URC Revenge of Sixth (round)

A third of the way through the season already, that absolutely flew by.  Cracking start to the season for the Irish and Scottish teams, occupying the top 6 spots.  You would expect the South African Internationals to start rolling into teams this weekend so I expect increased performances from our Southern Hemisphere friends.

Cracking looking Irish Derby on Saturday there.    

Special mention to Mike English who takes charge of his first URC game in Sunday's Welsh derby as well.


Friday 24th November 2023

Cardiff Rugby v DHL Stormers
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA / 21.35 SA
Live on: BBC Wales, SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Edinburgh Rugby v Benetton
Hive Stadium, Edinburgh – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35  ITA / 21.35 SA
Live on: Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv


Saturday 25th November 2023

Emirates Lions v Zebre Parma
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg – KO 12.55 IRE & UK / 13.55 ITA / 14.55 SA
Live on: SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Vodacom Bulls v Connacht
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Live on: SuperSport, RTÉ, Viaplay, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Hollywoodbets Sharks v Dragons RFC
Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban – KO 17.05 IRE & UK / 18.05 ITA / 19.05 SA
Live on: SuperSport, S4C, Viaplay, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Leinster v Munster
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – KO 18.30 IRE & UK / 19.30 ITA / 20.30 SA
Live on: TG4, Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA / 21.35 SA
Live on: Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv


Sunday 26th November 2023

Ospreys v Scarlets
Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Live on: Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

This feels like a lot of competitive games.
Stormers with their 4 game on the road, will fatigue/focus there give Cardiff the opportunity?
Edinburgh should win against Benetton but the Italians are a dangerous side.
Lions hosting Zebre, probably a Lions TBP win.
Bulls hosting Connacht, the Irish to put up a fight but Bulls TBP and Connacht no LBP
Sharks & Dragons -- cough cough, can't all be crackers.... what can be said.... to evenly matched sides?
Leinster v Munster -- cracker -- however could descend into a damp squibb as both sides know each other so well.
Glasgow hosting Ulster - cracker but Glasgow win TBP. Ulster get BP.
Ospreys v Scarlets -- too close to call?

Cream and Crackers

Stormers
Edinburgh
Lions
Connacht
Sharks
Leinster
Ulster
Ospreys

Should title not be something like revenge of the sixth, sixth sense?

Apologies random thought here: I saw a SA fan recently reffering to Munster's win last year as "Munster won URC II". I thought it was a interesting concept to number each years competition, a bit like the UFC do. Could be a good marketing gimmick. So basically this year's final would be called URC III or URC 3.

Six degrees of Kevin Bacon

URC III

I like it.

Kingshu wrote:Should title not be something like revenge of the sixth, sixth sense?

Changed just for you Kingshu

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Apologies random thought here: I saw a SA fan recently reffering to Munster's win last year as "Munster won URC II". I thought it was a interesting concept to number each years competition, a bit like the UFC do. Could be a good marketing gimmick. So basically this year's final would be called URC III or URC 3.

Not a bad idea, works pretty well for Super Bowls

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Apologies random thought here: I saw a SA fan recently reffering to Munster's win last year as "Munster won URC II". I thought it was an interesting concept to number each years competition, a bit like the UFC do. Could be a good marketing gimmick. So basically this year's final would be called URC III or URC 3.

Actually that's what the URC have been calling it since day one of the new format - URC 1, URC 2, URC 3, etc.  They use it on website and media materials from time to time. I think it’s a bad idea and better to use the years eg URC ‘23/24.

Why do we have to take on board every half arsed nonsense that comes out of the USA

If it brings in more money overall, and allows more money to go into developing referees they can call them by alternating male and female names they way they do storms these days for all I care

Oh, so

URC I - Amahle
URC II - Bronwen
URC III - Caoimhe
URC IV - Daniella
URC V - Eilidh

In the essence of the movie Armageddon, when the comet gets named "I wanna name her xxxx after my wife. She's a vicious life-sucking b*%$ from which there is no escape"

I hope this isn’t the game where Sharks bring back all their internationals…

Cardiff sure do change their team a lot.

Cardiff: Cameron Winnett; Harri Millard, Willis Halaholo, Ben Thomas, Mason Grady; Tinus de Beer, Ellis Bevan; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher (capt), Will Davies-King, Seb Davies, Rory Thornton, Alex Mann, Ellis Jenkins, Lopeti Timani.

Replacements: Evan Lloyd, Rhys Carre, Rhys Litterick, Josh Turnbull, Mackenzie Martin, Jamie Hill, Jacob Beetham, Gabriel Hamer-Webb.

Stormers: Clayton Blommetjies; Courtnall Skosan, Ruhan Nel, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ben Loader; Jean-Luc du Plessis, Stefan Ungerer; Brok Harris (capt), Andre-Hugo Venter, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Adre Smith, Ruben van Heerden, Nama Xaba, Willie Engelbrecht, Marcel Theunissen.

Replacements: Scarra Ntubeni, Sti Sithole, Neethling Fouche, Connor Evans, Hendre Stassen, Keke Morabe, Herschel Jantjies, Warrick Gelant.

mikey_dragon wrote:I hope this isn’t the game where Sharks bring back all their internationals…

Never mind.

