Pro14 Season 2019-2020

crisco10

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It's been discussed already. There seems to be exemptions for elite sports. The Irish football team play in Bulgaria on Thursday then return to play Finland in Dublin on Sunday.

And as it is there are cross border games this season. If Edinburgh beat Ulster then they'll more than likely be travelling to Dublin for the final. Saracens are due in Dublin in 3 weeks for the CC quarter final. Neither team will be self isolating for 14 days.

Probably acceptable because they are getting tested so frequently and not only when they become symptomatic.

degsie

Great win for Ulster!

connachta

Leinster will win in the end no matter who..

TheAnalyst_

connachta wrote: »

Leinster will win in the end no matter who..

Don't agree. 6 months ago I reckon they were unbeatable but things shift a little and they don't have that edge. I think Edinburgh could have caused them some issues but Uster not so much.

Eod100

Would it be sometime next week fixtures for next season might be out if they're starting on 3rd October?

Clegg

The Pro 14 team of the season has been released. Glad to see Deegan and Connors there. Both had proper breakthrough seasons.

Caelan Doris also won Young Player of the year.

15. Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh)
14. Monty Ioane (Benetton)
13. Rey Lee-Lo (Cardiff Blues)
12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh)
10. Jaco van der Walt (Edinburgh)
9. John Cooney (Ulster)
1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh)
2. Joseph Dweba (Cheetahs)
3. Leon Brown (Dragons)
4. Scott Fardy (Leinster)
5. Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh)
6. Max Deegan (Leinster)
7. Will Connors (Leinster)
8. Bill Mata (Edinburgh)

The Lost Sheep

Richard Cockerill Coach of Year
Duhan van der Merwe Players player of the Year

crisco10

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Richard Cockerill Coach of Year
Duhan van der Merwe Players player of the Year

Harsh on Leo! If Leinster suffered on the team of the year because of heavy rotation, surely Leo should be rewarded for managing all those moving pieces!

Appreciate it can't be a Leinster fest though.

thomond2006

Leocaster is a bit like Bill Belichick. He's the Coach of the Year 90 percent of the time but you can't give him the award every year!

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

Leocaster is a bit like Bill Belichick. He's the Coach of the Year 90 percent of the time but you can't give him the award every year!

Cullen will never rest until he gets the recognition he craves. This is what drives Leinster. His single coach of the year trophy is lonely. Leinster not winning Player of the Year once in the past decade feeds the ambition of this squad.

Medals come and go, Pro14 end of season gestures last forever.

sydthebeat

A question for those worried about the competitiveness of the league and its meritocracy because of this.

Would you be happy with the four springbok super rugby team joining if it meant the addition of at least two possible title contenders?? And the other two capable of taking points off top teams.

The flip side of course meaning that it's would make it much harder for the ulster / munster / Edinburgh type teams to get the silverware??
(and before anyone gets the hump, I just chose them as the other semi finalists)

Neil3030

sydthebeat wrote: »

A question for those worried about the competitiveness of the league and its meritocracy because of this.

Would you be happy with the four springbok super rugby team joining if it meant the addition of at least two possible title contenders?? And the other two capable of taking points off top teams.

The flip side of course meaning that it's would make it much harder for the ulster / munster / Edinburgh type teams to get the silverware??
(and before anyone gets the hump, I just chose them as the other semi finalists)

Did you forget to include the paragraph where you list the negatives to this idea? :pac:

awec

sydthebeat wrote: »

A question for those worried about the competitiveness of the league and its meritocracy because of this.

Would you be happy with the four springbok super rugby team joining if it meant the addition of at least two possible title contenders?? And the other two capable of taking points off top teams.

The flip side of course meaning that it's would make it much harder for the ulster / munster / Edinburgh type teams to get the silverware??
(and before anyone gets the hump, I just chose them as the other semi finalists)

Yes, I’d be happy.

thomond2006

sydthebeat wrote: »

A question for those worried about the competitiveness of the league and its meritocracy because of this.

