Guinness Pro14 Season 2018-2019

Eod100 · 20-07-2018 10:50am

thomond2006 wrote: »

http://www.the42.ie/pro14-fixtures-irish-provinces-munster-leinster-4137472-Jul2018/

Two interpro weekends before the start of the HCC.

Are the fixtures out today?

awec · 20-07-2018 10:54am

Was really hoping that Munster v Ulster would be the new year fixture.

awec · 20-07-2018 10:55am

stephen_n wrote: »

Be unlikely Leinster will rest players the week before a European game, when most of the senior players won’t have played throughout September.

Yea, but two interpros before europe means it'll be the usual job of winning your home game and throwing the away one, like we have traditionally seen at Christmas.

errlloyd · 20-07-2018 11:00am

awec wrote: »

Yea, but two interpros before europe means it'll be the usual job of winning your home game and throwing the away one, like we have traditionally seen at Christmas.

Yeah I agree with this.

molloyjh · 20-07-2018 11:12am

awec wrote: »

Yea, but two interpros before europe means it'll be the usual job of winning your home game and throwing the away one, like we have traditionally seen at Christmas.

I don't think so tbh. Last season Sexton had his first cap vs Edinburgh which was the week before the Munster game. Dev was on his 3rd cap of the season for that game. Here is the squad for that game (bearing in mind that Henshaw, Ringrose and Rob Kearney were injured, while Lowe hadn't arrived):

McGrath Cronin Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock SOB Murphy

McGrath Sexton
Reid ROL
Kearney Carbery McFadden

Byrne, Byrne, Porter, Molony, Deegan, JGP, Byrne, Larmour

The focus at that point in the season is very different from the focus at Christmas. Internationals are coming back in as opposed to getting a rest. We probably won't see completely full strength sides as guys are still being managed somewhat for that week, but we should be close enough. For example, Healy had played 4 games at that stage and was given the week off ahead of the Munster game.

awec · 20-07-2018 11:30am

Well, you can call me skeptical, but I don't see provinces fielding first choice teams 4 weeks in a row right before the AIs start.

thomond2006 · 20-07-2018 11:31am

awec wrote: »

Well, you can call me skeptical, but I don't see provinces fielding first choice teams 4 weeks in a row right before the AIs start.

Agreed. It's not going to happen, particularly with the RWC on the horizon.

awec · 20-07-2018 11:36am

If I were a skeptic (which obviously I'm not), I would say the only reason it's changing is so the IRFU can ensure players are rested and Ulster B team aren't stuck playing against Glasgow's first team.

errlloyd · 20-07-2018 11:38am

awec wrote: »

If I were a skeptic (which obviously I'm not), I would say the only reason it's changing is so the IRFU can ensure players are rested and Ulster B team aren't stuck playing against Glasgow's first team.

I'd say the unions pushed for two weeks with no air travel before the Champions Cup. Like for us it's a great deal.

awec · 20-07-2018 11:41am

molloyjh wrote: »

I don't think so tbh. Last season Sexton had his first cap vs Edinburgh which was the week before the Munster game. Dev was on his 3rd cap of the season for that game. Here is the squad for that game (bearing in mind that Henshaw, Ringrose and Rob Kearney were injured, while Lowe hadn't arrived):

McGrath Cronin Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock SOB Murphy

McGrath Sexton
Reid ROL
Kearney Carbery McFadden

Byrne, Byrne, Porter, Molony, Deegan, JGP, Byrne, Larmour

The focus at that point in the season is very different from the focus at Christmas. Internationals are coming back in as opposed to getting a rest. We probably won't see completely full strength sides as guys are still being managed somewhat for that week, but we should be close enough. For example, Healy had played 4 games at that stage and was given the week off ahead of the Munster game.

Leinster are an outlier, you have enough players to field two teams that can be competitive in interpro games.

The other three struggle more. Winning back to back interpros is extremely difficult, not least because they usually happen when there are restrictions on who can be picked.

molloyjh · 20-07-2018 12:18pm

awec wrote: »

Leinster are an outlier, you have enough players to field two teams that can be competitive in interpro games.

The other three struggle more. Winning back to back interpros is extremely difficult, not least because they usually happen when there are restrictions on who can be picked.

