URC 2022 Thread

Exclamation Marc

The URC doesnt have the luxury of dropping teams if they're awful. Start doing that and you could conceivably see them going after a US team again. Zebre might not come good anytime soon but removing them would ensure they never have a chance.

connachta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120496917#Comment_120496917

they had a chance. 10-season chances actually, mor if you include Aironi. Never worked.

But the fact is it is not a URC state. Don't think Brive, Perpignan, Oyonnax, Worcester, Newcastle are really better not "progressing".

Only La Rochelle, Exeter, and on a lesser extent dare I say Connacht, moved from poor to good team

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120496970#Comment_120496970

Toulon is probably the best example you'll find anywhere. They were in ProD2 when Boudjellal bought them, and had been bouncing up and down from that level for years prior to that. Their last success prior to his spending spree was 1992.

Burkie1203

https://twitter.com/thepaulwilliams/status/1649446376953073664?t=yXUt0uNyb03MTdXuTB0q5g&s=19

Complaint from staff of the club is the rumour

Ben Bailey

The coach with the best nickname in rugby

Only the good Dai Young

Clegg

This is 100% a red card for Roos. Drives the player head first into the ground with force. Referee got it badly wrong by just giving him yellow.

Roos has done this a few times in the past before too. Remember he did the same thing to Harry Byrne last season and pussied out when a Leinster prop got in his face after.

https://twitter.com/jaredwright17/status/1649473656987197447?t=iJPcIqnBppP_whHve8q2QA&s=09

pickarooney

Looks like the Benetton player was choking his teammate

CatFromHue

Doesn't matter how the results go today the top 4 is finalised (Leinster, Ulster, Stormers, Glasgow), most games won is the first deciding factor if teams finish on the same points so Munster can't finish ahead of Glasgow, but still a fair bit to play for in the bottom 4.

Bulls (7) v Leinster (1)

Sharks (8) v Munster (5)

Glasgow (4) v Connacht (6)

Burkie1203

Lions 50-30 Zebre

10 to go

Dubinusa

The 1st 4 are set. Today will be interesting viewing. Ulster have come back strong since the lapse! Fair play to them. They have turned it around.

Eod100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120496849#Comment_120496849

Dragons beating Scarlets at the moment. Bad season for Welsh regions alright

pickarooney

Wrong thread

StevenToast

Thank god for the South African teams.....they have really brought some excitement to this league....

The Welsh have been a disgrace.

Shehal

My favourite part is the Welsh fans who still claim the league isnt good you find only ever watch the Welsh teams play...probably answered their own question there.

Should just join the GP as its a standard where they might actually stand a chance of winning a game or two...but I dont see why the GP would want them either.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508534#Comment_120508534

The premiership is gash too. There's a couple of decent sides and thats it.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120508551#Comment_120508551

It is, that's why it would be a perfect place for the Welsh to be.

Shehal

nothing.

CIARAN_BOYLE

QFs confirmed to be

Leinster Sharks

Glasgow Munster

Ulster Connacht

Stormers Bulls

Neil3030

So many games in the final round carried meaning for the knockouts.

Even Ospreys v Cardiff had meaning for the Welsh shield.

#bestleague

Akrasia

Genuine question.. Is there any precendent for a professional team being sent to an away game in season without having the senior coaches with them?

Apart from when coaches are unavailable due to suspension, or illness/personal reasons, has there been any precedent for this?

StevenToast

I think its time to get rid of the dragons and zebre....would improve the other welsh teams and beneton...make for an even better league.

Clegg

The only way that Sharks qualify for next seasons Champions Cup is if they win the URC. That's an incredible level of under-performance relative to the strength of their squad.

Eod100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120509825#Comment_120509825

Is there up to 3 potential slots so for teams who win URC, Champions Cup and Challenge Cup if not already qualified? Nevermind just spotted this which explains it:

https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest/news/urc-23-quarter-finals-set

Neil3030

On current standings, Bristol qualify for the Champion's Cup next season, finishing 8th in their league, and winning only 7 out of 18 games.

The automatic qualification for shield winners in the URC has it's pros and cons, but to be fair to Cardiff, they at least won 50% of their games this season.

Personally, I kind of like the place for shield winners, as it kept meaning in games right up to the end.

With their talent, Sharks have nobody to blame but themselves for not qualifying. Heck, they finished only three log points above Lions.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120509480#Comment_120509480

Quiet a few teams have done this this year.

Off the top of my head the sharks visit to Connacht had the Currie cup coaches with them.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120509825#Comment_120509825

Maybe their players just arent as good as they are made out to be.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120509542#Comment_120509542

This is some sort of GE jack welsh approach You cant reduce the Italians down to one team.

Bennetton have come on steadily and consistently over the last few years.

Italian rugby has improved and their u20s are in contention most years.

give zebra time and they could improve.

Digifriendly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120509391#Comment_120509391

Yes, just Lions vs Zebre and Scarlets vs Dragons were for pride. Only downside is 60 point thrashing for understrength Leinster.

Mind you GP had Newcastle conceding 60 + points at home.

Jump_In_Jack

In case anyone else thought it interesting to see if the league table would be different if the shield home and away points were halved to try to eliminate the bias for teams in weaker shields, I did this myself and the only differences I found were that Connacht would be ahead of Bulls (taking wins into consideration), and Scarlets would be ahead of Ospreys.

I found those results surprising, I thought Glasgow would have benefitted a lot from having Zebre in their shield but it actually wouldn’t have mattered.

The only real impact would be Connacht playing away to Stormers instead of Ulster, and being higher ranked for home venue than Bulls if both met in the semis.

And we don't know yet, but it could have an impact on Champions Cup qualification too.

Eod100

URC PLAY-OFFS: Quarter-Final Line-up

FRIDAY, MAY 5

Quarter-Final 2: Ulster (2) v Connacht (7)

Kingspan Stadium, Belfast

KO: 19:35 IRE & UK / 20:35 ITA & SA

Live on: TG4, SuperSport, ViaPlay, Premier Sports, URC.tv, FloRugby

SATURDAY, MAY 6

Quarter-Final 3: DHL Stormers (3) v Vodacom Bulls (6)

DHL Stadium, Cape Town

KO: 14:30 IRE & UK / 15:30 ITA & SA

Live on: SuperSport, TG4, ViaPlay, Premier Sports, URC.tv, FloRugby

Quarter-Final 1: Leinster (1) v Cell C Sharks (8)

Aviva Stadium, Dublin

KO: 17:00 IRE & UK / 18:00 ITA & SA

Live on: RTÉ, SuperSport, ViaPlay, Premier Sports, URC.tv, FloRugby

Quarter-Final 4: Glasgow Warriors (4) v Munster (5)

Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

KO: 19:35 IRE & UK / 20:35 ITA & SA

Live on: RTÉ, SuperSport, ViaPlay, Premier Sports, URC.tv, FloRugby