Nice summery Plum!
The bools took some adjustment to a new coach, after dropping 4 games in a row or was it 6?
It is a competitive competition, but I have to agree that there are two many blow out games where you just can't get yourself to watch it.
The Stormers dissapointed yet again, but I think their squad is over rated. Except for a few shining lights like Sasha, Willemse and Roos. The rest are either too old or no names with an few journeyman thrown in.
The lions is the only team with proper young talent coming through, but as always, Sharks are ready to poach. I think they need to add some depth as they don't have a 23 that can play the full 80 min. They seem to fade in the last 15 min and don't have the right injection of players to keep momentum or inject energy.
Leinster has got that, you can see how the Lions stayed in the hunt, but it was their 2nd string team. On come only one of their starters and the game changed.
I really had high hopes for the sharks. To think they have Ox, Bingo, Koch, Etzebeth, Jenkins, Kokosi, Tsisuka brothers, Jaden, Williams, Jordan, Esterhuizen, Hooker, Fassi, Mpimpi, Jurenzo. That is a champions cup team.
But the biggest problem that no one is talking about are the very same books. The franchises don't get them during their pre-season, smattering of games in between October and November, then the break in Feb and March for a mandatory rest period and then only April do the hols start playing but then there only 5 rounds left. The books break down and we the public having to try and support this nonsense.
I think they need to sort out the Calendar and SA need to say they are withdrawing from the Rugby Championship. Push for a proper break, allow the franchises time with their boks.
Push for the Japanese Model. They play from December to May, done, no disruptions in the middle. Test matches in June July, October and November. That is 9 months of rugby and a proper break in the middle, allow players to train with their franchises and we will see the best rugby
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Another year of URC is almost over and the Ruckers boys have watched most of the games and delivered our highly opinionated and uniformed verdicts on the match threads.
To my knowledge, we're the only one doing it for the Saffa sides.
The Bulls started slow but could grind out a spot in the semis.
The Lions came from nowhere and made us believe that they would never betray us...until they did.
The Sharks remain the most underperforming team in the competition and it doesn't look like JP is the answer. I could bring myself to watch there last few games against minnows that they would obviously flex against.
The Stormers, while the best SA team are also the most annoying team of them all. They could still win this thing but they'll need to stop messing around. Who has money on Gelant being a gonner next year?
All in all, not terrible season and a good few manne put their hands up right when we needed them too.
My "new" player of the season has to go to Mahashe and that is entirely because he chucked that knob The Pretender aside like a school girl in the disallowed try.
I shall be watching the knockout games with yas and let's hope one of our sides can get into the final...even if it's the Stormers, ne, Draad ;)
Thanks chaps
PS We need our Editor to step up and create a section for match threads for us. I believe we have shown that we are semi capable our behaving ourselves. Until the kicking kak starts...then all bets are off.