It’s a mystery to me, the game commences, for the usual fee, plus expenses, He could throw that ball by you, Make you look like a fool boy. As neither Mark Knopfler nor Bruce Springsteen actually sang. But this is it, after months of travel and travails, outlandish skill and outrageous decisions, flashy footwork and plodding power, sleight of hand, nothing bland, we arrive at the knockouts of the URC. The last eight sides still in with a shout, four matches this weekend that could produce some stunning upsets or predictable eye-rolling. Let’s see.
Glasgow Warriors vs Connacht sets the ball rolling in Scotland on Friday night, with 1st vs 8th on the log being about as deceptive as you’ll get. Glasgow are stacked full of internationals and top the table after a fine season, but they had a couple of notable wobbles later on, losing badly on their tour of South Africa, and sneaking past Ulster in the final fixture to guarantee top spot. Connacht really came out of nowhere after a slow start to the season, but arguably finished the league phase as the form side – a solitary loss to the Lions (of course) in Johannesburg their only defeat since the end of January. Eight wins from their last nine, including wins over the Stormers, Munster – and Glasgow underpinning their pedigree, despite the lack of big-ticket names. Can they pull off what would be one of the shocks of the season thus far? Unlikely – the Warriors have a 100% record at home this season and are fiendishly difficult to beat on their home patch.
Verdict: The Weedge by a whisker!
Bulls vs Munster gets Saturday rolling on the highveld at the ridiculous time of 1:30pm this side, when most parents and kids are still at schools for rugby. Oh well. Both sides had indifferent starts to the campaign, but both have gathered a head of steam lately. The Bulls have only lost two URC matches this year (both to the Stormers) and have scalped Munster, Cardiff and the Lions during that run (as well as Edinburgh to avoid outrage). Both home losses were against local opposition, with a perfect record against European teams. A helluva pack of forwards and some good outside backs along with Pollard’s boot has seen off most at Loftus for a couple of seasons now, but Munster ran them desperately close a few weeks back – 3 points in it. Munster? Won six of their first seven URC matches this season and folks were talking about them being back. Since then, though it’s five wins and six losses, which suggests a side still struggling to get on a run and to finish off the tight matches. Both sides are capable of winning, both have the odd brainfart to undermine them too.
Verdict: Bulls by bugger-all!
Stormers vs Cardiff has upset written all over it. But who is the underdog? Cardiff gave the Stormers a lesson in cohesive, quick-thinking rugby a couple of weeks ago and won’t fear Cape Town Stadium, close to Llandudno, a fabulous, overpriced beach community down there. The Stormers got off to a flyer this season, with eight wins on the bounce, bookended by Leinster at home and then four in Europe, with Munster the final one. After that, though, they’ve spluttered through a series of embarrassing performances, their defence more passive than a noun in a corporate training manual, and their attack more ragged than a tramp’s coat in a tempest. They’ve lost confidence and there are dark mutterings in the camp. The Diff gave them the stiff in the last round, but have been mercurial in their own right this season: two relatively heavy defeats to Glasgow and the Bulls aside, most of their matches have finished within a score – eleven out of the other sixteen. They’re difficult to put away, but can also be their own worst enemies, or perhaps are lacking a little on the bench? A wild ride in, with three wins and three losses, but crucially, all the losses were away, with two in South Africa.
Verdict: Stormers by a sailor’s stubble.
Leinster vs Lions: Obviously the rugby world is backing the Lions to slay the rough beast that slouches towards Scotstoun. Not as obvious is how the Lions will achieve this most magnificent of results. Leinster may be battered and bruised from their hammering by Bordeaux, but they still have pretty much a British and Irish Lions side there. Definitely an Irish international side. Despite whispers of Jacques Nienaber stitching them from the inside, they remain a formidable side, well oiled and with excellent depth. A few injuries for sure, but the Lions are without three key players too – and without anywhere near the squad depth Leinster have. The Pride of Joburg ran Leinster close three weeks ago, being within a score until the last 10 minutes or so, before falling away having tackled themselves to a standstill. They stayed in Ireland and have had two weeks to prepare, whilst Leinster have been battling for higher honours. The word is that they’ve taken the lessons on board from that last match and have a plan. But as Mike Tyson said, “everybody got a plan ‘til they get punched in the face.” I fear we’re going to get punched in the face.
