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Guinness Pro14 Season 2018-2019

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Comments

  • #1252
    Thrashssacre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,271 ✭✭✭Thrashssacre


    Hearing talk of a scarlets/ospreys merger, apparently players were notified a few days ago


  • #1253
    Burkie1203
    Registered Users Posts: 11,790 ✭✭✭✭Burkie1203


    Thrashssacre wrote: »
    Hearing talk of a scarlets/ospreys merger, apparently players were notified a few days ago

    Scarlet Ospreys

    Train in Swansea, playing in Llanelli

    Cubbyboi rumoured to be going to either the new team up north or the Dragons.


  • #1254
    troyzer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,201 ✭✭✭troyzer


    I really do hope this goes well and doesn't blow up for them. We need strong Welsh regions.


  • #1255
    Clegg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,223 ✭✭✭✭Clegg


    Scarlets backs with AWJ in the row.

    Nightmare.


  • #1256
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 54,098 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Ospreys news talk moved here


  • #1257
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,258 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    Clegg wrote: »
    Scarlets backs with AWJ in the row.

    Nightmare.

    AWJ is out of contract after the RWC. I would say there's a strong chance he looks outside of Wales rather than be forced to start with another team. Whilst he'll be 34, he could still get a 2 year deal on pretty big money in England or France.

    I could see one of the French giants offering him something that's too good to turn down.


  • #1258
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 54,098 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    AWJ won’t ever play for the scarlets.

    Be like Sexton playing for Munster, POM playing for Leinster.


  • #1259
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    awec wrote: »
    AWJ won’t ever play for the scarlets.

    Be like Sexton playing for Munster, POM playing for Leinster.

    If Sexton or POM couldn’t play for their home province they’d both switch. Obviously. Sure Sexton has left before. These guys are professional athletes, not religious zealots.


  • #1260
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 54,098 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    irishbucsfan wrote: »
    If Sexton or POM couldn’t play for their home province they’d both switch. Obviously. Sure Sexton has left before. These guys are professional athletes, not religious zealots.

    Sexton left for France IBF, not Munster :)


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  • #1261
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    awec wrote: »
    Sexton left for France IBF, not Munster :)
    That is certainly a fact

    He has family from Limerick and a bunch of friends who play for and coach Munster. But in the event Leinster fell apart he wouldn’t move there because... some fans are tribal?


  • #1262
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 54,098 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    irishbucsfan wrote: »
    That is certainly a fact

    He has family from Limerick and a bunch of friends who play for and coach Munster. But in the event Leinster fell apart he wouldn’t move there because... some fans are tribal?

    Ah you’re just being deliberately obtuse now.

    AWJ won’t play for the scarlets. If the ospreys fold, he’ll end up elsewhere. You can bookmark this one and come back to it.


  • #1263
    thomond2006
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    Scott Williams moved to Ospreys after 10 years at the Scarlets. Gareth Owen spent five seasons at both teams. Leigh Halfpenny played underage for Ospreys and is now at the Scarlets.


  • #1264
    Buer
    Registered Users Posts: 24,258 ✭✭✭✭Buer


    Indeed. Movement between the regions in Wales is far more common for top players than it is in Ireland with the provinces. Mike Philips and Lee Byrne are the two highest profile guys I can think of that moved directly between them. Phillips went from Scarlets to Cardiff to Ospreys and Byrne went from Scarlets to the Ospreys.

    I think AWJ would depart Wales more due to his age and reaching the end of the RWC cycle as well as the whole mess within Welsh rugby rather than purely the mess. If he was 5 years younger, I could see him going with it. If he was at that point in his career, the WRU would realise that it would be essential that he makes the move for it to work.


  • #1265
    molloyjh
    Registered Users Posts: 24,767 ✭✭✭✭molloyjh


    awec wrote: »
    Ah you’re just being deliberately obtuse now.

    AWJ won’t play for the scarlets. If the ospreys fold, he’ll end up elsewhere. You can bookmark this one and come back to it.

    You mean like how Scotland were going to want to retain McFarland for the duration of his contract?

    You do this all the time, jump to these worst case conclusions. AWJ has presumably had tonnes of offers from clubs outside of Wales. He's still played all of his rugby there. And it's not like he's grown up with Ospreys or anything. They didn't exist until he was 18. He's a local lad who wants to play for the local team. That was Swansea, then it was Ospreys, now it'll be whatever this new team is. I reckon he's far more likely to stay than leave.


