URC 2022/2023 Round 11

[TRF_stormer2010]

Fri 30 Dec Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors (7.35pm) Live on Viaplay, Premier Sports & SuperSport

Sat 31 Dec Zebre Parma v Benetton (12.30pm) Live on Eurosport, Viaplay, Premier Sports & SuperSport

Sat 31 Dec Sharks v Bulls (2.45pm) Live on SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports & TG4

Sat 31 Dec Stormers v Lions (5pm) Live on SuperSport, Viaplay & Premier Sports

Sun 1 Jan Cardiff v Ospreys (3pm) Live on BBC Wales, Viaplay, Premier Sports & SuperSport

Sun 1 Jan Scarlets v Dragons (5.15pm) Live on S4C, Viaplay, Premier Sports & SuperSport

Sun 1 Jan Ulster v Munster (5.15pm) Live on Viaplay, TG4, Premier Sports & SuperSport

Sun 1 Jan Leinster v Connacht (7.35pm) Live on RTÉ, Viaplay, Premier Sports & SuperSport

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Big game for the Stormers. Win here and we'd have gone the whole of 2022 without a home loss across 16 URC matches.

Oddly enough our last loss at home was to the Lions who we'll be facing this round.

I for one am glad for the move from Newlands to Cape Town Stadium. We lose a lot of history BUT you can't really compare the venues. Newlands really was showing its age and the access was atrocious.

 

[saulan]

Big game for the Stormers. Win here and we'd have gone the whole of 2022 without a home loss across 16 URC matches.

Oddly enough our last loss at home was to the Lions who we'll be facing this round.

I for one am glad for the move from Newlands to Cape Town Stadium. We lose a lot of history BUT you can't really compare the venues. Newlands really was showing its age and the access was atrocious.

And we are in a strong position to get the win as well. Has been a great year for Stormers rugby regardless.

Definitely has been an improvement moving to Newlands, last weekend was really seamless in terms of getting in and then the facilities available. Newlands has memories but Cape Town Stadium is the future.

I like what they are doing in terms of selling only the lower tiers to make the 30k compact, but I'm looking forward to the point where there is enough local buy in that we can start to sell out 80+% of the stadium like we used to do 10-12 years ago at Newlands.

Still, this year was a massive commercial success for the URC and I expect this to be the most attended round ever, now that some of the other derby games are held in larger venues (particularly in Edinburgh).

 

[Al Bangor]

Glasgow over Edinburgh...again.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):
15. Jimmy O'Brien (61)
14. Jordan Larmour (79)
13. Liam Turner (10)
12. Charlie Ngatai (9)
11. Rob Russell (11)
10. Johnny Sexton (188) CAPTAIN
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (119)

1. Michael Milne (20)
2. Rónan Kelleher (42)
3. Michael Ala'alatoa (34)
4. Brian Deeny (4)
5. James Ryan (65)
6. Ryan Baird (45)
7. Josh van der Flier (120)
8. Caelan Doris (61)

16. John McKee (9)
17. Marcus Hanan (3)
18. Vakhtang Abdaladze (23)
19. Alex Soroka (6)
20. Scott Penny (46)
21. Cormac Foley (9)
22. Harry Byrne (38)
23. Jamie Osborne (25)

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)

 

[Al Bangor]

1872 Cup Great match!

 

[Al Bangor]

We Are Warriors!

 

[saulan]

Definitely think we are lined up to beat the attendance record this weekend after that Edinburgh attendance of >25k. Leinster's stadium is close to sold out online, as is Ulsters, the SA games will get similar attendances to last week, the Cardiff game has less than 500 seats remaining (can't check Scarlets because you need to sign up) and then Zebre can't really hold much (5k).

So trying to estimate it:
Edinburgh: 26k (guesstimate, saw an article say more than 25k attendance, but not the official number)
Zebre: 3k (assume limited attendance since performing poorly)
Sharks: 26k (potential to over perform here, as Bulls is a bigger clash than the Lions)
Stormers: 30k (Potential to under perform here, see point above on Bulls/Lions)
Cardiff: 12k
Scarlets: 8k
Ulster: 16k
Leinster: 17k
Total: 138k

Honestly probably could've been higher if Ulster and Leinster had slightly larger venues (say 25-30k). Why doesn't Leinster use the Aviva for the these types of derbies? I know it was an away game for them last week, but there was still 25-30k in attendance so there is a level of demand.

 

[IT157]

That Stormers try looks like a forward pass to me.

 

[IT157]

Definitely think we are lined up to beat the attendance record this weekend after that Edinburgh attendance of >25k. Leinster's stadium is close to sold out online, as is Ulsters, the SA games will get similar attendances to last week, the Cardiff game has less than 500 seats remaining (can't check Scarlets because you need to sign up) and then Zebre can't really hold much (5k).

