Rabo pro 12 first weekend, thoughts....

First topic message reminder :

Well, here we are, the first weekend of the Rabo is over with a few surprise score lines, what are your thoughts after watching this weekends rugby, for me the two surprises for me were the Scarlets tooling Leinster and Munster wining away in Edinburgh, there were hard fought wins for Treviso, Ulster and the Blues and Zebre lived up to their billing with a hiding to nothing, for me although the Ospreys lost, they know they should have won even with 14 men they dominated the game everywhere except where it counts, on the scoreboard, and due to bad handling and bad discipline they could not get the win that perhaps they deserved, Leinster on the other hand should be more worried as the team that lost so significantly to the Scarlets will most likely be the team that they use in the league and they cannot take hidings like that all the time, something tells me they will improve ten fold next week, I am not going to judge the Dragons game until somebody else plays the Zebres as I do not know if it was just a one off poor display or is it a sign of things to come.

The Cardiff Blues have done well to come away from Connacht with a win in very bad conditions and I think they showed some steel that they have been lacking over the years, I did not see much of the Glasgow and Ulster game or the Munster and Edinburgh game to make to much comments but I hope the the Scottish can buck the trend and live up to the promise we all had for them in pre -season, Munster though seem to be going about their business as usual, a lot of people did not give them a chance of a playoff place this season, but I think by going to Edinburgh and winning they have set down a marker for the rest, and will probably be the team to beat in the earlier part of this season. The results are below:-

Connacht 9-13 Cardiff Blues
Edinburgh 18-23 Munster
Scarlets 45-20 Leinster
Newport-Gwent D'gons 37-6 Zebre
Treviso 12-6 Ospreys
Ulster 18-10 Glasgow

munkian wrote:My family will all support Wales in International games but apart from that they are all Cardiff City football fans.

I'd say Wales is more about football at club level and Rugby at International level.

Saying that I've taken some of them to Regional games and they've enjoyed them

HERSH wrote:

Yes we know you support Barf Hersh, but perhaps you should be posting your support on the right competition thread

Crowds are poor because attitudes towards the league are poor. Look at the Ospreys' fans as an example. When they won the league the season tickets went up fairly quickly. Welsh fans on other forums have been the most negative towards the league.

I do notice a shift in attitude recently though. Maybe its because of the players the regions are producing for the national team? There seems to be a more positive attitude towards the league from Welsh fans. Its up to the people running the league too to make a more attractive product.

As for the first week. Well the Rabo/Magners/Celtic league have always been slow to take off. With so many internationals playing in the league its bound to have an effect since they need PROPER time off.

I'm happy with how the first week went. Munster won and Leinster and Ospreys lost! Scarlets were very impressive in demolishing Leinster. It still wasn't a bad Leinster side and I'd give more credit to the Scarlets for playing some great rugby. I expect the standard to rise again this season.

profitius wrote:Crowds are poor because attitudes towards the league are poor. Look at the Ospreys' fans as an example. When they won the league the season tickets went up fairly quickly. Welsh fans on other forums have been the most negative towards the league.

I do notice a shift in attitude recently though. Maybe its because of the players the regions are producing for the national team? There seems to be a more positive attitude towards the league from Welsh fans. Its up to the people running the league too to make a more attractive product.

As for the first week. Well the Rabo/Magners/Celtic league have always been slow to take off. With so many internationals playing in the league its bound to have an effect since they need PROPER time off.

I'm happy with how the first week went. Munster won and Leinster and Ospreys lost! Scarlets were very impressive in demolishing Leinster. It still wasn't a bad Leinster side and I'd give more credit to the Scarlets for playing some great rugby. I expect the standard to rise again this season.

glamorganalun wrote:There are some poor excuses on here as to why the crowds are poor at Welsh regional clubs, we know the answer i.e., few in the valleys will bother to travel to support a "towny's" club that they have no connection with hence watch their local team every other Saturday at a much lower price. I suspect the standard of rugby will go up in the premiership with many of the regional players being released from the regions (super clubs) so the situation may get worse in years to come.

Utter nonsense. The Prem attendances in total are a fraction of the regions. I'm glad you've finally accepted that the reason 'Valley' people don't support the regions is their own pig ignorance tho. Funny how you always bemoan how skint the regions are yet suddenly there are going to be loads of extra players parachuted into the Prem all of a sudden also. How did you work that one out?

neilthom7 wrote:thebluesmancometh my bills are all paid thank you i have a budget which i plan and stick too i am in a perfectly healthy financial position. What I am saying is it can be done.

Someone give that man a

Exactly what I have been saying.

neilthom

No offence was meant mate, but you were talking about spending a week's wage on a rugby match... ouch!

Monetary excuses are cop outs to me anyway, there are thousands of poeple out in the town centres every weekend spending a small fortune on booze and food, if only a small percentage of them could take in a game beforehand...

Back to my original point.

A few pints in the pub (or the extra tattoo or whatever) vs Support your team with a few cans on the way 1st.

I am like Neil in that I have no tattoos and I dont go clubbing, so rugby is my time off, guilty please ect ect, so people will make their choices...

Boyne

Last season mind the ticket price for the CCS varied from £15 to £20 bog standard and upwards.

Thats a little more than a few pints, thats more like 6-8! Not including the pints in the stadium £3.50 or so a pop.

When you consider the pricing and how it contends with other activities it isn't good!

Say £15 ticket
£7.00 two pints
£2.00 pie
£3.00 busfare

£27.00 per person.

If you watch at home you could buy 8 cans for a £5, as many snacks as you want for £5.00 and have £17 spare for next week.

Well you see the cans ain't a big thing for me I have to admit because I drink so little. In theory I could watch most if not all of Ulsters games at home because he homes matches are on BBC usually derbies are on RTE or TG4. Welsh matches and Scottish matches can usually be found on those bbc channels and Heineken is on sky sports. However I just love to go to the game roar on the team, get the atmosphere. I guess it depends on your passion etc rugby is my passion. Still im just glad the season is back again.