The 29 November Pro14 weekend

How do you Pro14 followers feel about the WRUs decision to hold an uncapped Wales match on the weekend of 29/30 November?

Ulster v Scarlets
Dragons v Zebre
Ospreys v Cheetahs
Benetton v Cardiff

As well as the Wales players being rested, the 4 Welsh sides are likely to be without a whole raft of names such as Josh McLeod, Ryan Elias, Sam Davies, Dan Lydiate, Rob Evans, Keiron Hardy, Jarod Evans, Sam Davies, Keelan Giles, Ashton Hewitt, Jordan Williams, Leon Brown etc etc etc

Is this Wales fixture devaluign the league? Will the sponsors and broadcasters of the pro14 be happy with the 4 Welsh sides being so weak? Does anybody care enough to reply to this thread?

The WRU have been devaluing the Euro Cup for years with their 4th AI that falls outside the International Window, this is just more of the same.

The argument from them has always been that they need the funds. This match hardly seems like a great draw, will they fill the stadium and their coffers on the back of a pretty meaningless game like this? From my own perspective, these chuck it about Barbarians games in the professional era are pointless and not even that enjoyable to watch.

The barbarians will have been on the lash for a week and the Welsh players will just be worried about not getting injured. I would not pay to watch a game like that.

Of the 4 games only Dragons would expected to win and they are the least affected by call ups.  Their loss is others gain so I have no complaints. Ospreys are at home and they have already given Kings 4 pts at home so only fair they hand out a few more.

This could be the year that no Welsh team makes the HC as Conference B will be a big fight so Scarlets are as likely to finish 2nd as 5th.  Ospreys or Dragons should make the playoff but may be away so can't see them winning. It's all on the Scarlets already.

Brendan wrote:Of the 4 games only Dragons would expected to win and they are the least affected by call ups.  Their loss is others gain so I have no complaints. Ospreys are at home and they have already given Kings 4 pts at home so only fair they hand out a few more.

This could be the year that no Welsh team makes the HC as Conference B will be a big fight so Scarlets are as likely to finish 2nd as 5th.  Ospreys or Dragons should make the playoff but may be away so can't see them winning. It's all on the Scarlets already.

We also have the least amount of depth. If Sam Davies does get called up for this pointless chuck about, and get injured, we literally don't have a fly half for the rest of the season.

RugbyFan100 wrote:

Is this Wales fixture devaluign the league?

WRU choosing to pull some Welsh players from Regions to play a game in November? Devalues the League?

It's traditional, isn't it? It might theoretically disrespect the League but devalue it? Nope, the League has been living with the anomaly for too long now to do anything but yawn.
It's a decidedly Welsh conundrum - the fans go to Internationals more readily than they show for Regional. What'd'ya do? You can't make a horse drink if he doesn't want to drink.

This season is the start of the new international schedule with the first three weeks of November now determined as the November AI window.

There is no window this year because of the RWC, hence the uncapped status of an invitational match that will benefit Barbarians more than it will Wales.

Does it devalue the PRO14 Championship? Not really - the Welsh regions have been performing poorly of late, this will just be more of the same. Nonetheless, there could be a couple of surprise results.

Pot Hale wrote:

Does it devalue the PRO14 Championship?   Not really - the Welsh regions have been performing poorly of late, this will just be more of the same.  Nonetheless, there could be a couple of surprise results.  

So you don't think broadcasters and sponsors will care either way that one of the nations competing has decided to pull another load of their best players out of the 4 x fixtures ?

Will the sponsors and broadcasters of the pro14 be happy with the 4 Welsh sides being so weak?

If they cared enough to chuck us out then they would have done so a couple of years ago, the Welsh teams are beyond gash. Three of them can write the season off already, absolute car crashes the lot of them. Scarlets should improve and probably be in contention for play-offs, etc. They'll lose that fixture to Ulster though. So whether this fixture was there or not it wouldn't have made a difference. I can only hope that the WRU turn a profit and put more cash into the regions, otherwise what's the point of their existence?

RugbyFan100 wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

Does it devalue the PRO14 Championship?   Not really - the Welsh regions have been performing poorly of late, this will just be more of the same.  Nonetheless, there could be a couple of surprise results.  

So you don't think broadcasters and sponsors will care either way that one of the nations competing has decided to pull another load of their best players out of the 4 x  fixtures ?

No - I think they're used to it from the Wales union. Everyone knows that the Welsh don't give a sh1t about the PRO14. Are they going to take out another load of their best players? Perhaps the Welsh RWC squad will have returned by then and they can use some of those instead.

mikey_dragon wrote:

Will the sponsors and broadcasters of the pro14 be happy with the 4 Welsh sides being so weak?

If they cared enough to chuck us out then they would have done so a couple of years ago, the Welsh teams are beyond gash. Three of them can write the season off already, absolute car crashes the lot of them. Scarlets should improve and probably be in contention for play-offs, etc. They'll lose that fixture to Ulster though. So whether this fixture was there or not it wouldn't have made a difference. I can only hope that the WRU turn a profit and put more cash into the regions, otherwise what's the point of their existence?

That's probably a slightly harsh but fair comment.

mikey_dragon wrote:

Will the sponsors and broadcasters of the pro14 be happy with the 4 Welsh sides being so weak?

If they cared enough to chuck us out then they would have done so a couple of years ago, the Welsh teams are beyond gash. Three of them can write the season off already, absolute car crashes the lot of them. Scarlets should improve and probably be in contention for play-offs, etc. They'll lose that fixture to Ulster though. So whether this fixture was there or not it wouldn't have made a difference. I can only hope that the WRU turn a profit and put more cash into the regions, otherwise what's the point of their existence?

Well mikey, I do not agree with you for the most part, but this is a nail on the head comment. At the moment I really am worried about pro rugby in Wales.

There are a few reasons I could give as to why I think the WRU have chosen to do this fixture, but I do not want to get embroiled with all the nonsense that goes with it.

Please do. Or let the Canadian local, speak about the issues he knows so well about.

Is it non free to air? Otherwise it might be a good fixture, for you and your like to meet new Welsh players you’ve never heard of, seeing as you don’t care for the league they play in. Be a bit of an eye opener for you and those outside the bubble you like to speak of!!

Not ideal, is it.

RiscaGame wrote:Please do. Or let the Canadian local, speak about the issues he knows so well about.

Is it non free to air? Otherwise it might be a good fixture, for you and your like to meet new Welsh players you’ve never heard of, seeing as you don’t care for the league they play in. Be a bit of an eye opener for you and those outside the bubble you like to speak of!!

You seriously need to grow up.

Why not discuss the topic rather than attack the member ?

Is the fact that all what I have been saying the past season, that you have tried to deny, is now coming home to roost and it is upsetting you ?

Food for thought.