Official United Rugby Championship thread

[OomStruisbaai]

R1 - Friday, September 16 / / Sunday, September 18
18:30 (16:30 GMT) - Cardiff Rugby v Munster
20:35 (18:35 GMT) - Benetton v Glasgow Warriors

Saturday, September 17
14:00 (12:00 GMT) - Zebre Parma v Leinster
16:05 (14:05 GMT) - Emirates Lions v Vodacom Bulls
18:15 (16:15 GMT) - Scarlets v Ospreys
20:35 (18:35 GMT) - Edinburgh Rugby v Dragons RFC
20:35 (18:35 GMT) - Ulster v Connacht

Ulster vs Connacht game of round 1.

[Slick]

All those changes for the Italian teams

[robmatic]

All those changes for the Italian teams

Fair enough with Zebre, they were rubbish last season, but I thought Benetton were starting to go somewhere.

[Slick]

All those changes for the Italian teams

Fair enough with Zebre, they were rubbish last season, but I thought Benetton were starting to go somewhere.

Cardiff have brought in some names!

[FalseBayFC]

Bulls have just confirmed Marco van Staden in from Leicester. If he's fit they'll have a monster backrow.

[OomStruisbaai]

Scarlets and Ospreys are a worry.

[Sards]

Bulls have just confirmed Marco van Staden in from Leicester. If he's fit they'll have a monster backrow.

Sides have plenty of depth going into the second tournament. Tweaks have been made. Should be interesting.

[robmatic]

All those changes for the Italian teams

Fair enough with Zebre, they were rubbish last season, but I thought Benetton were starting to go somewhere.

Cardiff have brought in some names!

They have actually. If Faletau and Williams show well, they have really added to their first team.

[robmatic]

Scarlets and Ospreys are a worry.

I guess they are relying on homegrown talent but I'm not sure that's enough. I think there's a bit of scope for the Welsh teams to increase their competitiveness just by bringing in some cheap-ish experienced SH players but they are choosing not to do that.

[Slick]

Don’t think I’ve ever been excited about a club competition starting before!

[assfly]

I for one welcome our Qatari overlords.

[OomStruisbaai]

Scarlets and Ospreys are a worry.

I guess they are relying on homegrown talent but I'm not sure that's enough. I think there's a bit of scope for the Welsh teams to increase their competitiveness just by bringing in some cheap-ish experienced SH players but they are choosing not to do that.

Copy the Stormers & Leinster.

The Stormers will be without Kitshoff, Dweba, Malherbe, Moerat, Fourie, Roos, H Jantjies & Willemse for some time. The youngsters will need to step up big time. Good to see Kade Wolhuter back in it.

Warm up tomorrow against the Sharks at Grey High.

[OomStruisbaai]

Stormers spread their games to Gqeberha /Stellenbosch.

The first two home games of the new season, against Connacht and Edinburgh on 24 September and 1 October, will be played in Stellenbosch.

The round-nine clash with Dragons on 3 December will be played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Will there be a decent crowd for the Edinburgh game?

Look like the matches will move back to CT Stadium

[OomStruisbaai]

Jake White have a problem with the travelling to the UK. Well no surprise.

[OomStruisbaai]

Stormers

Head Coach John Dobson said that after a good training week, this final pre-season friendly is a vital part of their preparations for the upcoming campaign.

“We saw some really encouraging signs last week and the squad has really connected well this week as we have prepared for this match.

“It will be really valuable for all 26 players to get some gametime as we continue to build towards our first match of the season which is just over two weeks away,” he said.

DHL Stormers XV: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Tristan Leyds, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Chris Hollis, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements (from): 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Paul de Villiers, 21 Louwan Horn, 22 Marcel Theunissen, 23 Imad Khan, 24 Seabelo Senatla, 25 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 26 Godlen Masimla.

[assfly]

Jake White have a problem with the travelling to the UK. Well no surprise.

White was really moaning about nothing. FFS he gets to travel business class on Qatar a couple of times a year to the UK, suck it up.

[boere wors]

Wouldnt a travel agreement with british airways have made more sense, ie fly to london long haul and from there on to glasgow, edinburgh, belfast, dublin...??
Flying joburg - doha - frankfurt - glasgow seems a bit dull. Must have been quite the bargain.

[Sards]

Jake White have a problem with the travelling to the UK. Well no surprise.

White was really moaning about nothing. FFS he gets to travel business class on Qatar a couple of times a year to the UK, suck it up.

Read what White says. The Lions are complaining too.
26 hours travel for a game

[SaintK]

Wouldnt a travel agreement with british airways have made more sense, ie fly to london long haul and from there on to glasgow, edinburgh, belfast, dublin...??
Flying joburg - doha - frankfurt - glasgow seems a bit dull. Must have been quite the bargain.

That's just absurd!!!

[assfly]

Read what White says. The Lions are complaining too.
26 hours travel for a game

It's the northern hemisphere, what was he expecting? Direct flights with Concorde?

