PRO14 Rainbow Cup Final

[Tooting Carmen]

Best SA team v an Italian team that could only beat Zebre

+ Glasgow and Connacht.

 

[Amiga500]

Brilliant.
Best thing that could have happened.
1. Real booster for the Italians - even Zebre will take heart from that.
2. Big kick up the ass if some of the squads coming from Super Rugby thought they'd have it easy. I'd think it'll likely only add to fan interest in SA at getting TV subs, as the games are both accessible timezone and looking like all being challenging.

 

[unrated]

Brilliant.
Best thing that could have happened.
1. Real booster for the Italians - even Zebre will take heart from that.
2. Big kick up the ass if some of the squads coming from Super Rugby thought they'd have it easy. I'd think it'll likely only add to fan interest in SA at getting TV subs, as the games are both accessible timezone and looking like all being challenging.

Sharks have all of a sudden asked for the salary cap to be raised in SA. I think everyone got a fright. Bulls are being ripped in SA media currently.

Jake White with his stupid quote "South Africans were arrogant thinking you can just pitch up and win". Come on... What a tool, now blaming the rest of the fans for being arrogant. Should have focussed on his team. If there was arrogance in his team then he takes responsibility. What the rest of the fans think is none of his business.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Very weird game and difficult to know what to read into it if anything but it does build expectations for the coming tournament which is good.

Bulls didn't lose THAT many player due to test players not being available did they?Okay, sure, that and first time traveling outside of SA since 2019 would be disruptive but my gut tells me it is more they just didn't pitch up mentally. That is the worst Bulls performance I've ever seen and not half of it is due to pressure from Benetton.

Not to take anything away from the Italians. They can only play what is in front of them and made and took their chances. A very assured and confident performance and made the Bulls look like.. I can't say schools team as we have schools sides in SA that would probably have taken it out against that Bulls side on the day whilst actually being coherent and with ideas of how to approach a game of rugby.

Looking forward to more games against our new European partners/competition. If anything this serves to whet the appetite even though I'm not even a Bulls supporter.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Don't worry, you boys will pick up some points against the Welsh regions next season.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Strangly enough, this result might help as an 'early warning' so that the Bokke do not pitch up without pitching up for the B&I Lions if there was a need for additional motivation. Oddly though you'd think a final of a brand new competition (even if it is a half-arsed Covid-19 version) would have been enough to get the Bulls motivated. Probably they were just taken unawares and grossly underestimated Benetton while overestimating themselves too boot. Totally unable to turn it around or even get back in the game was the greatest worry for me.

 

[Groundhog]

I know I was clowning over the weekend, but I seriously doubt this will be the standard for the SA teams going forward. No idea what the Bulls were at with that performance, but I do expect at least some of the SA sides will be in the top tier of the competition. Even Cheetahs turned into a very decent side at home after they bedded in, although admittedly when they played abroad they were nowhere near as strong.

Super strange result

 

[unrated]

It just shows you never to make assumptions in Sport

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

It'll take time to adjust for sure. I know the travel time and time zones are better than super rugby for the SA sides but there's added layers to it. If I'm not mistaken the season will be played through South Africa's summer? Training on the hardest pitches in the world for a game away to Connacht in November isn't ideal (I presume the majority of the away games will be in our winter too, playing in SA in the summer can't be a good idea). The contrast in climate will be greater than going to Aus or NZ in general too.


The conference system and home games will get SA teams into the playoffs though, so they will still contend despite a few strange early/mid season results I'd imagine.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

'We got it wrong': White opens up after Rainbow Cup Final defeat

REACTION: Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White admitted that his team looked inexperienced in their Rainbow Cup Final in Italy on Saturday.

rugby365.com

 

[The Seeker]

You're all welcome to stream Major League Rugby games and other rugby programming for free here. https://www.therugbynetwork.com/

There's 3 rounds left in the regular season followed by the playoffs. You'll recognize many former PRO14 and Super Rugby players finishing up their careers in North America.