The Irish provinces are the best. End of.

First topic message reminder :

Wum alert
Nobody can any longer compete with the massive tide (dare I say tsunami) of success.
We (non-Irish) mere mortals have to brace ourselves to be overwhelmed by all four provinces to compete each of the HEC semis.

That's the way it is and that's the way it's always going to be,

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Dodger & LenstierFan4Life - I was yanking your chain mate. Connacht are under-estimated by the non Rabo sides. We have learnt to have a very intense dislike for away games at the Sportsground. I was having a joke at the fact if a 'poor' Rabo side does well it is down to resting players.

EDIT - I didn't expect such a bite from either of you, of course it was laughable, I thought it was pretty obviously a leg-pull.

Sam it was a joke mate

Scarlet i wasnt replying to you bud. I knew you were joking because i know you love the rabbo. I was just making a point to the english posters incase they actually believed you.

Saints are so overated. Quins are a very good team, but don't you need an excellent forward pack to win this competition? Toulon just exposed their weakness big time. I'd say they (Quins) are pretty identical to the Scarlets. Neither Saints or Quins will top the group ahead of the Irish opposition in my opinion. You have to remember Munster were at their worst for a long time last year but they still managed the KO stages. They won't repeat that this year, they should only get better.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Scarlet i wasnt replying to you bud. I knew you were joking because i know you love the rabbo. I was just making a point to the english posters incase they actually believed you.

I honestly don't think they even believe themselves when they come out with things like that.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Scarlet i wasnt replying to you bud. I knew you were joking because i know you love the rabbo. I was just making a point to the english posters incase they actually believed you.

I honestly don't think they even believe themselves when they come out with things like that.

true. They come out with some funny excuses. I hope they keep writing off connacht because it will make the match more interesting.

I hope they do. The wum of this post is that the Irish posters are just too gobby about their successes.

Last season was a freakish one. There is only one provincial side that is currently exceptional. And that one is ageing at the core.

Morgannwg wrote:Saints are so overated. Quins are a very good team, but don't you need an excellent forward pack to win this competition? Toulon just exposed their weakness big time. I'd say they (Quins) are pretty identical to the Scarlets. Neither Saints or Quins will top the group ahead of the Irish opposition in my opinion. You have to remember Munster were at their worst for a long time last year but they still managed the KO stages. They won't repeat that this year, they should only get better.

Are Saints really that overrated? They were HC finalists in 2010/11 and a better 2nd half performance in that final would have seem them lift the trophy. They still reached the AP playoffs. Admittedly last season's HC run was very poor but it doesn't make them a bad team.

Quins are pretty identical to the Scarlets? You kidding me?

Sounds a bit contradictory there. You say Quins are a very good side yet don't believe they'll top their group ahead of Connacht?

Munster at their worst? Really?

Morgannwg it would be interesting to see where you would rank each team in Europe. Could you rank the top 15 in your opinion please? Just nice to get your perspective.

beshocked wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:Saints are so overated. Quins are a very good team, but don't you need an excellent forward pack to win this competition? Toulon just exposed their weakness big time. I'd say they (Quins) are pretty identical to the Scarlets. Neither Saints or Quins will top the group ahead of the Irish opposition in my opinion. You have to remember Munster were at their worst for a long time last year but they still managed the KO stages. They won't repeat that this year, they should only get better.

Are Saints really that overrated? They were HC finalists in 2010/11 and a better 2nd half performance in that final would have seem them lift the trophy. They still reached the AP playoffs. Admittedly last season's HC run was very poor but it doesn't make them a bad team.

Quins are pretty identical to the Scarlets? You kidding me?

Sounds a bit contradictory there. You say Quins are a very good side yet don't believe they'll top their group ahead of Connacht?

Munster at their worst? Really?

Morgannwg it would be interesting to see where you would rank each team in Europe. Could you rank the top 15 in your opinion please? Just nice to get your perspective.

Comparing the Quins to the Scarlets, that is a bit unfair. The Scarlets can beat Connacht at the Sportsground

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Scarlet i wasnt replying to you bud. I knew you were joking because i know you love the rabbo. I was just making a point to the english posters incase they actually believed you.

I honestly don't think they even believe themselves when they come out with things like that.

true. They come out with some funny excuses. I hope they keep writing off connacht because it will make the match more interesting.

Who is writing off the might of Connacht? Kingshu and Morgannwg seem to think Connacht will do very well in the HC and I am sure there are others who think so too.

Great result for Katie Taylor - that'll be another medal in the bag for Ireland.

