URC - Round 16

[irisht]

Scarlets Team

15. Blair Murray
14. Tom Rogers
13. Joe Roberts
12. Johnny Williams
11. Ellis Mee
10. Sam Costelow
9. Gareth Davies

1. Alec Hepburn
2. Ryan Elias
3. Henry Thomas
4. Alex Craig
5. Sam Lousi
6. Vaea Fifita
7. Josh Macleod (capt)
8. Taine Plumtree

Replacements:
16. Marnus van der Merwe,
17. Louie Trevett
18. Sam Wainwright
19. Jac Price
20. Jarrod Taylor
21. Archie Hughes
22. Ioan Lloyd
23. Macs Page

Vs

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):

15. Ciarán Frawley (98)
14. Andrew Osborne (11)
13. Liam Turner (38)
12. Jamie Osborne (59)
11. Jimmy O'Brien (96)
10. Ross Byrne (182)
9. Fintan Gunne (13)
1. Cian Healy (289)
2. Rónan Kelleher (72) CAPTAIN
3. Thomas Clarkson (53)
4. Ryan Baird (78)
5. Brian Deeny (35)
6. Alex Soroka (16)
7. Will Connors (56)
8. James Culhane (16)

Replacements:
16. Gus McCarthy (14)
17. Jack Boyle (22)
18. Rabah Slimani (17)
19. Diarmuid Mangan (12)
20. Scott Penny (83)
21. Cormac Foley (22)
22. Charlie Tector (17)
23. Ruben Moloney (0)

 

[ShropshireAllBlack]

It's a perfect evening here in Cardiff, c'mon Munster! #SUAF!

 

[irisht]

Munster Rugby: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (C); Jack O'Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Mark Donnelly, Ronan Foxe, Jean Kleyn, Ruadhán Quinn, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Seán O'Brien.

vs

Cardiff Rugby: Cam Winnett; Josh Adams, Harri Millard, Ben Thomas; Gabe Hamer-Webb; Callum Sheedy, Johan Mulder; Danny Southworth, Liam Belcher (capt), Keiron Assiratti, Josh McNally, Teddy Williams, James Botham, Thomas Young, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Evan Lloyd, Corey Domachowski, Rhys Litterick, Rory Thornton, Alun Lawrence, Ben Donnell, Aled Davies, Tinus de Beer.

 

[The Seeker]

Scarlets Team

15. Blair Murray
14. Tom Rogers
13. Joe Roberts
12. Johnny Williams
11. Ellis Mee
10. Sam Costelow
9. Gareth Davies

1. Alec Hepburn
2. Ryan Elias
3. Henry Thomas
4. Alex Craig
5. Sam Lousi
6. Vaea Fifita
7. Josh Macleod (capt)
8. Taine Plumtree

Replacements:
16. Marnus van der Merwe,
17. Louie Trevett
18. Sam Wainwright
19. Jac Price
20. Jarrod Taylor
21. Archie Hughes
22. Ioan Lloyd
23. Macs Page

Vs

Leinster Rugby (caps in brackets):

15. Ciarán Frawley (98)
14. Andrew Osborne (11)
13. Liam Turner (38)
12. Jamie Osborne (59)
11. Jimmy O'Brien (96)
10. Ross Byrne (182)
9. Fintan Gunne (13)
1. Cian Healy (289)
2. Rónan Kelleher (72) CAPTAIN
3. Thomas Clarkson (53)
4. Ryan Baird (78)
5. Brian Deeny (35)
6. Alex Soroka (16)
7. Will Connors (56)
8. James Culhane (16)

Replacements:
16. Gus McCarthy (14)
17. Jack Boyle (22)
18. Rabah Slimani (17)
19. Diarmuid Mangan (12)
20. Scott Penny (83)
21. Cormac Foley (22)
22. Charlie Tector (17)
23. Ruben Moloney (0)

Usually when someone starts a URC round thread they list all the games in the round or post a link to them like the one below. Just thought you should know.

https://www.unitedrugby.com/match-centre/2024-25/16

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Despite Munster's poor discipline, they are still ahead at HT by two points.

