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URC 2023/24

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    #872
    Dubinusa
    Registered Users Posts: 8,534 ✭✭✭Dubinusa


    I hope Bulls win. I think Glasgow have a really good chance. They're a feisty team and have a lot of experience.



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    #873
    phog
    Registered Users Posts: 24,263 ✭✭✭✭phog


    I'd like to see Glasgow win it, it would be great to see a Scottish team win it.



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    #874
    Exclamation Marc
    Registered Users Posts: 11,962 ✭✭✭✭Exclamation Marc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265144#Comment_122265144

    Nah I disagree. Having 50% of your teams qualify for a knockout devalues the league. A team that loses half their games in the league shouldn't be rewarded with being in the mix to win it. It would also add a bigger impetus than just home advantage to go for 1st/2nd.

    I've no doubt it won't change but those quarter finals added absolutely nothing to the league. It's one extra game that adds nothing.



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    #875
    phog
    Registered Users Posts: 24,263 ✭✭✭✭phog


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265293#Comment_122265293

    Those QFs allowed Munster win the title last year, so those QFs did add something. It might well be that you don't like it but that's a different matter.



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    #876
    aloooof
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 10,580 Mod ✭✭✭✭aloooof


    The winners since the SA teams have been added have been 2nd, 5th and now one of 2nd/4th.

    If anything, it’s indicative of how competitive the league is. In that context, I think there’s value to the QF‘s.



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    #877
    Madeoface
    Registered Users Posts: 419 ✭✭Madeoface


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265303#Comment_122265303

    Yeah I think it's fine. It gave the teams in the bottom half something to play for and enhanced the competitiveness instead of dead rubbers.

    While I would have loved a Munster Leinster final neither side played well enough yesterday to merit it.

    The bulls are awful to watch but have a strong game plan. I'd like to see Glasgow win it but don't think they will.



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    #878
    50HX
    Registered Users Posts: 1,860 ✭✭✭50HX


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265232#Comment_122265232

    And be great for the league



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    #879
    Exclamation Marc
    Registered Users Posts: 11,962 ✭✭✭✭Exclamation Marc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265336#Comment_122265336

    Yeah would love to see Glasgow do it, their attacking play yesterday (and through the season) has been great to watch.



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    #880
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,418 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265293#Comment_122265293

    Could be worse, could be 80% of teams qualifying for Europe.



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    #881
    Brief_Lives
    Registered Users Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭Brief_Lives


    3 different winners in the first 3 years, I am liking that.



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    #882
    Blut2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,996 ✭✭✭Blut2


    Completely agree with all the benefits mentioned above of having the first and second placed teams avoid the QF and go straight into semis. Its a format that works well in plenty of other leagues and sports.

    One benefit for the league that also hasn't been mentioned is you might get fuller strength teams being fielded by teams in the top 4 going into the last month of the league as a result, if they knew they had a realistic chance of getting a rest week as a result of better peformances.



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    #883
    Exclamation Marc
    Registered Users Posts: 11,962 ✭✭✭✭Exclamation Marc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265760#Comment_122265760

    Yeah that's a good shout too. Its a system that works very well in the Top14.



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    #884
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,418 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    The top 14 has relegation, two fewer teams and 8 extra normal season games. Plenty to keep fans' interest until late into the year.

    Avoiding intercontinental travel should be as much of an incentive as a rest week, really.



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    #885
    phog
    Registered Users Posts: 24,263 ✭✭✭✭phog


    The Top14 is a different format to the URC, they play all their games home & away and in the same country.

    The URC has shields, the two strongest/most difficult shields are probably the Irish & SA, other than the shields the teams only play the other teams only once and then it's either home or in a different country.

    The last thing the URC needs now, is meddling for the sake of meddling.



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    #886
    Exclamation Marc
    Registered Users Posts: 11,962 ✭✭✭✭Exclamation Marc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122266102#Comment_122266102

    The tournament is in its infancy in its current format. Tweaking it to find the right balance is not unreasonable. As pickarooney mentioned, having a six day turnaround for intercontinental travel for a final is awful.

    Also, the shields mean nothing anymore outside of a charitable purpose.



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    #887
    phog
    Registered Users Posts: 24,263 ✭✭✭✭phog


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122266119#Comment_122266119

    The Shields (as in a competition) may not mean anything but don't tell me being in a shield with Dragons or Zebra where a team can can pick up 10 points is meaningless



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    #888
    bilston
    Registered Users Posts: 17,799 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265119#Comment_122265119

    I feel like I hit a nerve!

    Look the structure isn't perfect, but with no promotion amd relegation having 8 team play offs keeps interest going right to the end. So what if I've fallen for a marketing soundbite...the league needs to do things like this to catch people's attention.

    One change that could happen is a designated final venue with perhaps a two week gap between the semi final and final.

    Other than I think the structure is grand or as good as it can be given the competition covers 5 countries and 2 continents/hemispheres.



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    #889
    bilston
    Registered Users Posts: 17,799 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265760#Comment_122265760

    They used to do this in the Premiership 10/15 years ago where 2nd played 3rd and the team that finished 1st went straight to the final, but from memory they realised after 3 or 4 years that the team that finished 1st kept losing the final as they weren't as match fit as their opponents. Sports science has moved on since then, but it's a reasonable consideration. Getting a week off may not be the advantage it seems.



