United Rugby Championship

[dobby15]

Is anyone going to the Chile game in a few weeks time? I know its a bit of an odd time, 2pm on Friday but it is free and hopefully some of the youngsters will get a good run out against a tough, physical side! This is my guess at the team they will put out:
1) Milne
2) McKee
3) Clarkson
4) Deeny
5) Molony ©
6) Moloney
7) Penny
8 ) O'Brien
9) Foley
10) Bryne
11) Smith
12) Brownlee
13) Turner
14) Russell
15) Osbourne
16) McElroy
17) Hanan
18) Lasisi
19) Ruddock
20) Culhane
21) McCarthy
22) Tector
23) Cosgrove

Injured - Charlie Ryan, Mangan, Soroka, Harry Bryne, O'Reilly

[Ruckedtobits]

Is anyone going to the Chile game in a few weeks time? I know its a bit of an odd time, 2pm on Friday but it is free and hopefully some of the youngsters will get a good run out against a tough, physical side! This is my guess at the team they will put out:
1) Milne
2) McKee
3) Clarkson
4) Deeny
5) Molony ©
6) Moloney
7) Penny
8 ) O'Brien
9) Foley
10) Bryne
11) Smith
12) Brownlee
13) Turner
14) Russell
15) Osbourne
16) McElroy
17) Hanan
18) Lasisi
19) Ruddock
20) Culhane
21) McCarthy
22) Tector
23) Cosgrove

Injured - Charlie Ryan, Mangan, Soroka, Harry Bryne, O'Reilly

If Ruddock is in that Squad, he'll start and captain.

[dobby15]

Is anyone going to the Chile game in a few weeks time? I know its a bit of an odd time, 2pm on Friday but it is free and hopefully some of the youngsters will get a good run out against a tough, physical side! This is my guess at the team they will put out:
1) Milne
2) McKee
3) Clarkson
4) Deeny
5) Molony ©
6) Moloney
7) Penny
8 ) O'Brien
9) Foley
10) Bryne
11) Smith
12) Brownlee
13) Turner
14) Russell
15) Osbourne
16) McElroy
17) Hanan
18) Lasisi
19) Ruddock
20) Culhane
21) McCarthy
22) Tector
23) Cosgrove

Injured - Charlie Ryan, Mangan, Soroka, Harry Bryne, O'Reilly

If Ruddock is in that Squad, he'll start and captain.

Namely put him on the bench as we don't have much second-row cover. Could Deegan act as second-row cover on the bench perhaps?

[Blue Man]

I really enjoyed the Stormers vs Bulls. Serious intensity and some good attacking play from the wide players on both sides. These guys are a great addition to the league and would easily beat any side apart from Leinster, based on the performances today. Decent crowd too. I can’t wait to see a full Leinster side face these guys

[blockhead]

I really enjoyed the Stormers vs Bulls. Serious intensity and some good attacking play from the wide players on both sides. These guys are a great addition to the league and would easily beat any side apart from Leinster, based on the performances today. Decent crowd too. I can’t wait to see a full Leinster side face these guys

55,000 at the the two games today.
Must say these saffa sides play a lot more expansive rugby that their national side tend to do.
Winning the URC is gonna be a major acheivement from now on.

[Ruckedtobits]

There's four at the top and four at the bottom and eight in the middle within a bonus-point win of each other - but they're 10 points off 4th place. That's our League and it's unlikely to change before we get to the end.

[Ray Donovan]

HT: Sharks 30 Bulls 13

In an ideal world Leinster are 10 points clear at the top of the table before our last 2 league games of the season. That gives us the option of picking and mixing as we’ll hopefully be deep in Champions Cup knockout action at that stage.

Before today’s games the only teams who could realistically scupper were Stormers, Ulster and Bulls.

If Bulls can’t even pick up a losing bonus point today that’s a great result for Leinster.

[Ruckedtobits]

Stormers & Sharks scoring lots of points & only our defence looks like the POD at this stage. It will be very interesting to see how they both cope with coming up North in the coming weeks, away from dry ball, minimal wind and losing 20C in temperature.

Sharks play Connacht in Galway & Stormers visit Glasgow. Two perfect venues to highlight the contrasts.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Stormers & Sharks scoring lots of points & only our defence looks like the POD at this stage. It will be very interesting to see how they both cope with coming up North in the coming weeks, away from dry ball, minimal wind and losing 20C in temperature.

Sharks play Connacht in Galway & Stormers visit Glasgow. Two perfect venues to highlight the contrasts.

POD = Place Of Dance ??

[ronk]

I'd guess Point of Difference

[Serb]

Stormers look very good, 9 try bonus points from 10 games and only 3 points behind us despite losing and drawing a game.

Only three of their 10 games have been outside of South Africa however and they’re faced with a run of away games, including one against us, that’ll be the real test. Though that run does include quite a few games in SA now that I take another look.

