Get excited, Rugby is back - Guinness Pro 14 2109/20: Round 1

[MikeTheNative]

With Sam Davies I would like to think this is the year of the Dragons; that they at least attain a comfortable mid table position. Happy to hear he made the move even if it has quickly blown up in the Ospreys face.

They have given a lot of younger players a lot of game time the past two seasons so hopefully that will come to fruition this season as there is a number of good players coming through. However while the backrow is stacked full of talent that front 5 (bar hooker) still looks a bit average on paper. Similar in the backs, back 3 is full pacy and talented players (some are a bit green though), 9 has good depth but centre is a bit average. Although it doesn't help the best centre (Tyler Morgan) is injured most of the time.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Cheetahs

15 Rhyno Smith, 14 William Small-Smith, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 Dries Swanepoel, 11 Anthony Volmink, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Ruan Pienaar (captain), 8 Henco Venter, 7 Junior Pokomela, 6 Gerhard Olivier, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Sintu Manjezi, 3 Erich de Jager, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Reinach Venter, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Luan de Bruin, 19 JP du Preez, 20 Sias Koen, 21 Jasper Wiese, 22 Tian Meyer, 23 Louis Fouche

Glasgow Warriors

15 Glenn Bryce, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Nick Grigg, 12 Huw Jones, 11 Rory Hughes, 10 Brandon Thomson, 9 Nick Frisby, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Callum Gibbins (captain), 6 Rob Harley, 5 Tim Swinson, 4 Andrew Davidson, 3 D'arcy Rae, 2 Grant Stewart, Oli Kebble

Substitutes: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Alex Allan, 18 Adam Nicol, 19 Bruce Flockhart, 20. Chris Fusaro, 21 Jamie Dobie, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23. Robbie Nairn

So the Cheetahs have the services of Ox Nche until the start of December when he joins the Sharks for Super Rugby. Pretty good team to start off with in Bloemfontein.

 

[Amiga500]

Ruan Pienaar's influence has been a major step up in their preparation for the Pro14, and I think the players have a better understanding of how to play. One thing is for certain, if they are given space, they will punish you.

Pienaar is perfect for them - a real wise head on how to play the conditions - before the Cheetahs all too often just didn't know when and where to do their playing without the ball.

 

[Amiga500]

Cheetahs

15 Rhyno Smith,

That's all. No need for the other 14.

With a name like that on the teamsheet how can they lose...? (although probably should be a prop forward)

 

[Groundhog]

Munster (v Dragons)
Mike Haley
Darren Sweetnam
Rory Scannell
Tyler Bleyendaal
Shane Daly
JJ Hanrahan
Nick McCarthy

Jeremy Loughman
Kevin O'Byrne
Stephen Archer
Fineen Wycherley
Billy Holland (C)
Jack O'Donoghue
Tommy O'Donnell
Arno Botha.

Replacements:
Diarmuid Barron
James Cronin
Keynan Knox
Darren O'Shea
Chris Cloete
Alby Mathewson
Liam Coombes
Jack O'Sullivan

4 academy chappos in the bench

 

[TRF_heineken]

That's all. No need for the other 14.

With a name like that on the teamsheet how can they lose...? (although probably should be a prop forward)

Ha!

You don't pronounce it as Rhino though.

It's pronounced Reign-oh

 

[Leinster Fan]

Leinster Rugby (senior caps in brackets)

15. Jimmy O'Brien (7)
14. Adam Byrne (52)
13. Rory O'Loughlin (61)
12. Joe Tomane (13)
11. Dave Kearney (136)
10. Ross Byrne (71)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (70)
1. Peter Dooley (61)
2. Rónan Kelleher (2)
3. Michael Bent (124)
4. Ross Molony (82) CAPTAIN
5. Devin Toner (231)
6. Max Deegan (46)
7. Will Connors (5)
8. Caelan Doris (16)

16. James Tracy (92)
17. Michael Milne (0)
18. Vakh Abdaladze (7)
19. Josh Murphy (21)
20. Scott Penny (6)
21. Hugh O'Sullivan (14)
22. Harry Byrne (0)
23. Hugo Keenan (5)

Nice team, will have more than enough for Treviso B you'd imagine. Highlights the depth of the squad when we can put that out and still have the likes of Ed+Bryan Byrne, Fardy, Dunne, Baird, Conor O'Brien, Cian Kelleher, James Lowe and others to bring in over the next few weeks.

 

[Groundhog]

Typical Leinster ballix upstaging us simple Munster men with their caps in brackets and actual analysis of the selection.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

It's good of World Rugby to pause the World Cup for a day so the eyes of every fan can be glued to the return of the Pro14.

 

[munstermuffin]

All Irish provinces prove their depth by selections. We are really flexing our muscles a bit and I'm excited to see Knox play after great preseason.
Big chance for Shane Daly again and Coombes on bench

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

It's good of World Rugby to pause the World Cup for a day so the eyes of every fan can be glued to the return of the Pro14.

They had to, who'd watch the world cup instead of Cheetahs v Glasgow?

 

[Groundhog]

I've seen people argue the Lions tour is a waste of time, meaningless and an injury risk and I'd probably extend that to the World Cup. Realistically, what child grows up dreaming of winning a world cup anymore? He dreams of putting thirty on the Dragons on a wet Friday evening in November. I understand the value of the World Cup for promoting rugby in tier two rugby countries like New Zealand, but it's hardly our problem?

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Jordi Murphy has been withdrawn from the Ulster squad.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

****

 

[Leinster Fan]

Ulster are still in preseason mode.

Have Ulster gone more than two or three phases without losing the ball so far?

And as I say that they score, although I'm still right because it was first phase.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Ulster are still in preseason mode.

Not good, they're basically the Irish replacement squad.

 

[Groundhog]

Gwan the Cheetahs!

 

[Tooting Carmen]

While of course Ulster deserved their win, some of the refereeing was extremely questionable and they were much closer to full-strength than Ospreys were.

 

[Amiga500]

Ha!

You don't pronounce it as Rhino though.

It's pronounced Reign-oh

Details, details...

Lets just stick to Rhyno!

 

[Amiga500]

It's good of World Rugby to pause the World Cup for a day so the eyes of every fan can be glued to the return of the Pro14.

Sponsors demand it. What is the point Land Rover paying millions to sponsor the world cup when literally no one would be watching it?