United Rugby Championship: Round 1

[Groundhog]

Round 1

[h3][/h3]

FRI 24 SEP

17:35 Zebre vs Emirates Lions
19:35 Cardiff Rugby vs Connacht
19:35 Ulster vs Glasgow Warriors

SAT 25 SEP

13:00 Benneton vs DHL Stormers
17:15 Edinburgh vs Scarlets
17:15 Leinster vs Vodacom Bulls
19:35 Munster vs Cell C Sharks

SUN 26 SEP

14:00 Dragons vs Ospreys

 

[Groundhog]

I think I did the times right for Ireland and the United Kingdom. Sorry its tough to know as a sophisticated continental dwelling European what times you island dwelling frog people use.

 

[unrated]

Ah, these are convenient times. One of the main benefits of the URC, no more 8 am matches.

Glad the season is starting. I predict heavy losses for all the South African teams.

One interesting takeaway from this season will be to see how a season away from Super rugby playing NH sides will influence our Rugby Championship form with players switching towards a different mentality in playing the slower conditions up North.

We have three days to get a TRF URC fantasy league going on Super Bru.
I'm too busy to start it now. I Will try tomorrow night, but if someone else can start one in time that would be great. Predictions in an inaugural season will be a fun nightmare.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

didn't click this was kicking off, obviously not the best that it clashes with the RC, something will have to change there i would think

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Oh, hell is it this weekend already. So much for the Stormers "having lined up some exciting new signings that will be revealed". My prediction is Bulls and Sharks mid table and Stormers and Lions battling it out for the wooden spoon with hopefully Zebre in the mix for that honor as well. Would hate to have a SA side right at the bottom even if I do feel one shouldn't expect too much first season.

 

[Al Bangor]

 

[Groundhog]

I'd say a lot of the Irish internationals who played during the Summer may feature off the bench as they were not allowed to play pre-season games and obviously we can't play our two Lions. Would expect similar enough teams as we played in pre-season with a pretty international loaded bench. Should win this game and I would hope reasonably well, but I think the Saffers will find their feet later in the season. Munster away in the first round should be a pretty tough ask for Sharks I hope though. You never know though.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Ah, these are convenient times. One of the main benefits of the URC, no more 8 am matches.

Glad the season is starting. I predict heavy losses for all the South African teams.

One interesting takeaway from this season will be to see how a season away from Super rugby playing NH sides will influence our Rugby Championship form with players switching towards a different mentality in playing the slower conditions up North.

We have three days to get a TRF URC fantasy league going on Super Bru.
I'm too busy to start it now. I Will try tomorrow night, but if someone else can start one in time that would be great. Predictions in an inaugural season will be a fun nightmare.

Great idea. I created a fantasy league. For anyone wanting to join, just search the league name and apply:

TRF URC Fantasie Liga

Code:

piercome

 

[big ginger 8]

Great idea. I created a fantasy league. For anyone wanting to join, just search the league name and apply:

TRF URC Fantasie Liga

Code:

piercome

What platform is it on?

Based on the preseason it looks like the provinces will have get internationals back quicker than usual. Could see Porter, Sexton, Keenan etc starting this week.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

What platform is it on?

Based on the preseason it looks like the provinces will have get internationals back quicker than usual. Could see Porter, Sexton, Keenan etc starting this week.

It is Superbru. Sorry!

www.superbru.com

 

[Groundhog]

I'll join anyway

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I see the bookies have it preseason:

16 Zebre
15 Benetton (current champs?) LOL
14 Dragons
13 Lions
12-10 Ospreys, Blues, Connaght
9 Stormers
8-7 Sharks, Glasgow
6-5 Edinburgh, Scarlets
4 Bulls
3 Ulster
2 Munster
1 Leinster

Fair enough? We'll see. That Bulls loss to Benetton I also think was a bit of a fluke BUT who knows! Bulls will start without quite a few test players. Sharks as well. Lions don't really have any test players and Stormers got rid of ours.

 

[Redman7]

It's very hard to gauge the South Africans compared to the original pro14 teams. But if the cheetahs are at the bottom end of the SA franchises I would expect them to be very competitive. The cheetahs were competitive at least and even made the play offs. They also have 2 very big advantages in my opinion. Playing at home(due to weather and travel) and not playing in Europe will mean fresher players. Think the bulls as the strongest of them will go a long way.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

It's very hard to gauge the South Africans compared to the original pro14 teams. But if the cheetahs are at the bottom end of the SA franchises I would expect them to be very competitive. The cheetahs were competitive at least and even made the play offs. They also have 2 very big advantages in my opinion. Playing at home(due to weather and travel) and not playing in Europe will mean fresher players. Think the bulls as the strongest of them will go a long way.

