connachta wrote: Well at least Kings and Edinburgh at home look more winnable than away,
And I prefer this to Scarlets (Champions, hard to beat even home) and Treviso (chance to win away)

You're entitled to your opinion but you're wrong etc., at least about having Edinburgh at home.

Kings home and early is ideal, but the way the rest of the other-conference fixtures fell is the worst possible of the four options where we only have one team at home. There's not very much in it in terms of points (one point per year) but in terms of wins Scarlets at home is worth nearly an extra win: 5 more wins in the 28 games over 7 seasons, when compared to Edinburgh at home.

Edinburgh home, rest away -> averaged 9.3 points (W12D1L15) from these 4 games over Pro 12 history (last 7 seasons).
Dragons home, rest away -> 9.4 pts (W13D1L14)
Treviso home, rest away -> 9.9 pts (W13D1L14)
Scarlets home, rest away -> 10.3 pts (W17L11).

Well at least Kings and Edinburgh at home look more winnable than away,
And I prefer this to Scarlets (Champions, hard to beat even home) and Treviso (chance to win away)

Pro 14 Rugby 2017/18 – List of Connacht Rugby 10 home and 11 away games sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/rugby_irish/...e-and-11-away-games/

I was expecting 3 interpros at Christmas/New Year, but my logic was that they would do that so the SA teams could have those three weeks off and have a decent mid-season break, but they haven't actually done that. They just postponed two of their derbies to mid-January (during European rounds 5/6). So they only get 4 fallow weekends. Tough schedule for a lot of their players who will be pretty much on go for 16 months without a proper pre-season.

Getting Kings in week two is a bit of an advantage. They haven't even officially confirmed their squad and coach yet so they'll still be finding their feet. You'd expect them to improve as the season progresses so best to take them on early.

Cheetahs away during the 6N is bad news though. Presumably any Connacht player even close to the Ireland squad won't be allowed travel, whereas Cheetahs will be at full strength.

Seems to be a spells of winnable games then tough games all through the season. We need a big start, November and 6 nations. Last 3 look very daunting. Getting zebre at home during the 6nations is a bit disappointing. Could have done with someone else in there. December and early January is likely to really stretch us.

Connachts other Conference matches

Kings H
Dragons A
Scarlets A
Treviso A
Edinburgh H

Scarlets away has not been a happy hunting ground for us but the other matches I'd be expecting wins

Fixtures finally out:

www.pro14rugby.org/fixtures/

(you can filter by team)

Dragons away the only one of the first 13 not covered on TV, horrible Christmas schedule (3!!! interpros) which is made somewhat easier by the fact we have Challenge Cup games either side of that, so we might have a chance of getting a jump on Ulster and Munster on the way into and out of that series. Games well split, 4 at homein first 7, 3 at home in second and final set of 7. We need to get a good start, at least one win over Christmas, and then push on during the 6N like we usually do.

Further update from Wales Online:


I suspect Wales Online is responsible for the majority of Trump leaks

salmson wrote: Wales Online leaking first 3 rounds (good on 'em):

www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...vealed-find-13434254

Connacht fixtures:
Round 1 at home to Glasgow
Round 2 at home to Southern Kings
Round 3 away to Dragons

(Friday/Saturday and k/o times yet to be announced).

Further update from Wales Online:
www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...xtures-your-13439240

Round 4 home to Cardiff
Round 5 away to Scarlets

So we're at home to one of Edinburgh or Treviso, away to the other, all other fixtures (if not dates/ko's) now known. Treviso at home marginally the better option based on historical results....

home & away - Cardiff, Cheetahs, Glasgow, Leinster, Munster, Ospreys, Ulster, Zebre,
home only - Kings.
away only - Dragons, Scarlets.

connachta wrote: Gap between Glasgow and Edinburgh is smaller than some may imagine.

I would have to imagine very hard

Gap between Glasgow and Edinburgh is smaller than some may imagine, the one on a relative decline compared to 3 years ago, the other is a young team who may rise this season. That's why I'm not that unhappy with conferences balence, except the unfair derbies addition.
But Glasgow is able to overwhelm us clearly at the Sportsgronud, like they did in 2015 and last season.

About Kings (CurrieCup (un)availabilities) and Dragons (betting on old Kirchner and Henson), It depends how their squads work out or not...

connachta wrote: On the other side they might want to focus on ROUND 3 their 1st home game vs Leinster in South Africa.
Hope so.

2 BP and a win would be a decent outcome for us after this round.

We are W3 D1 L4 at home to Glasgow since the league went to 12 teams. Kings are scrambling to field a team. We've won 4 of the last 7, and 3 of the last 4, away to Dragons, averaging 3 points a game in that fixture in the Pro12. Anything less than your projected 2 wins from 3 would be unacceptable IMO.

On the other side they might want to focus on ROUND 3 their 1st home game vs Leinster in South Africa.
Hope so.

2 BP and a win would be a decent outcome for us after this round.

The Kings opening game is against Scarlets in Wales so you would assume they will be staying up for the week before our game.

Defending Champions will want to open with a win and the Kings won't want their first trip north to end in defeats so expect a tough game especially if they loose the opener to Scarlets.

Can't be great preperation for any team living out of two different hotels for the week so I am assuming the Kings will travel over to Galway early rather than stay in Wales until the end of the week.

That's what I mean and to be honest I'd be happy if we come out with 5 points...

connachta wrote: Glasgow Kings home and dragons away, as I said last season, the final outcomes will be decided very early for us
At least we have less injuries and disruption in the squad

They're the games we need to be winning if we're gonna push for Europe this season.