URC Round 2 25/26

[irisht]

VODACOM BULLS TEAM

1. Gerhard Steenekamp
2. Johann Grobbelaar
3. Mornay Smith
4. N JV Rensburg
5. JF van Heerden
6. Marcell Coetzee
7. Mpilo Gumede
8. JJ Theron
9. Embrose Papier
10. Keagan Johannes
11. Stravino Jacobs
12. Harold Vorster
13. David Kriel
14. Sebastian de Klerk
15. Devon Williams
16. Juann Else
17. Alulutho Tshakweni
18. Francois Klopper
19. Sintu Manjezi
20. Nama Xaba
21. Zak Burger
22. Stedman Gans
23. Willie le Roux

 

[irisht]

DHL Stormers: 15 Wandisile Simelane, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (captain), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Connor Evans, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Vernon Matongo.
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Clinton Swart.

 

[irisht]

Hollywoodbets Sharks
1 Simphiwe Matanzima, 2 Fez Mbatha, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 4 Deon Slabbert, 5 Marvin Orie, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Manu Tshituka, 8 Vincent Tshituka (c), 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 10 Jean Smith, 11 Christie Grobbelaar, 12 Lukhanyo Am, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 14 PK Sobahle, 15 Edwill van der Merwe

Replacements
16 Eduan Swart, 17 Cameron Dawson*, 18 Cebo Dlamini*, 19 Bathobele Hlekani, 20 Nick Hatton, 21 Ross Braude, 22 Francois Venter, 23 Hakeem Kunene

 

[Groundhog]

MUNSTER: B O'Connor, S Daly, D Kelly, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; J Crowley, E Coughlan; J Loughman, N Scannell (C), O Jager; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; T Ahern, R Quinn, G Coombes.

Replacements: D Barron, J Wycherley, R Foxe, J O'Donoghue, B Gleeson, P Patterson, T Butler, S O'Brien.

Lot of rotation this week, some if it forced. Hope Ben O'Connor kicks on this year. Similarly really big year for Quinn I think he will be a top player. Very welcome thing with the McMillan era is detailed injury timelines for our players.

 

[irisht]

Hope Caseys injury isnt serious.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Another decent performance, albeit bad result, for the Ospreys. Discipline in the last 20 or so mins cost us and like the Bulls last week the Stormers were more clinical than us but 2 back to back games in SA and there’s a lot of positives there. Even the dragons got a point (and really should’ve won at the end) but hey, let’s bin off these regions and go to 2.

 

[Groundhog]

Dragons drawing v the Sharks not a bad result. They were ahead too.

 

[Groundhog]

Do think Leinster are being a bit reffed off the park here

 

[Gavin]

Prendergash

 

[Groundhog]

I'm not having a cut here but Prendergast ****** the game away. Leinsters pack played out of their skin. Their backs were outplayed.

Hugh Cooney had a tough game but that’s understandable. Thought Deeny was very good and very dogged. Leinster think need a few more horrible ***** for games like these

 

[dullonien]

Dragons drawing v the Sharks not a bad result. They were ahead too.

Dragons were better in every facet of the game, apart from one, and it was a big one in atrocious conditions, the scrum. They were inhialated in that aspect, literally every scrum was a pen for the Sharks.

Ospreys scrum was a huge weakness too.

 

[Gavin]

Like that Munster home top. It's a proper shade of red. Reminds me of the 2006 jersey.

 

[Gavin]

Momentum there. Try looks grand to me.

 

[dirty harry]

Shame for Cardiff, for all the good stuff they do out the back, without any grunt in the tight 5 or a decent goal kicker these games will always be missed.

20 points, 4 tries, 0 conversions and 2 missed penalties out of 2 is 14 points missed out on.

Munster we're always in control I felt, those extra points would have helped hold a lead, or expand a lead that would have put pressure on.

