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Guinness Pro12 2015/2016 Season thread

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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,557 ✭✭✭sydneybound


    This could have been mentioned elsewhere but good seeing the Italians get a tv deal on a FTA channel for both their domestic league and Pro12 matches

    http://www.pro12rugby.com/news/17565.php#8mWxTEVGHIvi4j5I.97

    Can't say I know of Rai Sport or how popular it is in Italy but at least this year they have a tv deal in place before the season starts.


  • Registered Users Posts: 23,531 ✭✭✭✭phog


    Pro12 rugby appoint a new MD. Hope he can grow the league.


  • Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    phog wrote: »
    Pro12 rugby appoint a new MD. Hope he can grow the league.

    Any chance he could change those 6pm kickoffs so I don't have to take a day off to make a game? :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    Any chance he could change those 6pm kickoffs so I don't have to take a day off to make a game? :D

    Nothing much will change, John Feehan is the decision maker for the Pro 12, he also fulfills the same role for the 6 Nations, whether or not you think that's a good idea depends on personal opinion I suppose!


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,742 ✭✭✭✭molloyjh


    Ah bless, someone brought their kid along to the launch of the Pro12. :D

    11891153_1154882414539898_1565613468890394614_n.jpg?oh=e25bd8a5819b0a6665b4b1704b78ff5e&oe=5681DB6B


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  • Registered Users Posts: 30,308 Mod ✭✭✭✭.ak


    I love the fact in most of the pics everyone is trying to look all cool and serious .... except Locky!


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,599 ✭✭✭matthew8


    Haven't seen a thread. Thrilling finish to Glasgow Scarlets here.

    Edit: Scarlets hold on inside their 22 with 11 men (3 yellows, 1 injured) to win 16-10, were 16-5 up with 25 seconds left.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,073 ✭✭✭✭vienne86


    matthew8 wrote: »
    Haven't seen a thread. Thrilling finish to Glasgow Scarlets here.

    Scarlets hold on to win 10-16.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,775 ✭✭✭b.gud


    Zebre are thrashed by Cardiff 61-13


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,599 ✭✭✭matthew8


    Hat trick of tries for Rhys Patchell but 1 for 8 off the tee. Cardiff missed 19 points in kicks.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 24,742 ✭✭✭✭molloyjh


    matthew8 wrote: »
    Hat trick of tries for Rhys Patchell but 1 for 8 off the tee. Cardiff missed 19 points in kicks.

    What!? So they could have been on 80? That's pure mental. The Italians are becoming a total shambles, both at club level and international level. There was a sign they might have stepped it up a bit a couple of years ago but any progress seems to have disappeared.


  • Registered Users Posts: 951 ✭✭✭Greyian


    matthew8 wrote: »
    Haven't seen a thread. Thrilling finish to Glasgow Scarlets here.

    Edit: Scarlets hold on inside their 22 with 11 men (3 yellows, 1 injured) to win 16-10, were 16-5 up with 25 seconds left.

    Glasgow were absolutely brutal. They used up a little over 5 minutes (starting just before 73:00) in scrums.

    Then, when they had the 4 man advantage, they threw the game away by attempting a speculative offload in the last play. Absolute lunacy.


  • Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    molloyjh wrote: »
    What!? So they could have been on 80? That's pure mental. The Italians are becoming a total shambles, both at club level and international level. There was a sign they might have stepped it up a bit a couple of years ago but any progress seems to have disappeared.

    I think we may see an end to their involvement in the Pro 12 soon unfortunately, especially if they continue to decline and the financial issues remain. I wonder if they could compete in Pro D2.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,557 ✭✭✭sydneybound


    molloyjh wrote: »
    What!? So they could have been on 80? That's pure mental. The Italians are becoming a total shambles, both at club level and international level. There was a sign they might have stepped it up a bit a couple of years ago but any progress seems to have disappeared.
    I think we may see an end to their involvement in the Pro 12 soon unfortunately, especially if they continue to decline and the financial issues remain. I wonder if they could compete in Pro D2.

    A tad of an over reaction there lads. Treviso only lost by 5 points away to Munster last night.

    Zebre are missing so many players due to the World Cup and don't have depth. Let's judge both Italians more after a few home games.

    Italy didn't even finish bottom of the Six Nations, Scotland did who Italy beat away from home. They also did quite well yesterday against Wales and only lost by 4 points away from home. They should have beaten Scotland at home a few weeks back.

    The Italians paid off the amount they owed to the league. Inclusion of the two Italians are vital to develop rugby in Italy.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,122 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    They've Dragons next week so a big loss there would be very telling.

    They are missing 9 guys to the RWC and did recruit heavily from the lower division of Italian rugby too


  • Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    A tad of an over reaction there lads. Treviso only lost by 5 points away to Munster last night.

    Zebre are missing so many players due to the World Cup and don't have depth. Let's judge both Italians more after a few home games.

    Italy didn't even finish bottom of the Six Nations, Scotland did who Italy beat away from home.