The point is that there won't be too many restrictions at that stage. Almost no players are still rested by the last week in September. A good few are rested in the last week in October, which is normally when we have the second inter-pro. The provinces should have full squads to chose from, or very, very close to that. The Leinster squad I posted for that Edinburgh game was close to full strength. The only internationals that were missing were the ones who were injured or the ones who had clocked up a good deal of minutes prior to that game. There shouldn't be shadow squads sent anywhere at that stage.

By the same time last season, Best was injured while Henderson and Stockdale were back starting games for Ulster.

I can't see any province choosing to field weakened teams when they are trying to build continuity for the HEC games.

molloyjh · 20-07-2018 12:32pm

awec wrote: »

Well, you can call me skeptical, but I don't see provinces fielding first choice teams 4 weeks in a row right before the AIs start.

For starters, I didn't say that we'd have completely full strength teams for all 4 weeks. I said we wouldn't have shadow sides. There's a difference. But here are Leinsters selections for the same 4 weeks last year. SOB, Sexton, Nacewa, Hensahaw, Ringrose and Rob Kearney were all injured for some/all of the 4 weeks. Other than those enforced changes there were very few changes to the line-ups. You are skeptical, but the evidence is there that you have no real reason to be. The Edinburgh selection had some unenforced departures from full strength and the Ulster game after those 4 did too, although there was a core of full strength players over 5 weeks last season.

Leinster vs Edinburgh 29/09/2018

McGrath Cronin Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock SOB Murphy

McGrath Sexton
Reid ROL
Kearney Carbery McFadden

Byrne, Byrne, Porter, Molony, Deegan, JGP, Byrne, Larmour

Leinster vs Munster 07/10/2018

McGrath Tracy Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock Conan VDF

McGrath Sexton
Henshaw ROL
Daly Carbery Byrne

Cronin, Healy, Bent, Molony, Murphy, JGP, Byrne, McFadden

Leinster vs Montpellier 14/10/2018

McGrath Tracy Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock Conan VDF

McGrath Byrne
Nacewa Henshaw
Daly Carbery Byrne

Cronin, Healy, Bent, Molony, Murphy, JGP, Reid, McFadden

Glasgow vs Leinster 21/10/2018

Healy Cronin Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock Conan VDF

McGrath Sexton
Reid Henshaw
Daly Carbery Byrne

Tracy, McGrath, Bent, Ryan, Leavy, JGP, Byrne, D Kearney

Eod100 · 20-07-2018 12:34pm

awec wrote: »

Well, you can call me skeptical, but I don't see provinces fielding first choice teams 4 weeks in a row right before the AIs start.

Read AI as All Ireland first.. Rugby season has been finished too long haha

Jump_In_Jack · 20-07-2018 5:21pm

molloyjh wrote: »

For starters, I didn't say that we'd have completely full strength teams for all 4 weeks. I said we wouldn't have shadow sides. There's a difference. But here are Leinsters selections for the same 4 weeks last year. SOB, Sexton, Nacewa, Hensahaw, Ringrose and Rob Kearney were all injured for some/all of the 4 weeks. Other than those enforced changes there were very few changes to the line-ups. You are skeptical, but the evidence is there that you have no real reason to be. The Edinburgh selection had some unenforced departures from full strength and the Ulster game after those 4 did too, although there was a core of full strength players over 5 weeks last season.

Leinster vs Edinburgh 29/09/2018

McGrath Cronin Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock SOB Murphy

McGrath Sexton
Reid ROL
Kearney Carbery McFadden

Byrne, Byrne, Porter, Molony, Deegan, JGP, Byrne, Larmour

Leinster vs Munster 07/10/2018

McGrath Tracy Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock Conan VDF

McGrath Sexton
Henshaw ROL
Daly Carbery Byrne

Cronin, Healy, Bent, Molony, Murphy, JGP, Byrne, McFadden

Leinster vs Montpellier 14/10/2018

McGrath Tracy Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock Conan VDF

McGrath Byrne
Nacewa Henshaw
Daly Carbery Byrne

Cronin, Healy, Bent, Molony, Murphy, JGP, Reid, McFadden

Glasgow vs Leinster 21/10/2018

Healy Cronin Furlong
Toner Fardy
Ruddock Conan VDF

McGrath Sexton
Reid Henshaw
Daly Carbery Byrne

Tracy, McGrath, Bent, Ryan, Leavy, JGP, Byrne, D Kearney

I assume those dates should be 2017?

