Celtic League Thread 05/06

[drico]

2-4 September:
Llanelli Scarlets v Edinburgh Gunners
Ospreys v Leinster
Glasgow Warriors v Newport Gwent Dragons
Connacht v Cardiff Blues
Munster v Border Reivers
Free: Ulster

9-11 September:
Cardiff Blues v Ulster
Munster v Ospreys
Border Reivers v Llanelli Scarlets
Edinburgh Gunners v Connacht
Leinster v Glasgow Warriors
Free: Newport Gwent Dragons

13-14 September:
Ospreys v Newport Gwent Dragons
Cardiff Blues v Llanelli Scarlets

16-18 September:
Leinster v Newport Gwent Dragons
Llanelli Scarlets v Connacht
Glasgow Warriors v Munster
Border Reivers v Ospreys
Ulster v Edinburgh Gunners
Free: Cardiff Blues

23-25 September:
Munster v Llanelli Scarlets
Newport Gwent Dragons v Ulster
Edinburgh Gunners v Ospreys
Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Blues
Connacht v Border Reivers
Free: Leinster

30 September - 1 October:
Connacht v Munster
Leinster v Ulster
Edinburgh Gunners v Glasgow Warriors
Free: Border Reivers

7-9 October:
Ulster v Connacht
Munster v Leinster
Border Reivers v Edinburgh Gunners
Free: Glasgow Warriors

14-16 October:
Ospreys v Connacht
Leinster v Cardiff Blues
Border Reivers v Ulster
Llanelli Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors
Edinburgh Gunners v Newport Gwent Dragons
Free: Munster

4-6 November:
Ulster v Ospreys
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht
Newport Gwent Dragons v Border Reivers
Leinster v Edinburgh Gunners
Cardiff Blues v Munster
Free: Llanelli Scarlets

2-4 December:
Connacht v Leinster
Munster v Ulster
Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Gunners
Free: Border Reivers

22-24 December:
Ospreys v Cardiff Blues
Munster v Connacht
Newport Gwent Dragons v Llanelli Scarlets
Edinburgh Gunners v Border Reivers
Ulster v Leinster
Free: Glasgow Warriors

27-28 December:
Cardiff Blues v Newport Gwent Dragons
Llanelli Scarlets v Ospreys

31 December - 2 January:
Leinster v Munster
Newport Gwent v Dragons Ospreys
Llanelli Scarlets v Cardiff Blues
Border Reivers v Glasgow Warriors
Connacht v Ulster
Free: Edinburgh Gunners

6-8 January:
Newport Gwent Dragons v Connacht
Llanelli Scarlets v Leinster
Border Reivers v Cardiff Blues
Edinburgh Gunners v Munster
Ulster v Glasgow Warriors
Free: Ospreys

27-29 January:
Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh Gunners
Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys
Leinster v Border Reivers
Munster v Newport Gwent Dragons
Ulster v Llanelli Scarlets
Free: Connacht

17-19 February:
Newport Gwent Dragons v Leinster
Ospreys v Border Reivers
Edinburgh Gunners v Ulster
Connacht v Llanelli Scarlets
Munster v Glasgow Warriors
Free: Cardiff Blues

3-5 March:
Cardiff Blues v Ospreys
Llanelli Scarlets v Newport Gwent Dragons
Glasgow Warriors v Border Reivers
Leinster v Connacht
Ulster v Munster
Free: Edinburgh Gunners

24-26 March:
Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors
Ospreys v Edinburgh Gunners
Llanelli Scarlets v Munster
Border Reivers v Connacht
Ulster v Newport Gwent Dragons
Free: Leinster

7-9 April:
Newport Gwent Dragons v Munster
Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors
Llanelli Scarlets v Ulster
Border Reivers v Leinster
Edinburgh Gunners v Cardiff Blues
Free: Connacht

14-16 April:
Cardiff Blues v Border Reivers
Glasgow Warriors v Ulster
Connacht Newport v Gwent Dragons
Leinster v Llanelli Scarlets
Free: Ospreys

