URC 24/25 Round 2

The new season hits round 2 and welcomes the South Africans into the competition for their first games of the season. Edinburgh and Ulster both begin their tours of South Africa this week.
Special shoutout to referee Christopher Allison of South Africa who makes his URC debut on thw histle in the Scarlets v Cardiff game, go well.

Fiday 27th September 2024

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

Leinster v Dragons RFC
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Live on: TG4, BBC Wales, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Saturday 28th September 2024

Emirates Lions v Ulster
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg – KO 11.55IRE & UK / 12.55 ITA & SA
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Vodacom Bulls v Edinburgh Rugby
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria – KO 14.00 IRE & UK / 15.00 ITA & SA
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Zebre Parma v Munster
Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA & SA
Live on: Sky Italia, RTÉ, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Scarlets v Cardiff Rugby
Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA
Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Connacht v Hollywoodbets Sharks
Dexcom Stadium, Galway – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Live on: TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Ospreys v DHL Stormers
Dunraven Brewery Field, Bridgend – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Live on: S4C, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Going to wait for the lineups before I have another Prediction ramp up but I will get the Leinster/Dragons prediction out of the way early:-

Leinster by 20 - I'm not betting on the Dragons all season to try to avoid any sort of jinxes. That said I hope Dai rest key players for the next 3 home fixtures. Leinster with it being a home game will put out a good team (not like they have a bad one). I'd love a result here but in reality I'm likelier to win the lotto this Friday. Probably the safest call I will make all year

This weekend probably is Ulster's best chance to win in South Africa on this tour. Lions will be having their first game so may be a bit undercooked against a team who undoubtedly will be riding high after the win against Glasgow. Hopefully they can make it 2 from 2

I think most of Lions URC team have been playing in Currie cup, dont think we'll catch them cold, but after losing the final, they could be down (Like teams have a habitat of losing the the League week after getting knocked out of HCup), and fatigued they have played a lot of big games, can they pick themselves up, and deliver the energy levels required for a tougher game than the final?

Throw the kitchen sink at Lions.

Rest key players against the Bulls - given others a chance.
A 1 point win against Lions and a 35-40 point loss against Bulls would be a net result in my book

Interesting to see Sharks are only travelling with 27 players for their 3 game tour. A handful of academy players as well. I can't really see them play some of their stars for all 3 of those games so they probably are targeting specific games. Its probably the Dragons game so that could be good news for Connacht this week. Be interesting to see the team they name for this first game.

The team for our trip to Dublin:

Dragons RFC: Angus O’Brien, Rio Dyer, Harry Wilson, Steff Hughes, Jared Rosser, Lloyd Evans, Dane Blacker; Rodrigo Martinez, Brodie Coghlan, Chris Coleman, Ben Carter (c), George Nott, Ryan Woodman, Harri Keddie, Shane Lewis-Hughes

Replacements: Oli Burrows, Rhodri Jones, Luke Yendle, Matthew Screech, George Young, Rhodri Williams, Joe Westwood, Ewan Rosser

Damn you Dai.....Seriously annoyed by picking some of these guys. I'd have given them the weekend off to be ready for another key game at home at RP. Dyer & O'Brien really shouldnt have travelled for this one. I also would have left Carter & Lewis-Hughes at home. Would have taken 4-5 Academy lads on this trip instead.

Hope this doesnt come back to bite us for those 3 home fixtures.

Wouldn’t have taken Dyer or AOB either.

Would’ve started Yendle, in the absence of Brown.

Yeah Can't see why Coleman gets parachuted straight into the starting 15. Would have thought Yendle earnt a start after last week.

Welshmushroom wrote:Going to wait for the lineups before I have another Prediction ramp up but I will get the Leinster/Dragons prediction out of the way early:-

Leinster by 20 - I'm not betting on the Dragons all season to try to avoid any sort of jinxes.  That said I hope Dai rest key players for the next 3 home fixtures.  Leinster with it being a home game will put out a good team (not like they have a bad one).  I'd love a result here but in reality I'm likelier to win the lotto this Friday.  Probably the safest call I will make all year

Adding to this with the Glasgow/Benetton game now as well. Glasgow by 7. Glasgow have a great home record. Last weeks results made me a nervous to call a bigger win margin but they probably will win this comfortably.

Going to wait on the rest until teams are named. As to many will be hard to call without seeing the lineups.

Dragons doing pretty well in Dublin. So unlucky with the ankle tap on Ewan Rosser (in for AOB, who pulled out in the warm up).

Coleman has had a silly yellow for head on head though. It’s that blatant, even Adamson saw it live. Interesting mitigation for me, that the tackler caused it (in effect). I think there’s a case for red really. Perhaps Adamson didn’t want Dragons to have an advantage minus Coleman all game

10-6 HT. Halfway to a Leinster BP, but Dragons are doing alright.

Poor tmo decision there for me. Agree with the commentary team. The ref stopped the game to go upstairs, then decided it was a try on field before seeing anything, then the replays showed an arm under it. Smaller teams don’t get the rub of the game. Ce la vie.

17-6, after a very bad decision for the officiating team. Ball was held up.

Irish touchjudge causing Adamson to award a try, leaving a TMO in a bit of a pickle. Bit of a Homer call there. Not sure how a TJ can see it.

Neutral officials though aye.

It’s the little things that kill you. First half the Leinster 4 was lying on the wrong side. He was so still and obviously not trying to roll away that he looked dead! The Dragons players were literally trying to drag him out the way by his shorts. The ref did nothing. Didn’t move his arms at all, or think about putting whistle to lips. Just watched. 2nd half the Dragons player is in a similar position, but at least trying to wriggle and back out of the way…… ref had arm straight out and whistle in mouth. Penalty awarded.

Just want consistency.