 

[The Seeker]

Meanwhile back at Scotstoun my Warriors lost to the Bulls, 26-19.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Congratulations to Cardiff for hanging on, despite missing a conversion, a drop goal and a penalty!

 

[dirty harry]

Congratulations to Cardiff for hanging on, despite missing a conversion, a drop goal and a penalty!

I don't think Cardiff were holding on, infact I'd say they took control of the 2nd half after 55 mins.

Cardiff certainly got the refs rub tonight, despite him getting the big calls right I think Cardiff benefitted.

Very disappointed in Munster, they seemed to think their blitz defence and crash ball centres would be enough, but the defence fell off, and they attacked with no width, or creativity. It was certainly a bad day at the office, even the scrum and lineout lost traction in the 2nd half.

Cardiff got away with one there, some really poor displays, especially from Winnett, Adams, Thomas, Sheedy and Millard.

Ironically, at 5 points up, Sheedy, one if the worst kicking 10s in the league, at a club with the lowest % of goal kicking in the league by a mile, screaming 'ill kick it' at his captain for the penalty...

To miss again lol.

 

[ShropshireAllBlack]

Munster were very poor tonight. With that said, Cardiff scored 0 points against 15 players. It was Munster's indiscipline that lost them the game.
I was very disappointed with the referee, and I would have thought that after last week's fiasco, the IRC would have been careful in their appointment. Every marginal decision went Cardiff's way, but that wasn't the losing of the game in my opinion.
Munster's set pieces were poor, they lost the physical battles in the second half, and some of the kicking from hand was aimless at best.

 

[Bluemoon]

I'm going to avoid getting overly wax lyrical about one win, but there was an air of defiance in Cardiff yesterday. The crowd were loud and signing songs and were behind the team at all the right times. I think the players had a level of determination you often see through adversity. Probably the best atmosphere I've seen for some time. Given the situation we've found ourselves in due to a dodgey investor, there's a real need to show the passion and support that's here for future investment. Welsh rugby is very alive in the capital (and has been all season) even if mutiple levels of the system appear to be failing it. Cardiff have generally been better than last season, are dogged up front and are catching teams out when they aren't at their best. They might sneak through to the last 8 but expect your Glasgow, Bulls and Leinster to be a step too far at the moment!

In saying all that, Munster's line out was very poor, they seemed intent on playing slowly, conservatively and waiting for a Cardiff mistakes until it was too late, whilst making plenty of their own. Connacht appear to be a much stronger, organised and coherent team to me (and we'd know we've lost to them three times this season!). Lots of sheethousery from the men in red as well, and it crossed the line a few times but understand they were frustrated.

Faletau was excellent, as were Hamer-Webb, Belcher and Mulder. A big trip to SA for the blue and blacks awaits.

 

[big ginger 8]

Saffa comms pronouncing Eoin as Johan and then asking Irish viewers to rate his pronunciation of An Cheathrú Rua haha.

 

[saulan]

Dobson's words from the end of last week's game clearly still ringing in the ears of the Stormers, with a 30-0 lead at half time. Once again SFM playing a critical role.

What's going on with Scarlets and Leinster?

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Will Scarlets actually beat an albeit understrength Leinster?

 

[big ginger 8]

I know some Irish names are hard to pronounce but not sure Mangan is one?

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Yes I know Leinster were nowhere near full-strength, but it was a great and crucial win all the same.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

According to my records, this is the first time that all four Irish provinces have lost during the same weekend in a whole decade! Moreover, this time two of them were to Welsh teams!

 

[Tooting Carmen]

More generally, the Welsh teams except the Dragons are proving to be far more competitive than the previous two seasons in particular, where they could barely scrape a win against the Irish or even Scottish sides between them.

 

[dirty harry]

I'm going to avoid getting overly wax lyrical about one win, but there was an air of defiance in Cardiff yesterday. The crowd were loud and signing songs and were behind the team at all the right times. I think the players had a level of determination you often see through adversity. Probably the best atmosphere I've seen for some time. Given the situation we've found ourselves in due to a dodgey investor, there's a real need to show the passion and support that's here for future investment. Welsh rugby is very alive in the capital (and has been all season) even if mutiple levels of the system appear to be failing it. Cardiff have generally been better than last season, are dogged up front and are catching teams out when they aren't at their best. They might sneak through to the last 8 but expect your Glasgow, Bulls and Leinster to be a step too far at the moment!

