Pro14 Grand Final winner.

First topic message reminder :

I thought this was worth posting because the bookies have the Cheetahs at 10/1 (same as Ulster and Glasgow).  Making them the fourth most likely team to win the tournament after Leinster, Munster and Scarlets (in that order).  Southern Kings aren't that far behind at 20/1.

For anybody tempted to think that the the Kings and Cheetahs might be joining at the same sort of level as the Italians and Dragons, this is a bit of an eye opener.

Leinster 7/4
Munster 3/1
Scarlets 9/2
Cheetahs 10/1
Ulster 10/1
Glasgow 10/1
Ospreys 12/1
Kings 20/1
Blues 40/1
Connacht 66/1
Edinburgh 125/1
Dragons 500/1
Treviso 1000/1
Zebre 1000/1

Bookies never wrong and all that.

https://www.skybet.com/rugby-union/guinness-pro-14/betType/win-outright

marty2086 wrote:

Kingshu wrote:Why havent the WRU bid this year? Since it was it Scotland last year they are unlikely, leaves IRFU and FIR dont think SA will bid this year. Most likely means the IRFU bid and a lot of complaining that its in Ireland so often.

May not be the WRU though, the regions were against the idea from the beginning and were refusing to bid because they risked losing money on it. Don't the bids have to have a team from the league as a stakeholder?

The WRU said it has not bid this time because there are concerts planned. There are none yet announced around the date of the final though, so maybe they just don't want to pay upfront for it.

It will be a real shame if the final is not in Wales, Italy or South Africa. Isn't it time one of those countries got it?

Isn't it time a country who have yet to participate get the final? Really?

marty2086 wrote:Isn't it time a country who have yet to participate get the final? Really?

Yes really. There's 5 countries in it. I think I'm right in saying that only 2 have ever held a final in about 15 years.

Shouldn't it be in one of the other 3 now?

A final in SA won't provide enough gate revenue , the Rand is too weak and our ticketrices too low

RugbyFan100 wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Isn't it time a country who have yet to participate get the final? Really?

Yes really.  There's 5 countries in it. I think I'm right in saying that only 2 have ever held a final in about 15 years.

Shouldn't it be in one of the other 3 now?

SA have yet to take part yet they should have it?

As you've been told before on here, Wales and Italy have yet to bid, you aren't in, you can't win

marty2086 wrote:

RugbyFan100 wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Isn't it time a country who have yet to participate get the final? Really?

Yes really.  There's 5 countries in it. I think I'm right in saying that only 2 have ever held a final in about 15 years.

Shouldn't it be in one of the other 3 now?

SA have yet to take part yet they should have it?

As you've been told before on here, Wales and Italy have yet to bid, you aren't in, you can't win

Wales and Italy are likely to never bid. Hence, the league is completely skewed towards the country where the league is based.

RugbyFan100 wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

RugbyFan100 wrote:

marty2086 wrote:Isn't it time a country who have yet to participate get the final? Really?

Yes really.  There's 5 countries in it. I think I'm right in saying that only 2 have ever held a final in about 15 years.

Shouldn't it be in one of the other 3 now?

SA have yet to take part yet they should have it?

As you've been told before on here, Wales and Italy have yet to bid, you aren't in, you can't win

Wales and Italy are likely to never bid. Hence, the league is completely skewed towards the country where the league is based.

Ive read some stupid sh!t on here over the years but I think that may have just got the no1 spot

So the league is skewed towards the Irish? Is that why Scotland hosted two years ago? Is that how Scarlets won the league last season?

Having the final in the same place more or less all the time really isn't a good look.

In the three years the new format have been in place it's been held in Belfast, Edinburgh and Dublin.

If it had been under the old format that the Welsh seem to prefer, it would have been in Limerick, Dublin and Limerick

I don't see what all the complaints are about here if the WRU haven't even placed a bid for it...

RDW_Scotland wrote:I don't see what all the complaints are about here if the WRU haven't even placed a bid for it...

Really? You can't see ANY reason that fans of the 4 Welsh teams might be slightly peeved, that the final doesn't look like being hosted in Wales, despite Welsh teams winning nearly 40% of all Celtic rugby championships ever?

Ok.

Peeved at the Welsh not putting a bid in?

No one from Manchester bought a lottery ticket this week

The lottery is drawn in London and someone from London wins it

Its bloody unfair that the winner isn't from Manchester

Well if the WRU deliberately chose not to host it then the Welsh fans should vent their anger at the WRU, not the Pro 12!

RDW_Scotland wrote:I don't see what all the complaints are about here if the WRU haven't even placed a bid for it...

All the complaints?! Christ, talking about exaggerating!

Griff wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:I don't see what all the complaints are about here if the WRU haven't even placed a bid for it...

All the complaints?! Christ, talking about exaggerating!

Figure of speech!

Griff wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:I don't see what all the complaints are about here if the WRU haven't even placed a bid for it...

All the complaints?! Christ, talking about exaggerating!

To be fair some of your countrymen have complained about it in the past, though a few of them are worse than a bingo hall full of old women

BamBam wrote:No one from Manchester bought a lottery ticket this week

The lottery is drawn in London and someone from London wins it

Its bloody unfair that the winner isn't from Manchester

Yeah I agree.

What is even worse is that it wasn't me who won

Hey Biltong do you know much about Hendre Marnitz?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40820768

Nothing mikey, he was involved at the blue bulls u19 and currie cup teams, I can't tellyou whether he is any good or not

He seems to come with a bit of pedigree though, it's a step up on what we had previously.

From Walesonline.

OPENING GUINNESS PRO14 FIXTURES

September 1-2

Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh

Connacht v Glasgow

Dragons v Leinster

Munster v Treviso

Ospreys v Zebre

Scarlets v Southern Kings

Ulster v Toyota Cheetahs

September 8-9

Connacht v Southern Kings

Edinburgh v Dragons

Glasgow v Ospreys

Leinster v Cardiff Blues

Munster v Toyota Cheetahs

Treviso v Ulster

Zebre v Scarlets

September 15-16

Cardiff Blues v Glasgow

Dragons v Connacht

Edinburgh v Treviso

Ospreys v Munster

Southern Kings v Leinster

Toyota Cheetahs v Zebre

Ulster v Scarlets

marty2086 wrote: I think Guinness played a role in it too

As with so much in my life

Leinster now at 7/4

Fixtures are out.
http://www.pro14rugby.org/fixtures/


Heres the provisional TV list.
http://d2cx26qpfwuhvu.cloudfront.ne.../08/08165302/Confidential_Fixtures1718_V5.pdf