Artful_Dodger wrote:Great result for Katie Taylor - that'll be another medal in the bag for Ireland.

Down with this sort of gobbyness! .... ....

Portnoy wrote:I hope they do. The wum of this post is that the Irish posters are just too gobby about their successes.

Last season was a freakish one. There is only one provincial side that is currently exceptional. And that one is ageing at the core.

Oh it really is the same old same old from you isnt it? Every year its the same this time ..... same old same old... groundhog day..

1 The Irish are gobby about their successes
2 The English will be there or there abouts this time round
3 The ref
4 The weather
5 Ageing Irish team....(quite a few of them have been "ageing" for a few years now...

Portnoy, enjoy another season of underachievement at HEC level.

Portnoy is incredibly bitter towards Irish rugby - his original post sums it up, bitter bitter jealousy. Only one Irish side exceptional? Munster and Ulster destroyed Saints and Tigers respectively and Connacht beat the English champs. You can see where his bitterness comes from.

I'd love another Ulster V Tigers game (in h-cup), and I'd say that Tigers fans would love it to happen as well.

I'd say Harliquins are looking forward to playing Connacht again, not the most biggest of names, but the 2 games last year were close and exciting.

Munster I'd say would like to meet Ospreys along the line,

and nobody wants to meet Leienster

beshocked wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:Saints are so overated. Quins are a very good team, but don't you need an excellent forward pack to win this competition? Toulon just exposed their weakness big time. I'd say they (Quins) are pretty identical to the Scarlets. Neither Saints or Quins will top the group ahead of the Irish opposition in my opinion. You have to remember Munster were at their worst for a long time last year but they still managed the KO stages. They won't repeat that this year, they should only get better.

Are Saints really that overrated? They were HC finalists in 2010/11 and a better 2nd half performance in that final would have seem them lift the trophy. They still reached the AP playoffs. Admittedly last season's HC run was very poor but it doesn't make them a bad team.

Quins are pretty identical to the Scarlets? You kidding me?

Sounds a bit contradictory there. You say Quins are a very good side yet don't believe they'll top their group ahead of Connacht?

Munster at their worst? Really?

Morgannwg it would be interesting to see where you would rank each team in Europe. Could you rank the top 15 in your opinion please? Just nice to get your perspective.

Yes, pretty overated. They are yet to win domestic honours. They had an easy route to the KO stages in 2010/11, courteousy of the officials helping take out their group contenders. They performed well from here on out into the latter stages, gave their all and could not win it. They didn't get out of the group stages in last seasons comp and were thrashed by Castres and then by Munster. I have no doubt they will continue to be overhyped for a couple more seasons though. They are not the only team, it's part of an AP hype-cycle. I always say it, there is only one good English team that is constantly up there with the best.

No am I not kidding you. Perhaps a bit harsh though, as the SS points out. Who are in Quins group? I wasn't sure if it was Ulster or another team. I do think Quins are very good, but your point seems to assume Connacht are very bad? Yet this team couldn't beat them.

By Munster standards (which are exceedingly high), they were very bad. It all culminated in that thrashing from the Ospreys, it was Men v Boys. An annomaly never before seen in the rugby world. But with some fresh faces they should pick themselves back up, perhaps not to unbeatable standards like before but they shall be there-abouts.

Why do you need my rankings? It's difficult to rank as there are different domestic competitions and some good teams aren't even in the HEC. There are some Euro rankings available for you (although they look pretty bad). I would attempt to rank the top 15 but I just feel I'd upset you when I don't rank Saracens number 1 (or in the top 5).

[/quote]Portnoy is incredibly bitter towards Irish rugby - his original post sums it up, bitter bitter jealousy. Only one Irish side exceptional? Munster and Ulster destroyed Saints and Tigers respectively and Connacht beat the English champs. You can see where his bitterness comes from.
[/quote]

Yes, but a man of his age should really be a little more balanced in his views and opinions. Who knows, maybe his wife ran away with an Irishman or something....

The vast majority of his posts are about Irish rugby and are always poorly disguised wums, deeply sarcastic or have some sort of agenda behind them. But I have to say blaming the ref and weather is really scraping the barrel especially given that he clearly isn't stupid.

Clearly not.

"Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow" being the latest .... ah well, I suppose every country has their fair share !!

Artful_Dodger wrote:The vast majority of his posts are about Irish rugby and are always poorly disguised wums, deeply sarcastic or have some sort of agenda behind them. But I have to say blaming the ref and weather is really scraping the barrel especially given that he clearly isn't stupid.

Most of them are disguised into bad jokes that only he finds funny.