URC Round 9- Happy New Year

We start the new year with another round of local derbies this weekend. Happy new year all

Saturday 30th December 2024

Benetton v Zebre Parma
Stadio Monigo, Treviso – KO 13.30 IRE & UK / 14.30 ITA / 15.30 SA
Live on: Sky Italia, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Live on: Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

DHL Stormers v Hollywoodbets Sharks
DHL Stadium, Cape Town – KO 17.00 IRE & UK / 18.00 ITA / 19.00 SA
Live on: SuperSport, TG4, Viaplay, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Monday 1st January 2024

Connacht v Munster
The Sportsground, Galway – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Live on: TG4, Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Ospreys v Cardiff Rugby
Brewery Field, Bridgend – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Live on: BBC Wales, Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Dragons RFC v Scarlets
Rodney Parade, Newport – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA / 19.15 SA
Live on: S4C, Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Leinster v Ulster
RDS Arena, Dublin – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA / 19.15 SA
Live on: RTÉ, Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

I am putting the unbeaten streak on the line, for the Scarlets game. I am not confident after the Cardiff game and also I am taking my wife, who I am sure has never seen Dragons win

Guaranteed win then now Risca

RiscaGame wrote:I am putting the unbeaten streak on the line, for the Scarlets game. I am not confident after the Cardiff game and also I am taking my wife, who I am sure has never seen Dragons win

Did you not like your Chrimbo present? Was the turkey dry? Are you having marital issues? What in God's name has the poor woman done to deserve this?

Attendances seem to be going well over the Xmas and New Year fixtures.   Here's a couple of graphics from Twitter on the URC to date and the top 12 average attendances across both URC and English Premiership - up to round 8.  It includes European matches as well for each club.

Pot Hale wrote:Attendances seem to be going well over the Xmas and New Year fixtures.   Here's a couple of graphics from Twitter on the URC to date and the top 12 average attendances across both URC and English Premiership - up to round 8.  It includes European matches as well for each club.

Have you seen the attendances in Japan? After 3 rounds of games (I can't find data for round 4 yet) they had 2 games get over 30k and 1 over 18k! Their overall average was 16k, which is top 14 levels.

There's life in domestic rugby yet.

Zebre will be watching the basement battle in Wales with smiling eyes for sure.

I didn’t think Welsh rugby could look any more amateur…..til Ospreys v Cardiff at a rained out Brewery Field in Bridgend right now! The pitch is a disgrace and is nowhere near up to the standard of pro rugby. A complete mud bath. It’s made for a fun watch, but it just looks far too ‘village’ and makes Wales look even further away from professionalism compared to our 6N rivals. As Shanklin said in comms, would Munster v Leinster ever be played on a pitch like that??? Absolutely not!

And now the video feed has gone and they can’t show the end of the game! So BBC have put on a David Attenborough programme instead!

#amateurhour

Amateur hour indeed. I don’t mind them playing on said pitch occasionally, maybe it could help improve them!

Dragons yet again have got themselves into a winning position and are trying their hardest to lose.
Scarlets refuse to win.

Well that was an unexpected start to 2024, a rare win at the RDS for Ulster. Not a vintage performance and arguably courtesy of 2 poor kicks from Byrne H, but a good win to get. The defence was good, the lineout dreadful, lets see if we can carry on in the European games.

Dragons

Yeah Scarlets definitely blew it on a number of occasions. Awful game tbh.

Unclear wrote:Well that was an unexpected start to 2024, a rare win at the RDS for Ulster.  Not a vintage performance and arguably courtesy of 2 poor kicks from Byrne H, but a good win to get.  The defence was good, the lineout dreadful, lets see if we can carry on in the European games.

Yeah good win and entertaining game. Leinster dont look great this season so far.

Collapse2005 wrote:

Unclear wrote:Well that was an unexpected start to 2024, a rare win at the RDS for Ulster.  Not a vintage performance and arguably courtesy of 2 poor kicks from Byrne H, but a good win to get.  The defence was good, the lineout dreadful, lets see if we can carry on in the European games.

Yeah good win and entertaining game. Leinster dont look great this season so far.

What is it, two losses? Damn, must be a season to forget…

I can see the point of Brewery Field pitch looking bad, but we are lucky we have artificial too. Rain was that bad, I think any real pitch would’ve looked awful. Wasn’t their fault they had to play there either, but it shows the folly of having to spread games around grounds in a region too.

Dragons win. I didn’t want to say before the game, but the jinx of a wife didn’t fancy the rain and didn’t go. I thought we may win then ha. The streak continues. Haven’t looked at when Dragons are next home, but maybe our investors need to consider a half season ticket for me, as that’s another win watched.

Bisley Stand is no fun in the weather, near the front. But who cares. I’m drenched, but still undefeated haha.

Benetton are second in the league. They’ve played Zebre twice which no doubt works in their favour. Their team is stacked though, and have been consistent for a few seasons.

I also noticed the coverage dipped for Ospreys v Cardiff. Free to air rubbish. Viva Premier/Viaplay.

Benetton are doing brilliantly, it's a very tight league this year, the battle for top 8 will be hard fought.  Esprcislly if Risca keeps going to Dragons games.

mikey_dragon wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

Unclear wrote:Well that was an unexpected start to 2024, a rare win at the RDS for Ulster.  Not a vintage performance and arguably courtesy of 2 poor kicks from Byrne H, but a good win to get.  The defence was good, the lineout dreadful, lets see if we can carry on in the European games.

Yeah good win and entertaining game. Leinster dont look great this season so far.

What is it, two losses? Damn, must be a season to forget…

I hear you, I just feel like some of the wins weren't that impressive and Leinster look vulnerable. Id love if they won the league this year.