Magners League 06/07

[edinburgh_gunner]

I thought I'd start the thread seeing as no one else did.



So, a new season is upon us and a new name for the Celtic League. The Magners League will be sure to throw up some great games and the ***le race, in my opinion, could be the closest yet. Ulster, Munster and Leinster are always up there, and former champions Ospreys will want to build on their solid end to last season. The Cardiff Blues also began to play well at the end of last year and might well be up there at the business end of the season. The newly privatised Edinburgh Gunners will be another team wanting to build on the success of last year, with a dip in form during the 6 nations costing them a shot at the ***le, the new owners will be wanting Edinburgh to keep up the challenge the hole year round . Always a threat, the Llanelli Scarlets had a poor season last year but with the addition on Stephen Jones could fortunes change for the men from Llanelli?



It's too early to really make any predictions, but I'd fancy one of the Irish teams to take the ***le this year. Of course, I'm going to say the Gunners are in with a chance, but won't every supporter say that their club could win the league? One thing's for sure, we're going to see some great games.

 

[loratadine]

heres mt top 6 prediction

1-ospreys
2-leinster
3-scarlets
4-munster
5-gunners
6-ulster

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

Originally posted by loratadine@Aug 21 2006, 10:30 PM
heres mt top 6 prediction

1-ospreys
2-leinster
3-scarlets
4-munster
5-gunners
6-ulster

What makes you think that the Ospreys will go from 6th to 1st, and Ulster do the reverse? I'd probably put the Blues ahead of the Scarlets though, but not 3rd.

 

[Bullitt]

Originally posted by edinburgh_gunner+Aug 22 2006, 07:32 AM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-loratadine

@Aug 21 2006, 10:30 PM
heres mt top 6 prediction

1-ospreys
2-leinster
3-scarlets
4-munster
5-gunners
6-ulster

What makes you think that the Ospreys will go from 6th to 1st, and Ulster do the reverse? [/b]

Blind optimism as he supports them would be my guess.

 

[loratadine]

well,when they have alot of there key players back now and have recruited well, remember when they had guys like jonesy,henson and cockbain they were unstoppable in the cl, and showed signs at the end of lst yr.

adam jones
duncan jones
brent cockbain
ian evans
ryan jones

justin marshall
james hook
gavin henson
shane williams
sonney parker
lee byrne

quality.

 

[Bullitt]

Stephen Jones on his own should make the Scarlets the strongest team in Wales this season. This is assuming they don't go bust with the Stradey park fiasco.

 

[el_tk]

Originally posted by Teh Mite@Aug 22 2006, 11:18 PM
Stephen Jones on his own should make the Scarlets the strongest team in Wales this season. This is assuming they don't go bust with the Stradey park fiasco.

I think the Ospereys and Cardiff will finish above them this year. I think Leinster could have a decnet chance if the new signings fit in.

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

I notice the Irish sides will be without their internationals for the first wee bit of the season. Just happens to mine and Loratadines luck that, instead of playing one of the irish sides, the Gunners play the Ospreys on the first day of the season. I think that that might mean that'll it'll be either a Scots or Welsh side winning the ***le. When you lose a few games back to back your shot at the ***le is as good as dead (happened to us) and without their internationals it might be the case for Leinster, Ulster and Munster.


To say that the Ospreys are unstopable is a bit of an exageration. I mean, they'll going to have a vastly better season this year and they are a good team, but when they won the Celtic League they did so on the final day of the season (humping the Gunners senseless from what i remember). But other sides have improved since then, we certainly have and Glasgow have made some good summer signings (in true Weegie form they'll start well and then get their arses kicked thereafter though) to give an example of just 2.


On the subject of the Ospreys v. Gunners match, it's going to be rather tasty. We found how to score tries again at the end of the year, and our back row (even without Taylor at the moment) is probably the best in the league in my completley unbiased opinion (pffffffffffff). The Ospreys also played some rather sexual rugby at the end of the season and it'll be a good one to watch. Is it on BBC wales Lora?

 

[el_tk]

I notice the Irish sides will be without their internationals for the first wee bit of the season. Just happens to mine and Loratadines luck that, instead of playing one of the irish sides, the Gunners play the Ospreys on the first day of the season. I think that that might mean that'll it'll be either a Scots or Welsh side winning the ***le. When you lose a few games back to back your shot at the ***le is as good as dead (happened to us) and without their internationals it might be the case for Leinster, Ulster and Munster.[/b]

Losing players will probably hurt Munster the most as they will be missing more or less their entire pack and their backline isn't the strongest in the first place. Luckily Leinster don't have a pack to lose (only Keith Gleeson) and have a free weekend in the first round so will effectively lose their players for one less game and they have good young backs to cover for the first teamers. Also probably most importantly they have Contepomi from the start whereas Munster will be without ROG and Humphreys is apparently an injury doubt for Ulster.

 

[loratadine]

ummm, yeah its on S4C. should be a good one.

 

[el_tk]

1st prediction: Cardiff to beat Munster tonight.

 

[loratadine]

cardiff beat munster and dragons won away at glasgow

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

Yeah good result for Cardiff and the Dragons. I don't think too much should be read into Munster's deafeat as they're missing their Irish internationals. The Dragons seem to have moved on from last year, as Glasgow have made some good singings this summer. They're still a big bunch of gadgies though.

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

Osprey 17-11 Gunners.


Dissapointed, as we were winning untill the last five. It's discipline, but a marked improvement on the last time we played them down there, but they did not look anything special. We'll just have to get on with it and beat the Ospreys.

 

[loratadine]

lol, its the first game of the season, both sides looked average.

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

Well I didn't see the match cause I was playing at the time so I was going on the match reports I could find.

 

[loratadine]

yes and as i said, it would be naive to pass judegemnt on one game let alone the first of the season, both teams will get better im sure.

 

[An Tarbh]

Well they musn't have improved that much after going down at the Sportground tonight.

 

[Symclaw]

yey! the scarlets won! Great try from Gavin Evs, Peel is a god! Daniels third try was slitghtly dodgey tho, I think the Stradey park factor helped us quite a bit.

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

And the fact Glasgow are ****....