Pro 14 Run in, who finishes where

First topic message reminder :

Current Standings (Position overall log)

Conference A
2 Glasgow 71(2) Leinster (a), Edinburgh (h) T3=1 M=1 B3=0
3 Munster 68 (3) Benetton (a), Connacht (h) T3=0 M=2 B3=0
5 Connacht 56 (4) Blues (h), Munster (a) T3=1 M=1 B3=0
6 Blues 52 (6) Connacht (a), Ospreys (h) T3=0 M=2 B3=0
10 Ospreys 49 (9) Kings (a), Blues (a) T3=0 M=1 B3=1
11 Cheetahs 36 (11) Dragons (h), Kings (h) T3=0 M=0 B3=2
14 Zebre 19 (14) Scarlets (a), Benetton (h) T3=0 M=2 B3=0

Conference B
1 Leinster 74 (1) Glasgow (h), Ulster (a) T3=1 M=1 B3=0
4 Ulster 54 (5) Edinburgh (a), Leinster (h) T3=1 M=1 B3=0
7 Benetton 52 (7) Munster (h), Zebre (a) T3=1 M=0 B3=1
8 Edinburgh 51 (8) Ulster (h), Glasgow (a) T3=1 M=1 B3=0
9 Scarlets 45 (10) Zebre (h), Dragons (a) T3=0 M=0 B3=2
12 Kings 22 (12) Ospreys (h), Cheetahs (a) T3=0 M=2 B3=0
13 Dragons 21 (13) Cheetahs (a), Scarlets (h) T3=0 M=2 B3=0

In the Conference System
First - Home Semi, Glasgow (+3), Leinster (confirmed)
Second - Home Quarter, Munster (+12), Ulster (+2)
Third - Quarterfinal, Connacht (+4), Benetton (+1)

Champs Cup playoff
Home (Highest fourth) Blues (+3)
Away Edinburgh (+6)

Wooden Spoon
Zebre (-2)

Home Semi is confirmed as Leinster with Glasgow or Munster taking the other spot.
Home Quarter seems to be the loser of Munster/Glasgow and any of Bennetton, Ulster or Edinburgh
The last spot in the quarters look a shootout between Connacht and Blues.

If you add in Ospreys with an outside chance of Champs Cup there are 7 teams fighting for the remaining 4 places.  If any of the Pro14 teams win either Euro then the highest placed fourth gets the spot and 5th in the Conference goes into the playoff (unless that team winning don't make the playoffs i.e. Edinburgh)

The wooden spoon will be an interesting fight with 3 teams only divided by 2 points.  The Kings seem to have the up hand due to their ability to get Bps.

This has backed up last year of the middle teams really after upping their game and making every game from now till the end a game of meaning for both team (such as Connacht v Bennetton this week is bad for the losing team, for the winner they might still be on a knife edge)

What are people predictions for the final standings.

The Fixtures show Edinburgh with the hardest run in playing two of the top 3 teams and none of the bottom three.  Scarlets on the other hand have none of the top 3 but 2 of the bottom 3 as do Cheetahs. Ospreys play 3 of the bottom 4 plus the Blues so could close the gap on the Blues. They are on a 6 game losing streak in all competitions so might not be any help.

We are crud. Benetton should have been out of site by the time of the penalty. Nigel is just Nigel (maybe guns has been liking tweets from certain rugby players- would be about right for a muck savage ).

Am sure the lboys will put 50 on us and put us out of our misery this year.

Watched the AIL final today and would replace the whole Munster back line with the kids from Cork Con.

PO’t Hale

What LOLs. It’s always amusing seeing people with no clue of the Irish language making their little jokes. Totes hilarious. It’s usually non Irish or west brits like Pat hole.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:What LOLs. It’s always amusing seeing people with no clue of the Irish language making their little jokes. Totes hilarious. It’s usually non Irish or west brits like Pat hole.

Yeah, ‘cos understanding of language makes any difference

If you had to study and understand the Modh Coinniollach like the vast majority of Irish people ( except for foreigners and Protestants) then you would surely understand the importance of language. Or maybe you “would” understand ( unconditionally) it’s importance

There's some strange discussions on this site.

Lagon wrote:There's  some strange discussions on this site.

I agree with this guy.

What now? There’s an Irish language?

Strange as in disturbingly intellectual and multifaceted? Or just downright padded-cell class nuts?

