Stormers playing this week will benifit Munster. They've secured a berth in the league playoffs and a win this week would likely lead to a weak side v Munster.
Same goes for Connacht. Cardiff playing this week benifits them
Officials for the Rnd17 games this weekend
RTE have a bumper triple bill of Lions v Leinster, Stormers v Munster and Connacht v Cardiff tomorrow from 2:45pm-9:50pm.
TG4 make do with Glasgow v Scarlets tonight and Bulls v Zebre early tomorrow.
(Ulster v Dragons is Premier Sports (Viaplay in NI) only).
And then in round 18 RTE aren't showing any URC games and TG4 will have 4 games.
Sharks 0-14 Benetton after 7 min
Ox has sorted out a few technical details from the first few scrums, and is now milling the Benetton front row into a fine powder.
9 penalties conceded by Benetton in that first half.
Du Toit likely involved in... 6 of them? 2 jackals and 4 scrum?
And people thought the Sharks were actually contenders!
Shocker Sharks score a try by simply forcing 2 big mistakes from Benetton. Yes it will win them the game today but this is the reason they will go nowhere in Europe or the latter stages of the URC, you cant rely on these mistakes to beat the top sides in both competitions.
And Benetton hit back immediately to keep them in touch.
Sharks Vs Treviso is great. Neither side can defend for their lives and they're running in trys for fun.
Think I've seen 5 in the last 15 minutes.
It was like a 7s game, two teams who don’t even pretend to defend.
Sharks have so much talent but are so poorly coached.
Grant Williams just be one of the fastest rugby players in the world.
First time I can remember that the league was this intriguing going into the second last round, almost every match counts for something.
Overall the level of officiating has improved this season over the last few seasons.
But watching busby in the scarlets game at glasgow its clear that there is still a bit to go.
Would you have given that try? Ball was out the side of the ruck but not behind the hindmost foot. I’d have given it as I always thought the rule was if the Sun can shine on the whole of the top of the ball then it’s out.
He disallowed it for something that he said initially wasn't a problem. His placement was perfect to make the decision on the first go.
I think based on his actions at the time he was asking the wrong question. The burden of proof should have been on the ball being still in the ruck, not that it was out. I probably would have let it stand, but I don't think there was a wrong call here.
He was hand held by the TMO to save his blushes, it was clearly offside and he said first it was fine.
He should have had the confidence to stick with his call after saying a number of times it was fine, as wrong as it might have been.
I think there is a pretty plausible argument the ball was out when the Scarlets players first moved forward. But I would agree that he didn't stick with his original call which was poor - he should have been looking for proof the ball was still in the ruck, not definitive proof that it was out.
that ball wasnt anywhere near out.
Yeah I found that unusual too. Surely it should be definitive proof needed to overrule on field decision rather than definitive proof needed to stand by it. Think they got the decision right in the end but process was pretty bad and could understand scarlets being frustrated.
I don't think the angle was great. I think more than likely it wasn't out, but I wouldn't be so certain it wasn't briefly out and once it's out it's out.
I certainly wouldn't agree that it wasn't "anywhere near" out.
I really don't want Leinster to play Glasgow at any stage if the playoffs. Hoping they get knocked out early.
They seem to be doing a Scarlets from 2017 and timing a perfect run of form where their running and offloading game has come together in such a fashion that opposition analysts don't have the chance to break down their strategy.
I demand that every lineout from now on is a quick 30 metre walloper from the scrum half. Thing of beauty.
With Treviso losing looks like a win tomorrow for Connacht against Cardiff should be enough to get a top 8 spot. If Leinster can stop the Lions winning it will be.
We don't care, because of this stupid unfair rule
we need top 7
highly possible as 2 points should be enough in Glasgow
Munster have two hard games to go so we'll know more after their game but there's still a good chance just beating Cardiff could be enough to get a top 7 finish.
Saffers have no defence even defeated Munster may have 2 BPs. Are they enough for them? Maybe not. As Connacht will have more wins. But the one, even with 5 today, is prob not enough.
Taking 1, maybe 2 points needed in Glasgow looks like as awful as doing it in S-Af, but Glasgow WILL rotate very heavily, not risking any of of 23 of the Challenge semi/play-off
Won't be easy, but if we are unable not even to win, but to get BPs vs As, we simply don't deserve Champions Cup. Now that's fair, fate in our hand.
Ulster would be best served to stay ahead of the Stormers and avoid a trip to SA in a potential SF.
There are a few key results in Munsters season that have lost a home QF like the dragons game and the recent home loss to Glasgow. They also need results to avoid another trip to SA
There's an excellent chance that Glasgow will have nothing to play for in the last game. They can't catch Ulster and Munster can't catch them already. All that could have to play for is catching the Stormers for third but that would require the Stormers to lose to both Munster and Treviso at home which seems unlikely.
With the Challenge Cup semi final the week after, Connacht could get some luck and play a weaker Glasgow team than usual.
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