Official United Rugby Championship thread

[fishfoodie]

That score could have been completely different if the Bulls converted even 1 or 2 of those try chances in the first half. They've had 2 heavy losses but they actually have looked pretty good in patches in both games

Yep.

If you can keep the scoreboard ticking over; it allows you to build momentum; but you have to convert your opportunities.

piss off

Sorry; my cliche generator got stuck

[iarmhí]

Thought the bulls were going to march through Connacht all game like they did for 1st try.

Good heart shown by Westies and good hands as well.

Saffer teams will struggle on the road but i expect them to win all their games at home

[OomStruisbaai]

Thought we will have a black Saturday no fuck it's a black weekend.

[iarmhí]

Thought we will have a black Saturday no fuck it's a black weekend.

That Munster game tomorrow could be a big score. Munster will improve again from last week

[FalseBayFC]

Embarassed to be a SA rugby fan right now. We deserve all the ill feeling coming our way.

[iarmhí]

Embarassed to be a SA rugby fan right now. We deserve all the ill feeling coming our way.

What did you expect to happen?

Did you think it would be easier than Super Rugby for your teams?

[fishfoodie]

Embarassed to be a SA rugby fan right now. We deserve all the ill feeling coming our way.

I don't think there's any ill feeling going in the direction of SA Rugby; it's just they're new boys in town; & the established teams aren't going to give any freebies, because they know that come the end of the season, every point will count to get into the playoffs, & then the big payday of getting into the HEC.

It's a tough situation to be learning on the job.

[FalseBayFC]

Embarassed to be a SA rugby fan right now. We deserve all the ill feeling coming our way.

What did you expect to happen?

Did you think it would be easier than Super Rugby for your teams?

I have been expecting our teams to try and play rugby not retire into a conservative shell. Our domestic rugby has regressed terribly in the last 2 or 3 years. Our national team is a laughing stock. Our national coaching team is globally derided. What is there to be proud of?

[FalseBayFC]

In 2019 the Sharks played to a 21 all draw against the Crusaders in Christchurch, thumped a Blues team packed with All Blacks. So it's been a pretty steep decline.

[Tichtheid]

Embarassed to be a SA rugby fan right now. We deserve all the ill feeling coming our way.

What did you expect to happen?

Did you think it would be easier than Super Rugby for your teams?

I have been expecting our teams to try and play rugby not retire into a conservative shell. Our domestic rugby has regressed terribly in the last 2 or 3 years. Our national team is a laughing stock. Our national coaching team is globally derided. What is there to be proud of?

Being world champions?

Making huge moves towards integration?

Supplying Edinburgh Rugby with Pierre Schoeman? We love him.
as we do WP Nel

[FalseBayFC]

What did you expect to happen?

Did you think it would be easier than Super Rugby for your teams?

I have been expecting our teams to try and play rugby not retire into a conservative shell. Our domestic rugby has regressed terribly in the last 2 or 3 years. Our national team is a laughing stock. Our national coaching team is globally derided. What is there to be proud of?

Being world champions?

Making huge moves towards integration?

Supplying Edinburgh Rugby with Pierre Schoeman? We love him.
as we do WP Nel

Hey I am super proud of that. I just feel we've completely squandered a lot of that. Our domestic unions and clubs are having massive issues with corruption and maladministration. It's very frustrating.

[iarmhí]

I have been expecting our teams to try and play rugby not retire into a conservative shell. Our domestic rugby has regressed terribly in the last 2 or 3 years. Our national team is a laughing stock. Our national coaching team is globally derided. What is there to be proud of?

Being world champions?

Making huge moves towards integration?

Supplying Edinburgh Rugby with Pierre Schoeman? We love him.
as we do WP Nel

Hey I am super proud of that. I just feel we've completely squandered a lot of that. Our domestic unions and clubs are having massive issues with corruption and maladministration. It's very frustrating.

Give it a year. There's European rugby next year as well where you will have teams like Leicester and Toulouse visiting SA . That will give them incentive

[weegie01]

Edinboks

How is Pierre Schoeman going?