Verdict: The Lions will be more brave, brave Sir Robin than Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog slayers. Leinster by a length.
Deliberations by Deebee7
I was going to say I’d no idea who would win this match, but then the South African side did their usual thing of conceding a stupid penalty / yellow card.
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I’m not impressed with Piardi either. But it looks like Bulls have another yellow for a deliberate knock-on, and I’m sure I spotted a tackle around the neck as well.
The SAfrican sides’ discipline really lets them down.
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And Leinster inevitably get their third try.
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Why were the Bulls pinged on their own put in on the scrum? Either way, they’ve been bloody awful so far. Brains beating brawn all day long.
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Bulls really needed 7 points there. They’re going into half time 22 down at this rate. At least.
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Australia have also brought their rugby team to the World Cup. Just seen a hand-off to the face.
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Even the kick to touch by Pollard was crap. Ah fuck! Then another! Not sure he’ll be going to Aus next year. Or anywhere else this year, frankly. He’s been crap for a while now.
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Bulls not nilled!
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No interest in the URC these days, much preferred it without the South African teams when I still felt something about the latter stages even when there was no Welsh involvement. Obviously it developed a default winner a good bit before that which was a problem anyway, but l remain unengaged.
Watching the fitba though and it’s hard for me not to notice that Scotland have too many former Norwich City players to have much chance against the better teams.
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And a current one for that matter who’s done OK since he came on.
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I ended up skipping the URC final for Toulouse – Racing …an even bigger blow out. Montpellier then dug out a win vs Stade Francais.
Didn’t get a chance to see Exeter/Northampton as I was at a big GAA match in town on Sat.
Also watched France A vs England A (or a good bit of it). They had Le Garrec playing in his hometown (check this – or at least his home region).
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I’m not impressed with Piardi either
He can be very strange – he’s very much “not” a hometown ref. The more the home fans bawl – the more he’ll double down.
Which could be good, but sometimes 10 to 20,000 people are not wrong. Munster fans tend to have a thing about him – mainly driven by having to play – wrongly – with 13 for 15 mins vs the Bulls last year.
And with the 2 yellows vs LaR last season – albeit that then you could say we got away with one in the last seconds, where he was determined not to be influenced by the TMO.
He then yellow carded Kendellen again the next match – cueing jokes that next time he reffed that he should just get the YC for Kendellen out of the way early on and have Munster start with 14.
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I am reliably informed by relatives in the US that the Scottish footie fans literally drank Boston dry of beer, which annoyed Bostonians as they thought they were good drinkers. Scottish response: ‘amateurs’!
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The Norwegians were also there for a game. It’s been on the news for the last couple of weeks that the Tartan Army have been ‘enjoying’ themselves in Boston. Also reports of them cleaning up a park after themselves, and donating large sums to various charities. Our team might be not be the best, but the fans are. Although Boston might be glad to clear the traffic cones off all of their statues now…
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I’ve loved watching the Scottish and Norwegian fans doing their stuff in the US and the sheer joy they’ve brought to the tournament. Also Cabo Verde giving the middle finger to all those who said the minnows shouldn’t be there – they’ve been an absolute joy. Let’s not talk about my mob. Think we’re heading home this week.
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Let’s not talk about my mob
Still got a chance if you beat South Korea – it’s a big IF though
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More chance of me learning my verbs and masculine and feminine in French than beating South Korea. Think I may have been a bit of an idiot to wait until my late 50s to attempt to learn it. The only thing I’ve figured on the gender thingy, is that anything likely to be valuable in a divorce is feminine and all the worthless crap is masculine.
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IT’S COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!
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WE’RE COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Just spluttered my coffee, thanks BB!
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You shouldn’t be surprised at Scotland exiting a World Cup before South Africa…
I blame SBT – he jinxed us.
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In fact, if we ever qualify for another World Cup, we should forget about sending the team and just let the Tartan Army loose.
