As promised A look at the last 5/6 rounds of the Inaugural URC Season
This is the 10th such thread as far as I can make out. They ran from 2012 to 2020. They became less relevant with conferences and 2021 was just not interesting enough to get one.
This one looks tasty.
No European team has yet won on South African soil and the next 4 rounds are home games for SA sides.
Factor in that they have a round of derbies in the middle when we have euro games AND that they will have a break week at Easter.... Things look rosy for the Saffers.
There are other catch up games also but they are all between Welsh and Italian teams so I have not included them. Things not looking rosy for Welsh teams
Key game between the Stormers and the Bulls on the 9th of April will decide which of those go into the scrap for top 4 along with the Sharks
Scottish teams have the benefit of playing the Italians 4 times but they have both played 3 of those already leaving the easiest game (Zebre at home) for both.
I believe the top 8 will be 3 Irish 3 Saffers and 2 Scottish. However despite the Italian advantage I don't see the Scots in the top 4.
Those places will be between the 3 Irish and top 2 Saffers IMHO.
Not sure how the below table will format on a phone but it looks grand on a PC. (I generally use "desktop site" settings on a phone anyway for anything with tables etc.)
Red Ink signifies an away game v another top 8 side and green ink is a game against a side outside the top 8.
Team R14 R15 R13 R16 R17 R18 Leinster Connacht (A) Munster Sharks Stormers Munster Ulster Stormers Bulls Munster Embra Sharks Munster Treviso Leinster Ulster Cardiff Leinster Glasgow Cardiff (A) Zebre Stormers Bulls Embra Embra Sharks Lions (A) Zebre Ulster Glasgow Sharks Embra Dragons Lions Leinster Connacht Ulster Stormers Ulster Ospreys Bulls Glasgow Leinster Scarlets Bulls Dragons Ulster Stormers Treviso Glasgow Ospreys (A)