  • #1266
    ClanofLams
    Registered Users Posts: 4,233 ✭✭✭ClanofLams


    These takeovers can sometimes turn out to be false dawns but still this sounds like much needed good news for the Kings.

    https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/new-era-beckons-for-kings/


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  • #1267
    bilston
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,816 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    ClanofLams wrote: »
    These takeovers can sometimes turn out to be false dawns but still this sounds like much needed good news for the Kings.

    https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/new-era-beckons-for-kings/

    Sounds promising. Let's see how it plays out.


  • #1268
    DGRulz
    Registered Users Posts: 1,232 ✭✭✭DGRulz


    I had to look up how much 45 million Rand was. Not a lot. Just shy of €2.8 million.


  • #1269
    Burkie1203
    Registered Users Posts: 11,790 ✭✭✭✭Burkie1203


    SA final by looks of it


    https://twitter.com/IrishTimesSport/status/1105372992270262272?s=19


  • #1270
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,816 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    Very risky taking the final to SA with the likelihood of no SA team. Will the locals turn up for 2 strange teams?


  • #1271
    Former Former
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,728 ✭✭✭Former Former


    while a date and venue for the Pro 14 final is expected to be announced in the coming weeks amid speculation in South Africa that the tournament decider could be hosted there.

    It's not exactly emphatic.

    As I understand it, a South African venue would have to bid for it and take a fair chunk of the financial risk associated with it. That's why no Welsh venue has yet hosted it, they don't want the risk of empty seats if no Welsh team qualifies.

    It would be pretty odd if it went to South Africa before it ever went to Wales or Italy.


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  • #1272
    Eod100
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,825 ✭✭✭✭Eod100


    Former Former wrote: »
    It's not exactly emphatic.

    As I understand it, a South African venue would have to bid for it and take a fair chunk of the financial risk associated with it. That's why no Welsh venue has yet hosted it, they don't want the risk of empty seats if no Welsh team qualifies.

    It would be pretty odd if it went to South Africa before it ever went to Wales or Italy.

    Guess it would be a bit like EPCR hosting finals in Spain before Italy. That said hosting it in SA year after a RWC in Japan and year before Lions tour in SA seems odd. Dunno would many fans have the cash to make the trip. Not sure what teams are playing 2 away matches in SA next season. It's a long way from Europe to go to SA for 1 match.


  • #1273
    OldRio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,147 ✭✭✭OldRio


    Former Former wrote: »
    That's why no Welsh venue has yet hosted it, they don't want the risk of empty seats if no Welsh team qualifies.

    Surely a typo. Did you mean 'They don't want the risk of empty seats if a Welsh team qualifies'

    Sorry couldn't resist.


  • #1274
    thomond2006
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    The 2019-20 Pro14 will begin on the weekend of 27th September, per John Fallon of The Times Ireland.


  • #1275
    Utopia Parkway
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,383 ✭✭✭✭Utopia Parkway


    NEXT SEASON’S PRO14 will begin four weeks later than usual, with fixtures continuing through most of the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

    The competition will kick off on Friday 27 September and there will be three rounds of games before a break for the weekend of the World Cup quarter-finals on 19 and 20 October.

    The tournament will resume for round four on 25 October and there will also be a full round the following weekend when the World Cup final takes place in Tokyo on 2 November.

    There will then be a further series of league games a week later before breaking for the opening rounds of the Champions Cup on the weekends starting 15 and 22 November.

    Clubs have been told that a further round of the PRO14 will take place on the final weekend in November before breaking again for the third and fourth series of European games on 6 and 13 December.

    The schedule will then bring the usual Christmas derby games followed by the two remaining pool rounds of European action on the weekends starting 10 and 17 January 2020.

    The PRO14 is expected to confirm its schedule in the coming weeks, almost six months after the French and English announced their plans for the 2019/20 season. The uncertainty over the regional situation in Wales is not believed to be a factor as the WRU is committed to fielding four teams. However, it is believed that the level of South African involvement was a factor in the delay.


  • #1276
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Tigerandahalf wrote: »
    Very risky taking the final to SA with the likelihood of no SA team. Will the locals turn up for 2 strange teams?