606 is the beauty of Chaos theory in action, Mr/mrs Lagon. Butterfly flaps the wings in Japan and.......
Forgive my ignorance of your identified sex, btw. I was told off recently for assuming that a regular guy on here was a guy coz he didn't use a 'Mr'.

Cyril wrote:What now? There’s an Irish language?

Yeah, but don't worry about it though. It was already driving its father's BMW to the disco before English was out of nappies. Different generations.

Ah, I thought you meant a real, live language, Fly. Phew!

Cyril wrote:Ah, I thought you meant a real, live language, Fly. Phew!

Oh the hairs are grey (everywhere) but it's on the auld heart pills and viagra for the vroom-vroom stuff, Cyril. Reviving nicely and starting to wolf whistle again. Thank God for modern medicine. Hell, even the Chinese here are often more slickly fluent at it than the Irish themselves.

I'm more Irish than the Irish and I'm an Ulster Scot. And a Unionist Prod.

Anyway, let's stop this. We are rugby men, not sectarian thugs.

Lagon wrote:I'm more Irish than the Irish and I'm an Ulster Scot. And a Unionist Prod.

We can't be surprised by it though, can we? Ulster is an ancient Irish Province and the Scoti were an Irish tribe. No emphasis required - as natural as water flowing over a rock.

You're right. My family history is well recorded and goes back before the English had a name. Irish history tends to skip that, but also the English.
You seem clued in.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:If you had to study and understand the Modh Coinniollach like the vast majority of Irish people ( except for foreigners and Protestants) then you would surely understand the importance of language. Or maybe you “would” understand ( unconditionally) it’s importance

What on earth are you blithering about the Modh Coinneaulaighach, ya Dutch peasant?
Is West Brit a thing in Holland?

The Oracle wrote:PO’t Hale

Exactly O’racle. Hilarious, isn’t it?

Pot Hale wrote:

The Oracle wrote:PO’t Hale

Exactly O’racle.  Hilarious, isn’t it?  

Yes. Quite.

The PRO’14 O’wards Dinner was on last night - I see the usual suspects got their go’ngs:

• Player’s Player of the Year: Bill O’Mata (Edinburgh Rugby)
  
  
• Coach of the Season: Kieran Crowley (Benetton Rugby) (obviously Irish with a name like that.)
  
  
• PRO14 Chairman’s Award: Ro’ss Fo’rd (Edinburgh Rugby)
  
  
• Next-Gen Star of the Season: Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors) (token Scottish award)
  
  
• Golden Boot: Jac o’VanderWalt (Edinburgh Rugby)
  
  
• Top Try-scorer: Rabz Maxwane (Toyota Cheetahs) (token SA award)
  
  
• Tackle Machine: James King (O’spreys Rugby) (Token Welsh award)
  
  
• Turnover King: O’lly Ro’binson (Cardiff Blues) (token English award)
  
  
• Iron Man: Tian Scho’eman (Toyota Cheetahs)
  
  

Complete fix - players and coaches from Italy, SA, Wales and Scotland all get the awards.

Fair play to the Treviso coach. They deserved to go further in the competition.

Best league in the world.

Bit of a turn. Around season for Treviso, they are really starting to deliver on the glimpses of good rugby we saw over previous seasons. A good year for the Scottish teams too.

Frankly abysmal performance by the welsh regions, many reasons why but next season has to see a marked improvement by all the regions in the Pro14 and the two European cups

maestegmafia wrote:Bit of a turn. Around season for Treviso, they are really starting to deliver on the glimpses of good rugby we saw over previous seasons. A good year for the Scottish teams too.

Frankly abysmal performance by the welsh regions, many reasons why but next season has to see a marked improvement by all the regions in the Pro14 and the two European cups

Nicely summarized

maestegmafia wrote:Bit of a turn. Around season for Treviso, they are really starting to deliver on the glimpses of good rugby we saw over previous seasons. A good year for the Scottish teams too.

Frankly abysmal performance by the welsh regions, many reasons why but next season has to see a marked improvement by all the regions in the Pro14 and the two European cups

Mixed year for the Scottish teams I would say.

Glasgow lived up to and maybe surpassed their expectations but Edinburgh flattered to deceive. Not qualifying for Europe next season has to be seen as a backward step, they played their best rugby in Europe and the tank was then empty for the important league games. It is tough to fight on two fronts unless you have a very good squad!

