Transfers for next season (including transfer rumours!)

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Sad thing is I prefer watching the rabo to the T14 and premiership

Hagz

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience wrote: »

Sad thing is I prefer watching the rabo to the T14 and premiership

Personally I'd rather watch two premiership sides like London Irish and Harlequins against each other in the premiership rather than Ospreys v Glasgow.

I don't watch any NH club rugby unless there's Irish sides involved or unless it's the Heineken Cup. In contrast, I enjoy watching Super rugby from time to time.

Tox56

Hagz wrote: »

Personally I'd rather watch two premiership sides like London Irish and Harlequins against each other in the premiership rather than Ospreys v Glasgow.

I don't watch any NH club rugby unless there's Irish sides involved or unless it's the Heineken Cup. In contrast, I enjoy watching Super rugby from time to time.

In contrast? Maybe I'm taking you up wrong but if you're comparing Super Rugby to the NH leagues I don't think it's really fair. I'd say Super Rugby has more in common with the Heineken Cup than with Rabo/AP/Top 14.

Hagz

Yeh true enough. Although I don't think I'd watch Heineken Cup rugby if there weren't Irish sides involved. Not for the reason that the standard would obviously dip without the Irish clubs. But this isn't relevant to the thread topic.

matthew8

Aviva Premiership can be a bit similar to the Rabo to be honest. Sarries and Northampton dominate and any game between teams towards the bottom of the table is pretty poor. Usually you get a relegation battle too but this year it's a joke. Worcester losing every single game (they seem a bit unlucky but they fade in the final 20 so often) means any game for London Irish, Newcastle or Gloucester feels sort of empty as whatever they do they won't make top level European rugby or get relegated.

Top 14 by contrast is great I think. It gets a bad reputation when people see Racing, Castres and Oyonnax seemingly walk around the pitch but whenever the pitch is decent you generally see a good game. Obviously Toulon/Clermont are nice to watch but you'd be surprised at teams like Bordeaux (very pleasant to watch) and even Brive despite not being expansive at all always put up a good show when given the prime time game. And every game is a big game this year. You can see how much even denying a bonus point to the other team means to the players and fans. You nearly always get 80 minutes of teams feeling they have something to play for and really going at it.

pickarooney

matthew8 wrote: »

You nearly always get 80 minutes of teams feeling they have something to play for and really going at it.

I can't help feeling an away win would be more than a once in a blue moon occurence if that were really the case.

former legend

Alexis Palission is in 'advanced' negotiations with Toulouse. He's got very little game time with Toulon but Toulouse aren't short of back-three players either...

connachta

pickarooney wrote: »

The Rabo should take the 6th SA franchise and an Argentina club side. There'd be some great away days.

1000% agree

With Edimburgh, Connacht , Cardiff, Scarlets, Treviso and Zebre in big trouble this and next year, that's now half of the pro 12 separated from the other half by a deeper and deeper gap

On the long term prospect, Pro 12 will burst for a simple economic reason : Ireland, Wales and Scotland markets put together are barely 15 Millions, with Italy still to build a real Rugby tradition next to football

To save our talents and history in the highest level, Unions HAVE TO begin thoughts/tractations to mix the teams with bigger-market rivals

two hypothesis

n°1 Association with French or English rugby : two pools of 12 each, 6 Celts/ita / 6 Eng/FR each, final stages (play off, and down possibly)

n°2 Association with the rest of the world primary South Africa (no jet lag which is not that bad despite of the distance) : two pools of 10 each with 6 Celts/Ita / 3 S-A /1 invited (Italian Roumanian or Russian champion(s), Argentina Province, resuscitated Sottish Borders or Welsh Valley Ravens... the idea is rotation of the two invited teams to remain attractive)

CatFromHue

I wouldn't be as full of doom and gloom myself.

