URC 2023/24

Podge_irl

The Ulster match is the second last game. If it looks like it comes down to that for a top 2 finish I'd be amazed if Leinster don't go all out and win.

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121916335#Comment_121916335

That's true, but also Ulster will need that win to stay in the top 8, so lots of pressure and Ulster being at home I'd fancy them to win.

Burkie1203

Scarlets 3-10 Benetton after 12 min

Burkie1203

Busby very generous to scarlets on their lineouts

3-13 @ 38 min

realhorrorshow

Stormers outside backs are such a joy to watch. Didn't realise they'd signed Simelane, very smart pickup for them.

Jacovs

Sharks beat Ulster today, and Stormers doing demolition job on Edinburgh. Travel maybe starting to take its toll on teams.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121931057#Comment_121931057

Or teams might be saving themselves for the upcoming EPCR games

AdamD

We get some amount of complaints during the 6N about too many Leinster players getting picked for Ireland squads, but if you actually watch the other provinces right now..

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121931453#Comment_121931453

Neither team is guaranteed Champions Cup next season. You don't throw URC games for a game two weeks away.

Neil3030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121931627#Comment_121931627

For sure.

Bonus-point wins away, built on a chop-tackling masterclass by Hodnett, and quality full-back play by Haley.

😎

AdamD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121931745#Comment_121931745

Both of whom id back for an Ireland squad tbf, not that it was a particularly good Munster showing. I'd personally disagree with the approach we have taken at both 7 and 15 where we seem to have invested zero time in specialised replacements.

StevenToast

A clean sweep for the South Africans in this round...

What an addition to the league they have been....

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121932308#Comment_121932308

Without doubt a welcome addition.

But, Sharks have been dire all season. Bulls have been consistent but Stormers and Lions seem to have been up and down. They seem to have issues with turning up week in week out. Perhaps the Currie Cup affects their squads, perhaps their summer coming mid-season affects them physically, and disrupts their training momentum, and perhaps their travel schedule is arduous. Not sure there’s a way to resolve those issues. At least they seem to be able to peak towards the tail end of the season.

StevenToast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121932353#Comment_121932353

How shìt would the league be without them?!!

The unknown factor with them adds abit of spice to it all....

No one up here could have predicted the Lions rocking up to the Sportsground and handing out a serious spanking to Connacht....with 14men!

Happyhouse22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121932393#Comment_121932393

I think the unpredictability is key.

if they were just consistently good that would be boring, sure it would up the standard of the league but just losing to them all the time would be less enjoyable than the competition previously.

Ift hey we’re **** that would be ****.

But the way it is now… just ideal , unpredictable, exciting, competitive .

Neil3030

Some great games lined up next week

1st v 2nd

5th v 7th

10th v 9th

15th v 16th

Digifriendly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121935739#Comment_121935739

What time zones are those matches listed in or is it an April Fool a week early? 😄😃

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121935739#Comment_121935739

12:35?

Where are you in the world?

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936044#Comment_121936044

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121937057#Comment_121937057

looks to be pacific standard time

Burkie1203

Ospreys ripping the Lions apart

Dillonb3

Ospreys climb into playoff spot after that win.

Sharks look to be a threat again now that all their Springboks are back. They might have a say in who makes playoff

bingobango12

Standard is poor but entertaining game on Limerick for a 3-0 half time score line.

Jump_In_Jack

Good season so far, three teams top of the table keeping it interesting with regards to home quarters/semis.
Bit of a contest between next couple of teams for 4th spot for a home quarter.
Next four teams are very close vying for 3 spots, with two more teams behind that group that could potentially sneak up the table.
Cardiff and Sharks are down the table but both are finding form and could upset a few teams’ plans.
Scarlets, Dragons and Zebre have nothing to play for now but there's the hope they could at least keep their matches competitive to the end.

All in all, there's a lot of interesting situations developing down through the table.

For the Irish sides, I think Leinster have a great chance of topping the table, and Munster should be able to hold on to 4th place.
Ulster should do enough to get to the playoffs, but I think Connacht will finish 10th unless they can pull of an upset against Munster or Leinster in which case playoffs would be possible.

Podge_irl

Ospreys up 10 against the Stormers with 15 to go. Highly impressive stuff and a great fillup for Welsh rugby if they can get this over the line.

Dillonb3

Some result for Ospreys against full strength Stormers

Podge_irl

Leinster
Glasgow
Munster
Bulls
Stormers
Lions
Ospreys
Benetton

Current guess for the final 8, but there is a lot of variability there. Could genuinely see Leinster as low as 5th

StevenToast

Well done to the Ospreys today...Cardiff arent complete muck anymore either....imagine how good the league would be if the welsh were consistently competitive....

phog

I'm two minds about interviewing refs immediately after a game but this is great by TG4

https://twitter.com/SportTG4/status/1781786679302361425?t=SrvOkuYS36qIFOFOkJn_Hw&s=19

Rugbymad2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122043915#Comment_122043915

no neethling,willemse,jantjies,dweba,zas,fourie ,moerat,van heerden.willemse and van heerden were on the bench tho but still missing a lot of first team players

jacothelad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121916335#Comment_121916335

I'd be amazed if Ulster came within 20 points of Leinster's 2nds. They have lost their shape, energy and really also seem to have found a brain freeze. Every now and again in a game you can see what they could do and then one of them will chuck the ball back over his head in hope. Or one will drop the ball carelessly or throw a pass at a teammate's head or ankles or get isolated etc. There is no game intelligence. Too much is panic driven rather than by game nous. These are things you do not see Leinster or Glasgow do……and the fact that Ulster haven't got a 10 worth the shirt really is the dog turd on the cake. Poor Richie…..poisoned chalice indeed.

