[bilston]

Slightly different to the predictions threads for the Pro 12 and AP. Right so I thought it would be interesting to have a series of predictions now and then come back in June 2013 and see who is the king of predictions. Below are some general predictions for the forthcoming season. What do ye all think? Add to the list as well if you can think of anything I haven't included! Should we include the AIL, various Schools Cups, B&I Cup? I've included my predictions.

Pro 12 - ULSTER
HEC - LEINSTER
AP - LEICESTER
Top 14 - TOULOUSE
Six Nations - ENGLAND
2012 Rugby Championship - NEW ZEALAND
2013 Lions series - LIONS
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 9
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 4
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - MICHAEL BRADLEY
Leading Irish test try scorer - KEITH EARLS
Irish player of the season - JONATHAN SEXTON

[thomond2006]

Pro 12 - LEINSTER
(They won't want to lose a 3rd final in a row (cheers phog!)
HEC - TOULON
(not the best team but have an easy group)
AP - LEICESTER
Top 14 - CLERMONT AUVERGNE
Six Nations - WALES
2012 Rugby Championship - NEW ZEALAND
2013 Lions series - LIONS
Should have too much for Oz, particularly if Oz are missing some key players.
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 10
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 3
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - DECLAN KIDNEY
Leading Irish test try scorer - TOMMY BOWE
Irish player of the season - CIAN HEALY

[phog]

Originally Posted by thomond2006

Pro 12 - LEINSTER
(They won't want to lose a 3rd final!)

They have, haven't they? Ospreys, Munster and Ospreys.

[bilston]

Originally Posted by thomond2006

Pro 12 - LEINSTER
(They won't want to lose a 3rd final!)
HEC - TOULON
(not the best team but have an easy group)
AP - LEICESTER
Top 14 - CLERMONT AUVERGNE
Six Nations - WALES
2012 Rugby Championship - NEW ZEALAND
2013 Lions series - LIONS
Should have too much for Oz, particularly if Oz are missing some key players.
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 10
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 3
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - DECLAN KIDNEY
Leading Irish test try scorer - TOMMY BOWE
Irish player of the season - CIAN HEALY

Cian Healy is a very good shout for player of the season.

I'm sure it's mentioned somewhere in the Kidney Out yay or Nay thread but just out of interest does anyone know when Kidney's contract runs out? End of the Six Nations or end of the North America tour?

[stephen_n]

Pro 12 - Leinster
HEC - Clermont
AP - Harlequins
Top 14 - Clermont
Six Nations - Wales
2012 Rugby Championship - NEW ZEALAND
2013 Lions series - Australia
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 7
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 1
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - Declan Kidney
Leading Irish test try scorer - Tommy Bowe
Irish player of the season - Sean O'Brien

[.ak]

Pro 12 - Sean O'Brien
HEC - Sean O'Brien
AP - Sean O'Brien
Top 14 - Sean O'Brien
Six Nations - Sean O'Brien
2012 Rugby Championship - Sean O'Brien
2013 Lions series - Sean O'Brien
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - As many as Sean O'Brien wants
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - See above
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - Sean O'Brien
Leading Irish test try scorer - Sean O'Brien
Irish player of the season - Sean O'Brien

[Podge_irl]

His contract runs out at the end of the 6N (around May, Kidneyclock tells me), so he won't be Irish coach on 1st of June unless he's reappointed.

Also, Leinster have already lost three finals in a row

Pro12 - Leinster
HEC - Clermont
AP - Harlequins
Top 14 - Toulouse
Six Nations - England
Rugby Championship - NZ
Lions series - Lions
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 8
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 2
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - No idea
Leading Irish test try scorer - Tommy Bowe
Irish player of the season - Cian Healy

[RoundBox11]

Pro 12 - Leinster
HEC - Toulouse
AP - Harlequins
Top 14 - Clermont
6 Nations - England
2012 Rugby Championship - South Africa
2013 Lions Tour - Lions
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 9
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 3
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - Haven't a clue
Leading Irish Test scorer - Tommy Bowe..... (Craig Gilroy if he gets called up!).
Irish Player of the season - Cian Healy


The most interesting thing for me will be who the new caps are. I mean who is there really that has put their hand up for selection? Craig Gilroy and Dave Kearney are ones that stand out for me but i doubt both will be capped yet. I'd love to see Madigan get a cap and I wouldn't be surprised if Mike Sherry gets a cap too. Paul Marshall would be a long shot for a one off cap imo.
Apart from them tho i don't know. Toner, Cave, Zebo, Fitzpatrick and Felix Jones have already been capped briefly so they don't count. Guys like Griffin, Spence, Luke Marshall, Henderson, Jack McGrath and EOM aren't ready yet.

