Lions 2017 Fixtures
Rugby 2017 Discussion
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I might if Munster make it though
I think Munster have every chance tbh, gonna put a 5er on an all Irish final. Would be a brilliant atmosphere in Edinburgh if it was! I think both games this weekend will be electric
It's gonna be a tough battle tomorrow and that's what it's got to be if Munster are to go through, if at least one of us makes it though the place will be buzzing for the final.
You're right man the game tomorrow will be an absolute war, both sides are impressive and whoever wins I think will be the slight favorites for the final.
I went to the Pro 12 final last year and the atmosphere was amazing, all the Irish fans made it incredible. Love it when Scotland play Ireland and the clubs sides play each other, the atmosphere is always something else.
I went to the Pro 12 final last year and the atmosphere was amazing, all the Irish fans made it incredible. Love it when Scotland play Ireland and the clubs sides play each other, the atmosphere is always something else.
Regardless of how the two matches go, it's really nice to have Irish clubs back at the business end of the competition.
Well done to the Southern Kings who, by beating the Waratahs 26-24, have inflicted the most embarrassing result an Australian side has suffered in Australia. It exceeds the Cheetahs beating the Waratahs 23-3 in Sydney in 2011.
Was that the score today?? Bloody Hell fantastic result for the Kings
Yup. The Tahs were 17-0 ahead after about 30 minutes, proceeded to then concede 26 unanswered points. A late consolation try and losing bonus point changes nothing in the embarrassing stakes. The Waratahs won the Aussie conference and finished 2nd on the overall table two years ago. They were champions in 2014. The Kings have been admirable since it became clear they were among the teams set to be cut at the end of the season.
Incredible, the few times I've watched the Tahs this season their form seems to have really fallen off a cliff. As you say I remember when they won it a few years ago, they were excellent. Certainly an embarrassing result, and you're right the late try and bonus point changes nothing. Fair play to the Kings, cracking result. Just the the NZ teams look so strong this year in the Super Rugby, I like watching the Crusaders. Hurricanes, Highlanders and the Blues I enjoy watching too.
Munster vs Saracens team lineups
I've accommodation booked (with a mate) but I'm holding off on getting tickets yet. I'll wrangle a couple somehow if we make it but if we don't, and especially if Leinster don't make it, you'd never be able to sell the tickets on to Sarries or Clermont fans. There won't be enough of them going.
I'm nervous beyond belief about tomorrow now. We've been amazing this year and I love the team we're building, but that Sarries 23 is ridiculous. They have Shalk Brits, Jim Hamilton and Shalk fecking Burger on the bloody bench ffs.
When you look at the teams side by side it looks a step too far:
But feck it - A terrifying and very expensively assembled English side, coming over here full of confidence and form, up against an underdog Munster side in a European knockout match...
... they're not knocking us out without losing a few teeth first.
I'll be hitting the road at 7am and if I can speak leaving Lansdowne at 5pm it'll be considered a personal failure.
I've accommodation booked (with a mate) but I'm holding off on getting tickets yet. I'll wrangle a couple somehow if we make it but if we don't, and especially if Leinster don't make it, you'd never be able to sell the tickets on to Sarries or Clermont fans. There won't be enough of them going.
I'm nervous beyond belief about tomorrow now. We've been amazing this year and I love the team we're building, but that Sarries 23 is ridiculous. They have Shalk Brits, Jim Hamilton and Shalk fecking Burger on the bloody bench ffs.
When you look at the teams side by side it looks a step too far:
But feck it - A terrifying and very expensively assembled English side, coming over here full of confidence and form, up against an underdog Munster side in a European knockout match...
... they're not knocking us out without losing a few teeth first.
I'll be hitting the road at 7am and if I can speak leaving Lansdowne at 5pm it'll be considered a personal failure.
The Aviva crowd will have to be the 16th man. Not out of the question, England on the verge of a grand slam couldn't overcome it and there's a good few of those same players there.
I've accommodation booked (with a mate) but I'm holding off on getting tickets yet. I'll wrangle a couple somehow if we make it but if we don't, and especially if Leinster don't make it, you'd never be able to sell the tickets on to Sarries or Clermont fans. There won't be enough of them going.
I'm nervous beyond belief about tomorrow now. We've been amazing this year and I love the team we're building, but that Sarries 23 is ridiculous. They have Shalk Brits, Jim Hamilton and Shalk fecking Burger on the bloody bench ffs.
When you look at the teams side by side it looks a step too far:
But feck it - A terrifying and very expensively assembled English side, coming over here full of confidence and form, up against an underdog Munster side in a European knockout match...
