Pro 12 HIGHER or LOWER

This games easy rather than predicing when they will all finish this year, we play Higher or Lower. (no Micheal Barrymore jokes please).


Leinster - Stick
Ospreys - Lower
Munster - Stick
Glasgow - Lower
Scarlets - Stick
Ulster - Higher
Cardiff Blues - Lower
Connacht - Stick
NGD - Lower
Treviso - Higher
Edinburgh - Higher
Zebre - stick (lower if possible)

verall we should get an impression if in peoples opinions, certain teams have improved or not.

Leinster - Stick
Ospreys - Lower
Munster - Higher
Glasgow - Lower
Scarlets - Stick
Ulster - Higher
Cardiff Blues - Stick
Connacht - Stick
NGD - Lower
Treviso - Stick
Edinburgh - Higher
Zebre - stick (lower if possible)

Kingshu wrote:This games easy rather than predicing when they will all finish this year, we play Higher or Lower. (no Micheal Barrymore jokes please).


Leinster - Stick
Ospreys - Lower
Munster - Stick
Glasgow - Lower
Scarlets - Stick
Ulster - Higher
Cardiff Blues - Lower
Connacht - Stick
NGD - Lower
Treviso - Higher
Edinburgh - Higher
Zebre - stick (lower if possible)

verall we should get an impression if in peoples opinions, certain teams have improved or not.

You have effectively predicted something like this
Leinster
Ulster
Munster
Ospreys
Scarlets
Treviso
Glasgow
Connacht
Cardiff Blues
NGD
Zebre

I don't think Munster will be that high as they have a lot to do this season and the season may be a bit of a write off for them. So they can get back to glory in the following seasons.(You can never write Munster off though)

I think Ulster and Leinster will be in the top 4. Joined by Ospreys. Number 4? Wide open really. Scarlets, Munster, Glasgow, Edinburgh all in with a roar. Possibly in that order.

I also think Connacht will have a good year. Their squad is much bigger and I think Parks will suit them, and they will still have the grit they always have. Could be top 6.

There will definitely be a few surprises. Some teams will `start slowly and people will write them off only for them to go on a big run and end up high in the league come May.

HC performance will be important, as teams that go out in January will put all their eggs in the League basket.

I will boldly predict that it will not be an all Irish first three finish. Leinster will be there, they always are, but Munster need to re-build and I think the South Africans at Ulster need to go up a gear now as we all know how good they all are. The Scottish clubs have moved in the right direction with their signings this time around and I would not write off the Blues and the Scarlets either. Even though the Ospreys have lost Paul James and Huw Bennet I still think they have the best pack in the league so all in all I think this season is going to be the one when we see the Rabo come of age.

If I had to quibble it would be Munster who I think wil lbe lower

It does seam that

Leinster - Still the team to beat

Ospreys - lost players, but have good young players, will do well but not as well as last year

Munster - same as Ospreys, but have dept to still be good

Glasgow - Good season last year (maybe overachieved), stronger squad, but will struggle to do the same, as other teams have improved also.

Scarlets - young team with more experience but squad depth not much improved compared to others, will have a similar season (which is still decent)

Ulster - have imporved, disappointed to be only 6th should move up higher

Cardiff Blues - Same as Ospreys and Munster however don't have the same talent coming through as the other two, and will find it a struggle this year, and to finish 7th again while in transaction would be a decent season.

Connacht - maybe overachieved last season to finish 8th, but have strenghtened the squad, and are the team least affected by internationals, to finish 8th again would be good, and not an overachievement like last year.

NGD - have lost some key players, have bought in some, always have a decent younth programme coming through but may suffer this year

Treviso - have managed to strengthen by adding some Aironi players, are becoming a tough team to play, and when they win now its not an unexpected result. Tougher this year as teams around them have strengthened too, but should be able to push up a place or to.

Edinburgh - H-cup quarter finalists finishing 2nd last in league is an embrassent, and they should do better this year and move up to at least mid table

Zebre - are a weaker Aironi, target this year isn't to finish 2d last but to win some home games, which they may achieve.

1 Leinster
2 Ospreys
3 Ulster
4 Blues
5 Munster
6 Glasgow
7 Scarlets
8 Edinburgh
9 Treviso
10 Connacht
11 Dragons
12 Zebres

There we go I'm happy with that.
My dark horse for the season is the Blues. Give Phil Davies a chance to gel the team, he's a good coach and the Blues do actually have a good squad with a lot of exceptional youngsters who will push on this season. There will be ups and downs, but I think they will suprise people when they start to gel as a team.

On paper thats not a bad team if they can get them all fit, especially with young stars from the Welsh U20 world Cup like Cory Allen, Macualey Cook, and Luke Hamilton.

