URC 2023/2024 Round 2

[TRF_stormer2010]

Sat 28 Oct Ospreys v Zebre Parma (1pm) Live on BBC Wales

Sat 28 Oct Connacht v Glasgow (3pm)

Sat 28 Oct Stormers v Scarlets (3pm) Live on S4C

Sat 28 Oct Leinster v Sharks (4.55pm)

Sat 28 Oct Edinburgh v Lions (5pm)

Sun 29 Oct Benetton v Munster (2pm)

Sun 29 Oct Dragons v Cardiff (2.30pm)

Sun 29 Oct Ulster v Bulls (5pm) Live

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I find this round a tad more difficult to call. I have
Ospreys
Glasgow
Stormers
Leinster
Edinburgh
Benetton my upset for the round
Dragons
Ulster

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Ooh, a bit of free to air Zebre and Stormers action as a warmup to the RWC. From highlights only I thought Munster looked very good (continuing the transition to more expansive backplay with the new coach) and Benetton looked a bit meh.

So my tip for most likely surprise of the week is Zebre to score 5 tries and somehow learn to defend well enough to squeak it against the Ospreys.

 

[Al Bangor]

Let's Go Glasgow!

 

[saulan]

Zebre
Glasgow
Stormers
Leinster
Edinburgh
Munster
Dragons
Bulls

This is under a weird assumption that Leinster has a better squad of their Irish stars back, while Ulster doesn't. Starting XVs may change those calls towards the Sharks/Ulster instead of Leinster/Bulls

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Ja, my picking Benetton is probably just wishful thinking and a bit of a left over sour grapes about the hand of God at the death of last year's final even if I can't argue that Munster was the better team overall last year.

 

[Groundhog]

The Irish internationals won't be back for this round. Expect a similar Leinster side to last week. Sharks could certainly get a result. I wouldn't necessarily underestimate the Leinster kids either though. Took a fully loaded Glasgow side a long while to pull away.

I think we will beat Benneton. We have a pretty strong squad even with players to come back

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Sharks without their Bokke I don't rate. But certainly if both sides have their internationals available the Sharks have even less of a shot so will be wanting to take the opportunity presented.

 

[munstermuffin]

Ja, my picking Benetton is probably just wishful thinking and a bit of a left over sour grapes about the hand of God at the death of last year's final even if I can't argue that Munster was the better team overall last year.

Hand of god??? Ye got a penalty and we got a yellow for it. Then ye blew the lineout by taking it in when it was clear we could swallow. Nothing to do with us there.

On this round we are getting lads back slowly that aren't internationals so will improve slightly but Italy is no longer a simple trip. I expect a tough physical game.
Leinster will get a BP vs Sharks.Glasgow to beat Connacht and Ulster to beat Bulls.

Very possible Connacht shock Glasgow though.

 

[Groundhog]

Munster

15. Shane Daly
14. Shay McCarthy
13. Antoine Frisch
12. Rory Scannell
11. Calvin Nash
10. Joey Carbery
9. Ethan Coughlan
1. Josh Wycherley
2. Diarmuid Barron
3. Stephen Archer
4. Edwin Edogbo
5. Fineen Wycherley
6. Jack O'Donoghue (captain)
7. John Hodnett
8. Gavin Coombes
Replacements:

16. Scott Buckley
17. Kieran Ryan
18. John Ryan
19. Tom Ahern
20. Alex Kendellen
21. Paddy Patterson
22. Alex Nankivell
23. Sean O'Brien.


Good side. Shay McCarthy certainly been the surprise package of year so far. We're fairly short on back 3 right now so big chance for him. Nice to see Patterson and Hodnett back. First cap for the greatest Sean O'Brien to have never ****** on another human.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Hand of god??? Ye got a penalty and we got a yellow for it. Then ye blew the lineout by taking it in when it was clear we could swallow. Nothing to do with us there.

On this round we are getting lads back slowly that aren't internationals so will improve slightly but Italy is no longer a simple trip. I expect a tough physical game.
Leinster will get a BP vs Sharks.Glasgow to beat Connacht and Ulster to beat Bulls.

Very possible Connacht shock Glasgow though.

Those two can't live in the same house. Cynical play with us in a prime position to get the try and possibly the win. Granted, the conversion isn't a given and neither is the try of course but I'd back us.

But like I said, there is some saltiness still and with it being the last play just about its the one that sticks in the mind and ends the final on a sour note even if I gladly concede Munster were the better side on the day and indeed throughout the latter part of the tournament (and not just comparing to my Stormers here) and it makes for a better "story" and is on the whole also probably better for the tournament as a product. We were the underdogs first time round.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Glad to see Xaba back for the Stormers and hope he gets back to his best after what has been an incredibly long absence.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Ruddy Zebre. I have seen this movie before. Score for fun, collect a daft amount of double BPs making you think a win is inevitable, then get progressively worse each week.

Its early days (and they aren't quite at full strength yet) but seeing the Scottish performances makes me think they may join the Welsh and Italians as being incapable of winning in Ireland and South Africa, which would be disappointing for the tournament.

 

[saulan]

Moerat out for up to five months - guy really can't catch a break

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Decent win. But we look like a team lacking a coach, no real evolution to the game plan and execution is sloppy at times.

Harry Byrne ain't it.

 

[Groundhog]

Bit of a cliche, but good teams can get something from nothing. Only saw first half, but based on that alone we didn't deserve anything from that game. A few of our players are very raw and rusty, but that's to be expected. What is more concerning is how poor the set piece was and imo a lack of on field leadership that we have without O'Mahony.

 

[Bluemoon]

Zebre
Glasgow
Stormers
Leinster
Edinburgh
Munster
Dragons
Bulls

This is under a weird assumption that Leinster has a better squad of their Irish stars back, while Ulster doesn't. Starting XVs may change those calls towards the Sharks/Ulster instead of Leinster/Bulls

Hope you didnt put that accumulator bet on! Dragons haven't beat Cardiff in 16/17 attempts.

Fair play to Treviso, that's a great effort out in Munster.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

It just shows the depths to which Welsh regional rugby has plumbed that the Ospreys - once regarded as the best of the Welsh teams - beating Zebre at home by three points is considered seriously worthy of celebration.
And if that wasn't evidence enough, then the Scarlets having two record defeats in a row against South African opposition should be.

 

[munstermuffin]

Hope you didnt put that accumulator bet on! Dragons haven't beat Cardiff in 16/17 attempts.

Fair play to Treviso, that's a great effort out in Munster.

Munster were away. But we were lucky to draw. Treviso will take a few scalps at home

 

[dirty harry]

Munster were away. But we were lucky to draw. Treviso will take a few scalps at home

And beat the Welsh regions away