In saying all that, Munster's line out was very poor, they seemed intent on playing slowly, conservatively and waiting for a Cardiff mistakes until it was too late, whilst making plenty of their own. Connacht appear to be a much stronger, organised and coherent team to me (and we'd know we've lost to them three times this season!). Lots of sheethousery from the men in red as well, and it crossed the line a few times but understand they were frustrated.

Faletau was excellent, as were Hamer-Webb, Belcher and Mulder. A big trip to SA for the blue and blacks awaits.

I'm not sure if younwere at the Tolouse and Quins games from a few years ago, where Cardiff were playing children and semi pros...

The atmosphere was incredible, positive, loud and eager... it felt like a bit similar.

 

[saulan]

I hadn't fully noticed until now that all of the Welsh teams have not done their SA tours yet. All four of them are in SA for their last two fixtures in May.

Reiterating my view that Cardiff have the worst tour ahead - needing to play the Bulls who are peaking at the right time and are fighting for second place and then the Stormers who are at present, currently battling them for 5th place. There is a very real risk they get no more log points and end up on 46 points... but I think it may actually be enough for the top 8. In the situation that they lose all their games, Scarlets may overtake them (don't think they'll beat the Sharks, but maybe the Lions... but the Lions are also fighting to try make it). Munster will likely overtake them I think as I think they'll beat Ulster (who will pull an Ulster last minute loss) and beat Benetton who have left SA with a very long injury list unfortunately. Benetton I think are done, with two losses ahead. Then there is Edinburgh who have Connacht and Ulster... maybe they win both their games, but I never really know which Edinburgh is turning up at the moment... but it's mostly the bad form at the moment.

So that would be a rough top 8 of Leinster, Glasgow, Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Munster, Cardiff, Edinburgh/Scarlets...

Or some wild results could shake things up and we could end up with a top 8 of Leinster, Glasgow, Bulls, Sharks, Cardiff, Stormers, Scarlets, Ospreys. Would be a crazy turnaround from no Welsh teams in the top 8 to 3 in the next year (I don't see this happening, but still, the fact that this is even a possibility with two rounds to go is pretty positive)

 

[dirty harry]

I hadn't fully noticed until now that all of the Welsh teams have not done their SA tours yet. All four of them are in SA for their last two fixtures in May.

Reiterating my view that Cardiff have the worst tour ahead - needing to play the Bulls who are peaking at the right time and are fighting for second place and then the Stormers who are at present, currently battling them for 5th place. There is a very real risk they get no more log points and end up on 46 points... but I think it may actually be enough for the top 8. In the situation that they lose all their games, Scarlets may overtake them (don't think they'll beat the Sharks, but maybe the Lions... but the Lions are also fighting to try make it). Munster will likely overtake them I think as I think they'll beat Ulster (who will pull an Ulster last minute loss) and beat Benetton who have left SA with a very long injury list unfortunately. Benetton I think are done, with two losses ahead. Then there is Edinburgh who have Connacht and Ulster... maybe they win both their games, but I never really know which Edinburgh is turning up at the moment... but it's mostly the bad form at the moment.

So that would be a rough top 8 of Leinster, Glasgow, Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Munster, Cardiff, Edinburgh/Scarlets...

Or some wild results could shake things up and we could end up with a top 8 of Leinster, Glasgow, Bulls, Sharks, Cardiff, Stormers, Scarlets, Ospreys. Would be a crazy turnaround from no Welsh teams in the top 8 to 3 in the next year (I don't see this happening, but still, the fact that this is even a possibility with two rounds to go is pretty positive)

That's a very good summation, I think Vardiff might squeek in with 46, but I think 48 gurentees it, no chance will they win one Down under.

Scarlets might have a crack at the Lions after their win v a weakened Leinster team.

Ultimately, Leinster have top, the next 3 fight it out for 2nd, it's dangerous though, neither of the SA teams will want to see the Stormers come to town, I think they'd prefer to see any other team visit maybe even including Leinster (I know I know).