Sharks: Aphelele Fassi; Werner Kok, Lukhanyo Am (capt), Francois Venter, Makazole Mapimpi; Curwin Bosch, Jaden Hendrikse; Ntuthuko Mchunu, Fez Mbatha, Coenie Oosthuizen, Eben Etzebeth, Emile van Heerden, James Venter, Phepsi Buthelezi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe

Replacements: Daniel Jooste, Ox Nche, Hanro Jacobs, Corne' Rahl, Lappies Labuschagne, Grant Williams, Boeta Chamberlain, Rohan Janse van Rensburg.

Dragons: Cai Evans; Rio Dyer, Sio Tomkinson, Aneurin Owen, Ewan Rosser; Will Reed, Dane Blacker; Aki Seiuli, Bradley Roberts, Chris Coleman, Matthew Screech, George Nott, Sean Lonsdale, Ollie Griffiths (capt), Aaron Wainwright

Replacements: James Benjamin, Rhodri Jones, Lloyd Fairbrother, Joe Davies, Harri Keddie, Rhodri Williams, Steff Hughes, Ashton Hewitt.

Well that was two exciting ends to both games! Benetton continue to impress.

it would be great to see Benetton have another good year.

I was convinced Cardiff were about to find a way to lose/draw again, but this time they won it at the death! They did it with a host of young players involved too.

Munster: Simon Zebo; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron (C), Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne; Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Scott Buckley, Dave Kilcoyne, John Ryan, Brian Gleeson, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Tony Butler, Shay McCarthy.



Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets)

15. Hugo Keenan (57)
14. Jordan Larmour (93)
13. Garry Ringrose (117) CO-CAPTAIN
12. Robbie Henshaw (77)
11. Jimmy O’Brien (73)
10. Ross Byrne (150)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (128)
1. Andrew Porter (109)
2. Dan Sheehan (48)
3. Tadhg Furlong (135)
4. Joe McCarthy (21)
5. James Ryan (74) CO-CAPTAIN
6. Jack Conan (133)
7. Josh van der Flier (129)
8. Caelan Doris (69)

Replacements:

16. Rónan Kelleher (48)
17. Jack Boyle (7)
18. Michael Ala’alatoa (50)
19. Ross Molony (166)
20. James Culhane (6)
21. Ben Murphy (6)
22. Ciarán Frawley (72)
23. Scott Penny (61)

I'm watching the Sharks v Dragons. The Dragons are absolutely abysmal. Just dreadful. I guess it's what we have gotten used to though.

Jake Flannery off the bench for Ulster before kick off. Doak comes onto the bench. Seems to be happening to Ulster several times this season, make me wonder about the physio and medical work at the province.

Entertaining first half at Scotstoun. Even at half is probably fair. The Glasgow fans no doubt feel Ulster are lucky to still have 15 on the pitch. Let's hope the second half is as good.

Year after year it’s just more proof that Dragons need 10-15 new players. We still have more semi-pro type players than the others. Welsh rugby will see more scores like they have done this season with the budget slashing.

Good win for Glasgow, shows Doak isn't ready to play 10 for Ulster, which as a scrum half probably isn't too much of a surprise. I'm sure the young lads in the back row will have learned a lot. McNabney did pretty well in his first professional start, but Glasgow deserved the win.

mikey_dragon wrote:Year after year it’s just more proof that Dragons need 10-15 new players. We still have more semi-pro type players than the others. Welsh rugby will see more scores like they have done this season with the budget slashing.

Everyone calling for the Dragons heads on BBC Wales Facebook. Time to put the sick dog out of its misery etc. Not saying I agree or disagree with this. But something has to change.

Jimmy Moz wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Year after year it’s just more proof that Dragons need 10-15 new players. We still have more semi-pro type players than the others. Welsh rugby will see more scores like they have done this season with the budget slashing.

Everyone calling for the Dragons heads on BBC Wales Facebook. Time to put the sick dog out of its misery etc. Not saying I agree or disagree with this. But something has to change.

Yeah I do agree something has to change, as it's been more of the same for years. Dai didn't do himself any favours with the recruitment drive and could be hung out to dry at some point.

Also online, people are saying the WRU generate the same turnover as another union who properly funds 4 teams... It is easy to blame the WRU for our failings but really, a lot of it has been down to the WRU for the last 20 years. Even now, we still find out about a new blunder that the WRU did!

Cardiff are actually doing a decent job with what they've got, fair play to them as I feared the worst.

Dragons have always been the poor relations. There is always a case to go to three teams, but for now they’re not the worst welsh pro team either.

Dai Flan should’ve spent money on a more experienced ten, but there may not have been one who was available or wanted to come. Gambling on AOB as first choice isn’t great. Reed was always a big ask to be an option, as he’s a bit young to be thrown in. Cai Evans was never really going to be ten cover. I wonder if it was worth signing Lydiate who can’t be helping our wage bill, even with cuts etc.

Ultimately though, Sharks were loaded. Dragons weren’t. We would never compete with that. Starting front row was too underpowered. No real lock options. Only ever going one way. Dragons did still have a chance of a try bonus, but don’t have the composure a lot of times.