Who do you Love/Hate playing against?

Its funny how rugby is a sport where after the 80mins are up, the two sets of fans have no problem mingling and celebrating/commiserating each other.

What teams do you love playing and why? And if you can't think of anyone, who do you hate?

For Leinster, I absolutely love playing Clermont. Every game is a nailbiter, with serious passion and tension on the pitch and reflected in the stands.

Their supporters are great fun, always keen to swap scarves/jerseys and have a few drinks with you too. It's been said frequently that French fans don't like to travel, but those that have made it to the RDS/Aviva have been great sports and I've always enjoyed the craic with them.

For Ireland, I love the home game vs the Welsh every 2 years in the 6N. They usually come across in droves, and are in a party spirit from the off. The games haven't always been champagne rugby, but they're mostly competitive, and a fair contest most years too!

irishbucsfan

For Ireland: France and Wales. Love to beat either of them!

For Leinster: I have to say Clermont as well, I was there in December and they're a great bunch. Munster as well obviously!

For my club: The local rivalry (I'll leave names out of it) for sure but also, and I might get some stick for saying this, I love to beat Dublin teams from a certain area!

Judgement Day

I haven't been able to get to an International for years but when I did the craic with Welsh and French supporters used to be great. We used to drink at the Lincoln Inn (in its original incarnation) from opening time until an hour or so before the match then walk out to Lansdowne Road. The second the final whistle blew back to the Lincoln until closing time and then home or a party - thank God that the Lincoln didn't open on Sundays or I probably wouldn't be typing this.

I always enjoyed beating the French but now reserve that place for the 'mighty' Boks. Given that ten years ago I didn't want to know about provincial rugby I find it hard to understand why I have now become obsessed by it and, despite Munster being out of it now, I look forward more to its resumption than the impending Six Nations. I like to play against Leinster when we win :rolleyes: but at this stage I have forgotten what that feels like. I can put up with losing to anybody except Leinster which really gets to me. Even harder for me to understand this since I have no Munster connections, have lived in Leinster for most of my life and played my schools rugby here too. Sorry for rambling off topic - old age.

durkadurka

Clermont have been the best visiting supporters and team to Leinster for the last couple of years. Absolutely brilliant fans. And they can't placekick for shyte, which makes things a tad handier

RMD

I love playing against the French in general. They're always bang on and the majority of teams in the Top 14 are good to great teams who play a game enjoyable to watch.

But ye as a Leinster fan my favorite team would be Clermont, after the last 2 seasons it's almost as if some friendly rivalry is building up, I love playing them and I love beating them. Great team with great supporters from experience, talked to a group of their supporters for about 40 minutes after the quarter final last year and they were real sound.

Obviously there's the rivalry with Munster which leads to great games but their fans just aren't the same fun as the French are but that's purely down to the rivalry and they'd be able to say the same in terms of Leinster fans.

funky penguin

As a Leinster fan (apart from the obvious Munster rivalry), I have to say Clermont as well.

That quarter final last year really set it in motion, such a party atmosphere. From the moment they set foot in Dublin, their fans were completely up for the craic. I went to the aviva game with a few exchange students I know from college (from the massive central), and they supported Clermont to the end, insisting a come-back was on the cards when Clermont got their try. To the pub after, and lots of friendly banter. They're coming to the Leicster QF and wearing blue.

Actually, maybe it's the similar colour schemes..... :pac:

thomond2006

Love and hate playing against Leinster....:o

freyners

for ireland i love going to the scotland away match..have a good few scottish mates, great times....sickened i cant go this year:mad:


as a connacht fan its got to be any of the inter-pros, swifts try last year home to leinster will always stick with me

razorblunt

freyners wrote: »

for ireland i love going to the scotland away match..have a good few scottish mates, great times....sickened i cant go this year:mad:


as a connacht fan its got to be any of the inter-pros, swifts try last year home to leinster will always stick with me

Got my tickets on Friday!!!

Haven't had the chance to go to Munster-Leinster games it's on my list.
Love any 6 Nations game home and away the banter is great.

durkadurka

freyners wrote: »

for ireland i love going to the scotland away match..have a good few scottish mates, great times....sickened i cant go this year:mad:


as a connacht fan its got to be any of the inter-pros, swifts try last year home to leinster will always stick with me

Im Going to Scotland game. My first ever away match! Sorry dont mean to gloat but I can't wait. Goin to try to make it down to thomond this April too to see if we can make it 6.

siltirocker

I love/hate playing 'Wegians or to a lesser extend Monivea & Sligo.

For Ireland i love the French game, always my favourite. The Welsh game can be entertaining too.

freyners

razorblunt wrote: »

Got my tickets on Friday!!!

Haven't had the chance to go to Munster-Leinster games it's on my list.
Love any 6 Nations game home and away the banter is great.

durkadurka wrote: »

Im Going to Scotland game. My first ever away match! Sorry dont mean to gloat but I can't wait. Goin to try to make it down to thomond this April too to see if we can make it 6.

thanks for the comforting lads:p

I will also be at the Scottish game, nice little 15 minute walk from my door to the stadium!

Love 6N time!

trackguy

I have to say Ireland beating England always does it for me.

TheVoodoo

In a funny way, Twickenham and Stade de France sum it up for me.

Both my favorite places to win a game and favorite places to be during a win.

On the flip side. I can't get out of there quick enough after the final whistle of a defeat.


Clermont fans are always great fun, home or away. So i'd say i always enjoy those close games the most.

I don't like going to Leicester games. Never have, but probably always will if Leinster/Munster are playing them. Fans have never been overly welcoming though. < ( Yes, generalization, but from experience.. )

JustinDee

I played Country Rugby League in NSW and used to hate playing Casino. It was always a tough match full of crunch hits.
Casino is famous for its cattle ranches. Their players have been shunting livestock around since year dot and year after year, their team is chock-full with giant lunatics in every position.
Was a rotten fixture. Not dirty. Just bloody hard.

Teferi

I like watching Ireland beat England but I love watching them beat Martin Johnson.

Leinster v Munster is always the highlight of my season. One of the greatest spectacles in rugby both on the pitch and from those watching in the stands imo.

irishbucsfan

JustinDee wrote: »

I played Country Rugby League in NSW and used to hate playing Casino. It was always a tough match full of crunch hits.
Casino is famous for its cattle ranches. Their players have been shunting livestock around since year dot and year after year, their team is chock-full with giant lunatics in every position.
Was a rotten fixture. Not dirty. Just bloody hard.

There's just no beating farmer muscle.

whysomoody

Love playing against Terenure, and hate playing Lansdowne!

CatFromHue

Personally i've never liked playing against ucd at u20 level in dublin, as we were usually on a hiding to nothing in those games, or young munster in limerick, they always tended to have big fellas playing for them and route one was their style.

I've never looked forward to playing against a team but old crescent in limerick, as they tended to be a good team and the games were always pretty competitive, and bective in dublin, cos we usually beat them, would be the closet to what the op is getting at.

For leinster a team i never liked playing were leicester, that defeat in the quarter final in2005 was horrid even if we have a fairly even record against them in general. A team i do like playing against would be toulouse cos they're great!

For ireland i dont like playing against italy as the games are usually poor, plus they used to beat us a fair bit before they got in the 6 nations. A team i do like playing against are the all blacks cos they're usually epic games!