Irish Derbies - prediction time

To much talk about NIQ/IQ players or whether Johnny Sexton is a brilliant OH (he's not).

Time for predictions.

Leinster/Munster
Mighty Men of Munster whose forebears were kings and whose pure gaelic heritage makes it the primary province of Ireland
21
Mongrels of Leinster whose gaelic background has been diluted from the waves of Viking, Norman, English and the odd Italian (randy lot...have you seen the amount of chippers named Macari's in the greater dublin area)..
15

Munster to shade a tight battle with Jonny Sexton missing about 10 penalty kicks.


Ulster/Connacht
Connacht who may make some claim to being the primary gaelic province but think Spanish Armada (that Galway crowd look a bit swarthy to me) and odd Mayo people who dont like Gas....
27
Ulster (gotta be careful here)...the people with funny accents
18

Given form Connacht could well pull off an upset here. The people with Funny accents need to get their season back on the rails.

Leinster 18 - Munster 9
Ulster 25 - Connacht 22

Both matches could go either way but a bit of hometown refereeing should do the trick here

SUFTUM!

DOD, is this the same gaelic province Munster that managed to lose both the hurling and football this year to counties in eh.......Leinster and in the football blew a 4 point lead with 6 minutes to go and let in the dreaded Dubs!

My tenner is riding on a Leinster-Ulster double and another tenner on Isa to score first try tonight

Brennonmac...its only because Cork couldnt be bothered this year.

Leinster baby.

What are the teams for this weekend of bragging rights verification?

See here: https://www.606v2.com/t17359-fever-in-the-aviva-ii-this-time-its-provincial

Jonny Sexton MOM - you heard it here first.
1.5 hrs til out of work. Bellamys (pint), Embassy Grill (burger), Bellamys (couple more pints) Lansdowne Rd (Leinster 21 Boggers 9) Bellamys (more celebratory pints) Home beddy sleepy.
Whoo !!

sorry hurley only saw your post now

only difference in mine is i will be going the bookies to wager on us beating the bog warriors and there will be atleast several times where i say ah sure i'll stay for one more

Having had a squint at the teams I'll have to go for Leinster, they're pack looks much more dynamic and I expect it to be a far more attacking prospect that Munster's. If Leinster can get into O'Gara I really think Munster will struggle as it looks like Munster will be relying on him putting the ball into the corner and the forwards challenging the set piece.

Could be a result for Munster that Kearney is playing FB he tends to kick more than Nacewa and so the Munster back three might get into the game more that way.

Would a younger Munser team do better? Do people think that O'Mahony and Keatley and Archer would have brought more?

Don't know about that Staggy but I would have thought that Coughlan and the other mobile option discussed the other week (O'C... I can't remember) might have been utilised. I don't watch a lot of Irish rugby but it seems to me the Leinster pack is winning comfortabley in the speed department and the Munster boys will have to be slowing the ball down in order to keep up with the tempo they are likely to set.

If its David O'Callaghan your referring to he is injured.

IMO this is far from Munsters best team (though McGahan may have other ideas). I think we are missing 5 starting players.

Mike Sherry, David Wallace, Felix Jones, Peter O'Mahony and Danny Barnes.

It looks like McGahan doesn't see things that way.

A Munster backrow consisting of Leamy, Wallace and POM would be scary indeed, especially with Coughlan on the bench. I think that backrow could possibly match Leinster's when Wallace returns and POM takes over at 8.

Felix Jones, I can't wait to watch him play again and really hope he doesn't get injured. He seems more unlucky than injury prone like Ferris, as he gets pretty different but serious injuries instead of typical niggling ones. Jones will put some crazy pressure on Kearney to hold onto the 15 shirt, and I don't think he succeed in holding onto it.

Sextons still the best oh in Ireland. Mon Leinster.