Guinness Pro 12 2014/15: Round 1

[Feicarsinn]

Round 1: 5th-7th September 2014

Friday 5th September, 19:35
Thomond Park, Limerick
Ref: TBC
TV: TG4/BBC ALBA

Friday 5th September, 19:35
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Ref: TBC
TV: BBC Wales

Saturday 6th September, 14:40
Parc y Scarlets, LLanelli
Ref: TBC
TV: Sky Sports

Saturday 6th September, 17:00
The Sportsground, Galway
Ref: TBC
TV: N/A

Saturday 6th Sept, 17:15
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Ref: TBC
TV: Sky Sports

Sunday 7th Sept, 17:00
Stadio XXV Aprile, Parma
Ref: TBC
TV: TBC/S4C​

 

[Feicarsinn]

Awww yih boys, we're back in action next week! Might as well get discussion going a bit early, as this place is going to hell without beautiful domestic northern rugby.

Really good opening round of fixtures in store. Friday night should see two routine wins for the home sides. It's a nice start for Munster's new coaching setup against an Edinburgh side that lost some big players over the summer in Greg Laidlaw, Geoff Cross and Ross Rennie, but the Scottish side may show more fight than last year with Alan Solomons having a proper preseason this time around and with European competition on the line. Ospreys should beat a Treviso outfit that are Feicarsinn's pick to finish bottom of the table this season, having been cleared out in the summer. It'll be a good opportunity for some of Ospreys' younger talents to put their hand up for the remainder of the year, with a lot of first team spots up for grabs.

Saturday offers three really interesting ties. Two new coaching teams go head to head when Scarlets face Ulster. The hosts are probably the more settled side and therefore go in as favourites, but Les Kiss will know the majority of his Ulster charges from his time with Ireland and should be able to put together a formidable gameplan. Dragons vs Connacht could be a really interesting game between two sides who will be looking to seriously improve on last year's showings. The tie of the round sees a repeat of last year's final between Leinster and Glasgow. Both sides go into the season as serious contenders for the ***le and will be looking to lay down a marker early on. Glasgow haven't lost at home domestically in 2014, their only defeat coming at the hands of eventual champions Toulon in the Heineken Cup in January. The last time the two sides met in Glasgow the home sides came out on top 12-6 in a scrappy affair.

The weekend is rounded off on Sunday with Zebre playing host to Cardiff. Zebre will be eager to get an early scalp and take a lead in the race for the Italian ECC spot, will look to their front row to establish a platform they can build off. The losses of Bradley Davies and Robin Copeland in the pack may be keenly felt, but they should have enough to finish off the Italians.

 

[big ginger 8]

Feic, Muliaina won't play until around late October. He's still recovering from an elbow injury.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

my god the scottish teams aren't going to have a first good game

 

[Feicarsinn]

Feic, Muliaina won't play until around late October. He's still recovering from an elbow injury.

Ah bugger. Who are they looking at at FB, Leader?

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Ah bugger. Who are they looking at at FB, Leader?

i would have thought Robbie Henshaw

 

[big ginger 8]

Ah bugger. Who are they looking at at FB, Leader?

I'd presume so. Aki and McCartney are both finishing off the ITM so a McSharry - Aki partnership with Henshaw at the back isn't an option.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I'd presume so. Aki and McCartney are both finishing off the ITM so a McSharry - Aki partnership with Henshaw at the back isn't an option.

Connacht to get stronger as the season goes on then I guess. It'll be interesting to see who they pick at 10 this year. I think Lam may be a fan of Nikora, but I've been impressed with Ronaldson every time I've seen him play (although that hasn't been that often.) Either way, their back line is starting to look very tasty.

 

[Thingimubob]

Hoping that the Welsh regions kick start a much better season than last year! Dragons have had the best pre-season, with a couple of comfortable wins plus an impressive victory over Northampton so I'd like to see them finally kick on and have a more consistent season. Ospreys by far have looked the worse, getting hammered by both Championship side Worcester as well as Sarries, be interesting to see how they look against a hugely depleted Treviso. Haven't heard too mcuh about the Scarlets, but they had a decent victory this weekend vs Gloucester as well as a draw away to Bath a week or two ago.

Not sure what to expect from the Blues. They've been pretty active recruitment wise, so the squad is looking much stronger than it has in recent years, particularly in the front row. Looking forward to seeing if the likes of Turnbull and Knoyle, who are down the pecking order for the national side, will kick on with a new club and put their hands up for selection.

Was actually most looking forward to the Scarlets vs Ulster and Connacht vs Dragons games, so it's a pity that the it's Ospreys vs Treviso and Zebre vs Blues that have got the pick on Welsh TV.

 

[munstermuffin]

Connacht to get stronger as the season goes on then I guess. It'll be interesting to see who they pick at 10 this year. I think Lam may be a fan of Nikora, but I've been impressed with Ronaldson every time I've seen him play (although that hasn't been that often.) Either way, their back line is starting to look very tasty.

Was Jack Carthy not being groomed to be the main man at 10? Spent a lot of time with Parks off the field as well as in training trying to learn.

 

[Peat]

A lot depends on what sort of sides teams can put out this time of year tbh.

Ulster are automatically without Pienaar (RC), Jackson (injured) and Cave (injured). Best, Henderson, Henry, Skywalker, McCloskey, Bowe and Trimble all have played in no friendlies and would be unlikely to start vs Scarlets I'd have thought. Hopefully the removal of Olding and iHumph against Leinster was precautionary or things look really glum. But in any case, that probably means a fairly significantly weakened Ulster team. I don't know where Scarlets stand but any side confronted with a Small Paul-iHumph partnership has to scent blood.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

surprised with Matt Scott becoming edinburgh captain this year.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Edinburgh's team to face munster

15 Jack Cuthbert
14 Dougie Fife
13 Sam Beard
12 Andries Strauss
11 Tim Visser
10 Greig Tonks
9 Sean Kennedy

1 Alasdair Dickinson
2 Ross Ford (Captain)
3 John Andress
4 Fraser McKenzie
5 Ollie Atkins
6 Tomas Leonardi
7 Hamish Watson
8 Cornell Du Preez

Substitutes
16 James Hilterbrand
17 Rory Sutherland
18 W P Nel
19 Ben Toolis
20 Mike Coman
21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
22 Nick McLennan
23 Phil Burleigh

Really happy to see Hamish Watson and Sean Kennedy starting but really gutted not to see Jamie Ritchie there surprised not to see Tom Heathcote or Anton Breslerin the team either

 

[Groundhog]

Three debutants in Buckley, O'Byrne and Smith.

Munster: Ronan O'Mahony; Andrew Conway, Johne Murphy, Andrew Smith, Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Duncan Williams; John Ryan, Kevin O'Byrne, BJ Botha; Donncha O'Callaghan Capt., Billy Holland, CJ Stander, Sean Dougall, Shane Buckley. Replacements: Duncan Casey, Alan Cotter, Stephen Archer, Dave Foley, Tommy O'Donnell, Cathal Sheridan, Johnny Holland, Ivan Dineen.

 

[Feicarsinn]

That font though.

 

[Groundhog]

munsterrugby.ie's tried and tested font. I simply won't change it.

 

[Feicarsinn]

That sentiment is Munster all over. I bet they're still writing the website in HTML 2.

 

[Groundhog]

You find me a more passionate font and I'll use it.

 

[Amiga500]

Our scrum is gonna be a weapon this year.

Our half-backs could be a liability this weekend though.

Chris Henry is gonna hopefully be playing though - which is vital with iHumph at 10.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

this is who i'll think are the winning teams this week

Munster, Ospreys, Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Cardiff Blues