We’ve caused a bit of our undoing, for two of the tries, but I do agree on the rolling thing too.

I’m not overly an Adamson fan, tbh. The held up try is a huge momentum changer though. Takes Dragons completely out of touch. Obviously Leinster would’ve won by BP, but at least give teams a chance.

Been done by another iffy grounding.

Yeah, Leinster are in obviously good for their lead. No question. But it’s the usual rub of the green thing that serves to widen the gap on the scoreboard more than it might be. That’s the perk of being a top team I guess

I can see Rosser under the ball on the second one and I was typing on here with the tiny screen below it. So how does a “competent” TMO not have more of a look, with access to a larger screen?

well im 2 from 2 on my predictions this week....tomorrows predictions will be posted next

Bulls vs Edinburgh - Bulls by 10
Zebre vs Munster - Munster by 7
Scarlets vs Cardiff - Scarlets by 3
Ospreys vs Stormers - Ospreys by 3
Connacht vs Sharks - Sharks by 5
Lions vs Ulster - Ill give Ulster the benefit of the doubt this week. Ulster by 7

Two tries held up and given, that’s a shocker tbh. Not that Leinster would have needed those tries… Our overall play is looking much better so far this season, hopefully that continues, it’s much better than watching the pub team of last year. With the young guys incoming and some of the new signings things are starting to click, but a lot more work required.

Leinster deserved winners but how in earth were those 2 tries awarded. Even Mrs Maine Man was baffled by it and she knows bugger all about rugby

Remind me of a conversation, watching France thrash England 53-10 a few years ago.
I was drinking with a young German friend.
He said 'I know nothing about Rugby  but even I can tell one team is good and one team is awful'

Great game in Pretoria, but Edinburgh keep fluffing chances to put Bulls away, then Bulls are fluffing chances to put it to bed but they’ve probably done enough to win.

I’m sure they’re going to run out of patience with Jake White soon, if not now. He creates a big squad with great depth, but doesn’t utilise the wider squad and they aren’t winning trophies.

Fantastic come back out in Italy.
Munster must be concerned with the amount of tries they are conceding

Forza Zebre !!

Result of the weekend.

Have to say I do love the way zebre are playing under the new coach.

Hell of a ding dong over in the Welsh derby between scarlets and Cardiff. Scarlets scored from the kick off and raced into an early 15-0 lead. Cardiff have been forced to throw it about in a bid to play catch up…and they’ve hit back twice and back in this at 15-12. Game on!

Aled Davies, he’s still rubbish

mikey_dragon wrote:Aled Davies, he’s still rubbish

He was last week too. Box kicked the hell out of everything for Cardiff. Terrible!

I feel Geoff suckered me into my Ulster prediction. I'm not having the greatest prediction weekend either.

Welshmushroom wrote:Bulls vs Edinburgh - Bulls by 10
Zebre vs Munster - Munster by 7
Scarlets vs Cardiff - Scarlets by 3
Ospreys vs Stormers - Ospreys by 3
Connacht vs Sharks - Sharks by 5
Lions vs Ulster - Ill give Ulster the benefit of the doubt this week.  Ulster by 7

Of those its looking particularly bad for me. Sharks beating Connacht so that one might come in. Ospreys if they can pull it off might have me get 5 predictions this weekend.

Fairplay to Zebre and Cardiff. As for Lions had I actually based on what I saw them do at home last year I should have called this but as I said I get carried away with Geoff after last weekend

Stormers have a bigger pack this year. They’re still playing their high risk high reward style. It’s been a bit risky tonight but they look a solid team.

Fantastic character by Ospreys again. Almost feel bad for Stomers, they deserved something from that.

Very good defence by the O’s there towards the end.

Congratulations to Cardiff and especially Ospreys. Mad that Scarlets didn’t get anything, especially after the start.

You have to be worried for Scarlets now. They’ve made a raft of new signings and their scrum was beaten by an average Cardiff front 5. McNally has been a great signing for them, but look at how Teddy went yesterday, physically dominated by all and sundry… and people still think he’s international standard.

Peel has to be under pressure now.....the new recruits do probably need a bit of time to adjust to the league and I've no idea when Holz arrives but I imagine he will be their starting 3 after a few games because to be honest the other tighthead options there dont look great.

Lousi coming back will be imperative as well. Him and Fifita in the backrow defo add something to them.

For me the jury is out on Hepburn, Thomas & Douglas. Probably need some more games but eventually they will end up getting judged and based on what we have seen so far without a marked improvement you would question if these guys are good enough for URC level.

Holz is already there but doesn’t have a great recent injury record (like Henry Thomas). But yeah, if they needed more confirmation that the problem is coaches like Peel and Phillips, then this is it. I can’t understand how they got new contracts.

Its a fundamental problem with the Welsh Regions......Guys step in after a early limited time in coaching. Sure they may make good coaches on the paddock. But Head Coach is less about that and more about tactics, knowing who to pick and who to drop, being good in the transfer market, managing players and agents. All the stuff that basic coaching does not prepare you for.

Only in Wales do we promote posts like this to people who clearly are not ready for it. Take the Ospreys for example - Booth heading off at the end of the season (no idea if it was his wish to go or if they simply couldnt afford to renew him and went with a cheaper option) but Mark Jones (good as a coach as he may be) has no experience in running the show of a club. Why then would you put someone without any experience in a critically important role which will shape the future of the region.

It's just silly.....but it happens time and time again. Having Head coaches who are Welsh is not imperative to the game in Wales. Winning is all that will matter at that level and I fail to understand why you wouldnt pick head guys with track records of winning and being able to buy and assemble squads......

In addition to that, they’re putting Tips into Jones’ old role. I mean it could work out okay but again, it’s just putting players into coaching roles and hoping for the best.