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

[Amiga500]

A pretty tough grind despite the scoreline. Our pack lacking Coetzee and Henderson just doesn't have the big carriers to compensate and weren't threatening much turnover on the ground either.

Faddes looked promising. Some very slick handling. Lineout ran well, kudos to Herring, Carter and Treadwell for that.

McGrath did not look great in the scrums. Feet too far back and couldn't keep his side up as a result. Whether he is not confident in being able to chase his feet or in enough pressure coming from the back 5, it wouldn't do as is currently.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Well deserved win for Ulster, by far the better team after a slow start.

 

[Leinster Fan]

A pretty tough grind despite the scoreline. Our pack lacking Coetzee and Henderson just doesn't have the big carriers to compensate and weren't threatening much turnover on the ground either.

Faddes looked promising. Some very slick handling. Lineout ran well, kudos to Herring, Carter and Treadwell for that.

McGrath did not look great in the scrums. Feet too far back and couldn't keep his side up as a result. Whether he is not confident in being able to chase his feet or in enough pressure coming from the back 5, it wouldn't do as is currently.

Whenever I see Henderson play for Ulster he just seems so far ahead of the rest of the pack, along with Coetzee.

Some decent backs in there, I like the look of Hume. An 11-15 of Stockdale, McCloskey, Marshall/Baloucoune, Faddes, and Addison could be very dangerous.

On McGrath, I hate to say it but I think you might have picked up a dud there. His expirience will be useful for a pretty young Ulster pack but he's shown little to no form in over two years now. Wasn't delighted about the move at the time but thinking now that we're better off investing that time in Byrne and Dooley, both of whom could be really good. Funny that after years of saying one of those two should head up north it turned out that McGrath himself made that move. Think that's Eric O'Sullivan's shirt and that McGrath will be doing well to make the Six Nations squad, all of the current Irish looseheads are getting on and we need to invest in new blood.

 

[The Seeker]

Yikes! Two blowouts on opening day. Cheetahs 48 Warriors 14 & Ulster 38 Ospreys 14.
I know the rosters aren't at full strength because of RWC, but I hoped they'd be competitive.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Ahhh my safe space, far away from all those frightening northern hemisphere nations that can beat us at international rugby. (Wales, you're national success is absolutely counteracted by your shite clubs in here)

 

[Leinster Fan]

All logic points to Leinster easing my pain with a comfortable one-sided win against a bunch of Treviso's kids, but I don't know if I can take any of it for granted anymore.

Nice to be back in my comfort zone though.

 

[big ginger 8]

Is the Leinster match televised at all?

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

It's on Eir Sport 1

 

[Leinster Fan]

Munster are losing to the Dragons, I reckon the best thing to do now Iis just to cut our losses and give up on rugby as a nation.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Munster are losing to the Dragons, I reckon the best thing to do now Iis just to cut our losses and give up on rugby as a nation.

Reimplement the ban on garrison sports and become an insular, North Korean like state.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Reimplement the ban on garrison sports and become an insular, North Korean like state.

We already are that with GAA in fairness.

On the actual rugby, maybe I've been blinded by outrageously low expectations but some semi-promising signs for the Dragons and they weren't too far off before the red card did them in. Will need to stay focused in the second half to avoid a hammering though.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

We already are that with GAA in fairness.

I just meant in general really.

 

[Leinster Fan]

I just meant in general really.

Probably the best move when you take how s**** the soccer team are into account as well (who just managed to have both centre backs injured in the space of one day, that's their one decent area and it's gone).

Maybe we should just stop playing sport full stop.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Devin Toner scoring a try 90 seconds in would have been the best start to any rugby game ever.

Also: Ben Whitehouse? Really? Just when my day couldn't go worse.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

At least Adam Byrne will always be sexy.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Normally watching games where we're this much better than the opposition is a bit boring, but after this morning I can't get enough of it.

Strong start from Dooley, Jimmy O'Brien and Adam Byrne in particular.

Edit: 20 minutes of complete dominance and then we give away a soft try like that. F*** off, I've endured enough pain for one day.

More sloppiness, we need to wake up.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Normally watching games where we're this much better than the opposition is a bit boring, but after this morning I can't get enough of it

This didn't age well.

 

[Crags]

Re the games i have watched, Ospreys and Dragons were off it in their respective games. Dragons started off ok, Then went back to their usual away-day selves. I like their new kit btw. So glad the Pro 14 is back.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Re the games i have watched, Ospreys and Dragons were off it in their respective games. Dragons started off ok, Then went back to their usual away-day selves. I like their new kit btw. So glad the Pro 14 is back.

But in fairness to the Ospreys, the crucial difference was that in their match they were the ones missing several players, whereas in the Dragons match it was they who were the ones putatively much closer to full-strength. Also, great win for a substantially under-strength Scarlets against a strong Connacht team in such dreadful conditions. And Cardiff came back from behind to win at Southern Kings, who don't seem such a basket case as they were when they first joined the league.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Looks like the full strength South Africans might make some hay during the RWC.

Annoyed for Benneton as they need to excel so it becomes almost impossible to ignore Crowley as next Italian boss (because it really isn't Franco Smith, oh no siree.)