17-18 April:
Newport Gwent Dragons v Cardiff Blues
Ospreys v Llanelli Scarlets

28-30 April:
Cardiff Blues v Connacht
Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors
Border Reivers v Munster
Edinburgh Gunners v Llanelli Scarlets
Leinster v Ospreys
Free: Ulster

5-7 May:
Ospreys v Munster
Llanelli Scarlets v Border Reivers
Glasgow Warriors v Leinster
Connacht v Edinburgh Gunners
Ulster v Cardiff Blues
Free: Newport Gwent Dragons

12-14 May:
Cardiff Blues v Leinster
Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh Gunners
Glasgow Warriors v Llanelli Scarlets
Connacht v Ospreys
Ulster v Border Reivers
Free: Munster

26-28 May:
Ospreys v Ulster
Border Reivers v Newport Gwent Dragons
Edinburgh Gunners v Leinster
Connacht v Glasgow Warriors
Munster v Cardiff Blues
Free: Llanelli Scarlets


Look forward to Munster's clashes against Ospreys on the secoond week-end, and Leinster

 

[An Tarbh]

Bit of a relief to finally have a fixture list after all that nonsense with the Welsh regions. With new coaching teams at Munster and Leinster I'd fancy both coaches will want to put down a serious marker ahead of the HEC. Leinster may have lost plenty of players but if we can find a decent replacement for Cullen than we might have a decent chance of putting up a serious challenge. Would be a massive surprise if Jackman can consistently hit decent form.

Obviously O'Driscoll will be a loss but in the Celtic League it's manageable, might hit us when we need a bit of magic in the games against Bath and Bourgoin, if they turn up this time around.

Some of the fixtures might need revising, looks like Ulster are down to play Leinster on Christmas Day, can't see many people making that game. New Years Eve for Leinster Munster isn't a bad way to start off the evening.

 

[el_tk]

Originally posted by An Tarbh@Jul 19 2005, 08:53 PM
if we can find a decent replacement for Cullen than we might have a decent chance of putting up a serious challenge. Would be a massive surprise if Jackman can consistently hit decent form.

They have one, his name is Ben Gissing, Cullen was a donkey who didn't deserve to be in the team.

 

[An Tarbh]

Right so we'll go into the season with 2 locks, one of whom is still injured from the Lions tour.

 

[el_tk]

The Blackrock captain (Gannon I think), and the guy with the funny name- Knu or Kok or somesuch, God forbid Leinster should have to blood new players

 

[An Tarbh]

You're proving my point, we're not exactly spoilt for choice, therefore it wasn't the best decision to let Leo go. He's hardly pushing up the daisies. Bad enough that Kidney let so many other players go before fecking off back to Munster.

 

[el_tk]

I forgot to mention the Australian second row, Adam Brynes. According to Cheika O'Kelly will be fit for the new season after a hernia operation.

 

[An Tarbh]

That's grand then, hadn't heard anything about him signing, good to have some cover though.

 

[An Tarbh]

Gordon D'Arcy has undergone keyhole surgery on his injured shoulder which ruled him out of the 3rd Lions test and not the fatigue as was reported by Woodward and Campbell. He should be back though for the start of the season.

 

[ALLBLACKS]

What happened to Christian Cullen??

 

[An Tarbh]

He had shoulder surgery in March after tearing ligaments, missed the knockout stages in the Heineken Cup, don't know whether he'll be back for the start of the Celtic League. He was supposed to be out for anything between 4 and 6 months. Don't know if he's back in pre-season training.

 

[ALLBLACKS]

I feel sorry for the guy,should have grabbed the record for most tries in test,but has had alot of injury set backs,and hes had too many surgery's now.

 

[An Tarbh]

and the news just keeps getting worse for Cullen, due to complications with his shoulder surgery he'll now be out of action until February.

