Ulster Bank League 2018-2019 Talk/Gossip/Rumours

CMcsporty wrote: »

How many lads would be missing from each?

ArmchairQB wrote: »

Yeah local derbies around christmas, Friday nights on International home weekends.

Introduce double headers with 20s or J1s where teams are in same province on Saturday post AIl match

A little imagination would work well

Stainalert wrote: »

1A

Garryowen v UCC - Expect a very tight game but think Garryowen will squeeze through

Clontarf v Young Munster - Tough ask for Munsters, Expect Clontarf to win well

Cork Con v Terenure - Terenure apparently have added to their squad but Con always very difficult to beat at home and I think will prevail

Lansdowne v Trinity - Very close and tough game before Christmas in poor weather. Should be another tight encounter with Lansdowne hoing to bounce back from last weeks loss to Garryowen in the Bateman.

UCD v Shannon - UCD likely to have a lot of their Leinster contingent available to them which will really test Shannon. Will go with another home victory.

1B
So little between all these teams that picking winners is really a lottery but here we go:

Ballymena v Buccaneers - Ballymena seem to have turned the corner and think this will continue

Armagh v Banbridge - Armagh will be buoyed by reaching their 1st Bateman final and I think they will keep winning

Malone v Ballynahinch - Malone will want to avenge their pre christmas loss away to Hinch but I'm going for an away win here for a change

Old Belvedere v Naas - Naas need to find some form (They've lost 4 on the trot) but I expect Old Belvedere to win this one as I think Belvo are better than their league position suggests.

St Marys v Wesley - I think Wesley will follow up on a good win last day against Marys with an away win here.

D14Rugby wrote: »

Arguably the double header with the u20s would be more important than j1s. Get the two squads mingling and supporting each other to encourage the 20s players to continue on into full adult rugby. An ideal scenario would probably be a day where it goes 20s,Firsts,J1s at the same venue in that order.
Guy just game opinions on 20 games out of his own volition, no need to do division 2 if he doesn't want to.
Be interesting to see if any teams have gained or lost players over Christmas, especially those in college who may be going on semesters abroad and such. Hear Terenure have Jake Swaine and Harrison Brewer are back for Terenure. Two huge players to get back.

D14Rugby wrote: »

Well if you don't have a team you don't play the match. Thought that would be obvious.
It should really be a requirement to have an U20s team to play AIL to at the very least encourage clubs to have a good youth section and links with schools. Clubs really don't help themselves with not having requirements to play AIL other than be promoted, it just all looks so amateurish which is part of the reason why the IRFU don't really invite them to the table, because a lot of clubs give very little evidence of being able to provide a professional environment for the fringe provincial players to thrive in when no involved with their province. That's a rant for another day though.

It's fine to ask, but for the 10th (minimum) consecutive gameweek with no reply it's not. If you want it done do it, but to keep asking the same person the same thing and expect a different result is a tad annoying.

D14Rugby wrote: »

Not going down this rabbit hole again so this'll be my final say.
It is a lot of work and great someone will even do it for 2 divisions (yeah its the A and B of one division but its really 2) to do it for another 15 games to take the form, strengths and weakness of 30 clubs and compare them and decide who you think will win is a lot of work, its why people are paid to do such work.

It is feasible, if you've a youth section which all clubs should a 20's team should be more than manageable especially since the AIL is for the elite teams in the country and as such there should be standards set like in league structures in most other sports. You seem to have chosen, as per usual, to ignore my point that the 20's requirement shouldn't be there as a standalone, it should be there because it would mean clubs would have to have proper structures in place in that they'd need a youth section which in turn would need a minis, and/or links to local schools, these are basic things that clubs are ignoring in favour of pumping money into their first team because there's no incentive to have them functioning well, a 20's team being needed would be that incentive. Teams should have a J1s team as well. To play in the AIL the requirements of having a firsts, J1 and 20s at minimum isn't too much to ask.#

I think you haven't a clue about what I said. I said it gives the perception of not providing a good environment for fringe players, that and stating that they don't are two very different things I think you'll find. If you're Leo Cullen though and your hearing about clubs that don't have an S&C coach, no nutritionist, low numbers at training, pitch is a state, set-piece training is pretty much just players making it up as they go, no food after training and all these things that add up you're bound to be reluctant to let your players go to clubs in a league where stuff like that is common when you could keep them in your ultra professional environment. On the other hand if you're handed a book that says clubs that are in 1A and 1B have this that and the other facilities and coaching wise at least and the provincial setups can have an input in what they deem to be essential like gps tracked training and what not, they're going to feel a lot more safe with letting their players go there more often.