mikerob wrote:
One thing that could be looked at is the 4 try bonus point. In the T14, you get a try BP if you score 3 tries MORE than the opposition. That means a team isn't guaranteed a try BP until the final whistle as the opposition can deny the BP by scoring tries to reduce the difference below 3. IMO it seems like a better system as it should encourage more play right to the end.
Yes I agree- I rather like that system myself and it would seem to be more likely to encourage the losing team to keep trying.
TheElephantMan wrote:US ULSTER RUGBY....................AND CONNACHT.......................SAY NO MORE.
Level playing field
US ULSTER RUGBY P10, W5, Pts 23
AND CONNACHT P9, W5, Pts 9
SAY NO MORE!
Is it though??
Of course not!
I'm surprised it's taken so long for someone to question that, but I guess that it is because it is still closer to comparing like for (almost) like than TEM's comparison.
I'm not arguing -
I'm just explaining why I'm right
Ardglass2 wrote:No chance may get to 4,000/5,000 but thats it.
It's a start, isn't it? How many came to see the other provinces play in the good ol' days unless it was a touring international team visit?
Give them a full on team, and within 10 years you would see benefits to Irish rugby with the Westie schoolboys attracted to the game coming through.
There is an element of truth in this and even when you look back to the start of the European Cup the provinces were not attracting huge crowds to the games.I recall being in Thomond Park for the first EC games and there was less than 5,000 in attendance.At the same time we were getting over 10,000 for Shannon AIL & Munster Senior Cup games and over 16,000 when the games were against Young Munster.Until relatively recently Leinster were not hugely supported even at H Cup games.It only really took off in the last 6 years or so.
That said Dublin, certain parts of Ulster, Limerick and Cork to a lesser extent have a rich tradition and history in the game which does not exist in Connacht.If the team were playing top opposition there is little doubt they would attract more supporters but they could never reach the levels the others are at.
I agree though that there would be benefits to Irish rugby from the promotion of the game properly in Connacht and getting into the schools there to attract the talented youngsters before they are lost to the GAA.
It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
Don't get me wrong I'm all for buiding up Connaught as much as possible - the stronger they are the better it is for Irish rugby but there are some obvious problems that don't exist in the other provinces.
The lack of a rugby tradition and the fact Galway is a smaller place than Cork, Dublin or Belfast.
Limerick is a bit different but the journey to get from where Galway is to where is to where Limerick is regarding rugby is a 20 year journey imo.
Where's me Elephant gun?