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The only thing I’ve figured on the gender thingy, is that anything likely to be valuable in a divorce is feminine and all the worthless crap is masculine.
Ha! C’est vrai, ça. La maison, la voiture, même la télévision…..
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Makes me wonder if you’re contemplating divorce….
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Not if I’m getting bugger all out of it! And nothing compares to Mrs Deebee anyway. Cabo Verde getting through to the last 32 is probably not far off though!
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Time for the Baa-Baas vs Wales (men).
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George North signs off with two tries and a conversion. It wasn’t a very good game.
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It wasn’t, but the conversion was fun!
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The Top14 final is on Youtube, if anyone needs a link
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Premier Sports doing their half-time analysis over Zoom is insane.
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Tim Cocker makes Dayglo sound like a world class commentator.
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I think we’ve now found the worst rugby highlights ever. For some reason they decided to completely skip Ireland’s second try (as well as several penalties and a yellow card). Makes the URC look professional.
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South Africa’s biggest sporting event of the week coming up!
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Qu’est-ce que c’est que ça? (Still encouraging Deebee in his studies.)
Saw that Faf was playing for the BaaBaas; didn’t realise he was still playing at all. He was a bugger of a fly-half, and perhaps he is actually Deebee.
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I think we’ve now found the worst rugby highlights ever.
Watched the game “as live” on RugbyPass and it was ok. Ireland have got some speed out wide – equally, some frail defence too.
I think we were hard done by with the try disallowed as not grounded – looked like it landed on the boot and touched grass before being scooped up. That said,we only converted the one – the first – try, so while it would have narrowed the gap – can’t say it might have resulted in a draw
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You can expect a half empty Ellis Park this weekend for the England Test. Ticket prices (just looked) are ridiculous, especially considering there’s a Test against the All Blacks coming up in a few weeks time as well. They start at R1,750 (over 90 Euros) and go up to R3,000 (about 160 Euros). Then you have transport (Uber) of around 30 Euros, before you’ve had a beer or burger or anything else. For a middle-class family of four that’s more than they’ll pay on their mortgage this month! SARU has lost the plot. And it’s not the first time – Nick Mallett was fired as coach back in the 90’s when he said rugby was becoming unaffordable for ordinary fans.
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@deebee
Here’s what we’re charged
Ireland v South Africa – Saturday 21st November,
Cat 1 €175, Cat 2 €160, Cat 3 €150, Cat 4 €130, Cat 5 €110
A bit more than you – but not that much. We stick a tenner on each ticket for the club (we have to buy from the IRFU to sell to our members).
The other thing here is that the kick off is 8pm – so unless you fancy a drive back starting at 11pm – then you’re looking at staying overnight.
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Dupont’s out of the France squad, against Australia.
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Those are some expensive Cats.
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Trisk, yip, a bit more in Euro terms, but we don’t earn Euros. The average fan here simply can’t afford those prices and even corporates are backing off them at those rates.
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Refit, I thought Dupont was out of the whole trip?
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Deebee – I believe they were going to play him against Aus, to get some international practise and not play him against NZ/SA. He was announced in the squad at the weekend, but he’s got a tight calf, so they’ve taken him back out.
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A tight calf:
Obviously with the Tartan Army.
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I’m stealing that, Thauma!
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Ireland:
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(46)
14. Rob Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster)(8)
13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(74)
12. Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(28)
11. Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(15)
10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(15)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(51)
Replacements:
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Thought for a moment scrolling through that Ireland side that Munster and Connacht had refused to release their players!
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Baloucoune seems to have claimed that 14 jersey – tho’ wait till Hansen is fit
Not convinced by Osborne on the wing – good player and has the “big left boot” that Farrell loves – but no speed there. He’s really a centre and a fallback 15
O’Toole now converted to LH – I’d guess Ulster are delighted
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Thought for a moment scrolling through that Ireland side that Munster and Connacht had refused to release their players!
Well…
Crowley is still injured from back end of last season.
Beirne was injured at end of season and just back (probably could do with summer off)
Casey – sub 9 never gets more than 10 mins
Loughman – McCarthy, Porter, Boyle, all injured so he sneaks in there
So, Leinster Green it is…
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