Pro 14 - General Thread

[neill_m]

Hallam Amos joining the Cardiff Blues from the Dragons.

[blockhead]

Cardiff 38-0 Scarlets at HT. What the fup is goin on there?

[neill_m]

Cardiff very good in 1st half last night, Scarlets never got started. Tight old game in Galway for 70 minutes before 2 late tries got Connacht a 5 pointer.

Cardiff and Connacht tied at 52 points in A and playing each in Round 20 in Galway.

Conf B standings:

Leinster 18 72
Benetton 18 50
Ulster 17 49 (playing Kings today)
Edinburgh 18 47
Scarlets 18 45

[dropkick]

Cardiff 38-0 Scarlets at HT. What the fup is goin on there?

Looks like scarlets defence coach is the new Wales defence coach. The fans are not too happy about that.

[blockhead]

Cheetahs CEO Harold Verster

“We expected it to be a soft competition, not a tough one. But it is tougher than Super Rugby in some instances,” Verster said.
“If you play Leinster in Dublin, it is too tough to handle. Most of those players played for Ireland, and beat the All Blacks last year. Wales – all of those players play PRO14 and they won the Six Nations. Scotland almost hammered England and all those players played PRO14.”

[neill_m]

Conferences being re-ranked for 19/20. If it was being done now, would look like:

A Ireland 1 & 4 (Leinster/Connacht), Wales 2 & 3 (Scarlets/Ospreys), Italy 2 (Zebre), Scotland 1 (Glasgow), South Africa 1 (Cheetahs)

B Ireland 2 & 3 (Munster/Ulster), Wales 1 & 4 (Cardiff Blues/Dragons), Italy 1 (Benetton), Scotland 2 (Edinburgh), South Africa 2 (Southern Kings)

Re-rank based on points in regular season games of current season.

[paddyor]

Conferences being re-ranked for 19/20. If it was being done now, would look like:

A Ireland 1 & 4 (Leinster/Connacht), Wales 2 & 3 (Scarlets/Ospreys), Italy 2 (Zebre), Scotland 1 (Glasgow), South Africa 1 (Cheetahs)

B Ireland 2 & 3 (Munster/Ulster), Wales 1 & 4 (Cardiff Blues/Dragons), Italy 1 (Benetton), Scotland 2 (Edinburgh), South Africa 2 (Southern Kings)

Re-rank based on points in regular season games of current season.

So it's defo just the regular season? The bolded parts are certain the rest looks likely. Highly unlikely to get Munster in our group unless they have a complete collapse.

[neill_m]

Conferences being re-ranked for 19/20. If it was being done now, would look like:

A Ireland 1 & 4 (Leinster/Connacht), Wales 2 & 3 (Scarlets/Ospreys), Italy 2 (Zebre), Scotland 1 (Glasgow), South Africa 1 (Cheetahs)

B Ireland 2 & 3 (Munster/Ulster), Wales 1 & 4 (Cardiff Blues/Dragons), Italy 1 (Benetton), Scotland 2 (Edinburgh), South Africa 2 (Southern Kings)

Re-rank based on points in regular season games of current season.

So it's defo just the regular season? The bolded parts are certain the rest looks likely. Highly unlikely to get Munster in our group unless they have a complete collapse.

I am told it’s just the points over the 21 games.

[blockhead]

Conferences being re-ranked for 19/20. If it was being done now, would look like:

A Ireland 1 & 4 (Leinster/Connacht), Wales 2 & 3 (Scarlets/Ospreys), Italy 2 (Zebre), Scotland 1 (Glasgow), South Africa 1 (Cheetahs)

B Ireland 2 & 3 (Munster/Ulster), Wales 1 & 4 (Cardiff Blues/Dragons), Italy 1 (Benetton), Scotland 2 (Edinburgh), South Africa 2 (Southern Kings)

Re-rank based on points in regular season games of current season.

Looks balanced.
Conf A would contain the champions of 2018,2017,2016,2015,2014,2013, and 2012, cool.
Conf A would contain teams who have one 13 of the 17 Celtic Leagues to date.
Conf B contains Cardiff Blues, the only team in that Conf that have won a trophy in living memory (slight exaggeration)
Conf B contains many Leinster men whom have previously won many medals playing for teams from Conf A, but none with their current teams.
Looks very balanced indeed.

[betty swallocks]

Only likely change to the above will be to swop Connacht and Ulster between groups. Connacht will likely end up with more points than Ulster.

[blockhead]

As you were in Conf A, both teams get 5pts. Ulster "get hosed in scotland part 1". Looking for us and Scarlets to do them a favour tomorrow.

[blockhead]

Cheetahs CEO Harold Verster

“We expected it to be a soft competition, not a tough one. But it is tougher than Super Rugby in some instances,” Verster said.
“If you play Leinster in Dublin, it is too tough to handle. Most of those players played for Ireland, and beat the All Blacks last year. Wales – all of those players play PRO14 and they won the Six Nations. Scotland almost hammered England and all those players played PRO14.”

Audio version, interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxAZiAbSd6I

[sunshiner1]

Hmmm.Julian Savea and former Springbok Jacques Potgieter rumoured to be joining the Southern Kings

https://www.ultimaterugby.com/news/the- ... rts/615557

Really hope it's true the Kings are a joke at this stage.

[sunshiner1]

Audio version, interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxAZiAbSd6I

Interesting interview. Will be intriguing to see how they do in the next season or so.

[Dave Cahill]

Hmmm.Julian Savea and former Springbok Jacques Potgieter rumoured to be joining the Southern Kings

https://www.ultimaterugby.com/news/the- ... rts/615557

Really hope it's true the Kings are a joke at this stage.

The man from New Zealand, he say no.

[sunshiner1]

by Dave Cahill

The man from New Zealand, he say no.

Yeah really couldn't blame him. I'd say there is a better chance with Potgieter.

[blockhead]

93 tries for Leinster. A new Celtic League record (91 two seasons ago). 10 more tries than last season with a game to go.

[Ruckedtobits]

93 tries for Leinster. A new Celtic League record (91 two seasons ago). 10 more tries than last season with a game to go.

Personally, I'd have preferred the win, rather than the scoring record.

[Oldschool]

Ulster are becoming a very tough proposition, home or away.
Making the Pro14 final is well within their compass.

[neill_m]

Anscombe joining Ospreys. Cardiff play Ospreys in last round of games to decide which side from Conf A gets into the Euro Playoff, hmmm awkward!