... they're not knocking us out without losing a few teeth first.
I'll be hitting the road at 7am and if I can speak leaving Lansdowne at 5pm it'll be considered a personal failure.
Whereabouts is your accommodation, near Murrayfield? We have stayed in some of the half way houses there before, great wee overnight and always heaving for the rugby like. Yea I hope one of the Irish teams gets there for sure, love being at the rugby when the Irish teams are in town. When Connacht played Leinster last year at the Pro 12 final we had tickets for that, was fantastic and such a laugh.
It's utterly ridiculous the squad they have and that they can bench players like that lol. We played them in the last round and gave a really good account of ourselves but they were just too powerful for the Warriors to deal with.
I agree, but you guys have been excellent the last few months too and with Ireland stopping England in the 6 Nations I think you guys can take great heart from that. As I said before it's gonna be an absolute war tomorrow, I can't wait because it's gonna be a physical and highly charged game. Haha if you leave the stadium at 5 and you win I'll be amazed if you can do anything
Absolutely, being at home is huge tomorrow and is just gonna add to the game. Can't wait.
Kings cost me money this morning. Great result for them. They've improved so much and the style of rugby they play is so entertaining. Pity they probably won't be around next year.
Ahh man that's unlucky! Yea it's a brilliant result for them, really didn't see that coming. The Tahs really have been poor compared to a few years ago though. Yea I like watching them their games are normally exciting. That will be a shame.
Whereabouts is your accommodation, near Murrayfield? We have stayed in some of the half way houses there before, great wee overnight and always heaving for the rugby like. Yea I hope one of the Irish teams gets there for sure, love being at the rugby when the Irish teams are in town. When Connacht played Leinster last year at the Pro 12 final we had tickets for that, was fantastic and such a laugh.
It's utterly ridiculous the squad they have and that they can bench players like that lol. We played them in the last round and gave a really good account of ourselves but they were just too powerful for the Warriors to deal with.
I agree, but you guys have been excellent the last few months too and with Ireland stopping England in the 6 Nations I think you guys can take great heart from that. As I said before it's gonna be an absolute war tomorrow, I can't wait because it's gonna be a physical and highly charged game. Haha if you leave the stadium at 5 and you win I'll be amazed if you can do anything
Absolutely, being at home is huge tomorrow and is just gonna add to the game. Can't wait.
My mate lives over there, up near the Meadows by Bruntfield Links. Edinburgh is my favourite city anywhere so a Munster European Cup final there is dreamboat territory for me! Had some cracking nights out in Glasgow as well though - you boys know how to host a rugby weekend!
I'm on an upwards curve at the moment and have myself convinced they'll wilt under the ferocity on the pitch and from the stands! Peter O'Mahony to pick Itoje up and drive him backwards 15 yards from the kick off to set the tone!
Give it another hour and I'll be in the depths of fear and biting the fingernails off myself again! I've bloody well missed this feeling!
Aye I know where you mean. I love Edinburgh man, going through for the rugby is always great craic. Some great pubs around Murrayfield, hopefully there will be great weather that weekend too. Aye it's wicked here in Glasgow for the rugby too. The year we won the Pro 12 it was amazing, loads of grown men getting emotional and jumping around in Waxy O'Connors to Loch Lomond, amazing night
hopefully you come back over for the final and you will be able to have an absolute blast mate!Haha that's what it's all about, going from complete confidence, to doubt, and then back again
I love that feeling, and I grew up seeing Leinster and Munster always doing well in Europe so I find it brilliant seeing them back in the final 4. For the atmosphere, I'm hoping for an all Irish final. It will be absolutely off the hook Aye I know where you mean. I love Edinburgh man, going through for the rugby is always great craic. Some great pubs around Murrayfield, hopefully there will be great weather that weekend too. Aye it's wicked here in Glasgow for the rugby too. The year we won the Pro 12 it was amazing, loads of grown men getting emotional and jumping around in Waxy O'Connors to Loch Lomond, amazing night
Haha that's what it's all about, going from complete confidence, to doubt, and then back again
I was at the semi finals in Dublin in 2006 and 2009 both against Leinster. I obviously remember one of them with a lot more fondness but both were incredible occasions. A repeat in Murrayfield for the final would be insane.
Just the small matter of possibly the best side the European Cup has ever seen first though! Warriors are an incredible tough side to play but the speed of ball Sarries generated was outrageous. If we can't find a way to slow that down we'll be put to the sword.
I remember both of those games, they were brilliant occasions. Haha I can understand that man. A repeat at Murrayfield would be amazing, would love to see that. I think all 4 teams in the semi's would put on a great occasion though, they are all so tough on their day.