I'd hazard that as is the Cheetahs are a little bit ahead of the Lions but way behind the Bulls and Sharks, also in behind the Stormers (as well as the Pumas and Griquas but that is neither here nor there as they don't have "franchise" status and aren't in the picture). The Kings were a joke foisted upon Europe just to fit them somewhere, They aren't even competitive enough to warrant inclusion in a watered down Currie Cup. That said I do think our sides will struggle early on- new format and teams, no test players, on the whole have lost talent that weren't even test players and we don't have much ITO team continuity.

 

[Groundhog]

Ulster (v Glasgow):

15. Ethan McIlroy

14. Robert Baloucoune

13. James Hume

12. Stuart McCloskey

11. Jacob Stockdale

10. Billy Burns

9. John Cooney

1. Andrew Warwick

2. Brad Roberts

3. Marty Moore

4. Alan O'Connor

5. Sam Carter (captain)

6. Greg Jones

7. Sean Reidy

8. Nick Timoney

Replacements:

16. Rob Herring

17. Eric O'Sullivan

18. Tom O'Toole

19. Mick Kearney

20. Matty Rea

21. Nathan Doak

22. Mike Lowry

23. Will Addison

Glasgow:

15. Cole Forbes

14. Kyle Steyn

13. Sione Tuipulotu

12. Sam Johnson

11. Rufus McLean

10. Duncan Weir

9. George Horne

1. Brad Thyer

2. Johnny Matthews

3. Simon Berghan

4. Scott Cummings

5. Richie Gray

6. Ryan Wilson (captain)

7. Rory Darge

8. Jack Dempsey

Replacements:

16. Fraser Brown

17. Jamie Bhatti

18. Murray McCallum

19. Lewis Bean

20. Rob Harley

21. Jamie Dobie

22. Ross Thompson

23. Ollie Smith

Referee: Ben Whitehouse [WRU].

 

[big ginger 8]

Like that Ulster team, as usual a very dangerous back three. I'm expecting McIlroy to really push on this year.

Think Roberts will be a really good move from Ulster. Looked very dynamic last year and getting good reports in preseason. Great story as well.

Hope Doak gets a good run.

 

[big ginger 8]

Connacht:

15. Tiernan O'Halloran14. John Porch13. Tom Farrell12. Tom Daly11. Mack Hansen10. Jack Carty9. Kieran Marmion1. Matthew Burke2. Shane Delahunt3. Finlay Bealham4. Oisin Dowling5. Ultan Dillane6. Cian Prendergast7. Conor Oliver8. Jarrad Butler (captain)

Replacements:

16. Dave Heffernan17. Jordan Duggan18. Dominic Robertson-McCoy19. Niall Murray20. Paul Boyle21. Hubert Gilvarry22. Conor Fitzgerald23. Sammy Arnold

Cardiff:

15. Hallam Amos14. Owen Lane13. Rey Lee-Lo12. Willis Halaholo11. Jason Harries10. Rhys Priestland9. Lloyd Williams1. Corey Domachowski2. Kirby Myhill3. Dmitri Arhip4. Seb Davies5. Matthew Screech6. Josh Turnbull (captain)7. Ellis Jenkins8. James Ratti

Replacements:

16. Liam Belcher17. Rhys Carré18. Dillon Lewis19. Rory Thornton20. Will Boyde21. Tomos Williams22. Jarrod Evans23. Max Llewellyn

 

[Twistie]

Zebre, Ulster,Cardiff, Stormers ,Edinburgh ,Leinster ,Sharks for 1st round picks

 

[big ginger 8]

Cell C Sharks team to play Munster


Cell C Sharks


Khwezi Mona
Kerron van Vuuren
Thomas du Toit (v/c)
Le Roux Roets
Gerbrandt Grobler
Dylan Richardson
Henco Venter
Phepsi Buthelezi (c)

Ruan Pienaar
Boeta Chamberlain
Thaakir Abrahams
Marius Louw
Werner Kok
Yaw Penxe
Curwin Bosch

Replacements

Fez Mbatha
Ntuthuko Mchunu
Khutha Mchunu
Hyron Andrews
Ruben van Heerden
Mpilo Gumede
Sanele Nohamba
Jeremy Ward

Great to see a real Munster ligind returning to Thomond.

 

[paddybrown]

Like that Ulster team, as usual a very dangerous back three. I'm expecting McIlroy to really push on this year.

Think Roberts will be a really good move from Ulster. Looked very dynamic last year and getting good reports in preseason. Great story as well.

Hope Doak gets a good run.

The BBC are reporting Brad Roberts as an academy graduate. His actual story's far more interesting than that. Best ginger mullet and 'tache in world rugby, and he makes a fantastic nuisance of himself on the pitch when he gets on. Good to see him getting a start.

Until Vermeulen arrives, Jones, Reidy and Timoney is probably our strongest back row.

Interesting that McIlroy's starting at full-back, and Lowry's on the bench covering out-half. I think we'll see Lowry playing 10 more and more, especially since Bill Johnston was allowed to leave.