Pro 12 - General Thread

[johng]

Yes. We played one there v Tolouse in 2011 and Perpignan in 2003. And Munster played one in Croker in 2009.... Also LR In 2004

Oh. And Black Sunday

Since this is the Pro12 thread, I was obviously reffering to the Pro12 semis!

DooooHH!

[cormac]

I know I asked this before, but...
If Leinster were to somehow secure a home semi V Munster, could it be played in the Aviva?

Not sure if there's anything in the tournament regs that a semi-final can't be played in the same stadium as the final now that they've moved the finals to more neutral venues. Problem might be more logistical in terms of organising ticketing for 50,000 fans in a short time frame, especially if one or both of the teams were playing in the Champions Cup final the week before.

[simonokeeffe]

That's one delusional Welsh journalist right there

Whatever about the Ospreys, bringing the Blues into the conversation is downright batsh¡t.

Gethin Jenkins is legitimately an all time great, but he's 36 now and has a huge amount of miles on the clock – 330ish first class pro games.

Alex Cuthbert? He has been a very effective weapon in the past [and can still be a difficult player in the Pro12], but if you take a look at his test career his big impact came right at the start – 3 tries in the 2012 Six Nations, 4 tries in the 2013 Six Nations ... and then 1 in the last four editions of the tournament. Ditto his club form – 22 tries in his first two seasons [2011-12 and 2012-13] and then the same number spread over the next four seasons, i.e. essentially halving his scoring rate.

He came out of nowhere into a Welsh side with threats all over the backline [prime Roberts, JJVD and North] and benefitted from the attention defenders had to pay to them. In fairness to him, he took his chance and did really well at that stage. Since people have become aware of him though, his limited skillset has made him a lot easier to defend, and in any case his confidence really affects his form. He doesn't have a rounded skillset to rely on, so if he can't hit his straps he can become a real weakness.

Anscombe is a tidy footballer, nothing special. Halaholo played one season of Super Rugby – it's to his credit that he was part of a good Wellington side, but he was hardly the star of it. Lee-lo is good and can be difficult, but he's not outstanding.

The writer is correct though when he says that Munster have much better team spirit and cohesion than any of the Welsh sides.

not going to re research the stat but basically Cardiff wouldve played f all HC games if meritocracy had been brought in sooner

also Cardiff's front 5 is garbage, if you want to talk HC level forwards they have Ellis Jenkins and Warburton and thats it

walesonline better off declaring war on non easter easter eggs and Gibraltar

[Lar]

walesonline better off declaring war on non easter easter eggs and Gibraltar

Wouldn't that make it the Daily Mail?

[simonokeeffe]

walesonline better off declaring war on non easter easter eggs and Gibraltar

Wouldn't that make it the Daily Mail?

would still be an upgrade

[blockhead]

Ulster 24-24 Cardiff. Scarlets will go ahead of them with a 5 pointer tomorrow at home to Treviso.
Cardiff were good for the draw, could be the team to beat next year.

[simonokeeffe]

speaking of the Welsh, 4 Welsh sides have more residency qualified or eligible players than the 4 Irish though Dragons & Scarlets each have more than the other 2 combined. The 2 Scottish have more than Leinster, Munster, and Ulster combined

[kermischocolate]

speaking of the Welsh, 4 Welsh sides have more residency qualified or eligible players than the 4 Irish though Dragons & Scarlets each have more than the other 2 combined. The 2 Scottish have more than Leinster, Munster, and Ulster combined

To be fair amalgamating Glasgow and Edinbokke is a bit harsh when we're talking residency stuff.

[simonokeeffe]

speaking of the Welsh, 4 Welsh sides have more residency qualified or eligible players than the 4 Irish though Dragons & Scarlets each have more than the other 2 combined. The 2 Scottish have more than Leinster, Munster, and Ulster combined

To be fair amalgamating Glasgow and Edinbokke is a bit harsh when we're talking residency stuff.

ha thats fair, you have 5 + Strauss by my count but most are peripheral or not SQ yet youngsters

[kermischocolate]

ha thats fair, you have 5 + Strauss by my count but most are peripheral or not SQ yet youngsters

Priority will go to young Scottish players though- e.g. why we are inexplicably getting rid of Favaro.

