URC 2023/2024 Round 13

[TRF_stormer2010]

Round 13

Fri 29 Mar Leinster v Bulls (7.35pm)

Fri 29 Mar Dragons v Zebre Parma (7.35pm) Live on BBC Wales

Sat 30 Mar Benetton v Connacht (1pm)

Sat 30 Mar Sharks v Edinburgh (1pm)

Sat 30 Mar Ospreys v Lions (3.05pm) Live on S4C

Sat 30 Mar Stormers v Ulster (5.15pm)

Sat 30 Mar Scarlets v Glasgow (7.35pm)

Sat 30 Mar Munster v Cardiff (7.35pm) Live on S4C

 

[Groundhog]

Hoping that Leinster and (far less likely) Ulster do us a favor this week.

 

[Seeker]

Glasgow > Scarlets

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Only the 3rd season but of all the overseas sides it feels like we have the most "beef" with Ulster and now they are rocking up with Kitsie whilst we are in the middle of a loosehead injury crisis.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

In Eugene OR airport. Delayed for 90mins. Just signed up to Florugby for 30 bucks to watch this game. In a bar drinking 660ml beers.

Expect some horrific messages. **** this Welsh guy in the middle. Falling for every Jake White trick in the book so far.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Very obvious the lads are resting on their laurels without me shouting vile things from the Laighan pit.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

The Larmour redemption is enjoyable. Jamie Osbourne will pass @munstermuffin requirements next week when he starts v Tigers. Great player.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

We probably got away with one at that scrum.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Obstruction on VDF there. McGrath has ****** himself there, that's him gone for the European leg.

Good game this.

McGrath should get sent off here tbh.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Bulls good value for their lead. KLA is next level.

Suspect our bench will get us over the line in the end.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Barking in the airport bar. What a start to the second half.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

That’s a joke. Should never be called back.

 

[munstermuffin]

The Larmour redemption is enjoyable. Jamie Osbourne will pass @munstermuffin requirements next week when he starts v Tigers. Great player.

Hopefully he does get in but who do you drop. Henshaw or Ringrose?
Must add.
McGrath lucky he available next week we'll should've seen red. Milne was very good and I think the Bulls were terrible after 20mins

 

[Groundhog]

Impressive result for Leinster and handy one for us.

I really rate Rob Russell now, he's actually rapid. Arendse looks like a thoroughbred even when his team is playing like muck.

 

[saulan]

Oof, Libbok is having an absolute shocker of a game.

 

[saulan]

Only compliments for the ref though. Clear communication throughout. More of him in the URC please.

 

[saulan]

Game over.

Man of the match: (joint) Sam Grove-White/Cape Town crowd

Second half was just Stormers applying constant pressure and eventually through all that pressure a win. Really should have done more with all that pressure and possession and need to take a look at themselves moving forward (Stormers). Felt like there was not enough continuity with the ball, and especially in the first half just not enough control in the game.

Knock out rugby in the end. Wouldn't really call out any Stormer player for being the difference.

And so, want to give a shout out to that crowd for really turning up in a cross-continental derby. I don't know the numbers but 25k to 30k feels about right and great to see.

I love the honesty of Dobson for just calling out the team not doing enough. Just being too loose.

And MOTM for Sam Grove-White. Clear communication with both teams. Supporting his assistant referees throughout and I think most importantly being consistent throughout the game and communicating with both teams. I've not noticed him too much before, but he is now on my radar for World Cup knock out referee for 2027. Still young. But if he keeps the consistency up, he is in with a shout.

 

[saulan]

And continuing the conversation since we are all a bit quite from the URC bunch post-WC.

Positive signs this weekend from last from Ulster. From last week to this a significant step up, especially away from home.

Gives them a decent positioning against Montpellier in their next game. Especially getting accustomed to their new coach.

Stormers having La Rochelle at home feels like a dice roll. Pitched up well last weekend, scraped across the line today… hopefully a wake up call but even a wake-up call may not be enough against that team.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Ospreys did well against Lions. I do hope they keep their top eight place.

 

[dirty harry]

Watching Munster Cardiff...

Munster have looked poor, I cant believe Belcher getting lifted in the air at a ruck by 2 Munster man and landing on his head resulted in just a yellow lol.

However, the Cardiff team is so lacking quality, Cabango pff the bench cant catch a ball, Adam's looks like an old man, and seb Davies lol.

Tomos Young, off the bench to make a difference though, best Welsh back rower by a mile, cant buy a cap

 

[Groundhog]

Munster were shocking. Think we were generally a bit hard done by at the breakdown but generally got what we deserved. Have a long way to go.

 

[Seeker]

Glasgow beat Scarlets 45-3. I expected a Warriors victory, but not by that much. Well done!

 

[saulan]

Starting to actually like our run in that we have as the stormers for the rest of the season. Our two toughest games are at home (Ospreys and Leinster - TBC which team they send out). Then two games away against teams that seem to be struggling at the moment (Connacht and Dragons), with a final home game against the Lions which should be a good clash.

Ahead of us on the table, Glasgow still need to head to SA for 2 games which has proven tricky for most. Bulls are pretty well positioned to push up the table, given only really home/SA games for the rest of the season. Munster also needs to do their SA tour tagged with home based Irish clashes which can be a toss up, mixed in with Edinburgh away. Just below us, Benetton also need to head to SA, as do Ospreys (playing us and the Bulls, which is a rough tour). Ulster have their fate in their own hands having just wrapped up their SA games with a mix of Welsh and Irish clashes, Edinburgh just had a rough time in SA, but in their remaining 5 they have two games against Welsh opposition and two against the Italian teams Connacht seemed to have lost their way and then the Lions similarly have it all in their own hands, with mostly home games for the rest of the season.

Will be an interesting run in.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

It really is a sign of the times that you put Welsh opposition in the same category as Italian teams.

 

[Seeker]

It really is a sign of the times that you put Welsh opposition in the same category as Italian teams.

Life is all about ebb and flow, especially in sports. Hang in there!

 

[dirty harry]

It really is a sign of the times that you put Welsh opposition in the same category as Italian teams.

That's so disrespectful to Benneton...

They're leaps and bounds ahead of Welsh clubs, and unlike the 4 Welsh clubs they actually have a trophy in their cabinet in the last decade hahahaha

 

[Tooting Carmen]

That's so disrespectful to Benneton...

They're leaps and bounds ahead of Welsh clubs, and unlike the 4 Welsh clubs they actually have a trophy in their cabinet in the last decade hahahaha

LOL. Well actually, Scarlets did win the then Pro 12 in 2017 and Cardiff won the European Challenge Cup a year later.

 

[Groundhog]

Our run in is downright nasty. We shouldn't, but we could lose all of those games. Win our two home interpros and snatch a win against the Lions maybe and I will be happy.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

We need a win in SA to keep our date in our own hands so hopefully we’ll send something stronger than the academy sprinkled with soon to retire and soon put the door guys.

We’ve never needed to have a proper crack at the SA trip so this could be fun.

 

[Welsh Exile]

That's so disrespectful to Benneton...

They're leaps and bounds ahead of Welsh clubs, and unlike the 4 Welsh clubs they actually have a trophy in their cabinet in the last decade hahahaha

I hear you and you might have been hyperbolic when saying leaps and bounds but the table doesn’t suggest Benneton are on another planet to Ospreys. They could finish below the Ospreys this season. I wouldn’t bet on it though.