They were relatively poor in their away stint in Wales where they drew with Ospreys and lost to Cardiff, whereas I’d expect us to win our next four pretty handily — we should be able to open a bit of a gap there if they drop some points in Glasgow, Ulster and/or us.

We could feasibly lose our last four games with how the schedule is, Edinburgh away mid Six Nations, Stormers home right after the Six Nations (where traditionally we ship a bunch of injuries and have a European game the following week), then the two away games in SA. That’ll be the make or break for us in the league.

[ronk]

HT: Sharks 30 Bulls 13

In an ideal world Leinster are 10 points clear at the top of the table before our last 2 league games of the season. That gives us the option of picking and mixing as we’ll hopefully be deep in Champions Cup knockout action at that stage.

Before today’s games the only teams who could realistically scupper were Stormers, Ulster and Bulls.

If Bulls can’t even pick up a losing bonus point today that’s a great result for Leinster.

Bulls didn't get the bonus point. Stormers really challenging us and it's interesting to be up against a team we only get to play once.

Ulster need to win to stay in touch, which is bad for Munster. This hasn't been a great weekend so far for them. Bonus point wins for Glasgow, Sharks, Treviso makes it harder to catch up. But then Lions and Bulls lost without bonus points and Edinburgh got a losing but stayed on 3 tries.

Munster are halfway between Cardiff and Ospreys and it only matters for URC playoffs. A Cardiff BP win tomorrow is probably worrying anyway.

[neiliog93]

Stormers look very good, 9 try bonus points from 10 games and only 3 points behind us despite losing and drawing a game.

Only three of their 10 games have been outside of South Africa however and they’re faced with a run of away games, including one against us, that’ll be the real test. Though that run does include quite a few games in SA now that I take another look.

They were relatively poor in their away stint in Wales where they drew with Ospreys and lost to Cardiff, whereas I’d expect us to win our next four pretty handily — we should be able to open a bit of a gap there if they drop some points in Glasgow, Ulster and/or us.

We could feasibly lose our last four games with how the schedule is, Edinburgh away mid Six Nations, Stormers home right after the Six Nations (where traditionally we ship a bunch of injuries and have a European game the following week), then the two away games in SA. That’ll be the make or break for us in the league.

I think our seconds will beat the Lions in South Africa (close but high-scoring game). I think we should be able to scrape past the Stormers at home the week after the Six Nations finishes, injuries and a Euro last-16 tie notwithstanding. That will hopefully be enough to secure top spot in the league.

[blockhead]

Stormers look very good, 9 try bonus points from 10 games and only 3 points behind us despite losing and drawing a game.

Only three of their 10 games have been outside of South Africa however and they’re faced with a run of away games, including one against us, that’ll be the real test. Though that run does include quite a few games in SA now that I take another look.

They were relatively poor in their away stint in Wales where they drew with Ospreys and lost to Cardiff, whereas I’d expect us to win our next four pretty handily — we should be able to open a bit of a gap there if they drop some points in Glasgow, Ulster and/or us.

We could feasibly lose our last four games with how the schedule is, Edinburgh away mid Six Nations, Stormers home right after the Six Nations (where traditionally we ship a bunch of injuries and have a European game the following week), then the two away games in SA. That’ll be the make or break for us in the league.

I think our seconds will beat the Lions in South Africa (close but high-scoring game). I think we should be able to scrape past the Stormers at home the week after the Six Nations finishes, injuries and a Euro last-16 tie notwithstanding. That will hopefully be enough to secure top spot in the league.

Stormers at home the week after the Six Nations finishes

Game should be played in the Aviva. Monster game!

[Schumi]

Only three of their 10 games have been outside of South Africa however and they’re faced with a run of away games, including one against us, that’ll be the real test. Though that run does include quite a few games in SA now that I take another look.

We've only played two games outside Ireland as well. It's a quirk of the conference set up with derbies early in the season.

[johng]

Yes but next week we will have played 50% of our games outside Ireland. And ALL of our Welsh and Italian ones.

Also. Today is our last interpro.

[joooooe]

Yes but next week we will have played 50% of our games outside Ireland. And ALL of our Welsh and Italian ones.

Also. Today is our last interpro.

On for a slam if we win

[ronk]

Today's results have pushed Ulster into 3/4 place fight rather than fighting for 2nd. Poor run from them.

The loss has effectively finished Connachts Heineken Cup ambitions, though its still possible with the compressed table. Cardiff losing keeps Munster within 2 points of 5th, though there are games in hand.

The Lions have a game in hand so Munster really need to win next week to get clear of them.

[Schumi]

Connacht would need a very strong end to the season to qualify but there's no game that you'd write off as unwinnable, Sharks at home and Glasgow away are probably the toughest. They'd need to win at least 5 of the 7 though and likely 6 given their lack of bonus points which is a big ask.

[ronk]

6 teams they need to pass and a 9 point gap. Some of that is in their hands as they play relevant teams.