Immelman was a year younger at Grey College after EW Viljoen. Will be nice to see how this youngsters have improved.

Schoeman is a local hero, the cry of 'Schooooo' goes up when he is on the breenge (translates as 'violent charge'). Still gets on the wrong side of some refs at scrum time, but has cut out the earlier braindead penalties he used to give away by trying to be an enforcer

[Tichtheid]

Edinboks

How is Pierre Schoeman going?

Immelman was a year younger at Grey College after EW Viljoen. Will be nice to see how this youngsters have improved.

Schoeman is a local hero, the cry of 'Schooooo' goes up when he is on the breenge (translates as 'violent charge'). Still gets on the wrong side of some refs at scrum time, but has cut out the earlier braindead penalties he used to give away by trying to be an enforcer

I think it's his general effusive positive attitude that the fans like, he genuinely looks like he is enjoying the life of a professional rugby player, his personal life and where he is.

The fans respond to that.

WP Nel is less outgoing, but he loves living in Edinburgh by all accounts and intends to live there long term, it's a great city to make a life in.

[assfly]

The SA teams will come right eventually.

For whatever reasons, the standard of our local rugby rapidly declined in the last 2 years which very few people seemed to notice or talk about. It will take us time to raise the standard.

[OomStruisbaai]

How is Pierre Schoeman going?

Immelman was a year younger at Grey College after EW Viljoen. Will be nice to see how this youngsters have improved.

Schoeman is a local hero, the cry of 'Schooooo' goes up when he is on the breenge (translates as 'violent charge'). Still gets on the wrong side of some refs at scrum time, but has cut out the earlier braindead penalties he used to give away by trying to be an enforcer

I think it's his general effusive positive attitude that the fans like, he genuinely looks like he is enjoying the life of a professional rugby player, his personal life and where he is.

The fans respond to that.

WP Nel is less outgoing, but he loves living in Edinburgh by all accounts and intends to live there long term, it's a great city to make a life in.

Have to understand that WP Nel is a countryside boy from Namaqualand, Calvinia and Schoeman from Pretoria and Affies.

Schoeman was the best fatty in SA in his age group.

[OomStruisbaai]

Embarassed to be a SA rugby fan right now. We deserve all the ill feeling coming our way.

What did you expect to happen?

Did you think it would be easier than Super Rugby for your teams?

That was Sards. He thought NH rugby is easy rugby. AF warned us with reason.

[OomStruisbaai]

Thought we will have a black Saturday no fuck it's a black weekend.

That Munster game tomorrow could be a big score. Munster will improve again from last week

Yep expect nothing less then a 50 point thrashing.

[FalseBayFC]

OK I've woken up feeling hopeful after last nights mess. Sharks to beat Glasgow and Boks to beat the Blackness. Let it be so.

[Sandstorm]

OK I've woken up feeling hopeful after last nights mess. Sharks to beat Glasgow and Boks to beat the Blackness. Let it be so.

You should sleep with the window open and get more fresh air.

[weegie01]

Schoeman is a local hero, the cry of 'Schooooo' goes up when he is on the breenge (translates as 'violent charge'). Still gets on the wrong side of some refs at scrum time, but has cut out the earlier braindead penalties he used to give away by trying to be an enforcer

I think it's his general effusive positive attitude that the fans like, he genuinely looks like he is enjoying the life of a professional rugby player, his personal life and where he is.

The fans respond to that.

WP Nel is less outgoing, but he loves living in Edinburgh by all accounts and intends to live there long term, it's a great city to make a life in.

Have to understand that WP Nel is a countryside boy from Namaqualand, Calvinia and Schoeman from Pretoria and Affies.

Schoeman was the best fatty in SA in his age group.

I think WP actually lives in the Borders, farming and rugby country.

He is doing a fair bit of coaching (or was before lockdown) with Watsonians and the younger Edinburgh props. I know a couple of the Watsonians props and they speak very highly of his coaching. The only problem is they sometimes need an interpreter as WP's English is very strongly accented. There are a couple of English speaking Saffas at the club who help.