Would you be happy with the four springbok super rugby team joining if it meant the addition of at least two possible title contenders?? And the other two capable of taking points off top teams.

The flip side of course meaning that it's would make it much harder for the ulster / munster / Edinburgh type teams to get the silverware??
(and before anyone gets the hump, I just chose them as the other semi finalists)

There's no negatives if we have more contenders in the league.

CatFromHue

Yeah, bringing in new teams isn't the problem. It's bringing in bad new teams that's the problem.

The Kings averaged 0.73 league points per game, out of their 55 games they got 40 points, even Aironi managed more than that. Aironi got 0.77 league points per game.

Zebre would be and around 1 league point per game.

shootermacg

Personally I'm more in favor of a two tier system. The conference format dilutes things for me.

The Lost Sheep

shootermacg wrote: »

Personally I'm more in favor of a two tier system. The conference format dilutes things for me.

Two tier doesnt help anyone really. You will reduce derbies which are only games that get bigger crowds for a lot of teams. Why is that a good thing.
Conferences is far better than tiered set up.

connachta

Get rid of Zebre (if contract with Italian federation permit it..) and merge Ospreys/other Welsh ASAP and have a a real Pro14 (including 4 Saffers) with all home and away games...

bilston

sydthebeat wrote: »

A question for those worried about the competitiveness of the league and its meritocracy because of this.

Would you be happy with the four springbok super rugby team joining if it meant the addition of at least two possible title contenders?? And the other two capable of taking points off top teams.

The flip side of course meaning that it's would make it much harder for the ulster / munster / Edinburgh type teams to get the silverware??
(and before anyone gets the hump, I just chose them as the other semi finalists)

Is that not like asking a team in the second tier of whatever competition or sport they are playing whether they are sure they want to be promoted as the top tier will be harder.

We should all welcome more competitive sides in the Pro 'X'

bilston

connachta wrote: »

Get rid of Zebre (if contract with Italian federation permit it..) and merge Ospreys/other Welsh ASAP and have a a real Pro14 (including 4 Saffers) with all home and away games...

As a Connacht fan I'd be careful what you wish for!

Burkie1203

connachta wrote: »

Get rid of Zebre (if contract with Italian federation permit it..) and merge Ospreys/other Welsh ASAP and have a a real Pro14 (including 4 Saffers) with all home and away games...

26 games

When do you propose the additional 5 games get played?

The Lost Sheep

connachta wrote: »

Get rid of Zebre (if contract with Italian federation permit it..) and merge Ospreys/other Welsh ASAP and have a a real Pro14 (including 4 Saffers) with all home and away games...

No. We cant and should never do what french are doing with 26 games. I assume you want playoffs as well?
What about european cup?

thomond2006

Ah lads.

StackSteevens

connachta wrote: »

Get rid of Zebre (if contract with Italian federation permit it..) and merge Ospreys/other Welsh ASAP and have a a real Pro14 (including 4 Saffers) with all home and away games...

I'd hate to see the Zebs being kicked out! One of Leinster's closest (and thus more enjoyable) games last season was our epic 3 - 0 win in Parma back in October! For me they're an improving side who managed to win away in both Treviso and the Dragons (who they did the double over) last season. They also deprived Ulster of the 4 try bonus point in Ravinghill!

Burkie1203

https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1307304184891551748

thomond2006

Burkie1203 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1307304184891551748

pretends to be shocked.gif

sydthebeat

You mean to tell me that one man and his dog in the stands is not enough to keep a pro rugby team going?? I'm aghast.

Eod100

Writing was on the wall unfortunately. Looks like Pro14 will be back to Pro12 for another while then

Eod100

Looks like fixtures are due out tomorrow: https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1308350351364550657?s=19

OldRio

First Weekend.

https://twitter.com/simonrug/status/1308505359980605441?s=20