URC: the SF's!

[unrated]

Big test for McCarthy hopefully he can nail down his seat on the plane to NZ.

Team should be good enough to do a job but there's definitely a few areas for the Bulls to exploit, especially if the rain comes as predicted.

Rain will suit Leinster every day. I know it can be tempting to think it suits the Bulls because they are perceived to play a forwards, kicking game and that would be an accurate perception, but Pretoria is a very dry place when compared to Ireland and the Bulls don't practice in the rain. So I think if it Rains then Leinster has an advantage, their better handling in normal conditions never mind the rain will be advantageous, to say the least.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Centers even? That's a very hard sell.

Have you seen Hendricks lately? On attack I'd have him top of the 4 though I'd concede he isn't quite as rounded as the Leinster pair. That said rain and as importantly, soft fields will mitigate that to a large degree. More so than I'd expect it would Leinster.

 

[big ginger 8]

Rain will suit Leinster every day. I know it can be tempting to think it suits the Bulls because they are perceived to play a forwards, kicking game and that would be an accurate perception, but Pretoria is a very dry place when compared to Ireland and the Bulls don't practice in the rain. So I think if it Rains then Leinster has an advantage, their better handling in normal conditions never mind the rain will be advantageous, to say the least.

I feel like we always hear this from Saffa fans about the rain not suiting them. Maybe it's true to a degree but size matters more in the rain if you can't get to space as easily. Also our scrum has been very exploitable recently and our wingers both have question marks over their fielding both of which are areas a Jake White coached team will target anyway.

 

[WaterboySA]

Bulls scrum is the weakest of the 4 SA teams. Has been for years. More so since Trevor left.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I feel like we always hear this from Saffa fans about the rain not suiting them. Maybe it's true to a degree but size matters more in the rain if you can't get to space as easily. Also our scrum has been very exploitable recently and our wingers both have question marks over their fielding both of which are areas a Jake White coached team will target anyway.

Perhaps its just our experience in Super Rugby where the rain tended to favor the NZ sides who tended to be more used to such conditions and it impacted their handling and greater skill level less so than ours generally speaking.

Bulls have a relatively poor scrum I'd say. At least weakest of the 4 SA sides. Though the Bulls' pack is decently sized, not Sharks bulk but they do have some size. I've found though that for the Stormers, our pack weight has been generally smaller than most Euro sides.

The one thing that might favor the Bulls then is the aerial game if you say your wingers are questionable in that area. Tambwe and Kriel are both tall and good in the air and tend to chase well. Kriel being more a 15 in any case or at least that is where he has played the bulk of rugby for the Bulls prior to Arendse and Moody taking over.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Have you seen Hendricks lately? On attack I'd have him top of the 4 though I'd concede he isn't quite as rounded as the Leinster pair. That said rain and as importantly, soft fields will mitigate that to a large degree. More so than I'd expect it would Leinster.

It's looks like a very strong club midfield against a very strong international midfield. 99 caps v 12 and most of Hendrixks would be on the wing if I'm not mistaken?

If Hendricks can cause them trouble later I'll be very impressed because they've been very defensively sound this year, generally the way to score against Ireland or Leinster has been to go around us or bludgeon through in the tight.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

It's looks like a very strong club midfield against a very strong international midfield. 99 caps v 12 and most of Hendrixks would be on the wing if I'm not mistaken?

If Hendricks can cause them trouble later I'll be very impressed because they've been very defensively sound this year, generally the way to score against Ireland or Leinster has been to go around us or bludgeon through in the tight.

That's fair enough. I suppose my "rating" is more based on a vacuum than what I would expect for this game, on Irish soil, in the rain. I still wouldn't be surprised if Hendricks managed a line break or two despite that but I totally get your point.

On the topic of centers, it looks like Damian Willemse has made a remarkable recovery:

Stormers team:
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Substitutes: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Adre Smith, 20 Ernst van Rhyn, 21 Nama Xaba, 22 Godlen Masimla, 23 Sacha Mngomezulu

 

[big ginger 8]

Perhaps its just our experience in Super Rugby where the rain tended to favor the NZ sides who tended to be more used to such conditions and it impacted their handling and greater skill level less so than ours generally speaking.

Bulls have a relatively poor scrum I'd say. At least weakest of the 4 SA sides. Though the Bulls' pack is decently sized, not Sharks bulk but they do have some size. I've found though that for the Stormers, our pack weight has been generally smaller than most Euro sides.

The one thing that might favor the Bulls then is the aerial game if you say your wingers are questionable in that area. Tambwe and Kriel are both tall and good in the air and tend to chase well. Kriel being more a 15 in any case or at least that is where he has played the bulk of rugby for the Bulls prior to Arendse and Moody taking over.

If Coetzee is your openside I don't think you can have anything less than a big pack!

The Bulls are definitely the SA team I've watched the least so I'll take what you guys have said about the scrum. Part of our issues their feel like they're related to size although McCarthy over Moloney should help there. Depends if Furlong is fully fit or not, his lower limb injuries have been at least partly to blame.

I think the pack weight with SA teams is most noticeable in the frontrow, most of them have a very light flanker or two. Also the usual bullshit that occurs around listed weights.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Got soaked on my way home from the shops there whilst looking at blue skies. No idea what the weather is going to be like but the ball will be slippy.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Don't think that was a penalty at all

 

[big ginger 8]

Don't think we're going to run over the Bulls anyway.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'm scared

Oh Jesus, what a **** up.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Leinster or steph curry. Who could play defense better?

 

[unrated]

Looks like we might have a game here

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Time to get Ross Byrne off.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

If Leinster has to compete legally at the breakdown game is over.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

What on earth was O'Loughlin at there

 

[unrated]

Why did Leinster not sell out the stadium?

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Why did Leinster not sell out the stadium?

Their fans thought it was a dress rehearsal

 

[unrated]

Ref be changing minds