URC Season 2024/2025 Official Thread

[petej]

Picked the Leinster v Dragons match because the Sharks play the Dragons in the next round.

Dragons look similar to last season, solid defence that takes some effort to break down. Commentators say they have a Wales test side conditioning coach and they're fitter than last season, still leaked a bucket of points in the final quarter. Still the same big failing with them, they don't throw any punches just very little offered in attack. By the end of the match there's some big score and it doesn't really feel like it fully represents the match you just watched. The style they're playing is just really not suited to this comp, attacking intent in the forwards and backs is an absolute requirement, even basic offloading and support runners would be a step up on what they're doing. Looking up their coaching team, they have a forwards and defence coach, but only a backs coach and no attack coach (and the backs coach was a player/coach last season), they look uncoached on attack because that's what they are. Still, they have a solid defence for 3/4s of the match, may be enough at home in Newport with some cold rain at night.

The dragons have never been able to retain talent. Any good players will be taken by other Welsh regions or English teams nearby.

[Sards]

Move Nohamba to 10 second half. He is wasted at 9.

[OomStruisbaai]

Wolhuter doing fine. Lions into next gear.Ulster look down and out.

[Sards]

Wolhuter doing fine. Lions into next gear.Ulster look down and out.

He is a road block. Backline not getting away

[OomStruisbaai]

Classy finish by Kade.

[OomStruisbaai]

Bulls score two quick tries. Embra struggling with the heat.

[Sards]

Bulls really getting penalized. Losing all momentum

[Sards]

Bulls are awful

[Begbie]

Bulls are awful

Edinburgh are even worse. They're close to making me hate rugby.

[Sards]

Lucky win for the Bulls

[fishfoodie]

Bit of a thriller in progress in Parma. Munster got out to a BP lead by HT, but Zebre are well up for it & it's now a 1 point game with 25mins to go !

[fishfoodie]

and now Munster are behind after the Zebre SH sold a dummy, & sprinted in for a try under the sticks

34 - 28 after 62 minutes

[fishfoodie]

Zebre cut Munster to ribbons again, & then make a mess of the kickoff. This is grim, but the Zebre supporters are loving it singing up a storm

39 - 28

[Biffer]

Munster two scores down with ten minutes left, and the answer is....

Bring Connor Murray on. At 10.

[Biffer]

Zebre take the bonus point away from Munster with the last kick. Terrific performance.

And in a stereotypical Italian moment the cameraman focuses in on the woman in the crowd with great tits, no bra and a very thin and tight t-shirt

[fishfoodie]

Zebre take the bonus point away from Munster with the last kick. Terrific performance.

Yep, Munster can have no complaints, that was a excellent performance from Zebre

We're in for another cracking season I think !

[Uncle fester]

Munster two scores down with ten minutes left, and the answer is....

Bring Connor Murray on. At 10.

We're bare bones there with Burns injured and Crowley unavailable.

No excuses anyway. Zebra well with that win.

[sturginho]

Zebre take the bonus point away from Munster with the last kick. Terrific performance.

And in a stereotypical Italian moment the cameraman focuses in on the woman in the crowd with great tits, no bra and a very thin and tight t-shirt

They didn't include that in the youtube highlights!

[Sards]

Very happy to see the halftime score for the Sharks.
Looking forward to the second half

[Sards]

Very happy to see the halftime score for the Sharks.
Looking forward to the second half

And then the exhaustion sets in and Connacht win

[fishfoodie]

Very happy to see the halftime score for the Sharks.
Looking forward to the second half

And then the exhaustion sets in and Connacht win

Yep. They looked a different side in the 2nd half when the fatigue set in, & the temperature dropped.

[Sandstorm]

Stormers also faded and lost to Ospreys.

[_Os_]

Will be sad if the Sharks will be the SA embarrament again.

Well well well, the Round 2 results are in. When Sharks supporters look down, we now see ugly trampled Stomp faces desperately looking up at us from the bottom of the log.

Cameron Wright has been rested from the CC playoffs, rested from the Boks in the RC, and rested from the start of the URC. He is in the touring squad, looked angry on the side line watching that second half. Looking forward to the hungry caged lion being unleashed on the Dragons.

[OomStruisbaai]

Will be sad if the Sharks will be the SA embarrament again.

Well well well, the Round 2 results are in. When Sharks supporters look down, we now see ugly trampled Stomp faces desperately looking up at us from the bottom of the log.