15 Leigh Halfpenny
14 Harry Robinson
13 Jamie Roberts
12 Cory Allen
11 Alex Cuthbert
10 Jason Tovey
9 Lloyd Williams
8 Andries Pretorius
7 Sam Warburton
6 Luke Hamilton
5 Macualey Cook
4 Bradley Davies
3 Scott Andrews
2 Rhys Williams
1 Sam Hobbs

Quite surprising that the Irish are picking the Ospreys to finish lower than 2nd. You know your teams would actually have to beat them for that to happen right? Their squad is probably fresher and stronger than last years (I'm sure Shifty will tell you if you question that). A few knocks though and they might feel the pinch.

The top two spots will be Ospreys and Leinster (not necessarily in that order), the rest a free for all with Dragons, the Italians and Connacht taking the bottom 4 places.

Kingshu wrote:It does seam that

Leinster - Still the team to beat

Ospreys - lost players, but have good young players, will do well but not as well as last year

Munster - same as Ospreys, but have dept to still be good

Right so aside from your top 3 Irish finish (which I also doubt) you think Munster have some far superior depth to the Ospreys. Well I think we saw the depth at the tail end of last season (the play-offs). Ospreys had injuries all season and coped, because they were bolstered by some players from their Premiership teams making the step-up. That's the reason why they've hardly recruited. I think Munster have as good depth too because I have seen some good players in their A-team as well as the Munster squad. Munster by my standards also had a fairly good season last year and will no doubt be up there competing in both competitions during this season.

Hmmm... Chips!

Spoiler:

Is chips and a picture of Homer Simpson relevant to the post or comments, or am I missing something?

Check your shoulders

Change the ffs. Care to discuss what I've said? Or is not predicting a top Irish 3 finish unholy?

Morgannwg wrote:Change the ffs. Care to discuss what I've said? Or is not predicting a top Irish 3 finish unholy?

I'm not predicting top 3 Irish.
predicting Ospreys Leinster Ulster.......... + scarlets if I'm pushed.

could also be Glasgow or even cardiff . If munster don't get out of their hc group they could be in there too.

who knows. should be a closer comp than it has been with only zebre with no chance of a sniff of the top half. the other 11 teams could all be top 6.

Not but Notch seemed to think that, I know you didn't. I could only pick a top 2, I found it difficult to call the rest. Scarlets can be good but I suspect their defence will still be as leaky as it always is. Blues might do well now they have gotten rid of some staleness.

Morgannwg wrote:Change the ffs. Care to discuss what I've said? Or is not predicting a top Irish 3 finish unholy?

No, I actually predicted Ospreys to finish 1st and win the Final on the other thread.

It's just funny that you're too proud to deal with anyone who disagrees!

I didn't see the other thread. And so far, nobody has disagreed with me so not sure where you got that from. So just like I thought, your post was nonsense.

As someone has already said, it all depends how the usual suspects do in the HC. If any of them go out of that, at the pool stages, its all change. That's how O's made the Final and won it last year. They had weeks to prepare for that one goal.

It will be Leinster, Munster, O's, Ulster, Scarlets and Blues in the mix - as per.

My not so dark horses for the playoffs and PRO12 Title - Glasgow Warriors. They were sublimely consistent last year and are 20/30% stronger this year, squad-wise. They were narrowly beaten in the SF last season too.

Connacht and Treviso to have their biggest seasons in years. Its all set up for one hell of a year in the PRO12. Its just getting stronger. As predicted.

Gibson -

The main problem with Glasgow is that they just don't seem to be, well, "Welsh" enough for a lot of the posters here.

Morgannwg wrote:

Kingshu wrote:It does seam that

Leinster - Still the team to beat

Ospreys - lost players, but have good young players, will do well but not as well as last year

Munster - same as Ospreys, but have dept to still be good

Right so aside from your top 3 Irish finish (which I also doubt) you think Munster have some far superior depth to the Ospreys. Well I think we saw the depth at the tail end of last season (the play-offs). Ospreys had injuries all season and coped, because they were bolstered by some players from their Premiership teams making the step-up. That's the reason why they've hardly recruited. I think Munster have as good depth too because I have seen some good players in their A-team as well as the Munster squad. Munster by my standards also had a fairly good season last year and will no doubt be up there competing in both competitions during this season.

I never predicted a top 3 Irsh teams, it's higher or lower
said Leinster - Stick
Ospreys - Lower
Munster - Stick
Glasgow - Lower
Scarlets - Stick
Ulster - Higher

and nowhere did i say Munster had better depth than Ospreys, I think Ospreys will finish lower than 2nd, meaning 3rd or 4th, I think that Munster will prob stick finish 3rd (maybe 4th). SO HOW DOES THAT MEAN "Munster far superior depth to the Ospreys"? It means that I think that they are both about the same, but with Ospreys winning last year I don't think they will this year and finsih slightly lower, Munster will finish about the same place as Ospreys, which is around where they finished last year.

To the 3 Irish teams in the Playoffs, Leinster I said stick 1st place, Munster I said stick around 3rd place and Ulster I said Higher than 6th, I think thats a fair assessment!

I did put in that I thnik the 3 Irish teams will finish in the top 4, but thats another thread, and also an entirely reasonable opinion, and my opinion.

