Rabo Direct Pro12: Who will win? **MOD Warning post 25**

Brendan97

Now that the rabo direct league is kicking off on the 2nd sept i'd like to know who you think will win

jacothelad

Brendan97 wrote: »

Now that the rabo direct league is kicking off on the 2nd sept i'd like to know who you think will win

The 'normal' season or the play-offs?

Hagz

jacothelad wrote: »

The 'normal' season or the play-offs?

The whole thing obviously. I think Leinster will, 3rd time lucky.

GerM

It depends. Leinster and Munster have the strongest squads again but if they use the international periods for blooding their youngsters they'll jeopardise their chances of securing a home semi-final. If they put out the strongest teams available to them then they'll fight it out for the top spot and you would have to fancy whichever one of them finishes higher in the league with Ulster also providing strong opposition.

The Welsh sides have generally released significant numbers of players so I don't see them as being a force in the way they have been previously.

Brendan97

I think Leinster will win but i hope that Ulster do

Gracelessly Tom

As a Leinster fan I'd obviously like to see us win it. If not, Connaught lifting the trophy would be class.

Cardiff have only a handful of players at the RWC so they could start well and it might be enough for them to get a home semi.

CatFromHue

I dunno GerM if you look at all the younger players that got a chance for both Leinster and Munster last year and look where they both finished. It's hard to argue that the same won't happen again this season considering those young players are now a season more experienced and developed.

The welsh teams in my opinion have taken too much on in that they have the Pro 12, Heineken/Amlin Cup and the LV cup too. Lanelli for example have 32 regular season games this season compared to 28 for Leinster. 4 games mighten seem like much but if you take it you need a week between games they've squeezed an extra month in to their calendar. Leinster played 33 games last season where they made the final of both the Magners and Heineken and our resources where stretched even though they were managed excellently! The welsh teams have potential but are holding themselves back.

Brendan97

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Cardiff have only a handful of players at the RWC so they could start well and it might be enough for them to get a home semi.

but then again welsh teams have a disadvantage because they have a test match against australia in december so welsh teams no matter how little number of players in the national team (unless there are none) will be at a disadvantage (because there is no international break)

Gracelessly Tom

Brendan97 wrote: »

but then again welsh teams have a disadvantage because they have a test match against australia in december so welsh teams no matter how little number of players in the national team (unless there are none) will be at a disadvantage (because there is no international break)

Just saw that fixture announced myself. However, on the plus side (sort of!) for the Blues, the game they have that weekend is Leinster away, not one they would really be targeting for a win anyway imo. After that there is a break in the schedule.

durkadurka

I think Leinster have the depth, plus 4 home games in the first six means we should hopefully get a decent start while the internationals are away.

Dragons and scarlets to do well. Ulster too.

CatFromHue

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

After that there is a break in the schedule.

There isn't. Cardiff play Edinburgh the following week in the first of back to back games in the Heineken cup.

Maybe this is the reason why Welsh players are leaving.

Gracelessly Tom

CatFromHue wrote: »

There isn't. Cardiff play Edinburgh the following week in the first of back to back games in the Heineken cup.

Maybe this is the reason why Welsh players are leaving.

I meant a break in the Pro12 schedule.

LEIN

I'm going for another Leinster V Munster final with Leinster taking the spoils.

Podge_irl

Hard to see part Leinster and Munster. Leinster appear to have the best squad in the league, even with their internationals gone they can field a fairly impressive team. If Leinster and Munster aren't in the top 4 I'd be surprised.

jacothelad

durkadurka wrote: »

I think Leinster have the depth, plus 4 home games in the first six means we should hopefully get a decent start while the internationals are away.

Dragons and scarlets to do well. Ulster too.

I don't think Ulster will do well with 9 first teamers at the RWC.

GerM

CatFromHue wrote: »

I dunno GerM if you look at all the younger players that got a chance for both Leinster and Munster last year and look where they both finished. It's hard to argue that the same won't happen again this season considering those young players are now a season more experienced and developed.

Fair points. In relation to last season, I think the match day squads Leinster put out for the first games and games around the autumn internationals cost them top spot. They lost some games narrowly and had relatively weak benches and several youngsters on in the starting side that were unable to close out the games. Leinster lost 4 and drew 1 in those periods but it gave a lot of young lads a run that were blooded and well able to handle themselves when called upon later in the season. They finished second but that was all still up in the air until the last couple of games when they still could have finished outside the top 4 entirely.

Compare that with Munster's start which was flawless after their side was filled with experienced heads and international players and they had the league sewn up with weeks to spare.

phog

I'm going for Munster and the sceintifiic bases for that prediction is my rose tinted glasses.

CatFromHue

GerM wrote: »

Compare that with Munster's start which was flawless after their side was filled with experienced heads and international players and they had the league sewn up with weeks to spare.

