Irish Rugby Thread

JD47 · January 21st, 2012, 09:24 PM

IRISH RUGBY
I thought it would be good to have a thread about Irish rugby. Its one of the things Ireland is good at.
Irish rugby is at a high today as Leinster, Munster and Ulster have made it to the knock out stages of the Heineken Cup and an Irish team could go all the way and win it. Plus with the Six Nations coming up soon we have a good chance to win the Grand Slam if we beat Wales at the Aviva in the first fixture.

thebig C · January 22nd, 2012, 09:02 PM

Good idea JD

Rugby is probably my fav sport....at least its one of the only things I have in common with my Dad!!

It will be nice to discuss it here!!

Also, given that the Irish provinces all do relatively well and that the team represents all religions and viewpoints it should be less devisive then some North vs South threads:P

BTW, fair play to Connaught. I knew they had a big game in them!

C

JD47 · January 22nd, 2012, 10:00 PM

Thanks man. I got the idea yesterday after watching Leinster and Munster.
I did'nt know if there was a thread already though.

plank007 · January 22nd, 2012, 10:36 PM

Come on Ulster! This could be our year!

JD47 · January 23rd, 2012, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plank007

Come on Ulster! This could be our year!

I am a Leinster boy and would love for them to do it but if they dont then I will be backing Ulster or Munster.
Good if another Irish team win it again.

thebig C · January 23rd, 2012, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plank007

Come on Ulster! This could be our year!

I have a sneaking suspicion that you could beat Munster....there is ALOT of pressure on them!

BTW, I know loads of Leinster guys who are rooting for Ulster...."My enemys enemy is my friend":P

C

thebig C · January 23rd, 2012, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD47

I am a Leinster boy and would love for them to do it but if they dont then I will be backing Ulster or Munster.
Good if another Irish team win it again.

Gwan Leinster!!! Two in a row would be sweet

hypnotoad24 · January 24th, 2012, 01:43 AM

Was disappointed in the Ulster result, only because we played so well at such a tough venue and came up just short. On the whole though, it's great to see the continued improvement with the team, slowly closing the gap on Leinster and Mnster.

Cannot wait for the Munster game- it's about bloody time we had a game between the two sides where one side is not ruined by withdrawals, which always seems to happen in the league fixtures. Gonna be a tough game, Ulster do have a chance of progressing, but i'm not overly optimistic! There has to be massive credit given to Munster too- people were banging on at the start of the season about them being on the decline, and yet they waltzed through the group.. and the performance at Northampton was... concerning!

It's hard to call which Irish team has the best chance of reaching the final... i'd fancy either Munster or Ulster to beat Toulouse or Edinburgh at the Aviva. Leinster will win their quarter final easily, but a probable away trip to France to play Clermont will be difficult... luckily the game can't be at their ridiculously intimidating home ground!

Also Connacht deserve praise too- they certainly put in some excellent performances and deserved more points than they ended up with. I assume that if an Irish side wins the competition they will be in again next year. Would be great to see- and as Harlequins discovered, a trip to Galway in the usual weather conditions is a fearsome challenge!

Also great to see 5 teams from our league making the last eight!

plank007 · January 24th, 2012, 01:59 AM

It's annoying we have to go to Limerick. Any chance of them moving the Munster game to the Aviva instead :P

Seravia · January 24th, 2012, 06:12 PM

Not a chance, the money isn't worth throwing away that advantage!
I too am looking forward to the Munster-Ulster match, it's sure to be a cracker. Even if Munster lose, It's still great to have Ulster in the semi finals.
Hypnotoad, you're probably being about generous saying with Waltzed through our group. It was closer to drunken stumbling through the first five matches, and then playing Northampton off the pitch in the final game. :P

I'm really hoping for an all-Irish final this year, but I personally think it'll be Leinster-Toulouse.

CharlieP · January 24th, 2012, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hypnotoad24

Also Connacht deserve praise too- they certainly put in some excellent performances and deserved more points than they ended up with. I assume that if an Irish side wins the competition they will be in again next year.

Connacht will be in next year if they're one of the top three Irish sides in the Pro 12, failing that they'll get a place if another Irish side wins the Heineken Cup.

(If both the Heineken Cup and Challenge Cup are won by two English or two French clubs, the highest-ranked European side from a different nation not already qualified will get a Heineken place, but that's unlikely to be Connacht, as they were ranked 25th at the start of the season).

