URC Round 18- One Final League Round

First topic message reminder :

It's permutations time with the race for the top 2 and top 8 still very much on.  Sharks could still knock one of the top 8 out of Champions Cup rugby with a win in the Challenge Cup final too.  Should be a brilliant final league weekend of rugby.

Munster- Guaranteed top 4- Any win for Munster will see them win the league but a loss could drop them out of the top 2 and make an away semi depending on other results.
Bulls- Guaranteed top 4- Could win league if Munster slip up, may need a bonus point victory to guarantee second place depending on other results.
Leinster/Glasgow- Guaranteed top 4- Either could still win league or get a top 2 spot for a potential home semi final if Munster/Bulls both slip up.  If Munster and Bulls both win then a bonus point win would be required to dislodge them.
Stormers/Ulster- Both have guarantee themselves a play off spot and can’t make top 4.  Ulster however may still need a point though to be in the top 7 and ensure Champions Cup rugby next year.
Edinburgh/ Benetton- Play each other on final day in Italy.  The winner of that will make the play offs.  The loser could also make the play offs depending on the Lions result
Lions- A win would take them into the play offs, if they lose it will come down to how many points they and the loser of the Edinburgh v Benetton game get.
Connacht/Ospreys- Still possible for them to make the play offs although probably unlikely.  Will require a bonus point win to give them the chance.  Would also require a Lions loss and the loser of Benetton v Edinburgh to get no bonus points.
Cardiff/Scarlets/Sharks- Really nothing to play for other than pride.  
Dragons/Zebre- Playing to see who finishes bottom of the league. Dragons ahead by 1 point at the moment.

Friday 31st May 2024

Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Parma
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Leinster v Connacht
RDS Arena, Dublin – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Live on: TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Saturday 1st June 2024

DHL Stormers v Emirates Lions
DHL Stadium, Cape Town – KO 12.45 IRE & UK / 13.45 ITA & SA
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Benetton v Edinburgh Rugby
Stadio Monigo, Treviso – KO 13.00 IRE & UK / 14.00 ITA & SA
Live on: Sky Italia, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Scarlets v Dragons RFC
Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA & SA
Live on: S4C, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Hollywoodbets Sharks v Vodacom Bulls
Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban – KO 15.10 IRE & UK / 16.10 ITA & SA
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Munster v Ulster
Thomond Park, Limerick – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA
Live on: RTÉ, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Cardiff Rugby v Ospreys
Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff – KO 17.30 IRE & UK / 18.30 ITA & SA
Live on: BBC Wales, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

I also think Williams at 9 is way to slow at rucks. He spends an age before moving the ball out.....Blacker has to play next year.

Elsewhere Bulls are leading 19-7 - if it stays like that they will go top of the league until the Munster game.

Bulls only leading by 5 which puts them behind Leinster if it stays like this. Bad news for Bulls if Munster win because that would leave them travel away in the Semi's

Not sure why the commentary team in that game are saying to take 3 if in range. Bulls need a converted try or their home semi is in danger.

Bulls go over from a 5m lineout. That takes them to 10 point lead - conversion would make sure of top spot.

Nailed it now 12 points up....less than 2 mins to go....they have a scrum as well so should be able to run the clock now....

They didnt though and Sharks have a lineout outside the 22. Bulls will need one last defensive set.

But they turnover and kick it out so that top of the log for them right now....

Only Munster can get above them now...

Interestingly if Munster win then Ulster know they have to go to Bulls which would be a terrible qtr for them.

Means that Ulster must know they kind of need to win if they want to go further as I think that will end up with Glasgow in the Qtrs.

Big game for both teams i think....

Looks like a pretty full thomond park.

This one will defo have something on it given earlier results.

Also Ospreys-Cardiff kicking of 15 mins later and a 5 pointer for Ospreys would see them slip into 8th spot which given the issues in Wales would be a incredible achievement.

I think the difference was good locks and a better 10 (Lloyd). I don’t rate Costelow but he was better than Reed, but Lloyd had somewhat of a cameo again and it seemed to be the turning point. Whatever Dai had in store I don’t know but he can shoulder some of the blame again.

I can’t see what’s going to be different next season unless we get more signings. Owen and Hughes aren’t big or fast enough for me, Hollis looks like he doesn’t have the acceleration for wing either.