Cameron Wright has been rested from the CC playoffs, rested from the Boks in the RC, and rested from the start of the URC. He is in the touring squad, looked angry on the side line watching that second half. Looking forward to the hungry caged lion being unleashed on the Dragons.

Stormers and Sharks are kak.

[_Os_]

Will be sad if the Sharks will be the SA embarrament again.

Well well well, the Round 2 results are in. When Sharks supporters look down, we now see ugly trampled Stomp faces desperately looking up at us from the bottom of the log.

Cameron Wright has been rested from the CC playoffs, rested from the Boks in the RC, and rested from the start of the URC. He is in the touring squad, looked angry on the side line watching that second half. Looking forward to the hungry caged lion being unleashed on the Dragons.

Stormers and Sharks are kak.

Classic move "it's not just us, we're all kak together!". Nah, we're good chief, still got some firepower to bring up to the frontline. A game of two halves against the Irish, it happens.

What do the Stomps have they're not playing already? You have shown your hand, for you the season is over.

[OomStruisbaai]

You don't win the URC in round 2.

[_Os_]

You don't win the URC in round 2.

Good luck to your guys in the 2025/26 season, Oom. Stomps tried their best this season, wasn't to be.

[fishfoodie]

You don't win the URC in round 2.

Good luck to your guys in the 2025/26 season, Oom. Stomps tried their best this season, wasn't to be.

Quite right, you guys should just give up now & resign yourselves to one team in 8th place, & just plan on rebuilding for next season ......

[Sards]

You don't win the URC in round 2.

Good luck to your guys in the 2025/26 season, Oom. Stomps tried their best this season, wasn't to be.

How good is Jordan Hendricks. Great signing by the Sharks.
Jordan > Manie

With Jordan and Masuka we are in a great position going forward

[OomStruisbaai]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4:

Scarlets v Connacht
(Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli – Kick-off: 19.35; 18.35 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Mike English (Wales), Ben Connor (Wales)
TMO: Christopher Allison (South Africa)

Cardiff v Glasgow Warriors
(Arms Park, Cardiff – Kick-off: 19.35; 18.35 GMT)
Referee: Morne Ferreira (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Rhys Jones (Wales), Gareth Newman (Wales)
TMO: Griffon Colby (South Africa)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5:

Lions v Edinburgh
(Ellis Park, Johannesburg – Kick-off: 13.45; 12.45 UK & Ireland time; 11.45 GMT)
Referee: Adam Jones (Wales)
Assistant referees: Henru van Rooyen (South Africa), Stephan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
TMO: Keith David (Wales)

Bulls v Ulster
(Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria – Kick-off: 16.00; 15.00 UK & Ireland time; 14.00 GMT)
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant referees: JD Jadezweni (South Africa), Dylan November (South Africa)
TMO: Ben Breakspear (Wales)

Benetton v Leinster
(Stadio Monigo, Treviso – Kick-off: 18.15; 17.15 UK & Ireland time; 16.15 GMT)
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant referees: Federico Vedovelli (Italy), Alex Frasson (Italy)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (Wales)

Dragons v Sharks
(Rodney Parade, Newport – Kick-off: 17.15; 18.15 SAST; 16.15 GMT)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Ben Connor (Wales); Nathan James (Wales)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)

Munster v Ospreys
(Musgrave Park, Cork – Kick-off: 19.35; 18.35 GMT)
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Keane Davison (Ireland), Chris Lough (Ireland)
TMO: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)

Zebre Parma v Stormers
(Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma – Kick-off: 20.35; 20.35 SAST; 18.35 GMT)
Referee: Chris Busby (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Fillipo Russo (Italy), Franco Rosella (Italy)
TMO: Mark Patton (Ireland)

[OomStruisbaai]

DHL Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis (captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Sti Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Louw Nel, 21 Dewaldt Duvenage, 22 Warrick Gelant, 23 Angelo Davids.

[Sandstorm]

Duvet!! Back in the Cape

[OomStruisbaai]

The two Schoeman lh props in Lions and Embra is brothers

[OomStruisbaai]

Lions wit warm
22-0 after 22 mins

[fishfoodie]

Embra are woeful !

Do they have a defense coach ?

[robmatic]

Embra are woeful !

Do they have a defense coach ?

They have a team full of internationals who you would expect to know what they are doing.

[Sandstorm]

Lions absolutely pumped Edinburgh
55-21

[Sandstorm]

Wonderful Stockdale try!!

[salanya]

Would anyone's friends know of any rugby links that are still working?

Asking for a friend ...

[fishfoodie]

That was pure sex !

Leinstertainment