URC 2023/24

Podge_irl · 24-11-2023 10:47pm

Benetton are having a very good season so far. It's good to see.

Dubinusa · 24-11-2023 11:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121406325#Comment_121406325

Jesus! The Scottish game is in tatters.

connachta · 25-11-2023 10:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121414283#Comment_121414283

no it's not

phog · 25-11-2023 10:44pm

Munster preventing Leinster getting the BP win tonight and Glasgow getting a 5 pointer at home v Ulster mean they top the league this weekend.

Another big game next week for Munster 8th v 1st

Dubinusa · 26-11-2023 2:58am

Glasgow are very physical. Should be a cracker.

tmc1963 · 26-11-2023 11:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121414474#Comment_121414474

Don’t agree - Scottish players can play abroad and still be capped.

It’s a practical approach that sees some of the best players develop further in a different setting (at someone else’s expense!) and opens up opportunities in the 2 squads at home.

Both in top 8 at the moment and looking solid enough.

Tatters would be Wales!

Dubinusa · 26-11-2023 12:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419768#Comment_121419768

Valid points, the Scots have a lot of overseas players. But is Kinnghorn off because they can't afford him?

OldRio · 26-11-2023 1:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419768#Comment_121419768

Their under 20s players are dreadful.

sydthebeat · 26-11-2023 1:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419953#Comment_121419953

Scottish rugby cannot compete with French salaries.

That's not a reflection on the Scottish game being in tatters though. It's simple realism.

In truth Irish rugby cannot compete either with French salaries, but you wouldn't describe our game as being in tatters.

tmc1963 · 26-11-2023 1:40pm

The under 20s are not playing in the URC.

The SRU certainly have work to do in that respect but Scotland, and now more and more Italy, are a big part of the reason for the quality of the URC.

Best not to be smug - England won the RWC just 20 years ago and look where they are now - both clubs and country.

And I’ll repeat Wales would be the country that you could legitimately say were in ‘tatters’.

OldRio · 26-11-2023 3:11pm

The under 20s are not playing in the URC.

Well for the sake of Scottish Rugby I hope you are incorrect. Or the future looks very bleak

Dubinusa · 26-11-2023 3:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121420102#Comment_121420102

Who's being smug? Just an observation.

Digifriendly · 26-11-2023 6:16pm

Edinburgh are very inconsistent, beating Bulls then losing to Benneton.

Glasgow are stronger especially at home but I honestly can't see them winning URC.

No European titles for either and 1 league title in previous Pro 12 competition is a pretty poor return for Scottish teams.

Real worry must be U20s whose overall record is nothing short of woeful bar the odd surprise win over England.

pickarooney · 26-11-2023 6:31pm

Bulls are only ahead of Benetton on BPs, they have 4 wins each. Winning or losing close games against those two wouldn't be wildly inconsistent

Digifriendly · 26-11-2023 10:57pm

I said ve

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121421285#Comment_121421285

Benneton's only away win has been at Edinburgh and Glasgow saw off the Italians pretty handily. Edinburgh are a frustrating side showing spurts of exciting rugby at times but mixing that with poor rugby.

Dubinusa · 27-11-2023 2:21am

Sharks finally win one!

Cookiemunster · 27-11-2023 9:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121422593#Comment_121422593

Sharks finally get their Boks back.

Brief_Lives · 02-12-2023 2:45pm

Bulls V Sharks with all their respective Boks, back.

Dillonb3 · 02-12-2023 3:52pm

Comfortable win for the Bulls

Neil3030 · 02-12-2023 4:29pm

Wow, just looking at the schedule and gotta feel for Stormers.

They did a 4 game tour in Europe, back to Cape Town for this weeks game against Zebre and then back up to play in Leicester next week.

Red Silurian · 07-12-2023 1:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121445760#Comment_121445760

The alternative for them (and the other SA based teams) is to either play only other SA based teams or go back to Super Rugby. Over this regular season Stormers have 4 tours to Europe arranged with a 4-1-1-2 split of games, could be a lot worse if you ask me

07-12-2023 1:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466154#Comment_121466154

Yeah, agreed. Super Rugby was frequently an incredibly grueling travel schedule as well. It's not like SA is particularly close to Australia or NZ.

