

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Also there's a reason that NFL has the blackout rule in the US and the English FA don't allow any televised games at 3pm on Saturdays. Live matches on TV takes from attendances.

They ban the televising of those games to drive up attendances at lower division matches. The equivalent of not televising Leinster matches that clash with AIL fixtures.

neelia11

zebre 14-7 glasgow after 35

bilston

neelia11 wrote: »

zebre 14-7 glasgow after 35

That will never last.

bilston

Someone posted viewing figures for the last weekend of March on uafc earlier.

5 matches on pay tv that weekend. 4 premiership games on BT and 1 Pro 12 game on Sky and the Pro 12 game came 3rd in terms of viewing figures. Given BT pay a hell of a lot more for the Premiership than Sky do for the Pro 12 that is quite interesting.

BrokenMan

neelia11 wrote: »

zebre 14-7 glasgow after 35

Bonus point in the bag for Glasgow now.

bilston

BrokenMan wrote: »

Bonus point in the bag for Glasgow now.

I live in hope but I assume you don't mean LBP!

BrokenMan

bilston wrote: »

I live in hope but I assume you don't mean LBP!

Unfortunately not. 38 - 14 after 75 mins.

BBDBB

3 mins to go

Zebra 14 Glasgow 43

vienne86

BBDBB wrote: »

3 mins to go

Zebra 14 Glasgow 43

That's the TBP we all expected.

MarinersBlues

Pos Team Current R20 R21 R22 Total
Scarlets (a) Zebre (h) Connacht (a)
1 Glasgow 61 4 5 4 74
Edin (h) Ulster (a) Treviso (h)
2 Leinster 63 4 1 5 73
Munster (h) Treviso (a) Glasgow (h)
3 Connacht 63 4 5 1 73
Zebre (a) Leinster (h) Ospreys (a)
4 Ulster 55 5 4 1 65
Glasgow (h) Dragons (a) Munster (a)
5 Scarlets 58 1 4 1 64
Connacht (a) Edin (h) Scarlets (h)
6 Munster 53 1 4 4 62
Leinster (a) Munster (a) Blues (h)
7 Edinburgh 52 0 1 4 57
Treviso (h) Blues (a) Ulster (h)
8 Ospreys 44 5 4 4 57
Dragons(h) Ospreys(h) Edinbrugh (a)
9 Blues 48 4 1 1 54

thomond2006

Zebre have conceded on average 30 points a game. That's madness.

The current record for points conceded since the Italians joined is 641 points by Treviso last season. Zebre have conceded 579 points in 19 games so far this season and with Ulster (H) and Glasgow (A) left you'd expect they will break 641 conceded this season.

RAKM

I've spoken a lot about the Italian clubs leaving the Pro12 or at least not giving them a place in the CC. However as long as they are in the league it is probably the best of a bad lot to let them compete for a CC place. The reason is that they still have something to play for whenever they take the field. If they did not have this think of how bad their efforts might be...or could they get any worse?

irishbucsfan

RAKM wrote: »

I've spoken a lot about the Italian clubs leaving the Pro12 or at least not giving them a place in the CC. However as long as they are in the league it is probably the best of a bad lot to let them compete for a CC place. The reason is that they still have something to play for whenever they take the field. If they did not have this think of how bad their efforts might be...or could they get any worse?

Their CC place is effectively the relegation battle that other people mistakenly claim we are missing. Zebre and Treviso need points in the same way Newcastle/London Irish need points.

As you alluded to, in any competition structure it's important to keep teams incentivised until the last day. We've almost arrived at that situation now (albeit dragged kicking and screaming) thanks to European qualification. The only team in the league who aren't playing for something at this stage are probably the Dragons. Not long ago it would have been just the top couple of sides still interested. Makes for a much better league.

thomond2006

Scarlets didn't train today as 20 players have a stomach virus. :eek:

.ak

thomond2006 wrote: »

Scarlets didn't train today as 20 players have a stomach virus. :eek:

Has the French national squad many any comment yet?

b.gud

thomond2006 wrote: »

Scarlets didn't train today as 20 players have a stomach virus. :eek:

That probably puts to bed any hope they might get one over in Glasgow

Zzippy

b.gud wrote: »

That probably puts to bed any hope they might get one over in Glasgow

Indeed. You could even say their chances are in the toilet...

b.gud

Zzippy wrote: »

Indeed. You could even say their chances are in the toilet...

Are these the kinda jokes that we can expect now that your honeymoon is over and you've officially accepted life as a married man

CatFromHue

this could get awkward for Munster if the stars align.

If there's not a Welsh team in the top 6 at the end of the season then one of the top 6 teams will miss out with the top ranked Welsh team going through in their place.

It's fairly unlikely as Munster play both Edinburgh and Lanelli before the season is out.

Zzippy

b.gud wrote: »

Are these the kinda jokes that we can expect now that your honeymoon is over and you've officially accepted life as a married man

Yes. I can now officially turn into my old man... his jokes are horrendous!

neelia11

cardiff, ospreys and embra all hot on munsters tails now. they really need a win tmrw

Cookiemunster

neelia11 wrote: »

cardiff, ospreys and embra all hot on munsters tails now. they really need a win tmrw

They don't really need to win this one. If Munster get nothing in Galway and win their last two with no BP, then neither Ospreys or Edinburgh can catch them. Cardiff can, but they need to win all three games getting 2 BPs.
If Munster get a BP tonight and two wins, then Cardiff need 3 BP wins. They play Ospreys (N) and Edinburgh (A).

MarinersBlues

Cookiemunster wrote: »

They don't really need to win this one. If Munster get nothing in Galway and win their last two with no BP, then neither Ospreys or Edinburgh can catch them. Cardiff can, but they need to win all three games getting 2 BPs.
If Munster get a BP tonight and two wins, then Cardiff need 3 BP wins. They play Ospreys (N) and Edinburgh (A).

Connacht don't need to win this for a top two either.
It's still in our control, BP in Treviso and win against Glasgow in Galway will do it.

Although I don't think anyone will be holding back!

errlloyd

Oh finn Russel

thomond2006

3-10 so far

thomond2006

TMO for a Russell try in the corner. Glasgow turned down an easy 3 points with a tap and go that lead to a Glasgow 5m lineout.

Try given, brilliant finish.

b.gud

thomond2006 wrote: »

TMO for a Russell try in the corner. Glasgow turned down an easy 3 points with a tap and go that lead to a Glasgow 5m lineout.

Try given, brilliant finish.

It's looking like it'll be a 5 pointer for Glasgow

thomond2006

A Glasgow win pretty much seals the Top 3 and it opens the door to Ulster or Munster to sneak into the final playoff spot.

barry rainey

finn russel what a player

thomond2006

Try for Delon Williams makes it 10-15.

b.gud

Try Liam Williams

b.gud

Russell puts the restart out on the full

thomond2006

Lee Jones in for try #3. Lethal counterattack off a turnover.

b.gud

Russell missed the conversion so it 10-20 to Glasgow at half time

barry rainey

champions looking good

BrokenMan

And there's the bonus point

barry rainey

scarlets tore apart

32kazzam

barry rainey wrote: »

scarlets tore apart

Zebre gonna ship another 50-60 here today, Ulster's 3rd try I think took Zebre beyond 600 conceded this season.

thomond2006

If Cardiff get a BP win at home to Dragons, which is likely, then they'll be equal with Edinburgh and Munster. The last spot in Europe is all to play for. How different things would be if Cardiff hadn't lost both away matches in Italy.