URC 2023/24

Podge_irl

Benetton are having a very good season so far. It's good to see.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121406325#Comment_121406325

Jesus! The Scottish game is in tatters.

connachta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121414283#Comment_121414283

no it's not

phog

Munster preventing Leinster getting the BP win tonight and Glasgow getting a 5 pointer at home v Ulster mean they top the league this weekend.

Another big game next week for Munster 8th v 1st

Dubinusa

Glasgow are very physical. Should be a cracker.

tmc1963

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121414474#Comment_121414474

Don’t agree - Scottish players can play abroad and still be capped.

It’s a practical approach that sees some of the best players develop further in a different setting (at someone else’s expense!) and opens up opportunities in the 2 squads at home.

Both in top 8 at the moment and looking solid enough.

Tatters would be Wales!

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419768#Comment_121419768

Valid points, the Scots have a lot of overseas players. But is Kinnghorn off because they can't afford him?

OldRio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419768#Comment_121419768

Their under 20s players are dreadful.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121419953#Comment_121419953

Scottish rugby cannot compete with French salaries.

That's not a reflection on the Scottish game being in tatters though. It's simple realism.

In truth Irish rugby cannot compete either with French salaries, but you wouldn't describe our game as being in tatters.

tmc1963

The under 20s are not playing in the URC.

The SRU certainly have work to do in that respect but Scotland, and now more and more Italy, are a big part of the reason for the quality of the URC.

Best not to be smug - England won the RWC just 20 years ago and look where they are now - both clubs and country.

And I’ll repeat Wales would be the country that you could legitimately say were in ‘tatters’.

OldRio

The under 20s are not playing in the URC.

Well for the sake of Scottish Rugby I hope you are incorrect. Or the future looks very bleak

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121420102#Comment_121420102

Who's being smug? Just an observation.

Digifriendly

Edinburgh are very inconsistent, beating Bulls then losing to Benneton.

Glasgow are stronger especially at home but I honestly can't see them winning URC.

No European titles for either and 1 league title in previous Pro 12 competition is a pretty poor return for Scottish teams.

Real worry must be U20s whose overall record is nothing short of woeful bar the odd surprise win over England.

pickarooney

Bulls are only ahead of Benetton on BPs, they have 4 wins each. Winning or losing close games against those two wouldn't be wildly inconsistent

Digifriendly

I said ve

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121421285#Comment_121421285

Benneton's only away win has been at Edinburgh and Glasgow saw off the Italians pretty handily. Edinburgh are a frustrating side showing spurts of exciting rugby at times but mixing that with poor rugby.

Dubinusa

Sharks finally win one!

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121422593#Comment_121422593

Sharks finally get their Boks back.

Brief_Lives

Bulls V Sharks with all their respective Boks, back.

Dillonb3

Comfortable win for the Bulls

Neil3030

Wow, just looking at the schedule and gotta feel for Stormers.

They did a 4 game tour in Europe, back to Cape Town for this weeks game against Zebre and then back up to play in Leicester next week.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121445760#Comment_121445760

The alternative for them (and the other SA based teams) is to either play only other SA based teams or go back to Super Rugby. Over this regular season Stormers have 4 tours to Europe arranged with a 4-1-1-2 split of games, could be a lot worse if you ask me

Lord Palmerston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466154#Comment_121466154

Yeah, agreed. Super Rugby was frequently an incredibly grueling travel schedule as well. It's not like SA is particularly close to Australia or NZ.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466171#Comment_121466171

I think in SR at the time you only played 4 regular season games outside your home country so there's an increase of 2 for URC and another 2 for CC but the quality and timezones of matches played is much better all around

Jump_In_Jack

It really is time that the URC had a conversation with Italian and Welsh RFU and told them if Zebre and Dragons and Scarlets can't win at least 3 matches between now and the end of the season they are going to be eliminated for next season and replaced with a Spanish team and a Portuguese team. Enough is enough, the game needs to grow and these teams are rubbish year after year holding back the competition.

Jump_In_Jack

The Welsh sides only seem to be able to win against other Welsh sides or Zebre.

Sharks have had a shocking start to this campaign, but I suspect there are fixable reasons, and they aren't that bad usually. The Welsh sides and Zebre have been bottom of the table for a few seasons now.

Cutting it back to 3 Welsh teams would surely strengthen each of their teams, and Italy could focus on having one properly competitive team.

Imagine a league where Portugal, Spain, Italy all have one decent team, and Wales each team a bit stronger with 3, Scotland with 2, Ireland and South Africa with 4, I think the standard would rise after a season or two.

Unfortunately for Georgia, they are so far away, like 6-8 hours in a plane, it would seem difficult to imagine them being involved. One day maybe a team from Germany might be worth a punt.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121469729#Comment_121469729

TBF Zebre have looked better then usual, scraped a few results and just on the wrong side of some others. If Spain had a franchise that locked in the bulk of their internationals plus a marquee signing or two it could be interesting, like the Sunwolves or los jaguares did in super rugby

Cookiemunster

Scarlets were champions 6 years ago and beaten finalists 5 years ago. They are not even close to being in the same boat as either Dragons or Zebra. They (and the other Welsh regions) have been screwed by their union.

However the basic aim of the URC is to provide players to the 5 national teams and give these players regular game time. Everything else is incidental. The Unions are the URC, so there will be no threats about removing teams.

Also, should you not also have included Sharks (1W), with Zebre and Dragons? Or Cardiff (2W) with Scarlets?

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121469804#Comment_121469804

I did in my post above, I can see Sharks bouncing back this season, but there is a real possibility that Scarlets won't win another game against any other team except for a Welsh side or Zebre.

Look at Scarlets results for the last 2 seasons as well as this season, they are not the team you are remembering from bygone times. The Welsh RFU have to consolidate their 4 teams into 3, however they do it I don't care. Otherwise, as has been the case for years now, the bottom of the table will consist of 4 Welsh sides and Zebre.

Jump_In_Jack

Realistically, the Dragons and Zebre are a waste of space, a Portuguese team and a Spanish team would be much better to grow the game and boost the level of Benetton and the other 3 Welsh teams remaining.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121469729#Comment_121469729

No for countless reasons. There is no evidence any aides from Spain or Portugal would be any better and it can't just always be the urc/celtic sides that have to take any sides from other countries to grow the game.