[SaintK]

Read what White says. The Lions are complaining too.
26 hours travel for a game

It's the northern hemisphere, what was he expecting? Direct flights with Concorde?

Joburg to London 11 hours
London to Glasgow 1:20

[Blake]

Wouldnt a travel agreement with british airways have made more sense, ie fly to london long haul and from there on to glasgow, edinburgh, belfast, dublin...??
Flying joburg - doha - frankfurt - glasgow seems a bit dull. Must have been quite the bargain.

Does British Airways still do flights to SA now that Comair in SA has gone bust?

[boere wors]

Wouldnt a travel agreement with british airways have made more sense, ie fly to london long haul and from there on to glasgow, edinburgh, belfast, dublin...??
Flying joburg - doha - frankfurt - glasgow seems a bit dull. Must have been quite the bargain.

Does British Airways still do flights to SA now that Comair in SA has gone bust?

Of course, twice daily to JNB I think, once to CPT.

[OomStruisbaai]

Stormers

Head Coach John Dobson said that after a good training week, this final pre-season friendly is a vital part of their preparations for the upcoming campaign.

“We saw some really encouraging signs last week and the squad has really connected well this week as we have prepared for this match.

“It will be really valuable for all 26 players to get some gametime as we continue to build towards our first match of the season which is just over two weeks away,” he said.

DHL Stormers XV: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Tristan Leyds, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Chris Hollis, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements (from): 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Paul de Villiers, 21 Louwan Horn, 22 Marcel Theunissen, 23 Imad Khan, 24 Seabelo Senatla, 25 Mnombo Zwelendaba, 26 Godlen Masimla.

Look like a CC team. No Zas, Nel, Libbok, Sacha Mngomezulu, Oelschig, Roos,Adre Smith, Brokkie, Scarra

[OomStruisbaai]

Stormers vs Sharks warmup match

[PCPhil]

Bit damp squib the first weekends. Wanna see Ire v SA clubs fightin it out

Questions are will the Welsh be anything better than pathetic, will Scots be above mediocre, will Italians cook nice pasta.

[OomStruisbaai]

Very strong Sharks team. Bosch at his home ground

Sharks team for Stormers: 15 Aphelele Fassi 14 Werner Kok 13 Ben Tapuia 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg 11 Yaw Penxe 10 Curwin Bosch 9 Grant Williams 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe 7 Dylan Richardson 6 James Venter 5 Reniel Hugo 4 Justin Basson 3 Thomas du Toit (capt) 2 Kerron van Vuuren 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu

Replacements: Dan Jooste, Fez Mbatha, Dian Bleuler, Carlu Sadie, Thembelani Bholi, Gerbrandt Grobler, Phepsi Buthelezi, Zee Mkhabela, Boeta Chamberlain, Marnus Potgieter, Thaakir Abrahams.

[Chilli]

Very strong Sharks team. Bosch at his home ground

Sharks team for Stormers: 15 Aphelele Fassi 14 Werner Kok 13 Ben Tapuia 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg 11 Yaw Penxe 10 Curwin Bosch 9 Grant Williams 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe 7 Dylan Richardson 6 James Venter 5 Reniel Hugo 4 Justin Basson 3 Thomas du Toit (capt) 2 Kerron van Vuuren 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu

Replacements: Dan Jooste, Fez Mbatha, Dian Bleuler, Carlu Sadie, Thembelani Bholi, Gerbrandt Grobler, Phepsi Buthelezi, Zee Mkhabela, Boeta Chamberlain, Marnus Potgieter, Thaakir Abrahams.

Curwin Bosch

[assfly]

Maybe he can stay home when the $harks head back to Durban.

[Slick]

Wouldnt a travel agreement with british airways have made more sense, ie fly to london long haul and from there on to glasgow, edinburgh, belfast, dublin...??
Flying joburg - doha - frankfurt - glasgow seems a bit dull. Must have been quite the bargain.

That's just absurd!!!

Particularly when you can fly direct to Edinburgh and Glasgow from Doha...

[Blake]

Fassi tearing it up in the warmup match against the Stormers. Two very good linebreaks so far and the match is only 24 mins in.

Last break led to a try for Bosch in support. Sharks up 7-0

[assfly]

What a beautiful setting.

[OomStruisbaai]

Jerseys look the same.

[OomStruisbaai]

What a beautiful setting.

Grey High is class. Excellent facilities

[OomStruisbaai]

Weird to see a Stormers 10 who can kick.

[OomStruisbaai]

Stormers no namers doing well except vokken Blommetjies

[OomStruisbaai]

and then he breaks clean.

[OomStruisbaai]

Boeta decided the Sharks must kick every ball.

[OomStruisbaai]

Someone should tell the commentators it's not a WC final, it's only a warmup match

[OomStruisbaai]

Sharks 21-12 Stormers final score.

For what it's worth. Good outing for the Stormers youngsters. Defense, lineouts and scrums was good. Wolhuter had a good outing. He will probably do the Swiel role in the team.


Fassi was very good for the Sharks.