[2018-19 Guinness Pro 14] Round 1 (31/08/2018-01/09/2018)

[TRF_heineken]

​

Friday 31 August 2018:

VS.

Venue: Liberty Stadium
Time: 20:35 CAT (SA, GMT+2)

VS.

Venue: BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park
Time: 20:35 (SA, GMT+2)

VS.

Venue: Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Time: 20:35 (SA, GMT+2)

​

Saturday, 1 September 2018:
​

VS.

Venue: Sportsground
Time: 16:00 (SA, GMT+2)

VS.

Venue: Thomond Park
Time: 18:15 (SA, GMT+2)

VS.

Venue: Kingspan Stadium
Time: 18:15 (SA, GMT+2)

VS.

Venue: Rodney Parade
Time: 20:35 (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

The boys are back and ready to party! We had a great last season here's hoping for another!

Hard to look past the champs again!

 

[big ginger 8]

No fit 7s in the squad and one fit 10, no medical joker, still should hopefully be a good start to the year.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well I'm not too confident this year in either SA team. The Kings are a team of unknowns, and I have no idea if the guys are of any quality.

And the Cheetahs have had 2 "warm-up" games now in the Currie Cup, and lost both quite convincingly with playing most of their Pro14 players.

 

[Leinster Fan]

I wouldn't have minded a medical joker just for the fun of watching the Munster trolls on the 42 **** themselves with rage. You'd assume that Ruddock will cover 7 and the Ross Byrne is being rushed back early to prevent us from having Noel Reid at 10.

I'd be expecting something like: Byrne, Tracy, Bent, Fardy, Molony, Murphy, Ruddock, Deegan, McGrath, Byrne, Lowe, Tomane, O'Loughlin, McFadden, Kearney
Byrne, Dooley, Akhbaladze, Nagle, Doris, McCarthy, Reid, McFadden.

I'd take a draw now tbh given how poor our preseason was.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

To be honest this is our pre season. The first three or four games are always tough viewing for Ster fans. Fortunately I'm missing week 1 for Kendrick Lamar and other shenanigans.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Ah, the joys of a sport with a proper off season. Broadcast wise for terrestrial UK viewers it's:

- Zebre vs Kings live on Freesports (tailor made for me!)

- Ospreys vs Edinburgh shown delayed "as live" on Freesports (on Tue I think)

- Ulster vs Scarlets live on S4C (I doubt that there will be an English commentary option this time).

The main story this week seems to be the Scarlets being incredibly banged up - so there is a sniff of a chance for Ulster to start on a more positive footing.

I've not done enough research to predict anything with any confidence at all, so I'll go with the points tallies of last season as my guide with the following exceptions:

- Ulster to go to playoffs
- Cheetahs and Edinburgh to miss playoffs
- no idea who will replace the Cheetahs

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

No fit 7s in the squad and one fit 10, no medical joker, still should hopefully be a good start to the year.

Maybe Munster can lend someone to Leinster.

The European Challenge Cup winners versus the Champ Champs to open the season should be a big deal but it'll be at best a Leinster second string. That gives ammo to those who decry the Pro 14 as a second rate competition and it's hard to disagree when they treat the opening round with disdain.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Here are the Kings and Cheetahs Touring squads for their first away matches:

Kings:
Schalk Ferreira, Justin Forwood, Lupumlo Mguca, Xandre Vos, Alandre van Rooyen, Mike Willemse, Tango Balekile, Luvuyo Pupuma, Schalk Oelofse, JC Astle, Bobby de Wee, Henry Brandon Brown, Stephan De Wit, Martinus Burger, Ruaan Lerm, Andisa Ntsila, Rudi van Rooyen, Godlen Masimla, Martin du Toit, Harlon Klaasen, Berton Klaasen, Michael Makase, Yaw Penxe, Bjorn Basson, Masixole Banda, Michael Botha, Ulrich Beyers

Cheetahs:
Ox Nche, Erich de Jager, Charles Marais, Joseph Dweba, Jacques du Toit, Marnus van der Merwe, Luan de Bruin, Aranos Coetzee, Justin Basson, JP du Preez, Walt Steenkamp, Junior Pokomela, Oupa Mohoje (captain), Aidon Davis, Jasper Wiese, Shaun Venter, Tian Meyer, Ruben de Haas, Tian Schoeman, Ernst Stapelberg, William Small-Smith, Nico Lee, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Rabz Maxwane, Malcolm Jaer, Ryno Eksteen

 

[collace]

Strangely optimistic heading into the new season which is completely usual for me only for reality to set in after a few weeks...

We look like we have the beginnings of a pack at last. I don't think it can be underestimated how much a fully fit Marcel Coetzee would bring to the party - he's a class act and brings a hard edge which we have been lacking massively in recent years. Him, Jordi Murphy and Nick Timoney is a back row which has the potential to do great things. Add to that a hard-nosed, forwards orientated head coach and there's room for a bit of optimism.

Funnily enough, after having an embarrassment of riches in the backs until a couple of years ago there are now question marks. Of particular interest will be how Billy Burns gets on - ultimately he will be key to a functioning backline. The other issue is that with the potentially serious injury to Conor Murray we will be resigned to losing John Cooney for large parts of the season and while we have some promising youngsters coming through I don't think any are ready to take that big step up. The short term signing of Speight is also a good one.