Red Silurian · 07-12-2023 1:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466171#Comment_121466171

I think in SR at the time you only played 4 regular season games outside your home country so there's an increase of 2 for URC and another 2 for CC but the quality and timezones of matches played is much better all around

Jump_In_Jack · 08-12-2023 10:01am

It really is time that the URC had a conversation with Italian and Welsh RFU and told them if Zebre and Dragons and Scarlets can't win at least 3 matches between now and the end of the season they are going to be eliminated for next season and replaced with a Spanish team and a Portuguese team. Enough is enough, the game needs to grow and these teams are rubbish year after year holding back the competition.

Jump_In_Jack · 08-12-2023 10:15am

The Welsh sides only seem to be able to win against other Welsh sides or Zebre.

Sharks have had a shocking start to this campaign, but I suspect there are fixable reasons, and they aren't that bad usually. The Welsh sides and Zebre have been bottom of the table for a few seasons now.

Cutting it back to 3 Welsh teams would surely strengthen each of their teams, and Italy could focus on having one properly competitive team.

Imagine a league where Portugal, Spain, Italy all have one decent team, and Wales each team a bit stronger with 3, Scotland with 2, Ireland and South Africa with 4, I think the standard would rise after a season or two.

Unfortunately for Georgia, they are so far away, like 6-8 hours in a plane, it would seem difficult to imagine them being involved. One day maybe a team from Germany might be worth a punt.

PMC83 · 08-12-2023 10:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121469729#Comment_121469729

TBF Zebre have looked better then usual, scraped a few results and just on the wrong side of some others. If Spain had a franchise that locked in the bulk of their internationals plus a marquee signing or two it could be interesting, like the Sunwolves or los jaguares did in super rugby

Cookiemunster · 08-12-2023 10:22am

Scarlets were champions 6 years ago and beaten finalists 5 years ago. They are not even close to being in the same boat as either Dragons or Zebra. They (and the other Welsh regions) have been screwed by their union.

However the basic aim of the URC is to provide players to the 5 national teams and give these players regular game time. Everything else is incidental. The Unions are the URC, so there will be no threats about removing teams.

Also, should you not also have included Sharks (1W), with Zebre and Dragons? Or Cardiff (2W) with Scarlets?

Jump_In_Jack · 08-12-2023 10:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121469804#Comment_121469804

I did in my post above, I can see Sharks bouncing back this season, but there is a real possibility that Scarlets won't win another game against any other team except for a Welsh side or Zebre.

Look at Scarlets results for the last 2 seasons as well as this season, they are not the team you are remembering from bygone times. The Welsh RFU have to consolidate their 4 teams into 3, however they do it I don't care. Otherwise, as has been the case for years now, the bottom of the table will consist of 4 Welsh sides and Zebre.

Jump_In_Jack · 08-12-2023 11:02am

Realistically, the Dragons and Zebre are a waste of space, a Portuguese team and a Spanish team would be much better to grow the game and boost the level of Benetton and the other 3 Welsh teams remaining.

Lost Ormond · 08-12-2023 11:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121469729#Comment_121469729

No for countless reasons. There is no evidence any aides from Spain or Portugal would be any better and it can't just always be the urc/celtic sides that have to take any sides from other countries to grow the game.

sydthebeat · 08-12-2023 11:17am

The Welsh teams are **** because the WRU has been a **** not-for-purpose organisation for years. The "golden generation" of a successful test side papered over the cracks but they are all pretty much finished at this stage and they problems are glaring.

Reducing to three only fixes short term issues, and reduces the capacity to return to a position of strength in the longer term.

They have made significant changes in the WRU recently so I think they should be at least afforded a chance to see if they can improve.

If that means a few seasons of the Welsh being bottom feeders so be it.