JD47 · January 24th, 2012, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebig C

Gwan Leinster!!! Two in a row would be sweet

Yeah it would be sweet but if I am honest I would just love for an Irish side to win it. Of course I hope its Leinster but if they fail to win it and Munster or Ulster do then I will be happy still.
We are an island of just 6 million and yes we are not doing great financially in Europe at the moment but when it comes to rugby, we dominate Europe.

hypnotoad24 · January 24th, 2012, 07:27 PM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16693209

Planning permission for Ravenhill redevelopment annjounced today. Can't wait for this to get built, will be great to have the two ends of the ground filled in- with the added bonus of the hideous blue sea container style "corporate box"... thing finally being removed at the Aquinus end!

jpgjohnnyg · January 25th, 2012, 10:17 AM

The new Ravenhill looks great although I still think the stand built in 2009 looks odd. Capacity will be 18000. I guess about 10000 will be seating and the rest terracing but hopefully they will have the common sense to constuct it so that it can be easily changed into an all seater if needed in case health and safety laws change. I also noticed from the aeriel pictures that the corners are open. I would prefer the corners to be closed as it helps retain the atmosphere - doesnt have to be seating it could be just walls with a big screen on it or the Ulster rugby motif or something.

By the way GAA should take a note - 15million to build 3 modern stands. Mayo built one stand for more and our now in seroius trouble. The Gaelic grounds 3 sides were constructed again for a similar amount but the quality is questionable, essentially a big terrace with bucket seats on one side and obviously no roof because it never rains in Ireland!

jpgjohnnyg · January 25th, 2012, 10:24 AM

Regarding the Munster Ulster QF I think it will be great but as an Ulster fan I still think Munster are too strong. Im still annoyed about the Clermont game because we should have won to give us a home QF but the ref had a nightmare and Nathan Hines should have been sin-binned even before his American football bulldozing technique cleared the way for the try-scorer. I would be really annoyed if Clermont went on to win when really they should be out!! All Irish final would be great so fingers crossed

thebig C · January 25th, 2012, 01:56 PM

The Ravenhill proposal looks great. The still have the option of filling in the corners and joining the 4 stands to give extra capacity if Ulster can consistently attract 18k. I would echo what other posters have said in hoping that it is built in such a way as to allow seats to be easily installed on the terracing. Once this development is finished there will probably be alot more internationals held in Ravenhill

I saw the Ulster - Clemont game Johnnyg...you are correct Ulster were robbed!

Fingers crossed Connaught get back into the Heino!! They were very close in a number f games and certainly deserved to win more then one...they have come a long way in just a few years!!

plank007 · January 25th, 2012, 06:44 PM

Isn't the beauty of Ravenhill the fact it still has a terrace and a promenade? The atmosphere is great!

18k might also allow Ravenhill to host concerts like the RDS in Dublin does?

I hope they improve the bar, a tent in the carpark doesn't cut it anymore!

hypnotoad24 · January 26th, 2012, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plank007

Isn't the beauty of Ravenhill the fact it still has a terrace and a promenade? The atmosphere is great!

Absolutely! Definitely no need to get rid of either terrace- though they could do with making the promenade a bit steeper!

Quote:

18k might also allow Ravenhill to host concerts like the RDS in Dublin does?

I wouldn't think the amount of seating around the pitch is a factor- most people would be standing. Meat Loaf had a concert there a few years ago (my dad, who is a mssive fan, said it was awesome. Bizarrely Mel C was supporting. Who was apparently also awesome.)

Quote:

I hope they improve the bar, a tent in the carpark doesn't cut it anymore!

I'm pretty certain the stand going in at the beer tent end will have a bar in it- though i do like the beer tent, as it is very well staffed on match nights. The other end of the ground could also do with a bar!

thebig C · January 26th, 2012, 11:14 PM

LOL.....I notice alot of you guys are VERY concerned about the bar facilities in Ravenhill

hypnotoad24 · January 27th, 2012, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebig C

LOL.....I notice alot of you guys are VERY concerned about the bar facilities in Ravenhill

Indeed! For several years, the bar was a handy place to temporarily forget about the garbage you had just seen on the pitch lol. Not such a worry these days though!

January 21st, 2012, 09:24 PM	#1
JD47 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Dublin Posts: 3,319 Likes (Received): 89	Irish Rugby Thread IRISH RUGBY I thought it would be good to have a thread about Irish rugby. Its one of the things Ireland is good at. Irish rugby is at a high today as Leinster, Munster and Ulster have made it to the knock out stages of the Heineken Cup and an Irish team could go all the way and win it. Plus with the Six Nations coming up soon we have a good chance to win the Grand Slam if we beat Wales at the Aviva in the first fixture.

January 25th, 2012, 10:17 AM	#14
jpgjohnnyg boondock Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 107 Likes (Received): 5	The new Ravenhill looks great although I still think the stand built in 2009 looks odd. Capacity will be 18000. I guess about 10000 will be seating and the rest terracing but hopefully they will have the common sense to constuct it so that it can be easily changed into an all seater if needed in case health and safety laws change. I also noticed from the aeriel pictures that the corners are open. I would prefer the corners to be closed as it helps retain the atmosphere - doesnt have to be seating it could be just walls with a big screen on it or the Ulster rugby motif or something. By the way GAA should take a note - 15million to build 3 modern stands. Mayo built one stand for more and our now in seroius trouble. The Gaelic grounds 3 sides were constructed again for a similar amount but the quality is questionable, essentially a big terrace with bucket seats on one side and obviously no roof because it never rains in Ireland! Last edited by jpgjohnnyg; January 25th, 2012 at 10:33 AM.

