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Guinness Pro12 Season 2020-2021

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    #272
    connemara man
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional West Moderators Posts: 6,773 Mod ✭✭✭✭connemara man


    Digifriendly wrote: »
    Thanks for expanation. I'm still however missing watching Friday night fixtures. Last Friday was a complete blank as there is no channel on these islands covering TOP 14. At least English Premiership starts up soon.

    there was meant to be friday night rugby but was cancelled due to Covid 19


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    #273
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,019 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    connemara man wrote: »
    there was meant to be friday night rugby but was cancelled due to Covid 19

    Was that not Saturday - Dragons vs Connacht and Benetton vs Munster?


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    #274
    connemara man
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional West Moderators Posts: 6,773 Mod ✭✭✭✭connemara man


    Digifriendly wrote: »
    Was that not Saturday - Dragons vs Connacht and Benetton vs Munster?

    You're right I thought Munster was on Friday for some reason


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    #275
    thomond2006
    Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    Conference A is over after six games. Awful.


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    #276
    bilston
    Registered Users Posts: 17,753 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    thomond2006 wrote: »
    Conference A is over after six games. Awful.

    Still a fight for 1st place. 19 point gap between 2nd and 3rd after 6 games though...


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    #277
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,182 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    bilston wrote: »
    Still a fight for 1st place. 19 point gap between 2nd and 3rd after 6 games though...

    It's the points difference that really highlights the gap though. 148 between Ulster in 2nd and the Ospreys in 3rd. Brutal stuff. It's indefensible when trying to make a case for the quality of the league.


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    #278
    bilston
    Registered Users Posts: 17,753 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    Buer wrote: »
    It's the points difference that really highlights the gap though. 148 between Ulster in 2nd and the Ospreys in 3rd. Brutal stuff. It's indefensible when trying to make a case for the quality of the league.

    Whats the plan after Christmas? How are the South African sides going to be integrated.

    If the South African sides are coming in the New Year I'd try and end this campaign as quickly as possible. Even go straight to the play offs in January and start afresh in February with some sort of short term comp to get us to May/June and then start again properly in Sept 2021 when hopefully things are more normal.


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    #279
    Eod100
    Registered Users Posts: 11,651 ✭✭✭✭Eod100


    thomond2006 wrote: »
    Conference A is over after six games. Awful.

    It's a joke alright.


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    #280
    Cookiemunster
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,838 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cookiemunster


    Lads, it's not just conference A. Munster are 8 points clear of second with game in hand against Benetton, so 12/13 points realistically. It Leinster, Munster, Ulster and the rest are miles back.
    And if we're honest, it's Leinster with the other two a bit behind them and the rest way further back.


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    #281
    Boscoirl
    Registered Users Posts: 2,232 ✭✭✭Boscoirl


    The games are becoming unwatchable, I haven't watched the second half of a leinster game yet this season


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    #282
    Richie_Rich89
    Registered Users Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭Richie_Rich89


    Stuart Lancaster said when he arrived that he wanted to turn Leinster back into one of the best teams in Europe. And you'd have to say he's succeeded. They're definitely in the top 3 or 4 teams at the moment. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Leinster put up 50 points plus against Northampton and Montpellier - in the home fixtures anyway. So Leinster dominating isn't just confined to being a league "problem".


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    #283
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,019 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    These 50 point drubbings may be entertaining to watch but really do nothing to promote the Pro 14 as a competitive league.


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    #284
    Tomtom364
    Registered Users Posts: 1,800 ✭✭✭Tomtom364


    Digifriendly wrote: »
    These 50 point drubbings may be entertaining to watch but really do nothing to promote the Pro 14 as a competitive league.

    Lets be honest, they aren't really entertaining at all. For a neutral, those games are just boring and uneventful.

    As a neutral who loves to watch every game in the league not just my own team, Id much rather watch Dragons and Zebre dog it out in a 50/50 game then anyone (but lets be honest its mostly Leinster) putting 50 points relatively unanswered on anyone.