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    #890
    Exclamation Marc
    Registered Users Posts: 11,962 ✭✭✭✭Exclamation Marc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122266379#Comment_122266379

    Perhaps I'm just a bit on edge 😂. Apologies if my response came off a bit hot.

    I do think that a gap in the final stages makes sense because it's harsh on Glasgow to have to travel THAT far on six days notice. Even Leinster pointed out that travelling so far was a logistical challenge - which it shouldn't be. I don't disagree with home advantage in a final because they need to fill seats and reward a top team but I think with the distance between the two zones, the travel for either team (even if it was the other way around) is excessive and a disproportionate disadvantage.

    We'll agree to disagree on the keeping interest to the end. Teams were still gunning for the top 8 for European places on the last day so if those quarter finals weren't there, the games would still have been incredibly meaningful. If Ospreys or Benetton didn't have a QF opportunity, the games wouldn't have lost anything given what was already on the line.



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    #891
    Eod100
    Registered Users Posts: 11,774 ✭✭✭✭Eod100


    The 42 reporting that the final will be on the RTE News Now channel. Presume if either Munster or Leinster or both were involved it would have been on the main channel. https://www.the42.ie/tailteann-cup-all-ireland-hurling-championship-games-fixed-6411713-Jun2024/



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    #892
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,639 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    They were in trouble either way, the hurling being fixed for the Saturday was already causing consternation in some GAA circles (the hurling counties, at any rate) never mind if they had to throw in the earlier fixture around noon in order to get both games with potential extra time and penalties done in sufficient time for the URC final kick off at 5pm. Sunday wasn’t available because the football counties had been promised a dedicated window for the Tailteann Cup semi finals. And the Euros are on RTE2 both days.

    RTE were basically out of room, though to me the apparent solution was to approach TG4 and agree a swap of this years final for next years instead.



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    #893
    Red Silurian
    Registered Users Posts: 9,071 ✭✭✭Red Silurian


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269696#Comment_122269696

    That would be a solid enough presumption. If that happened the soccer would surely go to News with the rugby and the GAA on 1 and 2

    Interestingly wheresthematch (usually quite reliable) says it's on TG4

    https://www.wheresthematch.com/Rugby-Union/Glasgow-Warriors.asp



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    #894
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,046 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    No HD coverage then for terrestial viewers in Ireland. Notice no S4C coverage either so its PS only for viewers in GB.

    Post edited by Digifriendly on


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    #895
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,639 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Or cable and satellite viewers who don’t subscribe to Premier Sports either. Though there is a HD stream on the Player.

    Worth noting there is a narrative going around hurling fans, driven by some in the media, that the URC final is the reason for the early throw in times for the hurling. That cannot be the case - if the URC final really did effect the throw in times, they would have to have been something like 11:30am and 2:30pm to allow for possible extra time and penalties and still alllow some sort of build up to the final. Maybe that would have happened if it was Munster v Leinster and had to be on RTE One but if 3:15pm was always the scheduled late thrown in it would barely have been enough for a game concluded in 70 minutes with the usually ridiculously long half time break to conclude by 5pm. My suspicion is that RTE wanted both over to allow the sacred cow that is Six One to start on time. Anyway it’s a bit of a by the by, I think something was always going to have to go to the News Channel in the circumstances and RTE are probably seriously glad they didn’t have to put either the GAA or a Munster v Leinster game there, because they were getting flak no matter what.



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    #896
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,046 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122272497#Comment_122272497

    Totally agree. RTE probably secretly relieved no Irish team in final as that would have been a headache for them.

    On another note is it the prevailing view on this forum that S. African sides are only getting stronger and may dominate URC in next few years?

    Post edited by Digifriendly on


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    #897
    phog
    Registered Users Posts: 24,263 ✭✭✭✭phog


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122272597#Comment_122272597

    Regardless of it being a scheduling headache I think RTE would have been delighted with a Munster v Leinster final.

    Since the Pro14 became the URC the SA Shield has had 3 teams in the top 8 and have had at least one team in each of the finals.



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    #898
    Cookiemunster
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 12,052 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cookiemunster


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122272597#Comment_122272597

    Why would they dominate it? Leinster and Munster have topped the three regular season tables. Munster threw away a home final this year, as did Leinster the previous two seasons. And Munster won it in SA last year.

    It will be a battle between the Irish and SA sides (and maybe Glasgow), but I don't see them dominating.



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    #899
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,418 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    They've hosted all the finals so far and are huge favourites to win this one (as they were last year, I guess). They had two teams in the first final. The Irish teams have had one finalist. And they're only getting started.

    There's no prizes for topping the table.



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    #900
    Cookiemunster
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 12,052 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cookiemunster


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122272747#Comment_122272747

    No prizes, but Leinster and Munster only have themselves to blame for not hosting all three finals in Ireland. Only in year one was the final in SA due to a SA team winning away. And while Bulls are heavy favourites, they haven't won anything yet.



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    #901
    Podge_irl
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 26,753 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    I certainly wouldn't be ruling out Glasgow winning this one yet. Benetton were in with a serious chance of winning in their QF.

    I don't think there is any real risk of them dominating anything, particularly with the negative effects of all their travel. If anything things got easier for them than in SR with the smaller timezone changes, so I'd expect the other teams to adapt and become better in dealing with the SA teams moreso.



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