I agree with what you say about Leinsters early lack of depth but the Ruddocks, Ryans, O Malleys, and Madigans have a huge amount of experience compared to this time last year. The squad has also been made stronger by Hagan, Berquist, and Carr. Then there is Sykes as well.

What I think won it for Munster was their form from March on when they went to Lanelli, Cardiff, and The Ospreys and won. Plus they beat Leinster too.

Brendan97

I wonder will Fitzgerald flourish by not going to the rwc and become better like bowe or heaslip.
i think if any coach can make him better its Schmidt (who i think is the best coach for backline play)

siltirocker

I genuinely feel if the 4 boys didn't leave and Connacht had the additions they added (I understand some of those were signed as replacements)they'd have a shot at the play offs as the team only got better as they gelled together over the years.

Brett Wilkinson
Sean Cronin
Jamie Hagan

Michael Swift
Mike McCarthy

John Muldoon
Johnny O'Connor
George Nauopu

Frank Murphy / Paul O'Donoghue
Ian Keatley

Fionn Carr
Eoin Griffen / Keith Matthews
Henry Fa'aifili
Fetu'u Vainikolo / Tiernan O'Halloran
Gavin Duffy


Adrian Flavin / Ethienne Reynecke
Rodney Ah You / Stewart Maguire
Andrew Browne
Ray Ofisa
Dave Moore
James Loxton / Niall O'Connor
Matthew Jarvis/ Mark McCrea

Ah, one can dream. . .

PTH2009

It will soon be the annual rabo direct Grand final between Munster and Leinster lol.

Rabo Direct Grand Final 2011/12- Leinster vs Munster- Aviva Stadium Dublin. pencil it down in your diarys.

For interestsake i hope the league doesent turn into something like the Scottish Football Premier League where 2 teams dominate it year in year out

The only teams other than Leinster and Munster i can see making an impact is Ospreys (well there falling down in the pecking order) , Ulster and Scarlets. the rest are meh

thomond2006

The Ospreys are a real unknown quality. They've lost their galacticos which could either help them to become a tighter squad or just mean they lose a lot in quality.

Scarlets are a young team that will only get better. They will be light at 10 during RWC though with both Priestland and Jones gone. I fancy them to be the top Welsh side.

The Scottish sides are pure rubbish and also broke. I fancy the Italian sides to finish above the Scots.

Leinster
Munster
Ulster
Scarlets

---

Ospreys
Treviso
Cardiff
Connacht
Dragons
Aironi
Edinburgh
Glasgow

in that order.

jacothelad

thomond2006 wrote: »

The Ospreys are a real unknown quality. They've lost their galacticos which could either help them to become a tighter squad or just mean they lose a lot in quality.

Scarlets are a young team that will only get better. They will be light at 10 during RWC though with both Priestland and Jones gone. I fancy them to be the top Welsh side.

The Scottish sides are pure rubbish and also broke. I fancy the Italian sides to finish above the Scots.

Leinster
Munster
Ulster
Scarlets

---

Ospreys
Treviso
Cardiff
Connacht
Dragons
Aironi
Edinburgh
Glasgow

in that order.

That would be a shocker for Scottish rugby. It seems to have been totally mishandled by the SRU over the years.

Brendan97

I think ospreys have a fair chance of winning

justsomebloke

OK Most of the ****e has been removed. I think the topic should be discussed however with all previous posts I would of had to lock it.

THIS IS A WARNING TO EVERYONE. THIS ISN'T A LEINSTER MUNSTER PISSING CONTEST

bans will be handed out to anyone who starts the same crap again

Podge_irl

jacothelad wrote: »

That would be a shocker for Scottish rugby. It seems to have been totally mishandled by the SRU over the years.

Edinburgh came third in the league not that long ago. I thought they were making moves in the right direction but everything seems to have fallen apart around them. It's a shame, but it really won't be long before the Italians overtake them.

decisions

Can't look past an Irish team,

I think another Leinster V Munster Final is on the cards with Leinster taking it in the end.

justsomebloke

A Leinster - Munster Final with Leinster having home advantage but asking to use a neutral venue to see if that make a difference:D

profitius

Leinster Munster final with Leinster winning it.

I'd like to see Munster take a chance and bring more players through this season.

It should be a good season and hopefully the Italians, Connacht and the Scottish will be more competitive.

CatFromHue

I wouldn't be so sure of the Welsh coming ahead of the Scots or Italians. All the welsh teams had more players going out than in for this season. This reduction in squad size I think will really effect them as the Welsh teams play more games than all the other Pro 12 teams due to the LV Cup. They've 32 regular season games to play in approx 34 weeks (first week Sep to first week of May inclusive) compare that to Leinster's 33 games last season in approx 37 weeks. Then you have the Wales v Australia game in December just when the Welsh teams would expect to be getting into it.