Individually there are very good players in the squad but as yet they don't make a team.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122046315#Comment_122046315

They won in Dublin! Lol

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122044561#Comment_122044561

Personally I think it's a good idea. Plenty of decisions refs make on the pitch that we all question, it would be good to hear how they came to the decisions

Jump_In_Jack

Marcus Horan is a very friendly interviewer, he could interview anyone after a match because he is just asking simple questions in a nice way, and puts people at ease, he doesn't ever seem to focus on negatives like other people might.

Neil3030

The run in is super exciting now:

Top four, in order (points) and remaining fixtures:

Glasgow (58)
Bulls (A)
Lions (A)
Zebre (H)

Leinster (54)
Ospreys (H)
Ulster (A)
Connacht (H)

Munster (53)
Connacht (H)
Edinburgh (A)
Ulster (H)

Bulls (51)
Glasgow (H)
Benetton (H)
Sharks (A)

You'd have to really fancy Bulls or Leinster to pick up the most points, and possibly Glasgow the least? Could see all teams finishing 62+ at least.

Jump_In_Jack

prediction,

Glasgow 65, Bulls 63, Leinster 62, Munster 61.

sydthebeat

Leinster will play their firsts against ospreys, second against Ulster and a mix and match team against connacht.

Enough to add 10 points to their current 54 to get to 64

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122072171#Comment_122072171

nah, they’ll use the second string for the last three rounds of the URC I’d say.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122072193#Comment_122072193

The last round of the URC doesn't happen until AFTER the champions cup.

No reason to use the second string for that game. I'd imagine all that would be rested would be what falls under player management.

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122072199#Comment_122072199

If they win the final of the CC I can’t see any of the starting team lining out a week later for a URC match. It won’t be important enough. Already will be in the top 4 I’d say and shouldn’t care about the draw.

Jump_In_Jack

Cardiff are outside qualification now. They started playing well lately so perhaps next season they’ll be further up the table, same as Sharks. They’ll play Lions, Sharks and Ospreys. Hopefully they’ll take points off Lions and Ospreys. Their duel with Sharks will be interesting, could determine which of them will finish higher up the end of the table.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122072450#Comment_122072450

A semi final in SA vs one in Ireland is a rather gigantic deal though.

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122073282#Comment_122073282

In the grand scheme of things an away match in the playoffs is no big deal. I would focus entirely on the Champions Cup for the next few weeks, and after that I’d give any player a rest that needs it.

The URC playoffs are the time to have the full team playing.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122073536#Comment_122073536

Having to play a semi-final in SA and come back a week later to the NH to play a final would be a massive negative factor.

The players just had 2 weeks rest.

sydthebeat

I full expect Leinster to put out as strong a team as they can at home against connacht, should they require the win to reach top 2, regardless of how the CC goes.

bingobango12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122072154#Comment_122072154

Out of interest, where do you see those 8 points coming from from Leinster and Munster? Would have both winning all their remaining games personally.

My own prediction:

Leinster 68 Glasgow 67 Munster 67 Bulls 63

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122074106#Comment_122074106

Leinster should beat the Ospreys, don’t think they’ll beat Ulster with their seconds, and a week after the CC final I’d say they’ll put out their seconds against Connacht, so I’d expect two wins and no bonus points.

I’d expect Munster to win against Connacht and Ulster, again with no bonus points.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122074165#Comment_122074165

After watching Connacht last night (and over the last month) and seeing their injuries, Munster should be getting BP win.

They'll also be favourites in Edinburgh on recent form.

Leinster will BP Ospreys and Connacht. Ulster depends on the team they send up there.

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122074200#Comment_122074200

Wouldn’t say we’ll be favourites necessarily in Edinburgh, we’ll have a tough match against Connacht and then 6 day turnaround to play Edinburgh in their home ground, and they have Zebre at home the week before that. I could see Edinburgh being really well-prepared and firing by May 17th, as well as they will be desperate for a win towards gaining qualification.

Cookiemunster

You're putting way too much emphasis on the 6 day turnaround. Munster have a week off, play Connacht and Edinburgh and then have another week off. A 6 day turnaround may be tougher in the middle of a long run of games, but this isn't that.

Edinburgh may be fired up, but Munster are better than Edinburgh and battered them over there last season.

phog

The Cardiff coach gets a ban for his "interaction" with Mike Adamson after the Ulster game. I understand the ref's decision is final and coaches/players need to thread carefully when challenging a ref but when will the URC do something about Adamson, he is literally capable of doing anything and players get frustrated with his decisions/indecisions