[bilston]

Originally Posted by RoundBox11

Pro 12 - Leinster
HEC - Toulouse
AP - Harlequins
Top 14 - Clermont
6 Nations - England
2012 Rugby Championship - South Africa
2013 Lions Tour - Lions
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 9
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 3
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - Haven't a clue
Leading Irish Test scorer - Tommy Bowe..... (Craig Gilroy if he gets called up!).
Irish Player of the season - Cian Healy


The most interesting thing for me will be who the new caps are. I mean who is there really that has put their hand up for selection? Craig Gilroy and Dave Kearney are ones that stand out for me but i doubt both will be capped yet. I'd love to see Madigan get a cap and I wouldn't be surprised if Mike Sherry gets a cap too. Paul Marshall would be a long shot for a one off cap imo.
Apart from them tho i don't know. Toner, Cave, Zebo, Fitzpatrick and Felix Jones have already been capped briefly so they don't count. Guys like Griffin, Spence, Luke Marshall, Henderson, Jack McGrath and EOM aren't ready yet.

I went for four new caps - I predict Gilroy, Madigan, Dom Ryan and Sherry (don't think he got on in NZ?). It would take a couple of injuries for Marshall to get in I think, although with Pienaar not available to Ulster until the end of the Rugby Championship he will get plenty of opportunities to put himself in the shop window...albeit in the Pro 12 and not the HEC...

[conf101]

Pro 12 - Leinster
HEC - Clermont
AP - Leicester
Top 14 - Toulon
6 Nations - France
2012 Rugby Championship - NZ
2013 Lions Tour - Lions
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 9
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 4
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - ??
Leading Irish Test scorer - Tommy Bowe
Irish Player of the season - Sean O'Brien

[.ak]

Clermont seems to be the people's H-Cup favorites. I wonder though.. would they be galvanized by last year's efforts, or will they be deterred? We've seen it happen to T14 clubs before.

They have another tough pool again... but I'd love to see them march into LR twice in one season.

[Philo Beddoe]

Originally Posted by .ak

Clermont seems to be the people's H-Cup favorites. I wonder though.. would they be galvanized by last year's efforts, or will they be deterred? We've seen it happen to T14 clubs before.

Clermont have had so many near misses over the years that I'd say they're well used to the old Robert the Bruce approach. I think they'll be back stronger this coming season.

[molloyjh]

Originally Posted by .ak

Clermont seems to be the people's H-Cup favorites. I wonder though.. would they be galvanized by last year's efforts, or will they be deterred? We've seen it happen to T14 clubs before.

They have another tough pool again... but I'd love to see them march into LR twice in one season.

Not if they're playing us in the final! I've had enough of playing Clermont at this stage. It's like a gambler who's had a winning hand his last few goes around. The longer the streak lasts the greater the chance the next hand will be a bad one! You want to get out while the going is good...

Munster have a fairly handy pool and are very much an unknown with Penney coming in. A handy pool does give them the opportunity to settle into a new game plan etc should they need to. Ulster too should get out of their pool relatively handy enough. How the QFs shake up will be crucial, but there's a few sides very much in the mix.

Pro 12 - Leinster
HEC - Leinster/Clermont (I'm very much 50/50 on that one)
AP - Harlequins
Top 14 - Toulouse
6 Nations - Wales
2012 Rugby Championship - New Zealand
2013 Lions Tour - Lions
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 9
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 2
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - No idea
Leading Irish Test scorer - Tommy Bowe
Irish Player of the season - Rob Kearney (Healy and O'Brien would be there or there-abouts too)

[TheKeenMachine]

Pro 12 - Leinster
HEC - Leinster
AP - Harlequins
Top 14 - Toulon
AIL - Clontarf
Leinster Senior Cup - Terenure
B&I Cup - Leinster A
Six Nations - Wales
Rugby Championship - New Zealand
2013 Lions series - Lions
Lions captain - Rory Best
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 11 (Healy, Best, Ryan, POC, Ferris, SOB, Heaslip, Sexton, BOD, Bowe, Kearney.)
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 5 (Wilkinson, Strauss, Madigan, Gilroy, Kearney)
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - Mike Ruddock
Leading Irish test try scorer - Tommy Bowe
Irish player of the season - Rory Best

[stephen_n]

Originally Posted by RoundBox11

Pro 12 - Leinster
HEC - Toulouse
AP - Harlequins
Top 14 - Clermont
6 Nations - England
2012 Rugby Championship - South Africa
2013 Lions Tour - Lions
Number of Irish players named in the original Lions touring squad - 9
Number of new Irish caps by 31st March 2013 - 3
Irish coach on 1st June 2013 - Haven't a clue
Leading Irish Test scorer - Tommy Bowe..... (Craig Gilroy if he gets called up!).
Irish Player of the season - Cian Healy


The most interesting thing for me will be who the new caps are. I mean who is there really that has put their hand up for selection? Craig Gilroy and Dave Kearney are ones that stand out for me but i doubt both will be capped yet. I'd love to see Madigan get a cap and I wouldn't be surprised if Mike Sherry gets a cap too. Paul Marshall would be a long shot for a one off cap imo.
Apart from them tho i don't know. Toner, Cave, Zebo, Fitzpatrick and Felix Jones have already been capped briefly so they don't count. Guys like Griffin, Spence, Luke Marshall, Henderson, Jack McGrath and EOM aren't ready yet.

As a matter of interest, why not? I understand he isn't going to replace BOD for competitive games but I would say he has done enough with Leinster to at least be looked at in the AI's


Everyone going for England in the 6N surprises me too, They are barely above an average team and with Wales being the current champions I can't see anything that have England have shown that would make them favourites??