Look forward to next week for the 3rdnof the never ending Saturday 19.45 KOs we have this year

 

[Groundhog]

Munster simultaneously lucky to win and unlucky not to get a BP for me. We really miss Casey, Coughlan will come good but his pass motion is way too slow and got us in trouble. Crowley had some good touches but was not MOTM for me. That would probably go to Jager.

Some lads still have a stupid penalty in them which needs cutting out.

Cardiff were pretty dogged, that 6 of theirs was an absolute pain in the hole all night very good player. Their wings made us look poor at times too. Sean O'Brien in particular couldn't track his man. His future has to be at centre really. Have to say Thaakir had some great hits for a guy I would have perceived as being defensively poor.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I haven't watched a second of Leinsters season yet. Can't wait to overtake everyone in the league my November though.

 

[dullonien]

Munster simultaneously lucky to win and unlucky not to get a BP for me. We really miss Casey, Coughlan will come good but his pass motion is way too slow and got us in trouble. Crowley had some good touches but was not MOTM for me. That would probably go to Jager.

Some lads still have a stupid penalty in them which needs cutting out.

Cardiff were pretty dogged, that 6 of theirs was an absolute pain in the hole all night very good player. Their wings made us look poor at times too. Sean O'Brien in particular couldn't track his man. His future has to be at centre really. Have to say Thaakir had some great hits for a guy I would have perceived as being defensively poor.

Cardiff lost that game for me. Their failure to score just before half time when camped on the Munster line was a huge waste. That tap of theirs was shockingly bad.

Then after the break, they completely fluff the restart after scoring a well worked try, handing Munster field position which they score off. Shortly after Beetham slices a kick out on the full after an extended kicking duel to once again hand Munster territory, leading to another try.

On the whole I thought Cardiff were more threatening, their defence was on top (other than defending their own line, there they too easily succommed to a couple of pen taps.

2 points is a decent return from a trip to Munster, but the full 5 was within their grasp!

 

[Bluemoon]

Cardiff lost that game for me. Their failure to score just before half time when camped on the Munster line was a huge waste. That tap of theirs was shockingly bad.

Then after the break, they completely fluff the restart after scoring a well worked try, handing Munster field position which they score off. Shortly after Beetham slices a kick out on the full after an extended kicking duel to once again hand Munster territory, leading to another try.

On the whole I thought Cardiff were more threatening, their defence was on top (other than defending their own line, there they too easily succommed to a couple of pen taps.

2 points is a decent return from a trip to Munster, but the full 5 was within their grasp!

Cardiff's defence has been impressive the last two games, as has the attacking threat. Compared to the start of last season we look much more competitive and with good shape in attach and defence. Good to see Beetham getting a bit of game time too, he's a really prospect and I thought he looked really at home at 12 last week. Bowen has been a joy, hoping he gets a run of games now.

Let's face it, Sheedy missed a number of conversions and a pen that might have also been the difference. That is a similar story to last year, we are missing a kicker that has 80-90% success from the tee.

Huge few games now with Connacht, Edinburgh and Dragons. If we are thinking top eight at the end of the year we need to win 2 of them.

 

[dirty harry]

Cardiff's defence has been impressive the last two games, as has the attacking threat. Compared to the start of last season we look much more competitive and with good shape in attach and defence. Good to see Beetham getting a bit of game time too, he's a really prospect and I thought he looked really at home at 12 last week. Bowen has been a joy, hoping he gets a run of games now.

Let's face it, Sheedy missed a number of conversions and a pen that might have also been the difference. That is a similar story to last year, we are missing a kicker that has 80-90% success from the tee.

Huge few games now with Connacht, Edinburgh and Dragons. If we are thinking top eight at the end of the year we need to win 2 of them.

Similar to last season, Zebre after those 3, got to win all of these, before falling off...

The defence has looked impressive, but isnt necessarily effective, lets hope we can make it so

 

[spursincornwall]

Another good win for Zebre, possible dark zebre for the ?