New Super 15 Format!

[backawaygoonahead]

it's the greatest club rugby competition in the world
take the top 4 at the end of it and pitch against top 4 from Heiny would not be a contest...The Heiny teams would hammer them

FIXED

But seriously though folks, Super Duper rugby is a great spectacle & provides more "Entertainment" so important to todays fans who don't appear to grasp the beauty of a balls out scrap like our home game against Biarritz which brought grown men to tears. Did anyone seriously enjoy our 5 try win in Cardiff more than the tryless spectacular at Ravenhill ? Any who did must have no soul and couldn't possibly enjoy blues music Give me heart & soul rugby ahead of "entertainment" every time.

I believe the SH teams - more predominantly the Aussies & Kiwis are culturally more inclined to the US approach to sports rubbish like Gridiron & basketball, they like a bit more razzle dazzle than is seemly - God forbid we ever import a harridan like Christina Aguilera to butcher "Stan'Up" as the Ulster team enters the arena

Thankfully the Saffers are more like my type of rugby team - a bit of grunt & thuggery, hard as nails and able to play it fast & loose once they have beaten the enemy to a pulp. Probably why more of them seem to settle into the NH game more easily.

Granted the cream of the Super 15 will be the best team on the planet but there is much disparity in the levels of the teams and slaughters are commonplace happenings. There is some dross in the HC but then again it is a much bigger competition with 24 teams. Overall I think it compares very favourably in terms of overall strength.

The scant regard for the laws of the Super XV game also disappoint me a bit with forward passes almost accepted as long as you don't completely take the slash. There is no question that there seems to be an attitude that they want lots of tries and that "luck of the draw" on passing will even out over the season to make it fair for everyone - nonsense of course as the strongest teams make more opportunities.

All that said I will be thoroughly looking forward to the games with an eye to perhaps hearing about some starlet with an Irish passport & a granny in Co Down or which quality players are considering a move north post-RWC.

I have made money occasionally in the past with a punt on the Crusaders but this year there will be no punt but I reckon I will be following the Sharks & Bulls for obvious "patriotic" reasons.

[LETS_GO_ULSTER]

I'd be interested to hear what the Rebels are like Lets_Go_Ulster and whether there are many native Victorians there or if the crowd is mainly exiles (from Europe, NZ, SA, NSW and QLD).

Despite the result it was a good night, 25,500 crowd in attedance at the AAMI stadium (a cracking stadium), just below capacity. The Rebels played some great rugby for the first 20 minutes then ran out of ideas and the Waratahs took them apart, Drew Mitchell looked a class apart. I'd say about 2/3 of the crowd were Aussies (not sure how many native Victorians though), and then a good mix of ex-pats. Including the 4 obligatory "liginds" in Munster shirts at a non-Munster match. My only real grumble was the lack of anything approaching beer. All that was on offer was mid-strength (2%) Carlton, which you would struggle to call beer at the best of times!

Essentially the Rebels looked exactly what they were, a team that hadn't played a competatibe match before at this level. Heading to the Brumbies match this Friday, with a hip flask, it'll be interesting to see if they get anywhere near the same crowd after last Friday's drubbing.

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

how did danny look from on high?

watched piranha the other night - you know, the cheap and cheesy one with former mrs cipriani kelly brook naked underwater quite a lot...

hubba hubba

[LETS_GO_ULSTER]

how did danny look from on high?

Nowhere near as good as the aforementioned Ms Brook. Sadly.

[Bring Humph On!!]

It was good to see our "academy" side get off to a winning start against the lions!!

[BR]

Including the 4 obligatory "liginds" in Munster shirts at a non-Munster match.

You mean you weren't in your white?

The beer thing sounds a problem though. Is that usual for Aussie sports grounds?

I can't see the Secrets getting too many turning up if they continue with results like that. I'm not hearing a great deal on the marketing front from them (although, what d'ye expect in NI). Are they getting it right or is it being ccked up?

[LETS_GO_ULSTER]

Including the 4 obligatory "liginds" in Munster shirts at a non-Munster match.

You mean you weren't in your white?

The beer thing sounds a problem though. Is that usual for Aussie sports grounds?

I can't see the Secrets getting too many turning up if they continue with results like that. I'm not hearing a great deal on the marketing front from them (although, what d'ye expect in NI). Are they getting it right or is it being ccked up?

I was in white, but in my club colours rather than my Ulster jersey

mid-strength beer seems like an Aussie sports thing, I was at one of the recent one day internationals at the MCG and was able to get full strength nice beer in the bar, but that was only because I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the MCG Members section.

The marketing for the Rebels is pretty far ahead of Ulser's current marketing. They have decent exposure with advertising coverage in Newspapers, Billboards/side of buses and trams, and TV ads. I'd say this might taper off in the next few months as they are probably going a bit OTT at the moment as it is a brand new team and they want to make people aware of them.

heading to the Brumbies match tomorrow night with my hip flask, should be more enjoyable

[theCloudSpotter]

Highlanders won again today and the Rebels beat the Brumbies. Cheetahs beating the Bulls this evening would have completed a day of surprise results but unfortunately they ran out of steam towards the end with the Bulls dominating possession.