United Rugby Championship

[D4surfer]

HT: Sharks 7-24 Stormers

7-38 towards the end. Stormers have 5 tries.

Finished 19-46

[Ruckedtobits]

Sharks v Ulster on 25th Feb could have big impact on Mun & Conn

[Ruckedtobits]

Sharks v Ulster on 25th Feb could have big impact on Mun & Conn

Leinster, with same games played are 11 points & huge points difference ahead of Stormers. Just where Leocaster would have targeted.

[neill_m]

No Springboks playing for the 4 South African sides until Round 16 (post 6N) according to the above link. Will miss the games in Round 14 (Feb 17 - 19) and Round 15 (Mar 3 - 5) as usual as the rearranged games on same weekend as Round 3 of 6N (Sharks v Ulster & Lions v Glasgow).

Round 14

Lions v Sharks
Bulls v Stormers

Round 15

Stormers v Sharks
Bulls v Lions

https://amp.rugby365.com/news/powell-dr ... -bok-bomb/

[johng]

Yeah. They will send all their springboks up to play us in round 16 and we will have no Ireland players.

Round 16 is also the only remaining away game for the SA sides.

[Ray Donovan]

Yeah. They will send all their springboks up to play us in round 16 and we will have no Ireland players.

Round 16 is also the only remaining away game for the SA sides.

We’ll have no frontline Ireland players but Im sure guys who get little to no gametime in the 6Nations will be available.

[Dundalk 1]

Yeah. They will send all their springboks up to play us in round 16 and we will have no Ireland players.

Round 16 is also the only remaining away game for the SA sides.

We’ll have no frontline Ireland players but Im sure guys who get little to no gametime in the 6Nations will be available.

The Stormers have a home Heineken Cup match 1 week later
No way many of their first team will travel

[johng]

I suppose we'll see on the day. Should be a good game. We won't want to go to SA needing anything.

[Ruckedtobits]

The two all-SA fixtures this weekend will be both interesting and important to three Irish Provinces. Ulster go to Glasgow, which won't be a walk in the park, whilst Munster host Ospreys a game that could be determined by Gatland's selection choices.

Connacht should pick up a win in Zebra but every game there is a potential banana skin.

[neill_m]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA / 21.35 SA
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)
AR 1: Jonny Perriam (SRU)
AR 2: Ru Campbell (SRU)
TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)

Munster v Ospreys
Thomond Park, Limerick – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA / 21.35 SA
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
AR 1: Dan Carson (IRFU)
AR 2: Padraic Reidy (IRFU)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Emirates Lions v Cell C Sharks
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg – KO 13.00 IRE & UK / 14.00 ITA / 15.00 SA
Referee: JD Jadezweni (SARU)
AR 1: Morne Ferreira (SARU)
AR 2: Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria – KO 15.05 IRE & UK / 16.05 ITA / 17.05 SA
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
AR 1: AJ Jacobs (SARU)
AR 2: Griffon Colby (SARU)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)

Zebre Parma v Connacht
Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma – KO 15.05 IRE & UK / 16.05 ITA / 17.05 SA
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
AR 1: Clara Munarini (FIR)
AR 2: Francesco Meschini (FIR)
TMO: Sean Brickell (WRU)

Scarlets v Edinburgh Rugby
Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA / 19.15 SA
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
AR 1: Jason Bessant (WRU)
AR 2: Simon Mills (WRU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Cardiff Rugby v Benetton
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA / 19.15 SA
Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU)
AR 1: Adam Jones (WRU)
AR 2: Stephen Allsop (WRU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)

Leinster v Dragons RFC
RDS Arena, Dublin – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA / 21.35 SA
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)
AR 1: Oisin Quinn (IRFU)
AR 2: Sam Holt (IRFU)
TMO: Dave Sutherland (SRU)

[Ray Donovan]

A possibility that Leinster will have the #1 seed wrapped up after the next round of games which would be a super situation to be in.

Round 15:
Stormers vs Sharks
Edinburgh vs Leinster

Ive said it a few times but I feel confirmed #1 seeding before the mini-tour to SA is absolutely ideal.

[Theleinsterlad]

Very good weekend for the irish teams with Connacht now holding 8th spot. Very interesting end to the season run in

[naraic]

Its worth noting that after next week every URC team will be on the same number of fixtures.

[ronk]

Yeah. They will send all their springboks up to play us in round 16 and we will have no Ireland players.

Round 16 is also the only remaining away game for the SA sides.

We’ll have no frontline Ireland players but Im sure guys who get little to no gametime in the 6Nations will be available.

The Stormers have a home Heineken Cup match 1 week later
No way many of their first team will travel

It's an unfortunate quick of the schedule that our last 6 games, including 2 of our biggest games of the season (Stormers and Bulls) are expected to involve weakened teams.

Part of me wants to see a year where we send the starters to SA without clashing with knockout games.

[johng]

The thing is... Regardless of the result in Embra we will need to beat the Stormers.

They have 3 home games left. We need to be 10 points ahead of them going to SA.

1 win will put us clear of the rest.

[ronk]

The thing is... Regardless of the result in Embra we will need to beat the Stormers.

They have 3 home games left. We need to be 10 points ahead of them going to SA.

1 win will put us clear of the rest.

Not if the Sharks beat the Stormers.

[Ray Donovan]

The thing is... Regardless of the result in Embra we will need to beat the Stormers.

They have 3 home games left. We need to be 10 points ahead of them going to SA.

1 win will put us clear of the rest.

Not if the Sharks beat the Stormers.

Exactly. Unlikely though.

[johng]

In Capetown? Nah.

[Schumi]

If we beat the Stormers, well finish top regardless of other results (barring a whacky situation where they get two bonus points and we get none).

I honestly think the type of squad we sent to South Africa last year is capable of beating the Lions. Added to a win in Edinburgh, who are on a bad run, that would be enough too.

[Colmodon]

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... h-26356758

Scarlets said they could only afford 38-40 players, Cardiff hamstrung by deals for the likes of Liam Williams, Faletau and Josh Adams and will surely be looking to find someone to buy out their contacts. A really sorry situation that doesn't look like resolving itself any time soon