[blockhead]

Pro12 attendances top 1Million after yesterdays games. Good chance it will be a record season for tickets sold.

[Ruckedtobits]

The pro12 said a few months back that they intend to expand the league. I wonder has that caused the Scottish Union to change their mind. In other words, if for instance there was a new pro12 second division being created, it would be ideal to have a new Scottish based side enter it. No need for London Scottish

That quote is from 11 months ago. Heard a conversation at the weekend at AIL match that Pro12 are talking with US team on East Coast and with Canadian Union about two new teams to play in Pro12. Also some discussion with Heidelberg in Germany about a team for two Conference new competition for Sept 2018.

This sort of development sounds very interesting when it is noticed that Canada beat USA in World Series Sevens Final in Singapore yesterday - England 3rd, Aus 4th and NZ 5th. Certainly would be a game changer if the N Americans could fieldcompetitive professional teams in a Pro12 Competition.

[Dave Cahill]

The conference system has been such a resounding success in Super Rugby - who wouldn't want to emulate that

[rooster]

The conference system has been such a resounding success in Super Rugby - who wouldn't want to emulate that

Scots and Welsh are the main drivers for a conference system as it will cut the number of matches

[FLIP]

The conference system has been such a resounding success in Super Rugby - who wouldn't want to emulate that

Scots and Welsh are the main drivers for a conference system as it will cut the number of matches

> Be short of cash
> Players get a contract with smaller amounts for match bonuses
> Get less value from your players
> Get less gate receipts
> ??????
> Profit

Honestly sometimes I think we should leave them to fail if it wasn't going to drag us down with them.

[ronk]

The conference system has been such a resounding success in Super Rugby - who wouldn't want to emulate that

Conferences cut down on travel, which isn't really a problem in the Pro12.

It could be used to merge the 3 leagues and scrap the Champions Cup but I don't think any of the major stakeholders wants that.

ThePro12 has to expand within its existing area by strengthening teams before it expands again geographically.

[simonokeeffe]

conference system can be good when it makes sense or something close to it; super rugby messed up with crazy travel distances* and chopping and changing of teams

their new proposed system of 5 x NZ, 4 Aus + Japan, 4 SA + ARG makes more sense on several fronts

*North American teams is crazy stupid in my book in terms of travel, expense, ko times, and competitiveness

workable conferences would be eg as it stands Irish and Welsh taking turns year to year with Scots and Italians, then you could add Germans to one and Romanians to other

[Dave Cahill]

It's a sh!t system and completely unnecessary in a world with air and high speed rail travel. It has destroyed Super Rugby where the problem is not the travel but that familiarity has bred contempt and that international rivalries like between RSA and NZ have been ignored

[rooster]

The conference system has been such a resounding success in Super Rugby - who wouldn't want to emulate that

Scots and Welsh are the main drivers for a conference system as it will cut the number of matches

> Be short of cash
> Players get a contract with smaller amounts for match bonuses
> Get less value from your players
> Get less gate receipts
> ??????
> Profit

Honestly sometimes I think we should leave them to fail if it wasn't going to drag us down with them.

Ah but they think that less games means strongest sides always playing with the international players involved which they reckon will bring bigger crowds.
They seem to forget that Welsh players never seem to perform for their club sides and they are not topping the league or Europe either on a semi regular basis

[kermischocolate]

The pro12 said a few months back that they intend to expand the league. I wonder has that caused the Scottish Union to change their mind. In other words, if for instance there was a new pro12 second division being created, it would be ideal to have a new Scottish based side enter it. No need for London Scottish

That quote is from 11 months ago. Heard a conversation at the weekend at AIL match that Pro12 are talking with US team on East Coast and with Canadian Union about two new teams to play in Pro12. Also some discussion with Heidelberg in Germany about a team for two Conference new competition for Sept 2018.

This sort of development sounds very interesting when it is noticed that Canada beat USA in World Series Sevens Final in Singapore yesterday - England 3rd, Aus 4th and NZ 5th. Certainly would be a game changer if the N Americans could fieldcompetitive professional teams in a Pro12 Competition.

Singapore seems to be tournament of the underdog. Kenya won it last year.

Interestingly Germany almost qualified for next year's 7s world series which is not a bad effort for a programme that's only been going 4 years. Nothing like the Olympics to add a much needed revenue source into the mix!