The URC is not in any major difficulty right now. The introduction of the south African sides has really been a blessing when we now see where the Welsh sides are. Imagine how **** the league would be if the bokke weren't there?

The premiership and super rugby must be looking on at the URC with very green eyes. The only league that seems better right now is the top 14, and they're coming from a position with 130 years of history. The MLR is in trouble, and Japanese rugby only exists because of corporation money.

There is no real problem here

Podge_irl · 08-12-2023 11:32am

This is pointless fantasy stuff. Apart from being just a ridiculous idea (Spanish and Portuguese sides won't be any better), it is rather glossing over the fact that the Italian and Welsh RUs own the URC along with the other unions.

Jump_In_Jack · 08-12-2023 12:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470138#Comment_121470138

That's such a pessimistic viewpoint, if everyone thought like that nothing would ever improve.

Portugal were fairly impressive in the world cup, and Spain should be similar.

They deserve a chance, they can't be any less competitive than Dragons and Zebre have been for years.

Podge_irl · 08-12-2023 12:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470268#Comment_121470268

You're still glossing over the impossibility of kicking out teams who share ownership of the league. You are also ignoring that all of Portugal's best players already play in France.

The last thing the league needs is more chopping and changing anyway.

Lost Ormond · 08-12-2023 2:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470268#Comment_121470268

The Portuguese, Spanish. Georgians etc all do need a chance to improve but the urc can't be made into a miss match of every country in Europe's Pro teams except for those in France and England

AdamD · 08-12-2023 2:55pm

What the URC could really do with is not changing a single thing for about 5 years, can't keep chopping and changing.

Digifriendly · 08-12-2023 3:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121471114#Comment_121471114

Tend to agree. Stability is important but if Welsh regions continue to struggle financially things may continue to be fluid.

I still think a BI league will come about in not too distant future.

Dubinusa · 08-12-2023 3:07pm

One problem with the Welsh is a lot of their players leave and go to the premiership or France. The mismanagement by the union is ridiculous. It's also a very small nation with limited funds, fans etc.

Zebre have been much improved. They look to be improving.

Lost Ormond · 08-12-2023 5:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121471227#Comment_121471227

Welsh do leave but it's not simply mismanagement by the union. Its more deeply engraved than that alone.

Red Silurian · 12-12-2023 12:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121471114#Comment_121471114

This I completely agree with, look at the big competitions, 6N, AIL, T14, other sports, Premier League, NFL, NBA even the Japanese rugby championship has consistency in it.

When you chop and change, not just the teams, but also the rules, people lose interest because one of the features they thought was "good" no longer exists

Utah_Saint · 23-12-2023 6:33pm

Steenkamp tackle could've easily been a red in the stormers v bulls

Dillonb3 · 23-12-2023 7:19pm

Libbok nailing all his kicks so far

Neil3030 · 23-12-2023 8:43pm

40k in for the game in Cape Town.

Derbies really do seem to matter down there, which is great.

Digifriendly · 24-12-2023 9:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121530954#Comment_121530954

Weather helps especially at this time of year in SH.

tmc1963 · 30-12-2023 4:01pm

Over 37,000 tickets sold for Murrayfield today - obliterating the previous record of 27K.

If only the whining Welsh could get their act together.

Burkie1203 · 30-12-2023 6:35pm

Horrible injury for stormers player there

PMC83 · 31-12-2023 11:57am

Benetton sitting in second place, somethings clicking in Treviso this year!

phog · 31-12-2023 1:57pm

Real shame that Munster had to lose him

https://twitter.com/HuwGriffinRugby/status/1741441200010191103?t=zSIo0_bgaZkh7JTIIgOslQ&s=19

Neil3030 · 31-12-2023 3:03pm

Sad that he's gone alright.

Small silver lining is the exposure that Crowley is now getting, which will boost his development. But we really are down to the bare bones at 10. Any injury to Crowley would be catastrophic. Hope Butler goes well tomorrow.

AdamD · 31-12-2023 4:54pm

Those stats are a bit meaningless when he's played way more minutes than any other 10

URC 2023/24

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