Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby biffer on Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:22 pm

Crichton Gunner wrote:
biffer wrote:Edinburgh are in Conference B

Scarlets (WRU)
Leinster (IRFU)
Ulster (IRFU)
Edinburgh (SRU)
Benetton Rugby (FIR)
Dragons (WRU)
Southern Kings (SA Rugby)

And the conferences will be reset every year depending on performance.

So, we have to finish ahead of Ulster, Leinster & Scarlets to make the play offs and qualify for the EC (ok, highest scoring 4th team also qualifies). That's a tough ask. I think the other conference looks slightly weaker than ours, with them having Zebre, so I suspect 4th place in Conference A is likely to be higher scoring than in B (although the Saffer teams are very much an unknown). Lots of other unknowns regarding how it will pan out, but one thing that can be said about it - it's a change!


General feeling everywhere else is our conference is weaker. That's going to be the case because basically, whichever one has Glasgow will be the stronger.
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby adi1314 on Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:19 am

So, we have to finish ahead of Ulster, Leinster & Scarlets to make the play offs and qualify for the EC (ok, highest scoring 4th team also qualifies). That's a tough ask.

Well technically you only have to finish above 1 of them to get into the Top 3, if you think they will be the Top 3 teams.
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby GaryIPA on Wed Aug 02, 2017 12:04 pm

adi1314 wrote:So, we have to finish ahead of Ulster, Leinster & Scarlets to make the play offs and qualify for the EC (ok, highest scoring 4th team also qualifies). That's a tough ask.

Well technically you only have to finish above 1 of them to get into the Top 3, if you think they will be the Top 3 teams.


If we can win our home games that would be a significant step towards this. As usual its our away form that might have the final say
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby dolf_lundgren on Wed Aug 02, 2017 12:57 pm

biffer wrote:
Crichton Gunner wrote:
biffer wrote:Edinburgh are in Conference B

Scarlets (WRU)
Leinster (IRFU)
Ulster (IRFU)
Edinburgh (SRU)
Benetton Rugby (FIR)
Dragons (WRU)
Southern Kings (SA Rugby)

And the conferences will be reset every year depending on performance.

So, we have to finish ahead of Ulster, Leinster & Scarlets to make the play offs and qualify for the EC (ok, highest scoring 4th team also qualifies). That's a tough ask. I think the other conference looks slightly weaker than ours, with them having Zebre, so I suspect 4th place in Conference A is likely to be higher scoring than in B (although the Saffer teams are very much an unknown). Lots of other unknowns regarding how it will pan out, but one thing that can be said about it - it's a change!


General feeling everywhere else is our conference is weaker. That's going to be the case because basically, whichever one has Glasgow will be the stronger.


Looks like it is, we have the weakest Welsh team by a fair distance too. Although Ulster are a lot stronger than Connacht, depending on how much the suspensions affect them.

No idea how strong the Cheetahs and Kings will be, they will undoubtedly be stretched given the other comps they are in and going back to back from one season to another with the whole squad will not be easy.

Top 3, very tough but not impossible. I cant see us laying a glove on Leinster but the others we can damage. Scarlets are a good team but always feel we have a chance against them. I would say 4th is the absolute minimum requirement though.
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby disco on Wed Aug 02, 2017 2:27 pm

Think it's definitely Conference A that's stronger. 3 of the perennial top 6 in each but then the 2 next strongest sides in Connacht and Cardiff Blues together in that first group.

There's a couple of other ways to compare the relative strengths that I've gone through here:

http://wp.me/p68WtH-6Rd
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby Frenchy on Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:19 pm

disco wrote:Think it's definitely Conference A that's stronger. 3 of the perennial top 6 in each but then the 2 next strongest sides in Connacht and Cardiff Blues together in that first group.

There's a couple of other ways to compare the relative strengths that I've gone through here:

http://wp.me/p68WtH-6Rd

Not so obvious that there's any imbalance when you count in the SA teams.
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby The Feral Goat on Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:23 pm

I don’t think there is really very much between the two conferences.

Connacht need to prove they were not a one season wonder, Cardiff are generally only slightly less SteveWalsh than us as we are slightly less SteveWalsh than dragons.

Ulster were disappointing last season, not sure what their recruitment has been like but if they don’t improve from last season and Cockerill has done the kicking required they should be in our sights

As with ever season our fate is largely in our own hands, we say it every season that on paper we are better than 9th, better than 8th blah blah but to date we have failed to prove it.

Ahead of this season there has been some good recruitment and if Cockerill can get the team performing for 80mins, winning at home, and winning the games that are in the balance with 10mins to go we will certainly improve on last season.

Will he have had enough time to make us a top 3 team, not sure, but a post Lions tour season has to be an opportunity for us to finish higher than we have for many seasons.
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby bignose on Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:36 pm

On a positive note, we're bound to finish higher than eighth this year
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby Pitfitter on Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:28 am

Is that the best we can hope for?
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby biffer on Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:03 am

Let's take an optimists view.

New coach Cockers introduces a new hard edge and direct running attack (that's the way Leicester played when he was in charge). Edinburgh become a tough team to beat who occasionally let loose in attack and put multiple tries in.

Scarlets are Jekyll and Hyde. Can hit two or three games of outstanding form, but equally can be dismal for a few games in a row. We hit them at the right times.

Ulster have lost the nine who managed everything, and their ten is unavailable for the first part of the season at least. Again, we get them when they're beatable

New coaching set up produces the unthinkable and we actually win games we should win.

2nd place and a home quarterfinal v Glasgow beckon
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby BigD163 on Thu Aug 03, 2017 10:01 am

Ideally, top 3 would be the target.

But we need to remember where we were last season and the Kings are going to be a relative unknown both in terms of quality v the rest of the league and how the travelling players will fare going to SA for a one off game.

In a 12 team league top 7 was the realistic aim, in an 7 team conference including the Dragons and an Italian team top 4 in the conference and 8 in an overall standing should be a realistic aim IMO.

The split in home v away games against the other conference could be key too.
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby biffer on Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:37 pm

Realistically the aim is top half same as last season.
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby germain on Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:56 pm

Ulster with Jono Gibbes should be much better than this year. But I don't know who is the head coach : Kiss or Gibbes?
Scarlets should have a big boost in confidence. Leinster should be as regular as usual. Dragons and Treviso were a challenge for us last year. Hopefully for the Pro 14, the King will pose a real threat.
We know the other teams much more than Embra. I don't know what to expect. I really don't know at all even if I'm hopeful.
I'm quite happy to see Bradley at Zebre.
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby New Gunner on Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:58 pm

germain wrote:Ulster with Jono Gibbes should be much better than this year. But I don't know who is the head coach : Kiss or Gibbes?
Scarlets should have a big boost in confidence. Leinster should be as regular as usual. Dragons and Treviso were a challenge for us last year. Hopefully for the Pro 14, the King will pose a real threat.
We know the other teams much more than Embra. I don't know what to expect. I really don't know at all even if I'm hopeful.
I'm quite happy to see Bradley at Zebre.


Would be happier if he was at Treviso and Marty Banks wasn't.
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Re: Cheetahs invited to join Pro12

Postby joe soap on Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:08 pm

germain wrote:Ulster with Jono Gibbes should be much better than this year. But I don't know who is the head coach : Kiss or Gibbes? .


Kiss is Director of Rugby, Gibbes head coach. Ulster have lost their best player, playmaker and the man who has held them together for the last several years - Piennar, Their 10, Jackson, has been suspended trial for rape. Edinburgh will seldom have a better chance to beat Ulster
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