United Rugby Championship

[Oldschool]

Connacht recruits gave real value in Aviva. Adam Byrne only needs game time. Peter Dooley will be a revelation to the West. Josh Murphy is now a senior forward for big games.

Good luck to them all. They've paid their dues in Blue jerseys.

Nice sentiment and couldn't agree more.

[riocard911]

Connacht recruits gave real value in Aviva. Adam Byrne only needs game time. Peter Dooley will be a revelation to the West. Josh Murphy is now a senior forward for big games.

Good luck to them all. They've paid their dues in Blue jerseys.

Nice sentiment and couldn't agree more.

Agree. Pity AB didn't get in for a try in corner in the second half. Locko got over and you could see how much it meant to him.

[Oldschool]

Stormers v Edinburgh could be a tricky enough game for the Stormers to negotiate. Edinburgh were very competitive down south earlier in the season.

[blockhead]

Stormers v Edinburgh could be a tricky enough game for the Stormers to negotiate. Edinburgh were very competitive down south earlier in the season.

Agreed. Edinburgh look like a half decent team.
The South Africans think that Edinburgh's victory down there (the only home defeat IIRC) was because it rained.
Ulster/Munster away to Stormers could be a cracker.

[Ray Donovan]

Any word on date and time for our Q-Final vs Glasgow in URC?

[blockhead]

Any word on date and time for our Q-Final vs Glasgow in URC?

3:15pm on the Saturday 4th June

all games
Friday, June 3
Ulster v Munster 19:35 UK/IRE (20:35 SA)Kingspan Stadium, Belfast
Saturday, June 4
Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks 12:45 UK/IRE (13:45 SA) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Leinster v Glasgow Warriors 15:15 UK/IRE (16:15 SA) RDS Arena, Dublin
DHL Stormers v Edinburgh 18:00 UK/IRE (19:00 SA) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

[Ray Donovan]

Cheers!!

[blockhead]

Enjoyed this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwfmJbW1aKA
A URC focused podcast.

[blockhead]

Springbok hooker Joseph Dweba will return to South Africa next season, having signed a three-year deal with the Stormers.
The front row powerhouse has spent the last two years playing in France for Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles.

He's some player, the South Africans will be even stronger next year. I can see it becoming a regular top 8 of Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Sharks, Stormers, Bulls and then 2 others. In that scenario the Shield format may end up being an important part of the league keeping other teams involved in some way.

Rough on Connacht though, the Shield, you'd think, will be out of their reach and even getting 7th or 8th might see them squeezed out of the Heino by 1 or 2 others.

[riocard911]

Enjoyed this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwfmJbW1aKA
A URC focused podcast.

Thanks for that, BH. Delighted to see Andy McGeady doing well. I found him very good, when he used to moderate the Hard Yards podcast, before they gave him the flick and it went all "banter".

[Ray Donovan]

Springbok hooker Joseph Dweba will return to South Africa next season, having signed a three-year deal with the Stormers.
The front row powerhouse has spent the last two years playing in France for Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles.

He's some player, the South Africans will be even stronger next year. I can see it becoming a regular top 8 of Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Sharks, Stormers, Bulls and then 2 others. In that scenario the Shield format may end up being an important part of the league keeping other teams involved in some way.

Rough on Connacht though, the Shield, you'd think, will be out of their reach and even getting 7th or 8th might see them squeezed out of the Heino by 1 or 2 others.

I thought the shield format was only in place for this season?

[blockhead]

Springbok hooker Joseph Dweba will return to South Africa next season, having signed a three-year deal with the Stormers.
The front row powerhouse has spent the last two years playing in France for Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles.

He's some player, the South Africans will be even stronger next year. I can see it becoming a regular top 8 of Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Sharks, Stormers, Bulls and then 2 others. In that scenario the Shield format may end up being an important part of the league keeping other teams involved in some way.

Rough on Connacht though, the Shield, you'd think, will be out of their reach and even getting 7th or 8th might see them squeezed out of the Heino by 1 or 2 others.

I thought the shield format was only in place for this season?

No next season as well and then a review. The good thing about it is more teams have something to play for for longer into the season. And it spices up the derbies a bit more.
The bad thing is poor Glasgow.

[blockhead]

Springbok hooker Joseph Dweba will return to South Africa next season, having signed a three-year deal with the Stormers.
The front row powerhouse has spent the last two years playing in France for Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles.

He's some player, the South Africans will be even stronger next year. I can see it becoming a regular top 8 of Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Sharks, Stormers, Bulls and then 2 others. In that scenario the Shield format may end up being an important part of the league keeping other teams involved in some way.

Rough on Connacht though, the Shield, you'd think, will be out of their reach and even getting 7th or 8th might see them squeezed out of the Heino by 1 or 2 others.

I thought the shield format was only in place for this season?

No next season as well and then a review. The good thing about it is more teams have something to play for for longer into the season. And it spices up the derbies a bit more.
The bad thing is poor Glasgow.

Anayi maintained that URC games will not take place on international weekends next season and that as the current two-year agreement (which the IRFU opposed) would need unanimous approval to be retained, from the 2023-24 season onwards the top eight in the overall table will both qualify for the play-offs and the ensuing Champions Cup, regardless of nationality. In other words, it will then be merit-based rather than partially ring-fenced.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4862657

[ronk]

Springbok hooker Joseph Dweba will return to South Africa next season, having signed a three-year deal with the Stormers.
The front row powerhouse has spent the last two years playing in France for Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles.

He's some player, the South Africans will be even stronger next year. I can see it becoming a regular top 8 of Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Sharks, Stormers, Bulls and then 2 others. In that scenario the Shield format may end up being an important part of the league keeping other teams involved in some way.

Rough on Connacht though, the Shield, you'd think, will be out of their reach and even getting 7th or 8th might see them squeezed out of the Heino by 1 or 2 others.

I thought the shield format was only in place for this season?

No next season as well and then a review. The good thing about it is more teams have something to play for for longer into the season. And it spices up the derbies a bit more.
The bad thing is poor Glasgow.

It's not technically over for Glasgow. If they win the championship then they qualify for Heineken Cup. Munster drop out.

[ronk]

https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest/abou ... tion-rules

[blockhead]

https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest/abou ... tion-rules

Yep thats what is say in the rules. Nobody has pointed this out on mainstream media though.

[Theleinsterlad]

https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest/abou ... tion-rules

Yep thats what is say in the rules. Nobody has pointed this out on mainstream media though.

Andy McGeasy did in the latest URC podcast - Munster will not drop out if Glasgow win the URC

[blockhead]

https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest/abou ... tion-rules

Yep thats what is say in the rules. Nobody has pointed this out on mainstream media though.

Andy McGeasy did in the latest URC podcast - Munster will not drop out if Glasgow win the URC

And then retracted that via twitter

[Theleinsterlad]

Yep thats what is say in the rules. Nobody has pointed this out on mainstream media though.

Andy McGeasy did in the latest URC podcast - Munster will not drop out if Glasgow win the URC

And then retracted that via twitter

Can’t get them all right

[ronk]

https://www.unitedrugby.com/latest/abou ... tion-rules

Yep thats what is say in the rules. Nobody has pointed this out on mainstream media though.

Why would they advertise it. Munster fans would be in the invidious position of having to support us in the QF and owing us a favour for securing their Heineken Cup future.

That would make their loss at the weekend to us all the more excruciating.

If they spot it keep stum. If they haven't (far more likely) talk about pashun.