Pro 12 Pre Season

[Groundhog]

Just thought I'd start a pre season thread as the AP has one, and while we can't match them for cash, we certainly make up for that in our ability to spam our petty opinions
Connacht have their first game tonight, and what's interesting to me is Kelleher making his first start in what is quite a strong Connacht side, with some clear experimenting involved. That kicks off at 7. Munster's friendlies are set tobe thrilling enounters agains ***ans of Europe Zebre and Worcester as well as London Irish who we always play.
15. Cian Kelleher
14. Niyi Adeolokun
13. Eoin Griffin
12. Bundee Aki
11. Cormac Brennan
10. Jack Carty
9. Caolin Blade
1. Denis Buckley
2. Dave Heffernan
3. Dominic Robertson-McCoy
4. Sean O’Brien
5. Danny Qualter
6. Eoin McKeon
7. Jake Heenan
8. John Muldoon (captain)

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Zebre just ran Bayonne close in a friendly although tragically appear to be experimenting with Canna at fullback. Best young talent at fly half for donkeys and his club start messing about with his position.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Treviso hammered Grenoble in Italy last week playing some very attractive, expansive rugby (with many starters missing for Treviso, not sure about strength of team Grenoble put out). Unfortunately they followed that up with 10-33 defeat at home to Leicester last night (despite putting out a stronger side), but looked decent again with ball in hand. Looks like Crowley has had a positive first impression on the squad. Still optimistic that they'll massively close the gap on 9th place and make it hard for teams to put out second XVs against them.

 

[munstermuffin]

Munster beat Zebre 17 0 last night good work out but a typical pre season game

 

[AzaMatt]

the welsh teams:

Ospreys narrowly beat leicester tigers week before last (albeit a second string tigers). and hammered the belgian national side 71-0. not sure how that benefits either side though.

cardiff blues narrowly beat bristol 27-25

the dragons lost to ealing(? championship side).

scarlets lost to bath as well.

thats about it for the welsh sides

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Pipped Gloucester 26-24 in Tallaght, the air out there isn't as pure as in Ballsbridge so I think it was a 90 point handicap for our gentlemen. Can't see us losing this year to be honest.

 

[Groundhog]

Rob Lyttle's try (#3) in Ulster's pre season game against Ex on Saturday was simply ball tingling.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Very nice NFL style spin move that you don't see much in rugby. Although I've only started watching club rugby towards the tail end of the Pro12 last season (coverage is terrible in Scotland) that doesn't stop me from making ill informed predictions. Looking at last season and transfers I think Ulster will be the top Irish side and the only one to make the playoffs (Scarlets, Glasgow, Blues/Ospreys being the others).

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I don't think so, Ulster have horrible strength in depth and even worse bottle. My prediction would be
Leinster
Glasgow
Connacht
Whoever isn't completely useless and scores a lot of tries.

We'll be start slow and pick up the pace when European rugby comes along, if Cullen and Dempsey have learned from and can correct the dip in form at the end of last season we should top the league and reach the final at worst. Connacht are ageing badly in a few key areas and it'll be tough without MacGinty and Henshaw who did very well in their big games but should have enough about them to keep a playoff spot, Glasgow are a very good league side if not a team that'll do the business in Europe but will challenge at this level this season anyway.

Outside that it's a turkey shoot, Munster, Ulster, Ospreys and Scarlets all look like possibles, Ulster being my favourite because they'll score the most tries and get the most bp's.

 

[Peat]

Connacht face a tremendous task in terms of having the mental focus to repeat what they've done while being marked men. They were also benefiting from the big clubs getting hammered by the World Cup last season. I don't think they're a lock for the top four although obviously they're a candidate.

I'd expect 2-3 Irish sides there. Not sure the Welsh have strengthened enough to change things.

Ulster's problems are overtalked. The team's been consistently making the play-offs for the last few years and hasn't got weaker. Sure, the lack of forward depth, lack of top class props and lack of big game winning mentality usually get us in knock-out games, and the lack of forward depth probably costs us a couple of games that knock us from top 2 to top 4, but they'll probably be up there. I would say avoid the injury crisis and right up there but I think we're starting with one, which is nice.

It should be mentioned that Ulster's outside back choice is pure filth by now. Not hugely important, but kinda impressive all the same.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

How do folk rate Scholes who has ended up at Edinburgh? He looked okay to me from what little I saw last season but I fear he's just an Ulster reject. He seems determined to play fullback at Edinburgh and makes it sound like that was one of the big reasons for him moving.

 

[Groundhog]

I would genuinely expect three provinces in the knockouts. Some team will have a definite stinker but I expect all 4 to make the Champions Cup. I don't know if Connacht will be quite as good as they were last season. They've made a pretty decent signing at 10, but Henshaw is a huge loss and they have no one of that quality to step up and replace him. And while their attack is great their Defence is still way to porous for Champions Cup rugby.

How do folk rate Scholes who has ended up at Edinburgh? He looked okay to me from what little I saw last season but I fear he's just an Ulster reject. He seems determined to play fullback at Edinburgh and makes it sound like that was one of the big reasons for him moving.

Absolutely not the case. He's a fantastic prospect whose value was maybe recognized just a little bit too late. Ulster are bursting with back talent, but it could be argued he has earned a starting 15 place. Regardless it will be good for him to go abroad and learn in a different system. He won't be gone for long I imagine.

 

[Peat]

I'm still a bit bent out of shape he's gone tbh and fully expecting Ulster to lure him back when his Embra contract is done. He's quick, he's powerful, he's got decent footwork and I rarely saw him exposed doing something dumb. Big boot too.

The big question mark is whether he can keep it up in his second season, whether people see and find weaknesses in him, but last season he looked like an international in waiting and if it wasn't for the absurd outside back stock pile at Ulster, it didn't look like being a long wait. Only reason he's gone is that Ulster's second choice outside back unit looks like this:

Bowe-Olding-Cave-Gilroy
Ludik

Four full internationals and another guy just as good. And to repeat, that's the current second choice. Just no space.

 

[Amiga500]

How do folk rate Scholes who has ended up at Edinburgh? He looked okay to me from what little I saw last season but I fear he's just an Ulster reject. He seems determined to play fullback at Edinburgh and makes it sound like that was one of the big reasons for him moving.

Big loss for Ulster which will become apparent at the tail end of this season when Bowe and Trimble meet Fr Time. No one I know is happy with his departure, although as far as I understand it was for gametime (which is very important at this point in his development).

Big gain for Edinburgh.

- - - Updated - - -

And to repeat, that's the current second choice. Just no space.

Now if only we could get them the ball eh?

 

[Peat]

#PrayForThePack

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

What annoys me about Scholes is that he'd have had a great life in South Dublin after a few weeks of elocution classes. I'd rather have him then Morris anyway and had the Fitzgerald news come through earlier I think we'd have got him instead.

 

[Amiga500]

What annoys me about Scholes is that he'd have had a great life in South Dublin after a few weeks of elocution classes. I'd rather have him then Morris anyway and had the Fitzgerald news come through earlier I think we'd have got him instead.

Possibly.

Would you have given us Conan in return?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Possibly.

Would you have given us Conan in return?

Dominick Ryan. Let's be real here, Leinster don't get ****ed when it comes to business on this island, they do the ****ing.

 

[Peat]

Since Scholes was out of contract, they'd have given Ulster SFA.

If I was Les Kiss, I'd be looking to give the best Leinster U20 back rower and/or prop every year a development contract until we make the pack work.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Looks like the Pro12 website is skipping pre-season, it's been down for three days. Hoepfully they'll have it back up for the start of the season.