George Carlin wrote:Gibson -

The main problem with Glasgow is that they just don't seem to be, well, "Welsh" enough for a lot of the posters here.

Please give it a rest will you, if anything I have seen the same chest thumping from certain Irish posters on here as I did before the WC game and the Rabo final, and we all know what happened there don't we. Look, the league is a lot stronger this year and like other people have said on this thread you could name a top two but the rest is all up in the air, so for me it will be Ospreys and Leinster occupying the top two, then anyone out of Edinbrugh, Glasgow, Munster, Ulster, Blues and Scarlets for the other two spots.

LordDowlais wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Gibson -

The main problem with Glasgow is that they just don't seem to be, well, "Welsh" enough for a lot of the posters here.

Please give it a rest will you, if anything I have seen the same chest thumping from certain Irish posters on here as I did before the WC game and the Rabo final, and we all know what happened there don't we. Look, the league is a lot stronger this year and like other people have said on this thread you could name a top two but the rest is all up in the air, so for me it will be Ospreys and Leinster occupying the top two, then anyone out of Edinbrugh, Glasgow, Munster, Ulster, Blues and Scarlets for the other two spots.

but similarly, also

I think the main problem with Glasgow is that they lost a good coach, for some odd reason the SRU decided to move him. Instead of going one step further under him I think they'll stay at the same level or go backwards now that they are without. They won't displace the top 2, nothing to do with not being welsh enough.

Kingshu wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:

Kingshu wrote:It does seam that

Leinster - Still the team to beat

Ospreys - lost players, but have good young players, will do well but not as well as last year

Munster - same as Ospreys, but have dept to still be good

Right so aside from your top 3 Irish finish (which I also doubt) you think Munster have some far superior depth to the Ospreys. Well I think we saw the depth at the tail end of last season (the play-offs). Ospreys had injuries all season and coped, because they were bolstered by some players from their Premiership teams making the step-up. That's the reason why they've hardly recruited. I think Munster have as good depth too because I have seen some good players in their A-team as well as the Munster squad. Munster by my standards also had a fairly good season last year and will no doubt be up there competing in both competitions during this season.

I never predicted a top 3 Irsh teams, it's higher or lower
said Leinster - Stick
Ospreys - Lower
Munster - Stick
Glasgow - Lower
Scarlets - Stick
Ulster - Higher

and nowhere did i say Munster had better depth than Ospreys, I think Ospreys will finish lower than 2nd, meaning 3rd or 4th, I think that Munster will prob stick finish 3rd (maybe 4th). SO HOW DOES THAT MEAN "Munster far superior depth to the Ospreys"? It means that I think that they are both about the same, but with Ospreys winning last year I don't think they will this year and finsih slightly lower, Munster will finish about the same place as Ospreys, which is around where they finished last year.

To the 3 Irish teams in the Playoffs, Leinster I said stick 1st place, Munster I said stick around 3rd place and Ulster I said Higher than 6th, I think thats a fair assessment!

I did put in that I thnik the 3 Irish teams will finish in the top 4, but thats another thread, and also an entirely reasonable opinion, and my opinion.

Look at what you wrote, if Leinster, Scarlets and Munster stick, Glasgow and Ospreys go lower then that gives you:
Leinster
Ulster
Munster
Ospreys
Scarleys
Glasgow.

Now as mentioned I don't agree with that, because seems more like 'Irish chest beating' than logic. But fair enough, I suppose you're entitled to your opinion. I apologise for pointing it out.

Also, it seemed that is what you insinuated about the squad depth of Ospreys and Munster. Ospreys have only lost three decent players (Williams, Bowe, James). The rest was dead wood. They also have a no nonsense coach, which is why my friend (hooker, Dwyer) may find it difficult to get into the team... It is the strongest squad in Wales. Munster have recruited well (Laulala, Downey and Stander spring to mind), and also have some good feeder clubs. They were already a strong team and I'm sure they will do well this season. I don't think the thrashing from the Ospreys was a fair reflection of their ability.

Morgannwg wrote:
Also, it seemed that is what you insinuated about the squad depth of Ospreys and Munster. Ospreys have only lost three decent players (Williams, Bowe, James). The rest was dead wood. They also have a no nonsense coach, which is why my friend (hooker, Dwyer) may find it difficult to get into the team... It is the strongest squad in Wales. Munster have recruited well (Laulala, Downey and Stander spring to mind), and also have some good feeder clubs. They were already a strong team and I'm sure they will do well this season. I don't think the thrashing from the Ospreys was a fair reflection of their ability.

The players the Ospreys lost are more than decent players. Williams and Bowe are top international wingers. They have to be closely watched and have a big impact in games. James is a good scrummager too. The problem with trimming squads can be seen from mid season on when international call ups, injuries and fatigue starts to take its toll.

Why are we all bothering, this comming season every team have made improvements where needed, it is so close you cannot put a fag paper between most teams in the league, lets just look forward to what I think will be a flagship season for the Celtic and Italian sides.