So long and thanks for all the fish!!

justsomebloke

Usually we would wait to the new year to start a thread on your highlights of the year however giving the impending apocalypse it's probably an idea to start this off a bit early just in case we don't get past this weeks Rabos fixtures. Given it's the end of the world you might as well give both your highlight of the year and highlight of the time you did have on earth.

irishbucsfan

Well my highlight of the time I had on earth was definitely the time I accidentally brushed up against BOD in a night club and was granted messianic powers for about 15 seconds.

durkadurka

The wonder try vs Cardiff with Johnny's no look pass.

totallegend

Moment of the year:


Irish/provincial player of the year: Rory Best

Irish/provincial try of the year: Craig Gilroy vs Munster (honourable mention for Craig Gilroy vs Argentina and BOD vs Cardiff)

Breakthrough player award: Donnacha Ryan

durkadurka

Dude, that was last year!

keith16

Rugby Highlight of 2012: Connacht beating Biarritz

Rugby lowlight of 2012: I think we all know but all I'm going to say is 0-60

Rugby related highlight of my life: Meeting BOD, absolute gent of a man, a genuine sporting hero.

Absolute Highlight of my life: The birth of my son!

Good times all round! See you all for the Connacht v Munster match thread on the 22nd :eek: of December!

Eponymous

durkadurka wrote: »

Dude, that was last year!

Me prop! It was so good it stuck in my mind!

Deleted...

bilston

Rugby High Point - Being at Thomond Park to see Craig Gilroy's try against Munster in the HEC Q/F

Rugby Low Point - Well I suppose the HEC Final but despite the result it was a great day.

Edit - Just to add as others have mentioned that clearly the real rugby lowlight was the death of Nevin Spence

Eponymous

Try again...

Now I've got last years Toulouse game out of my system, then I guess the highlight of THIS year would have to be Ireland V Argentina. Not that the game itself was particularly memorable, apart from beating Argentina and seeing some fresh meat on the field, but because it was my daughter's first international. We had a great day out and she even got to meet Contepomi before the game as he was doing interviews in the corner where we were sitting.

awec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYZJuHJcfdQ

Gracelessly Tom

Highlight of the year: - The walk to the stadium in Bordeaux for the semi final. The Clermont fans made that an atmosphere never to be forgotten.

Lowlight of the year - The frustration of the injuries that have may have caused Leinster to crash out of the H Cup too early.

As for the apocalypse.... never gonna happen, if I'm wrong the beers are on me.

Fishooks13

Club highlight: Leinster winning back to back HC's

Club low-light: Munster's loss to Ulster in the quarter final, a game I felt we really should have won.

International highlight: Hammering Argentina was pretty sweet, honorable mention to the near miss against NZ.

International low-light: Being hammered by the all blacks

Irish player of the year: Cian Healy

Young Irish player of the year Iain Henderson

World Player of the year: Kieron Reid

pickarooney

Club highlight: My first try for my club :P

Club low-light: Hard to pick one from a Leinster point of view so again my club getting absolutely pasted in the Alps :P

International highlight: Argentina's first draw in the Championship or the return of Michalak

International low-light: Nevin Spence, R.I.P.

Irish player of the year: Cian Healy

World Player of the year: Louis Picamoles (F) or Corey Jane (B)

Try of the year: Gilroy v Munster or Landajo v New Zealand

[Jackass]

Obviously the year was dominated by the loss of Nevin Spence.

High point was the win away in Clermont and defending the Heineken Cup.

Lowlight, agonising defeat in the Pro12 final against Ospreys (a game Leinster should have won, just couldn't get the killer score then got sucker punched at the end) and missing out on the double for the second year in a row.

CatFromHue

Club high-light: Going undefeated in the HEC last season.

Club low-light: The Dickhead sitting a few rows behind me at the Rabo final in the RDS. The more people turned and looked at him, or asked him to keep it down, the louder he got at abusing the ref in the game.

International highlight: Samoa beating Wales

International low-light: The death of Nevin Spence and his family members, RIP.

Larbre34

From a personal perspective:

Highlights -

HEC final, exhibition stuff, that lap of honour feeling in the second half was far more enjoyable than the final against Northampton, although the elation of the comeback in Cardiff is yet unmatched!

First trip to Ravenhill for myself and buddies for Pro12 fixture, a fantastic evening mixed in with the Ulster faithful on the Promenade, a more hospitable and knowledgeable bunch you couldn't meet. A few very enjoyable pints and a bit of good natured slagging with them afterwards, I'm really looking forward to a return trip this Friday night whatever the outcome will be

Leinster's domestic grand slam - getting to all the away interpros and coming away winners, rare enough and already a bust this season!

HEC semi-final v Clermont in Bordeaux, only saw it on TV so it gets less prominence for me, but an extraordinary and historical game, right up there with Toulouse '06 '11

Mr Brad Thorn and all his professionalism, skill, experience, enthusiasm and galvanising influence

Lowlights -

The Pro12 final. Barely off the plane from London and the most frustrating and anti-climactic moment I've ever experienced at a game. The old nemesis crashing the party with a smash and grab. A scorching afternoon that felt polar cold. Could be a generation before the double is teed up like that again. I can still feel the fury over that one, I literally didnt feel that bad after Munster in HEC semi 2006, although in retrospect it was brilliantly executed by Ospreys

Ireland v Wales, Lansdowne Road. Another hugely frustrating day in a roller coaster 18 months for the boys in green, very disheartening to see the gameplan hitting continual dead ends.

Leinster v Clermont HEC Round 4. Not disheartening, just disappointing, a battered and weary team clinically done over by a crew on their way to the top, every chance they will beat Toulon in both finals, however an Clermont v Ulster final would be fantastic.

wp_rathead

Highs:

• Ireland doing well at JWC in South Africa
• Zebre away trip in HEC- was amazing craic
• The Leinster v Ulster HEC final
• Imergence of new exciting young players coming through the provinces (Henshaw, Marimon, JJ, Henderson etc.)
• Samoa becoming 2nd seeds for RWC 2015
• Connachts TBP victory over Leinster
• McCarthy getting MOTM against SA- very proud for all Connacht fans

Lows:

• Spence farm tragedy
• Declan Kidney
• Media's cosy relationship with IRFU
• The threat of French and English clubs pulling out of HEC

.ak

+1 on the walk to the stadium in Bordeaux.

its_phil

Rugby High Point - Try BP win vs Leinster. 5-0 is something that will stay with me for a while. After years of abuse from Leinster mates, the tables turned!

Rugby Low Point - After nearly beating them 60-0 vs the All Blacks. Or watching my alma mater play 16 mins (and men) of injury time and conceding a penalty for replay against St Michaels. Still not over it.

wp_rathead

Oh another rugby High:
Argentina finally getting to compete in an annual top tier tournament!