Abysmal season for three of the Welsh pro teams maybe. Dragons have won two derbies, had three more wins than the season before and broke the losing streak in away games. I don’t see how it could’ve gone better for us

Pot Hale wrote:

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:If you had to study and understand the Modh Coinniollach like the vast majority of Irish people ( except for foreigners and Protestants) then you would surely understand the importance of language. Or maybe you “would” understand ( unconditionally) it’s importance

What on earth are you blithering about the Modh Coinneaulaighach, ya Dutch peasant?  
Is West Brit a thing in Holland?

No it’s a thing in D4 land. In Holland it’s the black stocking prods that cause all the problems.

I’m kind of pissed that my little modh coineallach joke wasn’t appreciated by the Irish. You must have all done pass. Dunces

BigGee wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Bit of a turn. Around season for Treviso, they are really starting to deliver on the glimpses of good rugby we saw over previous seasons. A good year for the Scottish teams too.

Frankly abysmal performance by the welsh regions, many reasons why but next season has to see a marked improvement by all the regions in the Pro14 and the two European cups

Mixed year for the Scottish teams I would say.

Glasgow lived up to and maybe surpassed their expectations but Edinburgh flattered to deceive. Not qualifying for Europe next season has to be seen as a backward step, they played their best rugby in Europe and the tank was then empty for the important league games. It is tough to fight on two fronts unless you have a very good squad!

Very expensive squad

Interestingly nobody has signed for Glasgow, but they have let a number of player be released/sign for someone else. Masaga was among them, has to be considered a bit of a flop given how he was always injured.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:I’m kind of pissed that my little modh coineallach joke wasn’t appreciated by the Irish. You must have all done pass. Dunces

Know your audiences better...

I cant see past Leinster winning the Pro-14 and the Heineken Cup myself. Just a solid team all round with the best squad depth.

Looking at the Club world rankings, Leinster are 2nd and Munster 7th, not bad at all.

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:I’m kind of pissed that my little modh coineallach joke wasn’t appreciated by the Irish. You must have all done pass. Dunces

Is humour an essential part of the human condition?   Or a conditional part of the essential human?

That’s what keeps me awake at night in Hilversum.

mikey_dragon wrote:Interestingly nobody has signed for Glasgow, but they have let a number of player be released/sign for someone else. Masaga was among them, has to be considered a bit of a flop given how he was always injured.

He certainly did not set the heather on fire during his time in Glasgow, pretty much always injured, which shows how hard it is to get the body back ready for top class rugby once you have stepped away from it.

Our track record in signing up aging all blacks has not been particularly good but fortunately we have proved better at picking up younger unknown players, who have turned into real gems.

We have been promised a few new signings still to come, so we will wait in anticipation!

Pot Hale wrote:

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:I’m kind of pissed that my little modh coineallach joke wasn’t appreciated by the Irish. You must have all done pass. Dunces

Is humour an essential part of the human condition?   Or a conditional part of the essential human?

That’s what keeps me awake at night in Hilversum.

Said no one ever.

BigGee wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Interestingly nobody has signed for Glasgow, but they have let a number of player be released/sign for someone else. Masaga was among them, has to be considered a bit of a flop given how he was always injured.

He certainly did not set the heather on fire during his time in Glasgow, pretty much always injured, which shows how hard it is to get the body back ready for top class rugby once you have stepped away from it.

Our track record in signing up aging all blacks has not been particularly good but fortunately we have proved better at picking up younger unknown players, who have turned into real gems.

We have been promised a few new signings still to come, so we will wait in anticipation!

Very few aging all blacks have matched their reputation with the requisite performances when coming north. In general the best kiwi performers up here have been the guys coming younger who maybe have felt overlooked and have something to prove.

Except Brad Thorne but yeah you are right

Collapse2005 wrote:Except Brad Thorne but yeah you are right

Aye, Brad Thorn has never been one of those to just come and take the money.

LondonTiger wrote:

BigGee wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Interestingly nobody has signed for Glasgow, but they have let a number of player be released/sign for someone else. Masaga was among them, has to be considered a bit of a flop given how he was always injured.

He certainly did not set the heather on fire during his time in Glasgow, pretty much always injured, which shows how hard it is to get the body back ready for top class rugby once you have stepped away from it.

Our track record in signing up aging all blacks has not been particularly good but fortunately we have proved better at picking up younger unknown players, who have turned into real gems.

We have been promised a few new signings still to come, so we will wait in anticipation!

