The main show in town - Guinness Pro14 - Round 2

[bushytop]

Dragons win away... repeat, Dragons win away!

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Dragons win away... repeat, Dragons win away!

But Cardiff lost at home to Edinburgh's seconds...

 

[bushytop]

But Cardiff lost at home to Edinburgh's seconds...

Yeah they were bloody awful too! The attack, or lack thereof was embarrassing and their discipline not much better. Hate to be that guy but not sure Mulvihill is the guy, if you know what I mean.

 

[Leinster Fan]

While Ospreys were useless, you can only beat what's in front of you and Leinster did so very impressively.

I'll echo what has already been said about Ronan Kelleher. He was outstanding . The first step for him is to get into European 23 man squads and become an impact sub. He offers more with ball in hand than either James Tracy (an excellent defender) and Bryan Byrne (good all rounder but has lineout wobbles).

Obviously it's too early to be too excited but it's only a matter of time before he's a european regular and with Cronin not getting any younger, our starter. So long as injuries or other factors don't significantly hinder him there's little doubt he's the long term successor there.

Was also really nice to see Tomane getting a bit of appreciation from the crowd as he went off, had a tough time last season but hopefully it still comes good for him.

 

[Amiga500]

So... how'd I do.

Glasgow vs. Scarlets. Erm, not so good. Scarlets dominated. Glasgow consolations. 21 - 25
Leinster vs. Ospreys. Hardly Nostradamus to get this one right. 53 - 5

Kings vs. Munster. Didn't quite happen, didn't see it, but from what I've read Munster were by and by large in control after a dodgy start. 20 - 31
Blues vs Edinburgh. Once again, my powers of foresight serve me no end... 11 - 19
Zebre vs. Dragons. Ugh, another top notch prediction. 28 - 52
Cheetahs vs. Ulster. Aye, got this one right. See Nostradamus earlier. 63-26
Connacht vs. Treviso. Erm, oops. 41 - 5

So, 2 right out of 7... and of those two they were no brainers. Moral of the story is - don't be asking me for tips folks!

 

[Leinster Fan]

Cheetahs looking like a genuine force this season, although worth saying they have a massive advantage right now and we'll have to see how they play in Europe before judging them.

Early signs are good however.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Cheetahs looking like a genuine force this season, although worth saying they have a massive advantage right now and we'll have to see how they play in Europe before judging them.

Early signs are good however.

Yeah, I have to say, the Cheetahs are looking very dangerous, and the linking between forwards and backs was awesome to watch. Joseph Dweba is seriously putting his hand up for Springbok contention, as well as Ox Nche. But the guy who is impressing me the most is Rhyno Smith at fullback. He looked mediocre against the Sharks, but here he's looking like a star.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

How is the Pro14 perceived in South Africa @TRF_heineken? Judging by crowds sizes in Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth, it's barely causing a ripple.

I'd be very happy to see Cheetahs push hard towards the top of their conference and retain their players rather than lose them to other Super Rugby teams or European leagues.

 

[TRF_heineken]

How is the Pro14 perceived in South Africa @TRF_heineken? Judging by crowds sizes in Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth, it's barely causing a ripple.

I'd be very happy to see Cheetahs push hard towards the top of their conference and retain their players rather than lose them to other Super Rugby teams or European leagues.

Well everyone is in RWC mode.

Plus the general public doesn't have access to view the pro14 on tv unless they have the premium DSTV subscription. So it's rather expensive to watch.

So the majority of rugby fans watch on tv.

As for the stadiums, I expect the stadiums to get a bit fuller after the RWC.

But the Kings won't play all their games at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and will do the same as last year in having matches at other stadiums within township areas.

 

[profitius]

I've been impressed with the new look Munster this season. Stephen Larkham is already having a big, positive effect. The win against Kings was scrappy but there were some great periods of attacking play.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Dragons win away... repeat, Dragons win away!

They were 21-14 down until the red card.

I only saw highlights of the Cheetahs, but yes, the backs look way more cohesive than last year, when they seemed to fall back on relying on the maul.

The fact this stark improvement coincides with Franco Smith leaving them and probably taking up the main job for Italy in no way makes me want to crawl into a dark cupboard and cry my heart out.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Zebre started well and I thought they were unlucky with the red card. That's Dragon's first away win in 45 games!!!

 

[Crags]

I said on here pre-match that Dragons would win. I thought Ospreys were pathetic in their game. Of course they were playing a perfect team. They will and must get better this weekend.

 

[saulan]

The fact this stark improvement coincides with Franco Smith leaving them and probably taking up the main job for Italy in no way makes me want to crawl into a dark cupboard and cry my heart out.

sure he is leaving, but all the improvement has been happening while he is there. He only leaves at the end of this week after the Munster game. Also to be fair to him, it's hard to build up a squad when everyone is uncertain about a tournament and other unions are grabbing all your best players. Look how long it took for the Jaguares to do well in Super Rugby, and they had a whole country to choose from.

 

[MikeTheNative]

I said on here pre-match that Dragons would win. I thought Ospreys were pathetic in their game. Of course they were playing a perfect team. They will and must get better this weekend.

Ospreys have been seriously poor, I know they have had two tough away games but they have been poor in defence and attack.

 

[TRF_heineken]

sure he is leaving, but all the improvement has been happening while he is there. He only leaves at the end of this week after the Munster game. Also to be fair to him, it's hard to build up a squad when everyone is uncertain about a tournament and other unions are grabbing all your best players. Look how long it took for the Jaguares to do well in Super Rugby, and they had a whole country to choose from.

Yeah, and this is the first year where they have kept the bulk of their squad from last year. I think it's only Ox Nche that's leaving mid-tournament.

Plus they've got a few great players in to boost their stock.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

sure he is leaving, but all the improvement has been happening while he is there. He only leaves at the end of this week after the Munster game. Also to be fair to him, it's hard to build up a squad when everyone is uncertain about a tournament and other unions are grabbing all your best players. Look how long it took for the Jaguares to do well in Super Rugby, and they had a whole country to choose from.

Well that's embarassing. I'd assumed when he had given his goodbyes he was leaving at the end of last season. Thanks for the correction!