    The Italians paid off the amount they owed to the league. Inclusion of the two Italians are vital to develop rugby in Italy.

    It's not an overreaction at all. Who finished in the bottom two places of the league last season? Who finished in the bottom two places of the league the season before that? Zebre had 15 points over the entire campaign, they're falling away. I'm not basing my opinion of the teams on one game. I'm basing my opinion of the teams on the poor quality of the teams teams themselves.

    Also, the inclusion of the teams in the league is not vital in developing rugby in Italy. There's no basis for that whatsoever, I don't think you've thought it through. People aren't drawn to the sport by Zebre losing every week. If the teams were successful they'd draw people to the sport, or if the national side in particular was successful it would draw people to the sport, in the absence of both of those factors it's local investment that will make a difference. It would be nice if meritocracy had kicked the Italians on a bit but they can't really compete at the moment and they're only really incentivised to beat each other.

    I definitely want them to remain in the league by the way, I would like to see them become competitive, but I can't see it happening if they're finishing bottom every year and not improving, eventually someone will look for an alternative way to spend the millions that they're lining Celtic League Ltd's pockets with.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,290 ✭✭✭aimee1


    matthew8 wrote: »
    Hat trick of tries for Rhys Patchell but 1 for 8 off the tee. Cardiff missed 19 points in kicks.

    cardiff played rugby, zebre played tag, looking at highlights now on bbc wales scrum v. zebre chasing the shadows of the shadows


  • Registered Users Posts: 107 ✭✭RAKM


    Time to replace them with London Scottish and London Welsh. they could get good support from home fans and away fans when the likes of Leinster, Ospreys etc. play in London. Tbh the rest cannot be expected to care so much about the development of Rugby in Italy. We've given them a decent chance and it has not worked. They have probably disimproved since they came in.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,122 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    10, 29, and 15 points is what they finished up with in their 3 seasons so they're not exactly falling from a height.


  • Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    Treviso were good last night but I counted 8 foreigners in their starting lineup. You'd hope for Italian rugby's sake that there will be more Italian players starting once RWC is finished. Unfortunately they didn't push on from their 2011/12 finish when they finished only 4 points behind Munster in the league.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,889 ✭✭✭jacothelad


    Treviso were good last night but I counted 8 foreigners in their starting lineup. You'd hope for Italian rugby's sake that there will be more Italian players starting once RWC is finished. Unfortunately they didn't push on from their 2011/12 finish when they finished only 4 points behind Munster in the league.

    Were all the foreign players non qualified for Italy?


  • Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    Murrayfield will host the final.

    Tickets will go on sale next week. Price £20 - £45.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,122 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    Munster and Glasgow didn't sell out Ravenhill last season, 17K, so putting it in Murrayfield is a big ask.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,961 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    CatFromHue wrote: »
    Munster and Glasgow didn't sell out Ravenhill last season, 17K, so putting it in Murrayfield is a big ask.

    A lot more time to sell tickets now though. Still a big ask all things considered.


  • Administrators Posts: 53,125 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    It'll never sell out. Not a hope. A Leinster Munster final wouldn't even sell it out.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,122 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    There's more time overall but still only a week between the SFs and the Final so I don't see a big crowd there for this one.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,290 ✭✭✭aimee1


    CatFromHue wrote: »
    There's more time overall but still only a week between the SFs and the Final so I don't see a big crowd there for this one.

    Selling point is a weekend in Edinburgh. Think it will have a respectable crowd as a result.


  • Registered Users Posts: 23,531 ✭✭✭✭phog


    Imho, the exchange rate killed the final last year, if it's the same next May then I can't see many more heading over to Edinburgh, though it is a fabulous city.

    A £28 ticket became a €42 ticket after converting from sterling to euro.


  • Administrators Posts: 53,125 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    The final last year was saved by the fact Munster fans had a relatively cheap trip (exchange rate aside they had no flights and could do a day trip with little hassle) and the Irish teams tend to be the best supported teams in terms of numbers. Imagine last years final was in Wales, would there even have been 10k there?

    This year they'll be praying that Glasgow make the final because I doubt even a Leinster Munster final would get much more than the 17k last year in a much bigger stadium given there is only a week for people to get sorted. Two Welsh teams in the final and it'll be a disaster.

    Can't see many people booking flights in advance of knowing their team will be there.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,889 ✭✭✭jacothelad


    awec wrote: »
    The final last year was saved by the fact Munster fans had a relatively cheap trip (exchange rate aside they had no flights and could do a day trip with little hassle) and the Irish teams tend to be the best supported teams in terms of numbers. Imagine last years final was in Wales, would there even have been 10k there?

    This year they'll be praying that Glasgow make the final because I doubt even a Leinster Munster final would get much more than the 17k last year in a much bigger stadium given there is only a week for people to get sorted. Two Welsh teams in the final and it'll be a disaster.

    Can't see many people booking flights in advance of knowing their team will be there.

    The answer is a two legged final. Home and Away. Simples. Bin Zebre, gain the time.


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