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cavedog said:
Home semi irrespective.

In Pretoria if the Bulls win. In Cape Town if The Stormers win.
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Yep, if I were Comnacht I'd probably root for the Stormers.

If the Bulls get their tails up after a hugely morale boosting win in the Cape they may just take the whole thing. They can be very physically imposing when on song.

The Stormers have a bit more on their shoulders than last season. There's expectation now.

Still, you would imagine 40-45k at CPT Stadium won't be easy to overcome for the Bulls.

Hope the Stormers win.
 
Can't believe Connacht knocked Ulster out! At least now either the Stormers or the Bulls can get a home semi.
I don't really cares who wins between the 2 as I'm a long suffering Lions fan lol. Just hoping for a decent tough SA derby. The winner of this game has an excellent chance of playing in the final but maybe don't count any chickens just yet. :laugh:
 
So URC SF1 is Connacht v Stormers at DHL Stadium.
I hope the Sharks can implode Leinster's studios tonight...
 
Sharks are getting murdered. They are still in Durban by the looks of it.

Filled with Springboks but still so bad they are embarrassing us...
 
I don't know. I can't just sit back and watch the Sharks as a franchise make world class, world cup winning players look so bad. Below average. As it stands I don't think any selector can select any of these players for the Boks based on performance at The Sharks.

They are lucky the coaching and selectors for the boks know their capabilities because they didn't show any of it while playing for the Sharks in the URC.
 
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cavedog said:
I don't know. I can't just sit back and watch the Sharks as a franchise make world class, world cup winning players look so bad. Below average. As it stands I don't think any selector can select any of these players for the Boks based on performance at The Sharks.

They are lucky the coaching and selectors for the boks know their capabilities because they didn't show any of it while playing for the Sharks in the URC.
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Coaching and culture is the issue.

Some have said the boks have not been the same since returning or that they are too scared to injure themselves etc.

I call BS on that. Why would you purposefully diminish your chances of selection like that?

Let's look at performing boks.

Ox, Mbonambi, Tank, Eben, Siya, Kitshoff, Fourie, Roos, Louw.


Backline is where it is interesting. AM is a different person. Yet.... KLA, Moodie, Willemse etc are performing.

Sharks are badly coached. Am does not know what to do. Neither does his team.
 
Anyway, what we did learn is that OX can royally naai the Irish scrum.

The Boks are not the Sharks so that is heartening. Our pack will devastate them after we demolish Scotland.
 
netstrider said:
Coaching and culture is the issue.

Some have said the boks have not been the same since returning or that they are too scared to injure themselves etc.

I call BS on that. Why would you purposefully diminish your chances of selection like that?

Let's look at performing boks.

Ox, Mbonambi, Tank, Eben, Siya, Kitshoff, Fourie, Roos, Louw.


Backline is where it is interesting. AM is a different person. Yet.... KLA, Moodie, Willemse etc are performing.

Sharks are badly coached. Am does not know what to do. Neither does his team.
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Looking at Mapimpi also he is nowhere. Moodie, Arendse, Senatla are probably my first picks a wingers. I just hope the boks selectors and coaching don't pick a team on what happened last world cup. They need to pick on form players.

Very sad that the Sharks can make such good players pretty average because that is how they looked this season.

So we have 3 x Irish and 1 x SA team in the semi final.
 
cavedog said:
Looking at Mapimpi also he is nowhere. Moodie, Arendse, Senatla are probably my first picks a wingers. I just hope the boks selectors and coaching don't pick a team on what happened last world cup. They need to pick on form players.

Very sad that the Sharks can make such good players pretty average because that is how they looked this season.

So we have 3 x Irish and 1 x SA team in the semi final.
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Check "Inside the boks - episode 1" and episode 2.

We will take them to the cleaners.
 
At least Plumtree will come in for the Sharks @cavedog . His teams were always consistent at least and they were always ready to cause an upset.

He has Eben and Am to work with next season among others. You should challenge for the Euro challenge cup and may win the URC although I think the Bulls will get their **** together in the new season so beware.

Stormers, my team, may have a lull season as the Bulls had this year.

Gotta worry about the Lions. Kriel is gone. Not sure about Alberts. Their leadership is dire and yet they almost outperformed a cash-rich Natal outfit.
 
Munster has not beaten Leinster in yonks. Leinster is rotating but Munster has at least 5 players unavailable due to injury, including RG (head knock only).

Connacht is on a roll, so I'm less confident than I would typically be when facing them at home. They have won 11 of their last 14.

Stormers must make the final, regardless of who they face, which is likely Leinster. Making a second final and reaching the QF of the Euro means they are a top 8 team in Europe and top 2 in the URC.

We need more SA teams making the semi-finals of the URC next season and hopefully, at least one that makes the Euro semi-final.

Making the semi next season will be harder since Ulster is always there or thereabout. Munster have got their act together and may end above Ulster in the Irish pool and Connacht are no pushovers either.
 
Deon Fourie on the doubtful starters list for this weekend's game against Connacht. Nursing a dodgy hammy and a call will be made on Friday apparently regarding his fitness. Dobbo may risk him not playing with a longer term view to having him fully fit for the final.
 
Agent_Smith said:
Deon Fourie on the doubtful starters list for this weekend's game against Connacht. Nursing a dodgy hammy and a call will be made on Friday apparently regarding his fitness. Dobbo may risk him not playing with a longer term view to having him fully fit for the final.
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Orie has also gone for a scan and was not training yesterday.

The rest of the team will have to front up. Connacht were superb at the breakdown last weekend.
 
The 2022/2023 URC Elite XV has been unveiled

URC Elite XV: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), 14 Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), 13 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), 12 Daniel du Plessis (Stormers), 11 Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma), 10 Ross Byrne (Leinster), 9 Grant Williams (Sharks), 8 Gavin Coombes (Munster), 7 Scott Penny (Leinster), 6 Vaea Fifita (Scarlets), 5 Federico Ruzza (Benetton), 4 Niall Murray (Connacht), 3 Finlay Bealham (Connacht), 2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster), 1 Steven Kitshoff (Stormers).

URC Awards 2022-23:​

Top Try Scorer: Tom Stewart (Ulster)

Tackle Machine: John Hodnett (Munster)

Turnover King: Thomas Young (Cardiff)

Next-Gen Player of the Season: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
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rugby365.com

Four South Africans in URC's elite XV

SPOTLIGHT: The United Rugby Championship's elite XV has been unveiled for the 2022/2023 season.
rugby365.com rugby365.com

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