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January 22nd, 2012, 09:02 PM	#2
thebig C Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,012 Likes (Received): 10	Good idea JD Rugby is probably my fav sport....at least its one of the only things I have in common with my Dad!! It will be nice to discuss it here!! Also, given that the Irish provinces all do relatively well and that the team represents all religions and viewpoints it should be less devisive then some North vs South threads:P BTW, fair play to Connaught. I knew they had a big game in them! C

January 22nd, 2012, 10:00 PM	#3
JD47 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Dublin Posts: 3,319 Likes (Received): 89	Thanks man. I got the idea yesterday after watching Leinster and Munster. I did'nt know if there was a thread already though.

January 22nd, 2012, 10:36 PM	#4
plank007 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 3,614 Likes (Received): 0	Come on Ulster! This could be our year!

January 24th, 2012, 01:43 AM	#8
hypnotoad24 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Belfast Posts: 748 Likes (Received): 6	Was disappointed in the Ulster result, only because we played so well at such a tough venue and came up just short. On the whole though, it's great to see the continued improvement with the team, slowly closing the gap on Leinster and Mnster. Cannot wait for the Munster game- it's about bloody time we had a game between the two sides where one side is not ruined by withdrawals, which always seems to happen in the league fixtures. Gonna be a tough game, Ulster do have a chance of progressing, but i'm not overly optimistic! There has to be massive credit given to Munster too- people were banging on at the start of the season about them being on the decline, and yet they waltzed through the group.. and the performance at Northampton was... concerning! It's hard to call which Irish team has the best chance of reaching the final... i'd fancy either Munster or Ulster to beat Toulouse or Edinburgh at the Aviva. Leinster will win their quarter final easily, but a probable away trip to France to play Clermont will be difficult... luckily the game can't be at their ridiculously intimidating home ground! Also Connacht deserve praise too- they certainly put in some excellent performances and deserved more points than they ended up with. I assume that if an Irish side wins the competition they will be in again next year. Would be great to see- and as Harlequins discovered, a trip to Galway in the usual weather conditions is a fearsome challenge! Also great to see 5 teams from our league making the last eight!

January 24th, 2012, 01:59 AM	#9
plank007 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 3,614 Likes (Received): 0	It's annoying we have to go to Limerick. Any chance of them moving the Munster game to the Aviva instead :P

January 24th, 2012, 06:12 PM	#10
Seravia Registered User Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 104 Likes (Received): 2	Not a chance, the money isn't worth throwing away that advantage! I too am looking forward to the Munster-Ulster match, it's sure to be a cracker. Even if Munster lose, It's still great to have Ulster in the semi finals. Hypnotoad, you're probably being about generous saying with Waltzed through our group. It was closer to drunken stumbling through the first five matches, and then playing Northampton off the pitch in the final game. :P I'm really hoping for an all-Irish final this year, but I personally think it'll be Leinster-Toulouse.

January 24th, 2012, 07:27 PM	#13
hypnotoad24 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Belfast Posts: 748 Likes (Received): 6	http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16693209 Planning permission for Ravenhill redevelopment annjounced today. Can't wait for this to get built, will be great to have the two ends of the ground filled in- with the added bonus of the hideous blue sea container style "corporate box"... thing finally being removed at the Aquinus end!

January 25th, 2012, 10:24 AM	#15
jpgjohnnyg boondock Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 107 Likes (Received): 5	Regarding the Munster Ulster QF I think it will be great but as an Ulster fan I still think Munster are too strong. Im still annoyed about the Clermont game because we should have won to give us a home QF but the ref had a nightmare and Nathan Hines should have been sin-binned even before his American football bulldozing technique cleared the way for the try-scorer. I would be really annoyed if Clermont went on to win when really they should be out!! All Irish final would be great so fingers crossed

January 25th, 2012, 01:56 PM	#16
thebig C Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,012 Likes (Received): 10	The Ravenhill proposal looks great. The still have the option of filling in the corners and joining the 4 stands to give extra capacity if Ulster can consistently attract 18k. I would echo what other posters have said in hoping that it is built in such a way as to allow seats to be easily installed on the terracing. Once this development is finished there will probably be alot more internationals held in Ravenhill I saw the Ulster - Clemont game Johnnyg...you are correct Ulster were robbed! Fingers crossed Connaught get back into the Heino!! They were very close in a number f games and certainly deserved to win more then one...they have come a long way in just a few years!!

January 25th, 2012, 06:44 PM	#17
plank007 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 3,614 Likes (Received): 0	Isn't the beauty of Ravenhill the fact it still has a terrace and a promenade? The atmosphere is great! 18k might also allow Ravenhill to host concerts like the RDS in Dublin does? I hope they improve the bar, a tent in the carpark doesn't cut it anymore!

January 26th, 2012, 11:14 PM	#19
thebig C Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,012 Likes (Received): 10	LOL.....I notice alot of you guys are VERY concerned about the bar facilities in Ravenhill