    Yeah I think so. At the end of the day, South African's love their rugby and until performances started really tanking for both the National team and many of the club teams they had decent attendance and a huge number of viewers.

    I think it it's marketed well and priced effectively then they could get a decent turnout. Certainly can you imagine if the Super Rugby final was held here - it would EASILY fill the Aviva imo.


  • #1277
    PMC83
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,156 ✭✭✭PMC83


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Yeah I think so. At the end of the day, South African's love their rugby and until performances started really tanking for both the National team and many of the club teams they had decent attendance and a huge number of viewers.

    I think it it's marketed well and priced effectively then they could get a decent turnout. Certainly can you imagine if the Super Rugby final was held here - it would EASILY fill the Aviva imo.

    Hmmm I dunno about that. I'm sure a few of us hard core fans would go for some rugby entertainment but plenty of your average Ireland /provincial fans would have no idea of, or interest in super rugby.

    If Leinster can't sell out their Xmas Heineken cup game, then you'd really have to wonder how a super rugby game would sell out


  • #1278
    thomond2006
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    Who cares about the Six Nations? The Pro14 is where it's at! Yeah!

    Conference A
    Conference B

    The pick of next round's fixtures is Friday night's Welsh derby between Cardiff and Scarlets. Edinburgh, Ospreys and Cheetahs are barely treading water and are in must win situations. Connacht vs Benetton should also be a belter and the availability of players after the Six Nations will be an important factor. Benetton will have a week off so perhaps they will be able to travel with a strong side.


  • #1279
    Squatter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,841 ✭✭✭Squatter


    thomond2006 wrote: »


    Who cares about the Six Nations? The Pro14 is where it's at! Yeah!

    The pick of next round's fixtures is Friday night's Welsh derby between Cardiff and Scarlets.


    No it isn't! It's Connacht V Benetton. :mad:


  • #1280
    troyzer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,201 ✭✭✭troyzer


    thomond2006 wrote: »
    Who cares about the Six Nations? The Pro14 is where it's at! Yeah!

    Conference A
    Conference B

    The pick of next round's fixtures is Friday night's Welsh derby between Cardiff and Scarlets. Edinburgh, Ospreys and Cheetahs are barely treading water and are in must win situations. Connacht vs Benetton should also be a belter and the availability of players after the Six Nations will be an important factor. Benetton will have a week off so perhaps they will be able to travel with a strong side.

    Hopefully none of the Welsh teams make the playoffs. That would certainly take the shine off just as much as an Irish club double made the grand slam all the sweeter.


  • #1281
    thomond2006
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    troyzer wrote: »
    Hopefully none of the Welsh teams make the playoffs. That would certainly take the shine off just as much as an Irish club double made the grand slam all the sweeter.

    Unfortunately I think Benetton's fixture list will do them in and honestly it's not good for the league if there is no Welsh representation in the playoffs and/or Europe. If Scarlets can win in Cardiff then they will run the table.


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  • #1282
    troyzer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,201 ✭✭✭troyzer


    thomond2006 wrote: »
    Unfortunately I think Benetton's fixture list will do them in and honestly it's not good for the league if there is no Welsh representation in the playoffs and/or Europe.

    How do the quarters work again? Do you play the team in the same conference? I.e. Treviso Vs Ulster and Glasgow Vs Connacht as things stand?


  • #1283
    thomond2006
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    troyzer wrote: »
    How do the quarters work again? Do you play the team in the same conference? I.e. Treviso Vs Ulster and Glasgow Vs Connacht as things stand?

    Nope, it's the #2 A vs #3 B and vice versa.


  • #1284
    troyzer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,201 ✭✭✭troyzer


    thomond2006 wrote: »
    Nope, it's the #2 A vs #3 B and vice versa.

    So as it stands it would be Ulster visiting Thomond and Connacht visiting Treviso?

    And then it would be Leinster Vs Ulster and Connacht Vs Glasgow?

    Followed by revenge for the 2016 final.

    It.....still......hurts.


  • #1285
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 27,290 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    troyzer wrote: »
    Hopefully none of the Welsh teams make the playoffs. That would certainly take the shine off just as much as an Irish club double made the grand slam all the sweeter.

    Think you'll find the Welsh, by and large, won't remotely care.