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    #285
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,182 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    Digifriendly wrote: »
    These 50 point drubbings may be entertaining to watch but really do nothing to promote the Pro 14 as a competitive league.

    They're not. Even as a Leinster fan. It's essentially just waiting to see when Leinster conjure up a moment of quality play to score a try. The intervening minutes are largely devoid from interest. There's no contest or tension in the game whatsoever and it is significantly worse than last season (which is saying something).

    In other seasons, the second string/fringe selections would be a point of interest but this is the selection for most Leinster games at this point due to the season that's in it. The Pro14 for Leinster (and I'm not saying this arrogantly) is almost serving the purpose that the British & Irish Cup once did.

    The back line that finished the game the other day included HOS, Hawkshaw, Turner, Frawley and JOB. We've probably had more experienced back lines play for the A team.


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    #286
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,400 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    The league has been on the slide for a number of years now. There should be no surprise at the gulf we are seeing this year, all the signs were there.

    I haven't watched an Ulster game since October. Just don't really care, there is little to no entertainment value.


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    #287
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,019 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    Is the general view from posts above that the Pro 14 at present is a pretty poor competition? How do others think it compares with English Premiership and Top 14? I know there is no regular coverage of the latter on any TV channel here but there are highlights of every game via Youtube.


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    #288
    AdamD
    Registered Users Posts: 12,403 ✭✭✭✭AdamD


    English Premiership is pretty awful too and financially both leagues are in serious trouble


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    #289
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,182 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    AdamD wrote: »
    English Premiership is pretty awful too and financially both leagues are in serious trouble

    The Premiership is far better as a spectacle and product. It has a bad rep from recent years of one dimensional dross but some of the teams now play very good rugby and are entertaining. Yes, two teams have completely dominated recent years but they're still capable of losing games.

    Exeter lost 7 of 22 games in the regular season just passed. That would be unthinkable for Leinster. In fact, the last time any of Leinster, Ulster or Munster lost more than 7 games in a regular season was in 2015-16.


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    #290
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,400 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Buer wrote: »
    The Premiership is far better as a spectacle and product. It has a bad rep from recent years of one dimensional dross but some of the teams now play very good rugby and are entertaining. Yes, two teams have completely dominated recent years but they're still capable of losing games.

    Exeter lost 7 of 22 games in the regular season just passed. That would be unthinkable for Leinster. In fact, the last time any of Leinster, Ulster or Munster lost more than 7 games in a regular season was in 2015-16.

    Sure the last time Leinster lost more than 7 games in a season they gave the coach the sack.


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    #291
    Homesick Alien
    Registered Users Posts: 779 ✭✭✭Homesick Alien


    Buer wrote: »
    The Premiership is far better as a spectacle and product. It has a bad rep from recent years of one dimensional dross but some of the teams now play very good rugby and are entertaining. Yes, two teams have completely dominated recent years but they're still capable of losing games.

    Exeter lost 7 of 22 games in the regular season just passed. That would be unthinkable for Leinster. In fact, the last time any of Leinster, Ulster or Munster lost more than 7 games in a regular season was in 2015-16.

    There's also far fewer games played in half empty stadia (in normal times) from what I've seen. Most teams seem to have decent support. Of the non Irish sides only Glasgow and possibly Cardiff have a decent atmosphere in the Pro14. Edinburgh probably will too once their new ground is done and the gates are open.


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    #292
    Akrasia
    Registered Users Posts: 22,242 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    Tomtom364 wrote: »
    Lets be honest, they aren't really entertaining at all. For a neutral, those games are just boring and uneventful.

    As a neutral who loves to watch every game in the league not just my own team, Id much rather watch Dragons and Zebre dog it out in a 50/50 game then anyone (but lets be honest its mostly Leinster) putting 50 points relatively unanswered on anyone.