Looking to this weekend's game. It looks like we will have Henderson and Cooney available for selection which is a massive bonus. Could see a side something like:

Van der Merwe
Andrew (Not sure if Herring is available after Ireland duty)
Moore
O'Connor
Henderson
Timoney
Reidy
Coetzee
Cooney
Burns
Speight
McCloskey
Cave
Gilroy
Addison

 

[bazwaz]

.no Stockdale? Is he injured?

 

[bazwaz]

just googled him... out for 6 -8 weeks with a hammy

 

[Groundhog]

I'll take a pop at our team knowing that we have injuries and will be missing most of our internationals who played in Oz if not all.
1. Kilcoyne
2. Marshall
3. Archer
4. Kleyn
5. Holland
6. O'Callaghan
7. O'Donnell (if fit, Coombes if not)
8. Botha
9. Harte
10. Keatley
11. Nash
12. Scannell
13. Arnold
14. Sweetnam
15. Haley

Replacements
16.O'Byrne 17.L.O'Connor 18.Parker 19.Wycherly 20.Coombes/S.O'Connor 21.Cronin 22.Hanrahan (maybe Johnston) 23.Fitzgerald

Can't see it deviating too wildly from that. Assuming Williams is unfit and Mathewson won't have arrived. Also assuming guys that only got small gametime like Beirne won't be available for selection yet either. We really are missing a bunch of players to start the season, but every Irish team at the very least has the same problem. I'd say we're first choice in three positions, these being 1, 4 and 12, with arguments to be made at 2 and 7. Should still really expect to lay down a marker against Cheetahs week one. They definitely were a testament to the S.A experiment last year, but they've lost a few players and are away from home in week one and their squad just looks generally a bit weaker, although I'm no expert.

 

[JOHNTYWYN]

In order to receive comprehensive cover of the Pro 14, I am thinking of subscribing to Premier Sports. However, unlike most other channels Premier Sports only seem to have an HD option; and I do not have a subscription for HD, nor do I particularly want to upgrade to it.

Can any one tell me please whether I will be able to pick up the signal from Premier Sports HD without having the HD add on.

 

[munstermuffin]

I'll take a pop at our team knowing that we have injuries and will be missing most of our internationals who played in Oz if not all.
1. Kilcoyne
2. Marshall
3. Archer
4. Kleyn
5. Holland
6. O'Callaghan
7. O'Donnell (if fit, Coombes if not)
8. Botha
9. Harte
10. Keatley
11. Nash
12. Scannell
13. Arnold
14. Sweetnam
15. Haley

Replacements
16.O'Byrne 17.L.O'Connor 18.Parker 19.Wycherly 20.Coombes/S.O'Connor 21.Cronin 22.Hanrahan (maybe Johnston) 23.Fitzgerald

Can't see it deviating too wildly from that. Assuming Williams is unfit and Mathewson won't have arrived. Also assuming guys that only got small gametime like Beirne won't be available for selection yet either. We really are missing a bunch of players to start the season, but every Irish team at the very least has the same problem. I'd say we're first choice in three positions, these being 1, 4 and 12, with arguments to be made at 2 and 7. Should still really expect to lay down a marker against Cheetahs week one. They definitely were a testament to the S.A experiment last year, but they've lost a few players and are away from home in week one and their squad just looks generally a bit weaker, although I'm no expert.

Jaco is back and in contention

 

[munstermuffin]

Maybe Munster can lend someone to Leinster.

The European Challenge Cup winners versus the Champ Champs to open the season should be a big deal but it'll be at best a Leinster second string. That gives ammo to those who decry the Pro 14 as a second rate competition and it's hard to disagree when they treat the opening round with disdain.

I know you may be taking the **** a small bit but wouldn't it be great if it could be developed a bit that this type of thing happened. Short term moves to cover. Like we are not as good at 10 as you'd think. Keatley is still in talks to go to France and Tyler is not looking too good. But also BJ would benefit from going to ye and playing a few games. But equally these scenarios do seem to uncover a few gems. So it is interesting

 

[Thingimubob]

Cardiff Blues team to face Leinster: M Morgan; J Harries, W Halaholo, R Lee-Lo, O Lane; J Evans, L Williams; B Thyer, K Dacey, D Arhip, S Davies, R Thornton, J Turnbull, E Jenkins, N Williams.

Replacements: R Gill, E Lewis, S Andrews, G Earle, O Robinson, T Williams, S Shingler, G Smith.

Tidy enough team, though not full strength.

Not sure what to expect from this game as pre-season wasn't exactly outstanding for the Blues, plus not sure what to expect from Leinster? Imagine they won't quite be 100% full strength for this one either.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Just a heads up but premier sports are doing the first month free if you have Sky sports.

 

[Thingimubob]

Just a heads up but premier sports are doing the first month free if you have Sky sports.

Gonna assume that only counts for those who have it as a TV package and not those (like me) who have it via Now TV

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Gonna assume that only counts for those who have it as a TV package and not those (like me) who have it via Now TV

Think so, but you might as well try.