URC 2023/2024: Round 1

[saulan]

I think it's safe to say off 25 mi utes of rugby that Carbery is back. He was just waiting for Sexton to retire out of respect.

Edogbo will play for Ireland in the next year. Freak

The trimming on the new Munster kit really reminds me of a Vanilla Coke can. Doesn't seem like this Sharks team has looked too impressive… I start typing that message and they score a try while I'm typing.

 

[Groundhog]

The trimming on the new Munster kit really reminds me of a Vanilla Coke can. Doesn't seem like this Sharks team has looked too impressive… I start typing that message and they score a try while I'm typing.

I said the exact same thing re coke can. It's a howler of a kit

 

[dirty harry]

So the Welsh clubs are 2 from 2 just as we expect.

Cardiff have the opportunity for a rare 2023 Welsh win, but looking at the squad, it's a huge amount of local boys plus Lelo lol.

Good start, 3 tries to 1 on Treviso, not many people outside of Cardiff will recognise most names though lol

 

[dirty harry]

Cardiff semi pros make it 3 from 3 for Welsh regions..

Can Scarlets make it a Welsh round 1 clean sweep? Yes, yes they can lol

 

[Bluemoon]

Cardiff semi pros make it 3 from 3 for Welsh regions..

Can Scarlets make it a Welsh round 1 clean sweep? Yes, yes they can lol

Loads of youth in that team - also, didn't have a full set of coaches all preseason, it was a good first half but fitness and game management at the end was a problem. A lot of pressure on De Beer tonight, thought he did ok first half but struggled in the second. Treviso didn't really seem to do much to win which is a worry.

Thought Carre, Teddy Williams were good, nice to see the Leelo Haloholo team back together, but I think this is truly a development season.

 

[Groundhog]

Didn't see the second half, but even on paper that's a really good win for us with 5 academy boys, a few players returning from injury and a new signing getting some minutes with a BP.

Great to see Carbery getting MOTM, the 40 mins I saw he looked different to last year, attacking the line, passing beautifully etc

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Okay start for Italy. Any away win for Benetton is still a good result and Zebre were scoring tries for fun in pre-season and carry that into the season. A sore loss but 2 BPs is better than nothing. Their loss streak should come to an end before long surely?

 

[dirty harry]

Loads of youth in that team - also, didn't have a full set of coaches all preseason, it was a good first half but fitness and game management at the end was a problem. A lot of pressure on De Beer tonight, thought he did ok first half but struggled in the second. Treviso didn't really seem to do much to win which is a worry.

Thought Carre, Teddy Williams were good, nice to see the Leelo Haloholo team back together, but I think this is truly a development season.

De beer looked good on front foot, the slightest pressure (and there wasnt much) and he fell apart.

There was some youth, good to see Mann come through, Cabango is going o get a lot of rugby, Winnet too, and Teddy looked good, as did Lewis Hughes.

Let'be honest though the bench is dross, will be all season.

It's goingto be a long season for us, sadly I couldnt make tonight's game as sick daughter, but we have our season tickets ready to suffer all year.

 

[munstermuffin]

Well great to have the best league on world back.

We had a good start. Lots of kids getting a look in. EdEd is a beast, Frisch needs to be in Irish squads, Nanks has arrived and Joey seems to have found his mojo. Andy Conway back too wow I love it

 

[dullonien]

Cardiff semi pros make it 3 from 3 for Welsh regions..

Can Scarlets make it a Welsh round 1 clean sweep? Yes, yes they can lol

Same old, same old. It's really frustrating, because all three regions playing yesterday probably did enough throughout the 80 to win the games (not seen the Dragons game yet though). Ospreys conceded some horribly soft try's and as a result their decent second half performance wasn't enough. Cardiff were well on top for most of the game, but as Bluemoon said, Treviso didn't have to do much at all to creep ahead and take the W.

Losing is a habit, and all the regions are too used to losing. They find ways to lose, rather than ways to win. It's all getting a little boring now!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Just got across the line in the end. The player we definitely missed the most was Fourie. We were hitting them back in defense and had opportunities over the ball but nobody who could actually execute. Too many errors in that second half from the team. Backline players looked decent.

I'm still missing Nama Xaba. He's the only other actual out and out traditional openside we have. Kitshoff and Roos have a knack but not not known for their jacking. Fourie without a doubt the mvp of this Stormers side.

 

[saulan]

I'm still missing Nama Xaba. He's the only other actual out and out traditional openside we have. Kitshoff and Roos have a knack but not not known for their jacking. Fourie without a doubt the mvp of this Stormers side.

Where is Xaba? Is he just not in the mix or still injured?

 

[dirty harry]

Congrats to Scarlet in completing the 100% Welsh start to the season!

 

[saulan]

That's some warning shots from the Bulls who are without their Springboks which just makes them more dangerous.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Where is Xaba? Is he just not in the mix or still injured?

It looks like he is still listed as far as I see but whether he simply isn't in the mix or still struggling with injury I wouldn't know. Gonna ask the physio when he is back from France.

That's some warning shots from the Bulls who are without their Springboks which just makes them more dangerous.

Bulls always a different animal at Loftus especially for international tourists. But, yeah. I think if they can get momentum they are the SA side with the highest ceiling in my estimation.

 

[dirty harry]

It looks like he is still listed as far as I see but whether he simply isn't in the mix or still struggling with injury I wouldn't know. Gonna ask the physio when he is back from France.

Bulls always a different animal at Loftus especially for international tourists. But, yeah. I think if they can get momentum they are the SA side with the highest ceiling in my estimation.

Just to put that into a bit of perspective, that was not a good Scarlets squad lol. Theyll lose by heavy scores all season.

Congrats to the bulls though.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Just to put that into a bit of perspective, that was not a good Scarlets squad lol. Theyll lose by heavy scores all season.

Congrats to the bulls though.

I didn't want to assume lol. Tx for the clarification.

 

[dirty harry]

I didn't want to assume lol. Tx for the clarification.

I expect every Welsh team travelling to Ireland or SA this season to lose by a cricket score tbh.

The Welsh squads have been halved, lack of funding has mean they are mere academy teams with a sprinkle of cheap foreign and cheap useless older heads.

 

[O’Doyle Rules]

Poor performance from Leinster today. They seem a bit lightweight?

 

[saulan]

I know Leinster are missing a lot of their internationals, but that is a big result for Glasgow. Called it before the weekend though, Glasgow are strong and have a good coach and can build on last year's development, meanwhile Leinster don't have players back and their full coaching team in place for the year.

In the context of the season, not taking any points on the log from this and the points difference could be important.