Very few aging all blacks have matched their reputation with the requisite performances when coming north. In general the best kiwi performers up here have been the guys coming younger who maybe have felt overlooked and have something to prove.

Agree with this. I see Naholo is off to London Irish but I have a feeling he won't live up to expectations. Players are often excellent because of the environment that they are already in - the environment/system that has nurtured them - and they are comfortable in that environment and can express themselves, and it suits their style, etc. And off the back of that they get picked for the international team and everything is rosy. Uprooting yourself and your family and trying to slot into a new system and style, but with the expectation of play linked to your previous environment/style, is such a big ask that I think it leads to this relatively poor showing of these ex-internationals in their new league. How many times have we heard about All Blacks flopping in the French Top 14?

The Dragons have had a few ex-All Black 1 cap wonders over the years, so really stretching the 'they're All Blacks so they must be good' premise. Danny Lee, Tom Willis, Hoani Macdonald, etc. Real flops! Although MacDonald was the best of the bunch. But sadly I think teams see the marketing potential of securing an ex-All black over the reality of them fitting in to NH rugby. I think South Africans settle better and have more of an impact because their game traditionally (especially in the forwards) is one of attrition which is not a million miles away from the NH cold weather rugby. I'm generalising massively here of course! But just feel that saffas have added more than kiwis over the years.

Are they all flopping or are they just perfect sabotage agents sent North to suppress the creative ambitions of NH sides?

You all look at life too much on the surface. Get down into the nuts and bolts and oil sumps. That's where the real whispers, nods and winks take place.....

Don't be so innocent folks. "Look you ain't good enough for the ABs team. But we have a mission for you, if you're prepared to accept it....totally secret and classified. And if you're caught, we deny all knowledge of you...."

ABs is a Nationwide military machine. Long may they reign.

My perception is that Saffers fit in better, but no hard evidence.

One thing to remember about so many of the imports is that they arrive knackered. The big names come after a WC and have had no off season, while the lesser known Kiwi imports have usually played in the Mitre Cup, arriving in the NH in the autumn. Even those coming after the Super Rugby season have not really had an off season.

SecretFly wrote:Are they all flopping or are they just perfect sabotage agents sent North to suppress the creative ambitions of NH sides?

You all look at life too much on the surface.  Get down into the nuts and bolts and oil sumps.  That's where the real whispers, nods and winks take place.....

Don't be so innocent folks.  "Look you ain't good enough for the ABs team.  But we have a mission for you, if you're prepared to accept it....totally secret and classified.  And if you're caught, we deny all knowledge of you...."

ABs is a Nationwide military machine.  Long may they reign.

Dammit, have you run out of foil hats again?

That's another thing! They're damn well purposefully selling substandard tin foil these days. The Rays still get Through!!!!!!!!

Damn them Martian Nazis!!!!!!! They think of everything!

https://www.606v2.com/t68373p100-the-future-of-the-rugby-forum#3805685

If you could all have a read of my latest post (and don't add any comment to this thread about it)

LondonTiger wrote:My perception is that Saffers fit in better, but no hard evidence.

One thing to remember about so many of the imports is that they arrive knackered. The big names come after a WC and have had no off season, while the lesser known Kiwi imports have usually played in the Mitre Cup, arriving in the NH in the autumn. Even those coming after the Super Rugby season have not really had an off season.

The South Africans love it in Ulster because they can get their fix of Jesus.

Collapse2005 wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:My perception is that Saffers fit in better, but no hard evidence.

One thing to remember about so many of the imports is that they arrive knackered. The big names come after a WC and have had no off season, while the lesser known Kiwi imports have usually played in the Mitre Cup, arriving in the NH in the autumn. Even those coming after the Super Rugby season have not really had an off season.

The South Africans love it in Ulster because they can get their fix of Jesus.

Or as we call him Rory Best.....

Haha yessssssssss!

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

Geen sport voor watjes wrote:I’m kind of pissed that my little modh coineallach joke wasn’t appreciated by the Irish. You must have all done pass. Dunces

Is humour an essential part of the human condition?   Or a conditional part of the essential human?

That’s what keeps me awake at night in Hilversum.

Said no one ever.

I like originality, darling.

It would be original if there was actually anything in hilversum to keep anybody awake.

Collapse2005 wrote:Best league in the world.

Just watched the Chiefs v Sharks in an error strewn, ill-disciplined game with porous defences and iffy officials - so have to agree with you.