Ulster going in ahead by 10. Fully deserved.
Going after Munster at the breakdown and causing some havoc.
Entertaining game

And I think RG was very very very lucky not getting carded. Clear shoulder to head

Here's hoping the One True Region holds on against Kaaaaaaaaidiff.

Not to be for Ulster. Ran out of players

Deserved red card there for sure.

Game Over maaaaaaaan. Well done to the Ospreys. Only half decent pro team in Wales.

Yep well done Ospreys and they secure the 8th and final playoff place. That is some achievement given the negativity flying around in Wales.

Cardiff probably could have won a few more games this year as they were in a few close losses this season. But Scarlets and Dragons have been miles off and you have to question them given how much better the other 2 have been on the same money.

Welshmushroom wrote:But Scarlets and Dragons have been miles off and you have to question them given how much better the other 2 have been on the same money

I'd get rid of the Dragons in a shot to be honest. Nothing against them of course (even though they have under performed for over 20 years). I just think a strong team playing out of Cardiff covering Cardiff, Rhondda and Gwent would go places.

That would be mental.  Gwent is the heartbeat of Welsh Rugby.  Not having a region there would be mental.  I've always said had they put the right resources into the Dragons we could have been looking at the Welsh version of Leinster.  Had the Ospreys Galaticos Team been playing in Gwent you would have been talking 15K+ crowds.  

Also there is no way Gwent people would support a Cardiff rugby team - it wouldnt work.  They can't even get supporters from the Rhondda to go as most of those fans dont want to be affiliated with them.

In reality if anything West Wales should never had 2 teams.  I just dont think they have the supporters numbers out there.

A lot of the Premier Sports pundits are predicting Munster to win the whole thing, except Wilson who thinks it will be Glasgow.

I just got a funny feeling this year might belong to the Bulls now they have home qtrs & semis.

A losing bonus point for Ulster at Thomond Park. Earlier this afternoon I would have taken that. A tremendous performance given 2 of the original starting 15 pulled out within an hour of kick off and both starting locks substituted in the first 20mins or so. The young (and not so young in Matty Rea's case) really turned up and gave it their best. Another outstanding performance from Izzy at 6. Was O'Mahony even on the pitch?

The Munster bench made the difference and they probably deserved the win in the end. As said above Synman was very lucky not to see a card, I don't get the low danger that was quoted. There was another tackler and Addison dropped his head, but running full pelt into someone looking to make a dominant tackle always meant a high level of danger for me.

Give Frank M his due, he called a few squint line outs (against both sides) which is more than most refs do these days.

Got to be honest Ulster are probably not that unhappy about getting Leinster in the Qtrs given their recent record against them. Plus their supporters can make that trip easier than had they got Bulls or Glasgow. Would imagine they will have a lot of fans at the Aviva if it is played there.

Wonder if we will see any qtr final upsets this year?

Incredible achievement for Ospreys. Good to see something positive for pro rugby in Wales. Just hopefully they can maintain it/kick on next season despite the departures, but they managed it well this season.

Dan Edwards is what Dragons are hoping Will Reed will be.

Welshmushroom wrote:Got to be honest Ulster are probably not that unhappy about getting Leinster in the Qtrs given their recent record against them.  Plus their supporters can make that trip easier than had they got Bulls or Glasgow.  Would imagine they will have a lot of fans at the Aviva if it is played there.

Wonder if we will see any qtr final upsets this year?

It was more than pleasing to get Leinster in that there won't be the cost and logistics of travel to SA. Someone that was talking to big Izzy while shopping reported that Izzy claimed that was the main aim for the squad, a trip down the motorway being a lot easier on all involved than flights to the southern hemisphere.
For me the only thing that mattered was cementing our spot in the Champions Cup next season, to miss out on that would have been a financial disaster to pile more financial woe on Ulster.

So a QF against a still hurting full strength Leinster is exciting even if a third win of the season is a far off dream. We beat them in Dublin when they fielded a very strong 23 early in the season and then beat their 2nds in Belfast but where we are now and where they are makes this a vastly different challenge. Leinster won't be taking prisoners but a good performance to finish off our tough season would leave most Ulster fans content. A win would be an astronomical achievement but on the day, who knows.