The two Scottish teams had been creeping up the table gradually for the last few years but bombed last season. Edinburgh got rid of their coach mid way through last season which can't have helped. Andy Robinson showed what can be done with Edinburgh through good coaching so a Mr. Michael Bradley, who is a better coach than Moffat who he is replacing, could get some good results up there. They will struggle a bit without their internationals but have some good potential teams with them.

Treviso look to have pretty much the same squad as last season and Aironi have brought in a few good players while releasing a few of their poorer ones.

Leinster, Munster, and Ulster have gotten stronger and so would be aiming for an Irish 1, 2, and 3.

Piliger

Teams with high numbers of WC players gone will suffer a lot this year and we'll see who has the best overall panel. I fear that this will effect the Munster and Leinster teams more than many of the others so the Magners may go to Wales imho.

profitius

Piliger wrote: »

Teams with high numbers of WC players gone will suffer a lot this year and we'll see who has the best overall panel. I fear that this will effect the Munster and Leinster teams more than many of the others so the Magners may go to Wales imho.

The Welsh have alot going to the WC too and they've smaller squads.

Ospreys look the team most likely in Wales to cope. The Scots and Italians will be hit hardest. Its an opportunity for Connacht and Dragons to get a few wins.

CatFromHue

The Dragons will be missing Lydiate, Felatau, Brew, Charteris, and Burns. They could be effected the most!

jacothelad

Missing from : - with likely replacements
Munster: -

ROG.......... Keatley
Fla.............Sherry
POC...........MOD
DOC..........Nagle
Leamy.......Coughlin
Ryan.....????
Murray.......TOL, Stringer
Wally.........Ronan
Earls..........Zebo
9 in total.



Leinster: -
Kearney . ..Nacewa
Healy......H.v.d.M
Cronin.....Strauss
Ross........Hagan / McGrath / Shawe????
Cullen......Toner, Sykes
SOB........McLaughlin / Ryan
Heaslip....Ruddock
Reddan.....Cooney
Boss.?????
Darcy......Macken?
BOD...... O'Malley
McFadden.....Conway
12 in total.

Ulster: -
Court.......McAllister / Black
Best.........Kyriacou / Brady
Afoa.........Dec. Fitz / Gerry Cronin
Muller.......Stevenson / Barker / McComb
Ferris........Henry / Wannenburg
Danielli.....The Tea lady
Mincer......Spence / Marshall / Allen
Trimble.....Gilroy / Cochrane / Gaston
Pienaar.....Action Man Toy / Porter

9 in total.

While Munster and Leinster have decent, experienced, back-up players, Ulster's replacements don't all exactly fill me with confidence. It could be a salutary lesson for some of the young or inexperienced Ulster guys, particularly if the team has to delve any deeper.

Who's "The Tea Lady"? And "Action Man Toy"? These are nicknames that should become more used imo.

Leinster have signed Cian Willis on short term to cover Boss btw, and Sheridan (Sheriff?) is probably ahead of Macken at centre.

Paddy Butler / David O'Callaghan would be Munster's cover for D.Ryan.

Brendan97

Deleted User wrote: »

Leinster have signed Cian Willis on short term to cover Boss btw

is it not cillian willis who used to play for connaght and ulster?
if so he is cousins with BOD

jacothelad

Deleted User wrote: »

Who's "The Tea Lady"? And "Action Man Toy"? These are nicknames that should become more used imo.

Leinster have signed Cian Willis on short term to cover Boss btw, and Sheridan (Sheriff?) is probably ahead of Macken at centre.

Paddy Butler / David O'Callaghan would be Munster's cover for D.Ryan.

The point is (tongue in cheek) that the tea lady would probably be as effective as Danielli is now. He has got a bit slow.

Paul Marshall, while fearless etc, resembles an action man toy rather than a scrum half. It is actually a standing joke among his fellow players that his pass is woefully inaccurate.

WeeBushy

Jacothelad, just for posterity you left out Sexton
Berquist/Madigan would be the replacement. Berquist can play 12, so could also be a replacement for D'Arcy as well.

jacothelad

WeeBushy wrote: »

Jacothelad, just for posterity you left out Sexton
Berquist/Madigan would be the replacement. Berquist can play 12, so could also be a replacement for D'Arcy as well.

Jeez. Ooooooops. Not enough tea drunk today.

Brendan97

it looks like its goning to an irish team anyway

Brendan97

it looks like an irish team will win in boards opinion but then again its biased because nearly everyone on boards is from ireland

CatFromHue

Brendan97 wrote: »

it looks like an irish team will win in boards opinion but then again its biased because nearly everyone on boards is from ireland

Also because an Irish team has won 3 of the last 4 and 4 of the last 6 tournaments!