Edinburgh seem to be recruiting well (I think) and are also getting their act together on the pitch this season too, granted they are losing Laidlaw. I know Lanelli are losing Johnathon Davies but I didn't think anyone else was leaving and I thought they'd signed Regan King for next season as a replacement. There's the potential that they'll actually be stronger next season so.

Connacht will be better next season I think. The young/inexperienced players from this season (Henshaw, Marmion and Ronaldson for example) will be better next season

Cardiff and Treviso I dunno really and Zebre are steadily improving (though I'm not sure if this is to do with other teams getting worse but 3 wins and a draw already this season is a big improvement on last season).

thomond2006

former legend wrote: »

Alexis Palission is in 'advanced' negotiations with Toulouse. He's got very little game time with Toulon but Toulouse aren't short of back-three players either...

Palisson got an injury in November and his gametime was pretty sparse before that despite Habana getting injured as well. Toulon's Fijian winger from the academy Josua Tuisova has also been getting matches ahead of Palisson while Drew Mitchell was finding his feet as soon as Palisson got hurt. Toulon have huge depth in the back three so there was always going to be a few departures this summer.

It looks like Hosea Gear is activating a release clause to go home to challenge for a RWC spot so Palisson would be a straight swap for him at Toulouse.

thomond2006

Freddy staying at Toulon for another year: http://www.rctoulon.com/en/news/article/frederic-michalak-prolonge/

ssaye2

Voosloo to Toulon too

thomond2006

ssaye2 wrote: »

Voosloo to Toulon too

He's been great for Clermont but they needed to reduce the age profile of their squad.

.ak

thomond2006 wrote: »

He's been great for Clermont but they needed to reduce the age profile of their squad.

... And Toulon needed to increase theirs.

thomond2006

.ak wrote: »

... And Toulon needed to increase theirs.

Well from an experience standpoint they are losing Van Niekerk and Danie Rossouw while Juan Smith has yet to commit to a contract extension. Masoe will miss at least the start of next season if he makes it back at all.

justsomebloke

Flood confirmed to toulose http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/

former legend

Alberto de Marchi confirmed by Sale Sharks.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/26644425

Could be a great signing.

blackdog1

former legend wrote: »

Alberto de Marchi confirmed by Sale Sharks.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/26644425

Could be a great signing.

As I tighthead so you'd wonder why when he's playing so well as a loosehead

thomond2006

Ospreys' Tom Isaacs leaving for Gloucester.

Kirk Van Houten

Ryan Jones to Bristol.

neilmulvey

Gio Aplon to grenoble

Lot of welsh lads going to AP this year. Not great for the Pro12.

ssaye2

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_9232747,00.html

Thought he would be centre but no

Burgess to backrow next season

neilmulvey

adam jones has announced his retirement with immediate effect.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

The dragons 2nd row adam jones, not the ospreys prop

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny

Johan Goosen to Racing.......replacement for Sexton (Rumoured)

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3824_9234482,00.html

former legend

Not Playing Tiddlywinks Vinny wrote: »

Johan Goosen to Racing.......replacement for Sexton (Rumoured)

I think that's been categorically shot down. Racing are losing Wiesnewski next season so a new fly-half is not a surprise.

conf101

former legend wrote: »

I think that's been categorically shot down. Racing are losing Wiesnewski next season so a new fly-half is not a surprise.

Yeah Sexton was interviewed on Game On on 2fm just after the France match and said he's definitely finishing out his contract with Racing.

thomond2006

With Sexton away with Ireland they need another quality outhalf.

errlloyd

How are his WC chances, he'd be mad to leave the year before if he has any hope of playing for SA.

justsomebloke

How good is he (I haven't seen him play)? But given he is only 21 surely is wouldn't be seen as he finished article yet so surely he would only be being looked at as an 'understudy' to a first choice OH i.e. wouldn't be replacing Sexton

matthew8

He's injured pretty much all the time so no one knows how good he is. Many were hoping he would replace Steyn for SA.