    Problem is, Leinster are so dominant, that they can literally control the weather and call in heavy fog to render any competing fixtures invisible to a tv audience thereby forcing rugby fans to watch Leinsters humiliation of whatever regional lightweight they see before them


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    #293
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,019 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    Homesick Alien wrote: »
    There's also far fewer games played in half empty stadia (in normal times) from what I've seen. Most teams seem to have decent support. Of the non Irish sides only Glasgow and possibly Cardiff have a decent atmosphere in the Pro14. Edinburgh probably will too once their new ground is done and the gates are open.

    Where are Edinburgh going to be playing?


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    #294
    Cookiemunster
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,838 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cookiemunster


    Digifriendly wrote: »
    Where are Edinburgh going to be playing?

    New ground on the Murrayfield back pitches. Temp stands and a 4G pitch.
    https://www.edinburghrugby.org/the-clubhouse/stadium-update-our-new-home-takes-shape


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    #295
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 25,424 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    Cookiemunster wrote: »
    New ground on the Murrayfield back pitches. Temp stands and a 4G pitch.
    https://www.edinburghrugby.org/the-clubhouse/stadium-update-our-new-home-takes-shape

    20201002_121800.jpg?width=900

    Bloody hell, those stands are awful with all those pillars.


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    #296
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,400 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Podge_irl wrote: »
    20201002_121800.jpg?width=900

    Bloody hell, those stands are awful with all those pillars.

    Looks like it's all temporary stands essentially.


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    #297
    Homesick Alien
    Registered Users Posts: 779 ✭✭✭Homesick Alien


    awec wrote: »
    Looks like it's all temporary stands essentially.

    As temporary as the RDS has been all these years


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    #298
    Cookiemunster
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,838 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cookiemunster


    Homesick Alien wrote: »
    As temporary as the RDS has been all these years
    The RDS has a permanent stand (which is due to be replaced with a new permanent stand) and the opposite stand has a proper cantilevered roof. And it has a capacity 10k larger than this new Edinburgh stadium. The Edinburgh stadium looks to have been whacked together as cheaply as possible. They're not really comparable.


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    #299
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,019 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    Cookiemunster wrote: »
    The RDS has a permanent stand (which is due to be replaced with a new permanent stand) and the opposite stand has a proper cantilevered roof. And it has a capacity 10k larger than this new Edinburgh stadium. The Edinburgh stadium looks to have been whacked together as cheaply as possible. They're not really comparable.

    You've hit the nail on the head. No wonder that it looks not far off completion.


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    #300
    bilston
    Registered Users Posts: 17,753 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    awec wrote: »
    The league has been on the slide for a number of years now. There should be no surprise at the gulf we are seeing this year, all the signs were there.

    I haven't watched an Ulster game since October. Just don't really care, there is little to no entertainment value.

    Not sure if you really mean that! But if true you are missing some very impressive rugby from Ulster


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    #301
    thomond2006
    Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    bilston wrote: »
    Not sure if you really mean that! But if true you are missing some very impressive rugby from Ulster

    You can't ignore the context of the standard of opposition. There's no meat in these games. Just a few years ago I would have watched all the provinces in the Rabo/Pro12/Pro14 on a regular basis. Now I only watch Munster really. Unless I've money on an another game I'm not really pushed to watch.

    Leinster's average margin of victory so far this season is 28 points. That includes TBP wins away to Ospreys and Glasgow who are the closest challengers to Ulster and Leinster. Unless you're a Leinster fan I don't see the reason to watch. It's been a weekly training run.

    Munster committed a robbery in Llanelli in the opening weekend, since then they've coasted it for the most part. It's been great to see the development of Casey, Healy and Coombes but I would say that...

    Connacht were well beaten in Cardiff, fair enough. They were their own worst enemy against the Scarlets by dropping three tries on the line, where only one of those was down to an excellent defensive play.

    I haven't really followed Ulster so I can't comment much but they're unbeaten so...

    Unfortunately we've seen over the years that we can't rely on the festive period interpros to be competitive as the provinces (Leinster aside these days perhaps!) will trade points by rotating lineups.

    The South Africans can't come soon enough.


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