URC Round 9- Out with the old year and in with the new one

So all Christmas dinner will have been ate and christmas presents already put away likely so time to settle in for some rugby and say good bye to 2024 and hello to 2025.

Friday 27th December 2024

Munster v Leinster
Thomond Park, Limerick – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA / 21.35 SA
Live on: TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv


Saturday 28th December 2024

DHL Stormers v Hollywoodbets Sharks
DHL Stadium, Cape Town – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Zebre Parma v Benetton
Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Live on: Sky Italia, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Connacht v Ulster
Dexcom Stadium, Galway – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA / 21.35 SA
Live on: RTÉ, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv


Wednesday 1st January 2025

Cardiff Rugby v Ospreys
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA
Live on: BBC Wales, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Scarlets v Dragons RFC
Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA / 19.15 SA
Live on: S4C, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv

Ulster team is out

15. Michael Lowry (113)
14. Werner Kok (10)
13. Ben Carson (7)
12. Jude Postlethwaite (20)
11. Rory Telfer (2)
10. Jack Murphy (1)
9. Nathan Doak (76)

1. Eric O’Sullivan (124)
2. Rob Herring (244)
3. Scott Wilson (22)
4. Alan O’Connor (Capt) (203)
5. Cormac Izuchukwu (34)
6. Matty Rea (104)
7. Nick Timoney (154)
8. James McNabney (9)



Replacements:

16. John Andrew (127)
17. Andrew Warwick (204)
18. Corrie Barrett (5)
19. Kieran Treadwell (167)
20. David McCann (55)
21. John Cooney (147)
22. Aidan Morgan (10)

23. Wilhelm De Klerk (0)

Watching Leinster v Munster here. Tell me. Is the arm wrap no longer a requirement or what?

clivemcl wrote:Watching Leinster v Munster here. Tell me. Is the arm wrap no longer a requirement or what?

Agreed.

There was one tackle where he said the tackler did not hit the ball player in the head so play on.
It was a blatant shoulder into the opponents chest.
Cant remember the players involved

Some outstanding attendances over the last two weekends.

Scarlets: Tom Rogers; Ellis Mee, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Blair Murray; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Alec Hepburn, Marnus van der Merwe, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Max Douglas, Josh Macleod (capt), Taine Plumtree.

Replacements: Shaun Evans, Kemsley Mathias, Archer Holz, Vaea Fifita, Jarrod Taylor, Archie Hughes, Ioan Lloyd, Eddie James

Dragons RFC: Cai Evans, Rio Dyer, Jared Rosser, Aneurin Owen, Huw Anderson, Angus O’Brien (c), Rhodri Williams; Rodrigo Martinez, Elliot Dee, Dmitri Arhip, Joe Davies, Ryan Woodman, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright

Replacements: Brodie Coghlan, Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, Chris Coleman, Nick Thomas, Dan Lydiate, Che Hope, Will Reed, Harry Wilson

Dragons’ backline seems a little all over the place, with Anderson moving to 11 and Rosser moving to 13.

Morgan Morris playing basketball, after two decent runs by the Ospreys halfbacks.

Ospreys have certainly shot themselves in the foot, with this second quarter.

Ospreys look the better team but they’re very sloppy. Red Card now, is it still for 20 minutes?

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Some outstanding attendances over the last two weekends.

Fake news…..

Looks like Dee is out for Dragons

Sheedy has definitely fluffed his lines in the last two derbies. It’s a good job only Gatland’s staff are watching the games, while our illustrious head coach is earning his money back in NZ.

Awful game management by Ospreys, at the end.

Sheedy has been crap for Cardiff, same with Aled Davies. Not sure why they don’t try Mulder and De Beer. De Beer was linked to Dragons, perhaps a weak link…

Close game but I thought Cardiff Blues Rugby RFC or whatever they are called were very lucky to hold on. Why the Ospreys didn't go for a cheeky drop goal at the end is beyond me. Exciting though. I think this Scarlets and Dragons game won't be so close.

mikey_dragon wrote:Sheedy has been crap for Cardiff, same with Aled Davies. Not sure why they don’t try Mulder and De Beer. De Beer was linked to Dragons, perhaps a weak link…

Was going to ask how Sheedy has been doing. Disappointing I take it. I remember when he was at Bristol, the IRFU were sniffing around him due to Irish qualification.

Great to see two Welsh sides in the top 6, given all of the negativity surrounding the game in Wales at the moment. It might not last but great to see nonetheless.

Maine man wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Sheedy has been crap for Cardiff, same with Aled Davies. Not sure why they don’t try Mulder and De Beer. De Beer was linked to Dragons, perhaps a weak link…

Was going to ask how Sheedy has been doing.  Disappointing I take it. I remember when he was at Bristol, the IRFU were sniffing around him due to Irish qualification.

He could head to Ireland and be eligible as I think he's had a three year gap since being involved with Wales. Not likely to be capped by Ireland but if a region needed an IQ flyhalf he would be one.

Doesn't sound the return to his home town team has worked out particularly well.

TAFKA The Oracle wrote:Great to see two Welsh sides in the top 6, given all of the negativity surrounding the game in Wales at the moment. It might not last but great to see nonetheless.

Looks like most have played majority of derbies,

Cardiff only one derby left and looks to have much more difficult fixtures 2nd half of season.

Scarlets 2 derbies left,

Wonder if it was set up to play majority of Derbies first half season, so teams are higher and brings some positivity to Welsh Rugby?

Cardiff got good win V Ulster, and Scarlets V Bulls rest have been derbies and Zebre, think we'll see them drop down table now, but if could puse the positivity and pick up another few good wins, one may make the top 8.

I predict now - Cardiff wont make the top 8

Looking more into it, looks like need 10 wins for top 8. Cardiff I doubt will win 5 more and may not even win another game in URC this season. Scarlets need 6 more while have easier fixture than Cardiff would need a big improvement to win 6 more.

Kingshu wrote:

TAFKA The Oracle wrote:Great to see two Welsh sides in the top 6, given all of the negativity surrounding the game in Wales at the moment. It might not last but great to see nonetheless.

Looks like most have played majority of derbies,

Cardiff only one derby left and looks to have much more difficult fixtures 2nd half of season.

Scarlets 2 derbies left,

Wonder if it was set up to play majority of Derbies first half season, so teams are higher and brings some positivity to Welsh Rugby?  

Cardiff got good win V Ulster, and Scarlets V Bulls rest have been derbies and Zebre, think we'll see them drop down table now, but if could puse the positivity and pick up another few good wins, one may make the top 8.

Nice to see a bit of perspective, it doesn't stop the Cardiff lot gloating though. They still actually think they had a good 2023/24 season.

I doubt the league would do Welsh teams a favour like that. It's usually always Leinster that have an easy route at the beginning of a season. I don't see Cardiff or Scarlets making the top 8, whilst they have improved, they are both very sloppy. Cardiff's front 5 is too weak and they have poor half-backs, whilst believing the opposite. It is worth noting the South Africans are a game behind, two in the Bulls case and Welsh teams are yet to travel there.

If the Scarlets can sign some more SA players in the summer, i get to call them Safflets next year

Welshmushroom wrote:If the Scarlets can sign some more SA players in the summer, i get to call them Safflets next year

They've got just one player from South Africa. They have more from Australia. All the Welsh Regions should be begging South African players to join, then they might actually have a stable set piece.