True! The game against us it was frightening how they raised their game, we thought we were gonna be able to fight back a bit but they completely shut us down. As you say the pace which they passed the ball with was out of this world, so so quick. That's the key battles for me, slowing down their ball play and winning the pack battle, and if the crowd make it hard for Sarries it could be Munster's afternoon.
The Kings have shown more heart over the last few weeks than the abysmal bulls.
Maybe it's the latter that should be culled.
Tahs looked alright last week before they collapsed. I think I'm just used to picking whoever the Kings are playing against haha. Hopefully, the 4 nations is actually competitive this year.
I think the Bulls and Lions will merge, makes sense.
See I would have taken the step, bet on whoever the Kings are playing against! Oh well haha
Fingers crossed, I like that tournament and I love watching New Zealand but I want to see it competitive and so they are made to work hard for it. It's been too easy for them recently.
The Bulls haven't been much good since 2013 when they were very close to playing in the final that year. By all accounts, they're trying to play a more expansive game but i haven't seen it. I think they'll survive the cull but they've got work ahead of them to get back to where they from 2006-2013 when they were winning titles and frequently playing in semi finals and finals.
What are the chances of the Bulls and Lions agreeing to that?
Won't happen.
The Bulls are simply too influential in S.A. rugby for that to happen and have too much power.
Rumours of Lions and The Cheetahs merging to reform the Cats.
I think a tournament like the Challenge cup is something SANZAR need to look at. With promotion and relegation between that and Super Rugby.
The Bulls and Stormers are safe. Too much political clout.
I think everyone already knows that's it's the Kings and Cheetahs that are done.
But the Bulls are just embarrassing at the moment.
Makes no sense to have 2 teams in Gauteng and then nothing in the Free State but then again common sense rarely prevails in professional sports. Can't see the Challenge Cup idea happening. Its all about the money these days.
I think I may have just got myself some tickets for tomorrow's match, now all I need to do is get off work early tonight and there could be a good chance of that, with there being little to do today at work.
From a geographic point of view it would make sense to join the Lions and Bulls.
But that's never going to happen. That's why they had the Cats previously while the Bulls were also in existence.
Yeah, can't see it happening either. But imagine creating such a tournament and supplementing it with sides from the Pacific Islands, the Japanses clubs and others from Argentina. It would be great for rugby development with a carrot of eventually playing the big guns.
Great win for the Munster A side tonight in the final of the British and Irish Cup! Finished up 29-28 which was some comeback having been 0-18 down with a minute to go before half time!
I would snatch the arm off any man for a similar one point victory tomorrow!
I would snatch the arm off any man for a similar one point victory tomorrow!
Lions beat the Jaguares 24-21 at Ellis Park. Both sides scored three tries each, with a late penalty goal proving the difference. Oh and there was a Wenger out sign at Ellis Park too which I found amusing.
HA!! A truly global cause now. Get AFTV over there.
Another nice Murray Kinsella article here on the eve of the match, a coach young enough and early enough in his career that he's not yet holding his cards to his chest, and it gives a nice insight into the Munster set-up as well as Jones' own learning process in his efforts to become a better coach. He's very much making the most of being dealt an unlucky hand. I wonder how many more card metaphors I can squeeze in here...
http://www.the42.ie/felix-jones-munster-coach-interview-3352890-Apr2017/
PS is it 3pm yet?
I'm nervous as hell and can't wait, I can only imagine that @diarm is in cold sweats right now.
I'm nervous as hell and can't wait, I can only imagine that @diarm is in cold sweats right now.
100 miles from Dublin and the traffic is unreal, should have gone straight from work at 6.30PS is it 3pm yet?
I'm nervous as hell and can't wait, I can only imagine that @diarm is in cold sweats right now.
Just got past newbridgeWow! 16th Man en route, eh?
Enjoy!!
Just got past newbridge
I was listening to the buildup on the radio while driving around town, you're not the only one - sounds like loads of people missing out and the start wouldn't be delayed.
Well, i'll get my wish of the final not being an all Irish affair.
We just made the start of the match, thanks to the bus stations closeness to the dart and our entrance being at the close side of the stadium, my first time at the stadium and in the top tier my legs were like jelly looking down but the view was brilliant.
As for the match, it was obvious we missed Murray, Williams was slow, his kicking was atrocious and his awareness was laughable
I watched the Saracens vs Northampton game last Sunday. 15 minutes in it finally clicked how rugby was almost as amazing as gridiron football.
Also, what bottlers Northampton are, I thought the game was done and dusted.
Also, what bottlers Northampton are, I thought the game was done and dusted.