I thought you predicting the fixtures and teams for this season at first glance.

When will the fixtures for 2018 be published?

thomond2006 · 20-07-2018 5:52pm

Still no fixtures. Feck sake.

Burkie1203 · 21-07-2018 6:01am

thomond2006 wrote: »

Still no fixtures. Feck sake.

They are written somewhere on the scarlets jersey.....

https://twitter.com/scarlets_rugby/status/1020322191848747009?s=19

razorblunt · 21-07-2018 9:11am

I presume they're giving those jerseys away free seeing as you're effectively a glorified sandwich board in that (more so than normal).

Eod100 · 21-07-2018 9:29am

thomond2006 wrote: »

Still no fixtures. Feck sake.

Hopefully next week. Seems bit odd that there's an outline available to reporters but nothing finalised yet. Guess they're nearly there with them

Eod100 · 21-07-2018 9:35am

Eod100 wrote: »

Hopefully next week. Seems bit odd that there's an outline available to reporters but nothing finalised yet. Guess they're nearly there with them

Pro 14 have just announced they will be releasing dates and ko up to round 17 on Tuesday next. Timing! ☺️

Cookiemunster · 21-07-2018 9:45am

https://twitter.com/PRO14Official/status/1020584452882423808

Weirdly it says 2pm UTC. So actually 3pm.

awec · 21-07-2018 12:21pm

Ulster's first 6 are:

Scarlets H
Edinburgh H
Kings A
Cheetahs A
Munster A
Connacht H

thomond2006 · 21-07-2018 12:26pm

awec wrote: »

Ulster's first 6 are:

Scarlets H
Edinburgh H
Kings A
Cheetahs A
Munster A
Connacht H

3/6 minimum I'd say.

LEIN · 21-07-2018 12:28pm

Some of you may be interested in this

Ends 31st of July, first two months of the new season for 2€

A lot of rugby to be had in this sub.

bilston · 21-07-2018 1:48pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

awec wrote: »

Ulster's first 6 are:

Scarlets H
Edinburgh H
Kings A
Cheetahs A
Munster A
Connacht H

3/6 minimum I'd say.

I'd be aiming for 18/19 points. Munster and Cheetahs away will be tough but the other 4 are winnable. If we want a top 3 finish that's what we need to be targetting.

Neil3030 · 21-07-2018 6:56pm

Given no head coach, early season variability etc., Kings Away is about the only fixture on that list where I'd be surprised if Ulster lost.

bilston · 21-07-2018 7:09pm

Neil3030 wrote: »

Given no head coach, early season variability etc., Kings Away is about the only fixture on that list where I'd be surprised if Ulster lost.

To be fair apart from the head coach part you could say that about any team in September.

Neil3030 · 21-07-2018 7:44pm

bilston wrote: »

To be fair apart from the head coach part you could say that about any team in September.

I could indeed. But no other team thus far has statements such as "3/6 minimum" or "I'd be aiming for 18/19 points" associated with it, with regard to a list of 6 pretty challenging games.

jacothelad · 21-07-2018 8:09pm

Neil3030 wrote: »

I could indeed. But no other team thus far has statements such as "3/6 minimum" or "I'd be aiming for 18/19 points" associated with it, with regard to a list of 6 pretty challenging games.

I don't think it's the Ulster team making those statements. The posters on here aren't actually playing in the games so what they say has absolutely zero effect on the results....:D:D

Neil3030 · 21-07-2018 8:12pm

The issue isn't whether they impact results (we'd all be very wealthy if they could!), the issue is with how reasonable it is to assume 3+ victories from that fixture list, and I'd be hesitant to deem it so.

thomond2006 · 21-07-2018 8:16pm

Ulster should win every game next season or be shut down.