 

[el_tk]

Leinster squad for match against the Ospreys, to be finalised later in the week.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Forwards from (17)

Bernard Jackman, David Blaney, Brian Blaney, John Lyne, Johnny Wickham, Emmett Byrne, Ronan McCormack, Will Green, Adam Byrnes, Ben Gissing, Des Dillon, Ciaran Potts, Jamie Heaslip, Keith Gleeson, Simon Crawford, Niall Ronan, Eric Miller

Backs from (12)

Guy Easterby, Brian O'Meara, Felipe Contepomi (Captain), Christian Warner, David McAllister, Eoghan Hickey, Gary Brown, Brendan Burke, James Norton, Girvan Dempsey, Kieran Lewis, Rob Kearney[/b]

Munster squad for the Borders

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

MUNSTER Squad: Shaun Payne, Jeremy Manning, John Kelly, Rob Henderson, Mossy Lawlor, Trevor Halstead, Barry Murphy, Paul Burke, Frank Murphy, Peter Stringer, Donnacha Ryan, Anthony Foley (Capt), David Wallace, Denis Leamy, Federico Pucciariello, Jerry Flannery, Marcus Horan, Alan Quinlan, Frank Roche, Frank Sheahan, John O'Sullivan, Mick O'Driscoll, Stephen Keogh, Trevor Hogan.[/b]

Connacht are at full strenght for their match against Cardiff except for Mark McHugh.

Ulster have no game this week.

 

[An Tarbh]

and O'Driscoll has been named captain after Reggie's retirement but Contepomi will captain the team in his absence, although Easterby, Hickie, O'Kelly, Gleeson and who knows who else will be part of a leadership team. Could cause more trouble than it's worth especially with all the crap that goes on at Leinster.

Tough start away to the Ospreys as well

 

[el_tk]

Here's the full team. Warner at out-half

Nice to see Brendan Burke back in action.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Leinster:
15: Girvan Dempsey
14: Brendan Burke
13: Kieran Lewis
12: Felipe Contepomi (Captain)
11: Robert Kearney
10: Christian Warner
9: Brian O'Meara
1: Ronan McCormack
2: Bernard Jackman
3: Will Green
4: Des Dillon
5: Ben Gissing
6: Ciaran Potts
7: Keith Gleeson
8: Eric Miller

Replacements:
16: Emmett Byrne
17: David Blaney
18: Simon Crawford
19: Jamie Heaslip
20: Guy Easterby
21: Eoghan Hickey
22: Gary Brown[/b]

Munster are playing David Wallace on the wing

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

MUNSTER:
15 Shaun Payne, 14 David Wallace, 13 Trevor Halstead, 12 Rob Henderson, 11 John Kelly, 10 Paul Burke, 9 Peter Stringer, 1 Marcus Horan, 2 Jeremy Flannery, 3 Federico Pucciariello, 4 Trevor Hogan, 5 Mick O'Driscoll , 6 Stephen Keogh, 7 Denis Leamy, 8 Anthony Foley ©. Replacements:16 Frank Roche 17 Frank Sheahan 18 John O'Sullivan 19 Alan Quinlan 20 Frank Murphy 21 Jeremy Manning  22 Barry Murphy[/b]

Connach have lost to Cardiff in their last 4 matches

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

CONNACHT:
15. David Slemen, 14. Conor McPhillips, 13. Darren Yapp, 12. Keith Matthews, 11. Matt Mostyn, 10. Paul Warwick, 9. Chris Keane; 1. Ray Hogan, 2. John Fogarty, 3. Stpehen Knoop, 4. Christian Short, 5. Andrew Farley, 6.John Muldoon, 7. Matt Lacey, 8. Colm Rigney.
Replacements: 16. Chris Venter, 17. Dan McFarland, 18. Ronan Loughney, 19. Michael Swift, 20. Brendan O¹Connor, 21. Conor O¹Loughlin, 22. Daniel Riordan.[/b]

 

[An Tarbh]

Thought Heaslip would get a start, also thought Kearney was a full back, at least he's a kicking option.

 

[loratadine]

scarlets were crap, dragons ok, but munster were lucky.

 

[el_tk]

Originally posted by loratadine@Sep 2 2005, 08:58 PM
scarlets were crap, dragons ok, but munster were lucky.

Scarlets were alright, Regan King looked good but Hercus just kicked the ball any time they had a chance.

 

[cavan]

connacht picked up the win in a scrappy game. Warwick was good, first half was poor from both sides. Hopefully when Mitchell comes over he will steady their scrum abit.