  • #1286
    Former Former
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,728 ✭✭✭Former Former


    troyzer wrote: »
    Hopefully none of the Welsh teams make the playoffs. That would certainly take the shine off just as much as an Irish club double made the grand slam all the sweeter.

    Ah here. That's more than a little bitter. It's not Wales' fault we were rubbish.

    No Welsh clubs in playoffs and scrambling to get one into Europe via 4th place match would be very bad for the league and therefore bad for us.


  • #1287
    razorblunt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,300 ✭✭✭✭razorblunt


    Jamie Bhatti is joining Edinburgh from next season.
    Edinburgh continue their prop stockpiling, one in, one out.


  • #1288
    Squatter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,841 ✭✭✭Squatter


    Former Former wrote: »

    No Welsh clubs in playoffs and scrambling to get one into Europe via 4th place match would be very bad for the league and therefore bad for us.

    On the other hand, it just might force the WRU to address the complete jokeshop that two of their four Pro 14 franchise holders have become.


  • #1289
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    razorblunt wrote: »
    Jamie Bhatti is joining Edinburgh from next season.
    Edinburgh continue their prop stockpiling, one in, one out.

    I don’t think that’s how stockpiling works! :D


  • #1290
    Former Former
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,728 ✭✭✭Former Former


    Squatter wrote: »
    On the other hand, it just might force the WRU to address the complete jokeshop that two of their four Pro 14 franchise holders have become.

    They tried that a couple of weeks ago. It didn't go well.


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  • #1291
    stephen_n
    Registered Users Posts: 12,920 ✭✭✭✭stephen_n


    Former Former wrote: »
    They tried that a couple of weeks ago. It didn't go well.

    In reality they tried to get rid of the wrong club for some bizzare reason.


  • #1292
    razorblunt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,300 ✭✭✭✭razorblunt


    irishbucsfan wrote: »
    I don’t think that’s how stockpiling works! :D

    Ha ha, yes ... quite!


  • #1293
    aloooof
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 10,629 Mod ✭✭✭✭aloooof


    Squatter wrote: »
    On the other hand, it just might force the WRU to address the complete jokeshop that two of their four Pro 14 franchise holders have become.

    On a side note, all the more happy for Alun Wyn Jones captaining to the Grand Slam, with the WRU/Ospreys debacle going on.


  • #1294
    bob mcbob
    Registered Users Posts: 971 ✭✭✭bob mcbob


    Interesting story in the guardian at the moment.

    England and France (well clubs actually) want an uneven split of 6N revenue.

    But this could even result in a split between RFU and English clubs.

    The feeling was expressed in a recent meeting that Premiership Rugby was becoming increasingly bullish after its deal with CVC and that the Rugby Football Union needed to show some leadership. It is understood the RFU has been considering contingency plans should it fail to reach agreement with its clubs over the international calendar. One would even see newly formed English regional teams entering the Pro14 with players centrally contracted.

    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/mar/19/six-nations-divided-revenue-nations-championship-rugby-union


  • #1295
    Burkie1203
    Registered Users Posts: 11,790 ✭✭✭✭Burkie1203


    https://twitter.com/cardiff_blues/status/1108072720443559936?s=19


  • #1296
    mogwai81
    Registered Users Posts: 527 ✭✭✭mogwai81


    Great to see the Welsh regions bringing in quality


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  • #1297
    Squidgy Black
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,722 ✭✭✭✭Squidgy Black


    That's a brilliant signing for the Blues, and will be a boost for the WRU to bring a quality player back into their control.


  • #1298
    thomond2006
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    Cardiff have signed Hallam Amos and Josh Adams. Two very good signings.


  • #1299
    Eod100
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,825 ✭✭✭✭Eod100


    Looks like the rumours of proposal of the Pro14 adding 2 SA team won't happen

    https://twitter.com/SuperRugby/status/1108927928996265985


  • #1300
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,850 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    Eod100 wrote: »
    Looks like the rumours of proposal of the Pro14 adding 2 SA team won't happen

    https://twitter.com/SuperRugby/status/1108927928996265985

    sorry for the sunwolves... but great for the competition.


  • #1301
    Eod100
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,825 ✭✭✭✭Eod100


    Super Rugby or Pro 14? Or both?


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