Come on, three wins from the opening games is surely achievable. I'd regard Kings away and Connacht at home as comfortable wins and they should pick up another from the remaining four.

awec · 21-07-2018 8:31pm

I'm happy enough to play Scarlets in the first round. By that stage nobody has any momentum, and teams will still be finding their feet.

bilston · 21-07-2018 9:46pm

Neil3030 wrote: »

bilston wrote: »

To be fair apart from the head coach part you could say that about any team in September.

I could indeed. But no other team thus far has statements such as "3/6 minimum" or "I'd be aiming for 18/19 points" associated with it, with regard to a list of 6 pretty challenging games.

I don't see why it is unreasonable to aim for 3 to 4 wins from our first 6 games. To be fair we were unbeaten in our last 5 games last season.

stephen_n · 21-07-2018 9:49pm

Will the Scarlets have all their internationals available for that game?

PTH2009 · 23-07-2018 1:10pm

LEIN wrote: »

Some of you may be interested in this

Ends 31st of July, first two months of the new season for 2€

A lot of rugby to be had in this sub.

Still a lot if u subscribe to both Sky sports and Eir/BT

Is IP TV worth it ?

Burkie1203 · 24-07-2018 7:24am

Jeff Hassler still without a club. Think he would be worth a punt for most teams in the league. Ulster in particular given they are short in back 3.

errlloyd · 24-07-2018 11:16am

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Jeff Hassler still without a club. Think he would be worth a punt for most teams in the league. Ulster in particular given they are short in back 3.

There are a few good players knocking around unemploydom right now. Tom Heatcote has 3 Scottish Caps at fly half and is doing nothing. He's 26 and never set the world on fire. Might have a slight concussion issue hanging over his head though, not certain.

Cookiemunster · 24-07-2018 12:08pm

It's been confirmed that the conferences will stay the same this year. Looks like they'll change every second year. https://www.pro14rugby.org/2018/07/24/existing-conference-line-ups-unchanged-for-the-2018-19-guinness-pro14-season/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=PRO14Official&utm_content=Existing%20Conference%20line-ups%20unchanged%20for%20the%202018/19%20Guinness%20PRO14%20Season

Eod100 · 24-07-2018 12:08pm

Are the fixtures out at 2?

Cookiemunster · 24-07-2018 12:09pm

Eod100 wrote: »

Are the fixtures out at 2?

It's saying 2pm UTC, which is 3pm. Although most are taking it up as 2pm.

24-07-2018 12:11pm

errlloyd wrote: »

There are a few good players knocking around unemploydom right now. Tom Heatcote has 3 Scottish Caps at fly half and is doing nothing. He's 26 and never set the world on fire. Might have a slight concussion issue hanging over his head though, not certain.

Pun not intended!

errlloyd · 24-07-2018 12:19pm

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It's been confirmed that the conferences will stay the same this year. Looks like they'll change every second year.

I'm happy enough with that tbh.

Eod100 · 24-07-2018 12:31pm

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It's saying 2pm UTC, which is 3pm. Although most are taking it up as 2pm.

Ah bit confusing

Cookiemunster · 24-07-2018 1:14pm

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It's saying 2pm UTC, which is 3pm. Although most are taking it up as 2pm.

So it is 2pm. They obviously don't know the difference between UTC and BST/IST.

https://twitter.com/PRO14Official/status/1021726726177648640

thomond2006 · 24-07-2018 1:56pm

https://www.pro14rugby.org/match-centre/fixtures/

thomond2006 · 24-07-2018 2:02pm

Very tough start for the Cheetahs. Away to Munster, Ospreys, Cardiff and Edinburgh and at home to Ulster and Glasgow.

ionapaul · 24-07-2018 2:07pm

Looks like most Connacht matches will be live on TG4.

Buer · 26-07-2018 11:54am

I see the Scarlets have released their new jersey and only managed to squeeze in a paltry 18 sponsors logos between the jersey and shorts.

molloyjh · 26-07-2018 12:27pm

Buer wrote: »

I see the Scarlets have released their new jersey and only managed to squeeze in a paltry 18 sponsors logos between the jersey and shorts.

I'm just surprised they didn't go with some on the socks too.

Rigor Mortis · 26-07-2018 12:56pm

I'm surprised no one sponsored the chip on their shoulder

Badabing · 30-07-2018 12:03pm

The Final will be in Celtic Park Glasgow

Guinness Pro14 Season 2018-2019

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