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Pro14 conference shake-up - The breakdown
The Pro14 has announced the new conferences for the 2019/20 season and it might cause a bit of a stir. Why have they changed, how were they calculated, and what will the league look next season?
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Balancing competitive conferences with the demand for domestic derbies is never easy and the Pro14 is no different. Two seasons ago, when the league introduced the two South African teams and moved to a conference format, the organisers put in place a process that was meant to balance those demands while keeping the league fresh over time.
The Pro14 could have chosen to put all four Irish provinces in one conference and all four Welsh sides in the other, splitting the pairs of Italian, Scottish, and South African sides between the two in a way similar to the Super Rugby competition. Given the historical strength of the Irish sides, however, this would very likely have generated lopsided conferences and, with time zones and travel less of an issue for the Pro14 than its southern hemisphere equivalent, other approaches were possible.
The Pro14 decided to rank the teams within their respective countries before distributing them, adding in extra cross-conference derby fixtures to keep fans happy. Moreover, the league committed to changing the makeup of the conferences after two seasons to refresh the competition and allow for improvement in sides, after giving each team a fair set of home and away fixtures with the other conference teams.
So that’s why they’ve changed now, two seasons on. So far, so simple. The process of ranking the teams within their countries, however, is done based on overall points standings at the end of the regular season rather than individual placings in the table. Crucially, it doesn’t take into account the play-offs, which is where things start to look a bit odd.
The distribution is simple enough. Conference A has:
Scotland 1
Ireland 2
Ireland 3
Wales 1
Wales 4
Italy 2
South Africa 1
Conference B takes the remaining teams, which are:
Scotland 2
Ireland 1
Ireland 4
Wales 2
Wales 3
Italy 1
South Africa 2
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The combined table, at the end of the regular season, looked like this:
Glasgow – 81 (Scotland 1)
Munster – 77 (Ireland 1)
Leinster – 76 (Ireland 2)
Ulster – 63 (Ireland 3)
Connacht – 61 (Ireland 4)
Ospreys – 58 (Wales 1)
Benetton – 57 (Italy 1)
Cardiff Blues – 54 (Wales 2)
Scarlets – 52 (Wales 3)
Edinburgh – 51 (Scotland 2)
Toyota Cheetahs – 46 (South Africa 1)
Dragons – 26 (Wales 4)
Isuzu Southern Kings – 22 (South Africa 2)
Zebre – 19 (Italy 2)
That makes the conferences for the next two seasons as follows:
Conference A
Glasgow (Scotland 1)
Leinster (Ireland 2)
Ulster (Ireland 3)
Ospreys (Wales 1)
Dragons (Wales 4)
Zebre (Italy 2)
Toyota Cheetahs (South Africa 1)
Conference B
Edinburgh (Scotland 2)
Munster (Ireland 1)
Connacht (Ireland 4)
Cardiff Blues (Wales 2)
Scarlets (Wales 3)
Benetton (Italy 1)
Isuzu Southern Kings (South Africa 2)
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What does that mean for the Pro14?
Some of these placings are uncontroversial: Benetton, who made the playoffs for the first time, were unquestionably the better Italian side. Likewise, Glasgow, who lost in the final, had a better season than their Scottish rivals Edinburgh, who didn’t make the playoffs despite a strong start. Cheetahs are a better side the Southern Kings and Dragons have long been the weakest Welsh side.
There are however, two standout consequences of this conference distribution system. The Champions Cup play-off last season was contested between the two fourth-places sides of each conference, Ospreys and Scarlets. Ospreys won, suggesting Scarlets are currently the second best side in Wales. But Cardiff Blues are ranked second because they finished with more points overall than Scarlets, despite finishing fifth in their conference.
Most glaring of all, however, is that Munster are ranked higher than Leinster, the Pro14 title winners last season. Leinster actually beat Munster in the semi-final game before beating Glasgow in the final. For them to be considered a weaker team than Munster could understandably confuse some fans.
Conference A, with the two finalists and a semi-finalist (Ulster) does look to be the stronger conference. However, things change quickly. Scarlets won this league only two years ago and Connacht the year before. Edinburgh couldn’t keep up steam in the final stretch but they looked very strong until that point and you can bet Richard Cockerill will be working hard to improve further. Conference B could easily prove to be a tough battle.
Meanwhile, in Conference A, Cheetahs were in the play-offs last season before struggling this time around and Ulster have had an up-and-down few years of it. Not long ago, even Leinster were struggling to make their mark. It might look lopsided now but recruitment, injuries, and the World Cup means we might be surprised by how this conference allocation plays itself out next season.
The fixtures
The fixture list is yet to be announced. However, just as in the past two seasons, teams will play each team in their conference home and away, each team in the other conference home or away, plus return fixtures with the derby sides of the other conference (so Leinster will still play Munster and Connacht twice, for instance).
The fixture list has also been adapted this season to accommodate the Rugby World Cup, with rounds being played in blocks. The RWC means the season will also start later, on September 27, and finish later, on June 20, 2020.
This is Zebre – Documentary
Comments on RugbyPass
I still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
21 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
21 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
21 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
21 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
21 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
21 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
21 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
21 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
21 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
91 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
2 Go to comments