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URC: Round 1

Ross Byrne and Healy trying to our do each other's mediocrity has really killed this game.

BP win on the road to start is great, not conviced by what I've seen though.
 
Cardiff won 22-17. They really made hard work of it in the second-half. It would have also helped had Sheedy scored his conversions!
 
A messy game in stages but as a neutral it was enjoyable and great advert for the league
 
Cardiff won 22-17. They really made hard work of it in the second-half. It would have also helped had Sheedy scored his conversions!
Yeah, poor place kicking by sheedy. Against any orher team that would have really hurt them. Orherwise though he looked decent, offered a level of calmness that Cardiff lacked last season with De Beer. Similar with Aled Davies, kicking on point from him, although Cardiff didn't often take much advantage. Iwan Stephens looked good on debut.

Cardiff just stopped playing in the second half, box kicking everything. Replacement scrum half was abysmally poor as well, so not expecting to see him in the matchday squad again anytime soon.
 
Cardiff won 22-17. They really made hard work of it in the second-half. It would have also helped had Sheedy scored his conversions!
I guess with 8 odd new starters it was always going to look different and be a bit disjointed, but I was a bit disappointed with the tactics, particularly second half. Not the exciting blueprint of an attacking game we saw last season, I hope it was a one off as our backs are too good to kick that much ball away and play a rubbish % game. Defence was pretty good throughout but then Zebre were awful.

Sheedy looks good ball in hand, if he gets the kicking sorted he's mile above Costello and Lloyd for me. He was good preseason and the arms park is notorious for wind so we'll see.
 
Weird half. Our backs have had them on toast whenever the ball has got beyond ten. Our pack however..... Our back row looks unfit, lazy and they're being outworked. Hodnett as Coombes both responsible for a try each. I've liked Burns so far. Casey has had some electric moments and some brainfarts.

Edit: was actually Quinn got caught napping for the first try
 
Oh never mind, Burns has missed touch twice. Where have I seen this one before?
 
The URC is so clear. Englishmen think about games at this level while having sex with their wives and then drag themselves out of their homes to go watch Wimbleford and Goslington (can't name any English towns) play on a Sunday.

A draw would have been a fair result. Felt like whoever had the ball last would win. Neither team had much interest in defending. Our pack were fairly callow for the most part and will need to improve, but had a good last 30. Backs really clicked though. Farrell was a good signing. Tonnes of power with him and Nankivell.
 
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