URC 2023/24

[offshorerules]

Can't have leinster winning every year

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I'd settle for a win this year though.

2 plus any knockouts.

I meant the URC.

[neill_m]

Transfer chat on X that Blair Kinghorn will join Toulouse with immediate effect to replace Jaminet who joined Toulon mid-season.

[neill_m]

Edinburgh Rugby centurion and full-back Blair Kinghorn will join Toulouse after next week’s BKT URC match against Ulster – subject to medical – after a six-figure release fee was agreed with the Top 14 side.

The 26-year-old’s current contract with the capital club was set to end in June, at which point he had already intimated his intention to move to the French side, with a fee agreed subsequently for his early release this month.

He has signed a deal with Toulouse till 2026.

[naraic]

In rugby when a player wants to move and a buyer is actually willing to pay a release fee it's usually taken.

Kinghorn is a class player though and his departure is a loss for the league.

[ronk]

Healy fallout

[offshorerules]

Healy fallout

Law of unintended consequences.

[MidAtlantic]

If Ali Price can move in in early season, Blair Kinghorn can just as easily move out.

[neill_m]

If Ali Price can move in in early season, Blair Kinghorn can just as easily move out.

One key difference between those two is Price is a loan move.

[offshorerules]

Sean Jansen making his debut for the weshties this weekend. https://www.msn.com/en-ie/sports/rugby- ... 03a9&ei=16

[neill_m]

Sean Jansen making his debut for the weshties this weekend. https://www.msn.com/en-ie/sports/rugby- ... 03a9&ei=16

Will be a tougher game this week for Connacht, Bulls better side, altitude etc. Coetzee banned for them and Willie Le Roux making his debut.

[paddyor]

Edinburgh Rugby centurion and full-back Blair Kinghorn will join Toulouse after next week’s BKT URC match against Ulster – subject to medical – after a six-figure release fee was agreed with the Top 14 side.

The 26-year-old’s current contract with the capital club was set to end in June, at which point he had already intimated his intention to move to the French side, with a fee agreed subsequently for his early release this month.

He has signed a deal with Toulouse till 2026.

Think this will backfire. He’s not a good OH and they’re stacked at 15. Maybe he slots into the 23 jersey as a utility back.

[neill_m]

Edinburgh Rugby centurion and full-back Blair Kinghorn will join Toulouse after next week’s BKT URC match against Ulster – subject to medical – after a six-figure release fee was agreed with the Top 14 side.

The 26-year-old’s current contract with the capital club was set to end in June, at which point he had already intimated his intention to move to the French side, with a fee agreed subsequently for his early release this month.

He has signed a deal with Toulouse till 2026.

Think this will backfire. He’s not a good OH and they’re stacked at 15. Maybe he slots into the 23 jersey as a utility back.

They do indeed have Ramos, Capouzzo and Mallia, but Ntamack is out and Dupont wants to play 7s so Ramos maybe goes into 10. Toulouse must like what they see if they paying to get him early (replace Jaminet).

[Ruckedtobits]

So Cardiff draw with Stormers and Edinburgh donate a win to the Benetton cause. Interesting league!

[Barry]

So Cardiff draw with Stormers and Edinburgh donate a win to the Benetton cause. Interesting league!

Healy missed a drop goal attempt from about 30m with the last play of the game

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[neill_m]

So Cardiff draw with Stormers and Edinburgh donate a win to the Benetton cause. Interesting league!

Cardiff won 31-24. Stormers 0/4 in NH. Two good games.

[Ruckedtobits]

Looking at the three major Leagues in Europe mid-season to try to gauge how prospective European opponents are going can be a fascinating exercise. Obviously the position in their Leagues is the key indicator of current form but the Points Difference and Points Scored are also usually very clear indicators of who's going well or who is just surviving.

At this point in this Season, disrupted by the RWC particularly in regard to the performances of the teams from the winning Nation and the delay in the return of international players in disappointed countries, can provide a distorted picture unless you study the detail.

This Season, with the French & English Leagues having completed 7 rounds and our URC entering the sixth round, there are some fascinating snapshots.

In France, the joint leaders are the two Parisiens, Stade & Racing 92, and Castres all with 5 wins, 3 bonus points and 23 League points. Stade are one point better off than Racing in the Points Difference column. However, the really interesting profile is that Stade are only in 7th place in points scored, although they do have the best defensive record. Castres are the highest points scorers but their defensive record is 34 points worse than Stade and 12 points poorer than 8th place La Rochelle, who are the real focus of my attention for the present.

Thus both of our French EPCR opponents, LAR and Stade, are showing very strong defensive records and this is a key attribute in the Heineken Cup.

In England Sale & Leicester are my particular teams of interest. Sale are top with 27 points after 7 games whilst Leicester are second-last in 9th place after 6 games with 10 points. Sale have the second best defensive record with only 129 points conceded but, very interestingly, Leicester have only conceded 151 points, the 5th best defensive performance in that League.

Leinster after 5 games have scored the most points in the URC with 182 and have the second-best defensive record with only 98 pts conceded. However, with today's contest in mind, it is interesting to note that Munster, with only 72 points conceded, lead the defensive records, despite their 7th place in the League. Connacht have only conceded 10 pts more than Leinster.

So all our upcoming opponents, whether URC or EPCR, have very strong defences and will undoubtedly prove difficult opponents in the coming weeks. Leinster fans may have to lower their expectations, compared with recent weeks, although I'd still be confident our attack can overcome each of these defences.

[offshorerules]

So Cardiff draw with Stormers and Edinburgh donate a win to the Benetton cause. Interesting league!

Healy missed a drop goal attempt from about 30m with the last play of the game

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Maybe he's not the messiah.

[neill_m]

Lions 61-19 Zebre (5-0)
Bulls 53-27 Connacht (5-0)
Sharks 69-14 Dragons (5-0)
Glasgow 33-20 Ulster (5-0)
Ospreys v Scarlets Sun 3pm

[riocard911]

I know it was at home, but the Sharks, with Etzebeth, Mapimpi and Am back, totally monstered the Dragons, thereby ending their losing streak. In that form, they could be very hard for any team to beat.

[neill_m]

One way traffic in West Wales derby, Ospreys 31-9 Scarlets (5-0).