WP has been very loyal to Edinburgh. He had some bad injuries and Edinburgh and the SRU helped him through them and gave him as long as he needed to recover. In return he stuck by Edinburgh when he could have got a big payday elsewhere.

I can't help contrast that with Duhan vd Merwe who was injured and his career was over before Cockerill took a punt on him. He credits Cockerill with saving his career, but left as soon as he was Scottish qualified. In his defence, he is that only person I have ever heard of who did not like living in Edinburgh, and he nearly doubled his salary. So for a young an who already nearly lost his career through injury it is understandable he followed the money.

[OomStruisbaai]

English is not us Namaqualanders (myself) best language.

Duhan is a bit of a rolling stone. Can't blame him.

[SaintK]

OK I've woken up feeling hopeful after last nights mess. Sharks to beat Glasgow and Boks to beat the Blackness. Let it be so.

Yes, and I'm going to win the lottery today

[Uncle fester]

I hope the bulls enjoyed their visit to galway.

[Sards]

Great day so far....my kids team won their first match of the tournament continued tomorrow. Boks win....now just need the Sharks to round off my weekend

[sturginho]

Treviso win with a late drop

[iarmhí]

Treviso win with a late drop

Watched it.

Great scenes. Great drop goal. Balls of steel

[Slick]

Treviso win with a late drop

Disappointed at the result but very pleased for them

[OomStruisbaai]

Bosch missed right in front.

[OomStruisbaai]

Tjarks is kak.

[sorCrer]

I never want to hear another NH supporter talk about SouthAfrican reffing again. That is disgraceful.

[PCPhil]

I never want to hear another NH supporter talk about SouthAfrican reffing again. That is disgraceful.

SA refs are such homers…




What happened?

[sorCrer]

I never want to hear another NH supporter talk about SouthAfrican reffing again. That is disgraceful.

SA refs are such homers…




What happened?

Sent a Sharks player off for consecutive offences when he wasn't even offside. No team warning. Blowing a complete homer here.

[_Os_]

The SA teams will come right eventually.

For whatever reasons, the standard of our local rugby rapidly declined in the last 2 years which very few people seemed to notice or talk about. It will take us time to raise the standard.

It isn't a mystery, Covid stopped the money coming in and thinned out the squads, no Super Rugby meant no international competition to get the new players up to speed.

There's something else emerging from the games I've seen though. Our sides look under powered in the forwards, they're getting steamrollered there physically and in skills. Could just be how the SA squads have been weakened since the world turned upside down at the start of 2020, but that doesn't totally explain it to me, how the Bulls have gone has surprised me for example. Looks like our squads have been setup/conditioned for a looser/faster game like in Super Rugby, speed and endurance prioritised, we're struggling to get the ball and impose ourselves. It looks like a mismatch.

Could improve with time, our sides will improve once the local Boks come back. But I'm wondering about the money situation, the Bulls just lost one of their best forwards to Ulster. Our sides need stadiums open and TV money coming in.

The sides losing is probably good for SA interest early on though (if they just keep losing, not good for SA interest obviously).

[sorCrer]

Haha now he gives Glasgow a team warning.

[fishfoodie]

Thats a try

[fishfoodie]

Haha now he gives Glasgow a team warning.

As he said for the YC; there were three penalties in the attack; & for the Glasgow one; there were two; & then when play stopped, he gave the warning. So his limit is two in an attack inside the red zone.

[sorCrer]

Haha now he gives Glasgow a team warning.

As he said for the YC; there were three penalties in the attack; & for the Glasgow one; there were two; & then when play stopped, he gave the warning. So his limit is two in an attack inside the red zone.

Which is fine but he should have given the Sharks a warning too.

[fishfoodie]

Haha now he gives Glasgow a team warning.

As he said for the YC; there were three penalties in the attack; & for the Glasgow one; there were two; & then when play stopped, he gave the warning. So his limit is two in an attack inside the red zone.

Which is fine but he should have given the Sharks a warning too.

I think the problem was there was no break in play; but maybe he could have said "no more"; but it's not his job to coach the teams !

I'd hope that this is something he spells out to the Captains before the game.

[fishfoodie]

This is more like it from Sharks.