Ulster, Pro 12, Ap and Top 14 Standard ...

[Cornerfleg]

Are we suffering from over exposure, is there too much rugby being played are the players tired, is defence king, is the mentality to equalise before the other team score ... or are they all just shyte ...

Because IMHO the quality of rugby this weather has been ballix as a whole ... first it was the Lions that went to shyte ... then the 6N became an absolute dirge fest and now on the majority of occasions what is being served up to me is actually pretty poor form of entertainment ...

[Gary]

Standard of the Pro 12 not helped by the number of games played by teams shorn of their best players by international call-ups and the various rest breaks.

We customers are getting seriously short-changed.

[Cracker]

Totally agree on both points. This league is becoming a farce because of international call ups and looking increasingly amateurish what with weakened teams and so called player management.

[Bayern]

Game is becoming dominated by player size and defence. All about about bosh.

Doesn't help so many players are getting injured too or that this season in Ireland everyone's main focus in the RWC.
Or that you have a poor coach.

[Cockatrice]

Standard of the Pro 12 not helped by the number of games played by teams shorn of their best players by international call-ups and the various rest breaks.

We customers are getting seriously short-changed.

I think many pay top dollar to see international players plying their trade and a growing number do believe they re getting short changed with international call ups etc. In football terms turning up to watch Chelsea V ManCity with internationals rested isn't what supporters want to see...

[Russ]

Game is becoming dominated by player size and defence. All about about bosh.

Doesn't help so many players are getting injured too or that this season in Ireland everyone's main focus in the RWC.
Or that you have a poor coach.

But it's not.

It was from 2010 to 2012 when Wales were winning with bosh ball

Since teams have worked out skill > bosh it has changed.

Half the teams have tried to get bigger. The others have got smarter

[Amiga500]

Ulster, Pro 12, Ap and Top 14 Standard ...

When coaches spend more time on stopping the opposition scoring (because it is easier for them to coach) than on their own team scoring... its pretty much what you expect.


Although the reasons for the somewhat dire basic handling skills are beyond me.

[lw7]

The Aviva Premiership is a lot more watchable this year with L Welsh certain of the drop and many of the teams playing a faster game. The try stats must be a lot higher than recent years.
Nathan Hughes working alongside Johnston & Haskell has been the new find of the season.
Northampton and Bath have two of the best attacking backlines in Europe at the moment.

[scrum5]

The Pro12 is the poor relation, can't compete with the wealth of the French and as next week against Leicester will prove, we can't live with the power of the AP, I foolishly give off to Tigerburnie last year that Leicester were no longer the dominant side they had been by the recruitment of some players from a poor Treviso side last season, but Barbieri, Ghiraldini and Rizzo have flourished, good coaching structures works wonders.

[pythagoras]

Standard of the Pro 12 not helped by the number of games played by teams shorn of their best players by international call-ups and the various rest breaks.

We customers are getting seriously short-changed.

As I've said before, I think it would be better if there was only 1 round of matches in the pro 12.
11 games with full strength teams would be far more attractive than the current situation.
11 games in the pro12, 6 in europe and another 8 international games makes for potentially 26 matches a season for an international player, omitting summer tours.
The NFL have 16 regular season matches and yet a city like green bay (pop. 100K) has an 80k waiting list for season tickets.
Quality over quantity.

[Rooster]

Standard of the Pro 12 not helped by the number of games played by teams shorn of their best players by international call-ups and the various rest breaks.

We customers are getting seriously short-changed.

As I've said before, I think it would be better if there was only 1 round of matches in the pro 12.
11 games with full strength teams would be far more attractive than the current situation.
11 games in the pro12, 6 in europe and another 8 international games makes for potentially 26 matches a season for an international player, omitting summer tours.
The NFL have 16 regular season matches and yet a city like green bay (pop. 100K) has an 80k waiting list for season tickets.
Quality over quantity.

Not enough gate money though for that to work

[pythagoras]

I wonder. Looking at thomond park, the season ticket holders seem to avoid the lesser games already.
Fewer pro12 games of a higher standard might increase the overall money value.
Rugby is as attritional as NFL, players can only play so many matches.
Currently the value of the product is being dragged down by reserve games being given equal importance to first XV ones. Very few will keep buying mutton sold as lamb.

[pythagoras]

The playoffs probably diminish the worth of the competition also.
Teams can target a top 4 position rather than going all out for top spot.
This has a knock on effect on the perceived importance of regular matches.

[Rooster]

The playoffs probably diminish the worth of the competition also.
Teams can target a top 4 position rather than going all out for top spot.
This has a knock on effect on the perceived importance of regular matches.

That has always been my own opinion on why playoffs don't add to the competition and how a third or fourth placed side can win the league with a lucky bounce or dodgy decision, far harder to be consistent all season

[bazzaj]

The pro 12 is a poor standard league as the best players rarely compete against each other en mass as has been said.
Fleg put his finger on it when he said about skill and thats whats missing across the board in the NH game and thats ultimately what people want to see at the highest level.
Really in terms of NH rugby who could you say you would pay to see and tell your Grandkids about nowadays since the likes of BOD, Wilkinson, Williams and Robinson are retired.
Sexton yes, George North maybe at a push?
Anyone else even approaching that level?