Ulster away on a Friday again.... FOR FECK SAKE!!!!

ConnachtCows wrote: Make sure you get a new hip flask for Christmas too

If by hip flask you mean camelbak ...

Actually might my revise my early season Parma plan in favour of Scarlets on Sep 24th.
This has road-trip written all over it.
I shall commence planning forthwith!

pinky wrote: Connacht at home to Leinster on Good Friday (we get booze, right?).

There will be a lot of empty cans lying on the ground after the game if we dont.
Make sure you get a new hip flask for Christmas too

In a welcome change, they've confirmed the Easter fixtures already (instead of a few weeks before).
Connacht at home to Leinster on Good Friday (we get booze, right?).

Tough start.
Need to be at the races for the first two games.
Would rather an easy start to the season, but if we start with a win against Glasgow, things look promising.

AND, we finish the season away in Thomand Park.

connemara man wrote: I'd say we'll either get something like Treviso or dragons away or Ospreys or Glasgow at home

Just saying that I was practically correct in my vague guess of the start of the season fixtures

Most games on tv too

Rd Fixture Date KO Ground TV
1 Connacht v Glasgow Sat 3rd Sept 17:15 The Sportsground SKY
2 Connacht v Ospreys Sat 10th Sept 19:35 The Sportsground TG4/S4C
3 Zebre v Connacht Sat 17th Sept 18:05 Stadio S. Lanfranchi RAI/TG4
4 Scarlets v Connacht Sat 24th Sept 19:35 Parc y Scarlets S4C/TG4
5 Connacht v Edinburgh Fri 30th Sept 19:35 The Sportsground TG4
6 Connacht v Ulster Fri 7th Oct 19:35 The Sportsground TG4/BBC NI
7 Leinster v Connacht Sat 29th Oct 17:15 RDS Arena SKY
8 Dragons v Connacht Fri 4th Nov 19:15 Rodney Parade
9 Connacht v Cardiff Fri 25th Nov 19:35 The Sportsground TG4
10 Connacht v Treviso Sat 3rd Dec 15:00 The Sportsground
11 Ulster v Connacht Fri 23rd Dec 19:35 Kingspan Stadium BBC NI / SKY
12 Connacht v Munster Sat 31st Dec 17:30 The Sportsground TG4
13 Ospreys v Connacht TBA TBA Liberty Stadium SKY

www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/fixtures_list.php

Glasgow and Ospreys as "predicted".
First away game is Zebre, so that could cause a dilemma.
Might go to Parma in September and give the Champions Cup trip a miss ...

Their explanation about Sunday games doesn't make a lot of sense really. TG4 had plenty of Saturday evening games last season and Sky never complained. Their main slot was always around the time on Saturday afternoon when they're not allowed show soccer.
Welcome news though. There were a couple of trips to Wales I was thinking of making but got put off by the Sunday kick-off.
Three home games against Glasgow in a row - check the stats, that's surely another league record ...
Hopefully the first away trip will be somewhere good and we can get a bit of a crowd going.

www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...ay-fixtures-11607522

Sunday fixtures are set to be ditched in the Guinness Pro12 for the coming season, with S4C switching their broadcast slot to Saturday evenings.

For the past couple of years, Welsh regions have found themselves playing games on Sunday afternoons. That was a by product of Sky Sports coming on board as broadcasters in 2014.

With Sky showing games on Saturday, S4C had to move their matches to Sunday, with the Friday evening slot taken up by BBC Wales.

The Welsh language broadcasters initially went for a 4pm kick-off and then switched to 2.30pm last season.

But Sunday fixtures have proved generally unpopular with fans.

Now it’s understood Sky have agreed to S4C taking up a Saturday evening slot, with kick-offs at around 7.30pm.

So Pro12 matches will now take place on Friday evenings and various slots on Saturdays, with Sky showing games at 3pm or 5.30pm.

The new season will kick-off on the weekend of Sept 1-2, with full fixtures for the first 13 rounds of matches to be released at 12pm today.

It’s understood the Ospreys, Blues and Scarlets are at home on the opening weekend, with the Dragons on the road, while champions Connacht entertain Glasgow.

So Welsh away matches most likely Saturday evenings, easier to travel to and from

Touring Irish internationals don't play the opening rounds of the league. There might be allowance made for gametime which would mean our internationals only miss a game or two but the starting internationals won't pkay til late September.

Makes sense when you think the Irish lads will hit pre season a month after the rest of the squad.

ConnachtCows wrote: Those "In the know" guys on reddit are usually pretty accurate unfortunately

Seems like a tricky start. With more of our players getting international recognition, it means more players unavailable for two very difficult games.

But on the flip side, if we win both of those games, we will have had a fantastic start to the season

I would have thought that all our internationals would be available for the start of the season. They would have had two months off at that stage. On top of that all these internationals had limited gametime during the SA tour so I can't see any reason they wont be available for the start of the season? Am I missing something?

Those "In the know" guys on reddit are usually pretty accurate unfortunately

Seems like a tricky start. With more of our players getting international recognition, it means more players unavailable for two very difficult games.

But on the flip side, if we win both of those games, we will have had a fantastic start to the season

kermis wrote:

McNamara wrote: So I've seen a rumour on reddit rugby union says Connacht will open the season at home to Glasgow, followed by a home game with Osperys. The poster claims to know someone involved in the process

Please no!
Galway has become my away game to get to. Much as i really like the trip it's not going to happen in September. Would also be nice to play someone else for a change!

I've heard the same rumour from a good source so it's looking more and more likely. We'll know for sure tomorrow.

McNamara wrote: So I've seen a rumour on reddit rugby union says Connacht will open the season at home to Glasgow, followed by a home game with Osperys. The poster claims to know someone involved in the process

Please no!
Galway has become my away game to get to. Much as i really like the trip it's not going to happen in September. Would also be nice to play someone else for a change!

So I've seen a rumour on reddit rugby union says Connacht will open the season at home to Glasgow, followed by a home game with Osperys. The poster claims to know someone involved in the process