URC Round 9

It's time for URC round 9, umm, maybe, if omicron permits it.  Also it isn't really round 9 since most teams haven't actually played 9 games but none the less we shall continue with a new round 9 thread anyway and should there be any cancellations I'll update it.

All kicks offs UK and Irish time, all games also on Premier Sports, URC TV and SuperSport

New Years Day Saturday 1st January

Dragons v Cardiff- 3PM- Rodney Parade, Newport- BBC Wales GAME POSTPONED
Connacht v Munster- 5:15PM- Sportsground, Galway-  TG4
Scarlets v Ospreys- 5:15PM- Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli- S4C
Ulster v Leinster- 7:35PM- Kinspand Stadium, Belfast- TG4  GAME POSTPONED

Sunday 2nd January

Benetton v Zebre- 1PM- Stadio Monigo, Treviso- Mediaset GAME POSTPONED
Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors- 2pm- The Dam Health Stadium, Edinburgh GAME POSTPONED

Thanks Neil.

Would be nice to beat Cardiff for once. Please Dean, just do something right. 7 years (will technically be 8 just, by the year number) is shocking.

All previous sins would be forgiven Dean.

Like the optimism Neil. Should this be round 8O (omicron)?

Looking forward to the Ulster/Leinster game, hopefully the (very) recent form will continue or are Ulster turning into the French of the URC? Which team will show up?

Well with the number of Covid cases Ulster have, which team will show up? is a very good question lol

Ulster v Leinster postponed due to number of covid cases in Ulster camp

Dragons v Cardiff postponed too.

Edinburgh v Glasgow also off, this is going well, think I'll leave this thread to Thursdays lol

I should have said anything about optimism, sorry

even more sorry, shouldn't have said anything at all ...

Slightly off topic for a URC thread, but just read an article about Caerphilly RFC and their Boxing Day match. They had to restrict their crowd to 50 supporters as per Welsh Government rules but used their new security cameras to live stream the game into the club house where 140 supporters were watching it on socially distanced tables of 6 (again, as per the rules)!  If anything shows how stupid the 50 fan rule is then this is it.  No more than 50 allowed outside but unlimited numbers allowed inside!  Ridiculous.

Yeah, I read that on the Argus. That was a bit mad.

The Oracle wrote:Slightly off topic for a URC thread, but just read an article about Caerphilly RFC and their Boxing Day match. They had to restrict their crowd to 50 supporters as per Welsh Government rules but used their new security cameras to live stream the game into the club house where 140 supporters were watching it on socially distanced tables of 6 (again, as per the rules)!  If anything shows how stupid the 50 fan rule is then this is it.  No more than 50 allowed outside but unlimited numbers allowed inside!  Ridiculous.

Totally agree. There is another thing to think about in relation to the 50 spectators rule, in so much that a lot of Welsh grass roots clubs play on public fields (the team I play for does). As a result there is nothing we can do, except ensure there aren't more than 50 people in the stand, if we had 200 people suddenly out for a walk....

I know it is too difficult and onerous for the Welsh Government to do this on an individual basis as covid decisions need to be pretty quick. However, for me they could easily say that all teams playing on open fields need to limit fans to 50 (like Oakdene says, in the stands if they have one) and then anyone with a stadium should be limited to a percentage e.g. 10% capacity. And then stewards can make sure people sit/stand socially distanced. Because 50 fans in a tiny ground in the lower leagues is one thing but 50 fans in the liberty stadium with a 21,000 capacity is frankly ridiculous. So 10% would allow the Ospreys 2000 fans and a smaller stadium of 1000 capacity could have 100, plus it means the Welsh Government is not left to try to assess each ground to make individual decisions. I think that would have been a better balance than a blanket 50 fan limit across all leagues and all ground capacities.

Zebre v Benetton the latest game to be called off. Also I didn't know that about Wales, that's crazy on the spectators

Yeah, a real knee jerk reaction and not one well thought out in my opinion.

Elias has started well, with his arrows.

The Oracle wrote:I know it is too difficult and onerous for the Welsh Government to do this on an individual basis as covid decisions need to be pretty quick. However, for me they could easily say that all teams playing on open fields need to limit fans to 50 (like Oakdene says, in the stands if they have one) and then anyone with a stadium should be limited to a percentage e.g. 10% capacity. And then stewards can make sure people sit/stand socially distanced. Because 50 fans in a tiny ground in the lower leagues is one thing but 50 fans in the liberty stadium with a 21,000 capacity is frankly ridiculous. So 10% would allow the Ospreys 2000 fans and a smaller stadium of 1000 capacity could have 100, plus it means the Welsh Government is not left to try to assess each ground to make individual decisions. I think that would have been a better balance than a blanket 50 fan limit across all leagues and all ground capacities.

Meanwhile England motors on with near full capacity stadiums and the least effected when it comes to games being cancelled/postponed.

RiscaGame wrote:Elias has started well, with his arrows.

Didn’t carry on well either.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

The Oracle wrote:I know it is too difficult and onerous for the Welsh Government to do this on an individual basis as covid decisions need to be pretty quick. However, for me they could easily say that all teams playing on open fields need to limit fans to 50 (like Oakdene says, in the stands if they have one) and then anyone with a stadium should be limited to a percentage e.g. 10% capacity. And then stewards can make sure people sit/stand socially distanced. Because 50 fans in a tiny ground in the lower leagues is one thing but 50 fans in the liberty stadium with a 21,000 capacity is frankly ridiculous. So 10% would allow the Ospreys 2000 fans and a smaller stadium of 1000 capacity could have 100, plus it means the Welsh Government is not left to try to assess each ground to make individual decisions. I think that would have been a better balance than a blanket 50 fan limit across all leagues and all ground capacities.

Meanwhile England motors on with near full capacity stadiums and the least effected when it comes to games being cancelled/postponed.

What are the rules in Ireland currently, LeinsterFan? Are you restricted too?

PS, there’s no way the eye rake wasn’t a card. Reckless contact however you look at it.

The Oracle wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

The Oracle wrote:I know it is too difficult and onerous for the Welsh Government to do this on an individual basis as covid decisions need to be pretty quick. However, for me they could easily say that all teams playing on open fields need to limit fans to 50 (like Oakdene says, in the stands if they have one) and then anyone with a stadium should be limited to a percentage e.g. 10% capacity. And then stewards can make sure people sit/stand socially distanced. Because 50 fans in a tiny ground in the lower leagues is one thing but 50 fans in the liberty stadium with a 21,000 capacity is frankly ridiculous. So 10% would allow the Ospreys 2000 fans and a smaller stadium of 1000 capacity could have 100, plus it means the Welsh Government is not left to try to assess each ground to make individual decisions. I think that would have been a better balance than a blanket 50 fan limit across all leagues and all ground capacities.

Meanwhile England motors on with near full capacity stadiums and the least effected when it comes to games being cancelled/postponed.

What are the rules in Ireland currently, LeinsterFan?  Are you restricted too?

Max 5k fans and only 50% capacity allowed.