So trying to estimate it:
Edinburgh: 26k (guesstimate, saw an article say more than 25k attendance, but not the official number)
Zebre: 3k (assume limited attendance since performing poorly)
Sharks: 26k (potential to over perform here, as Bulls is a bigger clash than the Lions)
Stormers: 30k (Potential to under perform here, see point above on Bulls/Lions)
Cardiff: 12k
Scarlets: 8k
Ulster: 16k
Leinster: 17k
Total: 138k

Honestly probably could've been higher if Ulster and Leinster had slightly larger venues (say 25-30k). Why doesn't Leinster use the Aviva for the these types of derbies? I know it was an away game for them last week, but there was still 25-30k in attendance so there is a level of demand.

Yeah the Stormers vs. Bulls was a bigger crowd.

edit. commentator just said about15000 people in attendance.

 

[saulan]

Yeah the Stormers vs. Bulls was a bigger crowd.

Yea I got that very wrong. 15k in the stadium. I guess Lions being a weaker team and it being such a late game on New Years Eve not helping getting the attendance in. Think the total from last week may be beaten, but not the record. Sharks also looked a bit more thin than last week.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yea I got that very wrong. 15k in the stadium. I guess Lions being a weaker team and it being such a late game on New Years Eve not helping getting the attendance in. Think the total from last week may be beaten, but not the record. Sharks also looked a bit more thin than last week.

Should have been midday games if the priority is attendance. I would imagine that the prime time TV spot trumps attendance though.

Unbeaten at home in 2022 and routinely getting the try BP again. Hope it means we are over our slump but our fixtures next year get rough.

Henco van Wyk is on my Stormers wishlist. Him and getting Gelant back. And a world class lock while we're at it. I think Edwill van der Merwe must be kicking himself as well. Don't know if I would want him back mind you.

 

[saulan]

Can't complain about the performance. Continued to score tries after hitting the bonus point and prevented the Lions from getting any more. Think the ref got three tries wrong which gave us a plus seven benefit (allowing the Dayimani forward pass try, calling a forward pass from a Dayimani pass that went back into a Lions players head, not giving a potential penalty try to the Lions for taking MvdM out while chasing back for the try disallowed for the Lions knock on). The team continued to play attractive attacking rugby and were constantly looking for an offload, even in our props, which was great to see. I do think we could with Senatla back over Davids, but otherwise we we're decent despite all our injuries. All of this is great for also developing our forward depth, since we are down 3 starters and at least 3 second choice players, and even the different combinations in our backline has been good to see.

We are in a solid position on the log, but the rest of our season looks tough. We probably need to get wins out of the Bulls, Sharks (home at least), Munster and Benetton. Thankfully though, from the 40 points available to us from our remaining 8 games, we need 7 points to get to the cut off for play-offs from last year, and 18 points to get to where we ended last season.

Glasgow is looking strong at the moment so next weekend should be very entertaining.

 

[BakkiesBokke]

I would have been at the Green Point stadium in Cape Town, had I not been looking for lions in the Karoo. Going to go to as many games as I can.

 

[Al Bangor]

Can't complain about the performance. Continued to score tries after hitting the bonus point and prevented the Lions from getting any more. Think the ref got three tries wrong which gave us a plus seven benefit (allowing the Dayimani forward pass try, calling a forward pass from a Dayimani pass that went back into a Lions players head, not giving a potential penalty try to the Lions for taking MvdM out while chasing back for the try disallowed for the Lions knock on). The team continued to play attractive attacking rugby and were constantly looking for an offload, even in our props, which was great to see. I do think we could with Senatla back over Davids, but otherwise we we're decent despite all our injuries. All of this is great for also developing our forward depth, since we are down 3 starters and at least 3 second choice players, and even the different combinations in our backline has been good to see.

We are in a solid position on the log, but the rest of our season looks tough. We probably need to get wins out of the Bulls, Sharks (home at least), Munster and Benetton. Thankfully though, from the 40 points available to us from our remaining 8 games, we need 7 points to get to the cut off for play-offs from last year, and 18 points to get to where we ended last season.

Glasgow is looking strong at the moment so next weekend should be very entertaining.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Cardiff backs are better, Ospreys forwards are better.

 

[die_mole]

thoroughly enjoying this welsh derby.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Ospreys lucky to hold on for the win. Could this be a turning point for Ospreys's season? (Hopefully not for Cardiff's though).

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Is it that the Dragons have got better, or the Scarlets have got worse? I think it is a mix of both, but unfortunately more the latter.

 

[Groundhog]

Yoink, love to see it!! Very gutsy win missing a few of our starters! I think we were again the better team but the penalties are killer. Pack had to pull that one out of the fire.

Happy for Healy there too, he did well.