Advertisement
Round 2 over the URC brought just as many talking points as round 1 as the Italian sides both won, Leinster lost again, the new contenders are all 2 from 2 and a certain forgotten skill came back to haunt us. Let’s talk about it…
Klerk (4'), Kriel (15', 78'), Gumede (40'), Roux (57'), Jacobs (67')
Tries
Clarkson (29'), Cooney (43'), O'Brien (45'), Penny (65')
Johannes (5', 41'), Kriel (79')
Conversions
Prendergast (30', 44', 46', 65')
Johannes (35')
Penalties
Prendergast (19')
Round 2 over the URC brought just as many talking points as round 1 as the Italian sides both won, Leinster lost again, the new contenders are all 2 from 2 and a certain forgotten skill came back to haunt us. Let’s talk about it…
There were 2 drop goals in the URC this weekend, but they defined 3 games. Jack Crowley reinforced his Ireland credentials with a late drop goal to settle Munster's nerves against a Cardiff side that would not go away and Rhyno Smith broke Gladwegian hearts with an 80th minute winner to get Benetton off the mark. Both were clutch moments where leaders stood up and made a difference.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for the Dragons who could have secured their first league win in over a year by taking the simplest of drop goals in the dying moments against Sharks. With the scores level and the men of Gwent pounding at the line, fly-half Tinus de Beer dropped into the pocket but, for whatever reason, the ball never came. When you're as desperate for a win as the Dragons are you simply cannot afford to miss those opportunities.
Who had Zebre down for 2 wins from 2 at this stage? In hindsight you could say that Edinburgh have an awful record away from home and Lions are no great shakes, but seeing the minnows from Parma register 2 victories already is great for the URC nonetheless.
The best thing about it is these are not smash and grab, fluke victories; they are meritted wins built through structured play and gritty determination. Their last try in particular featured some superb skill and awareness. They'll be heading to Bridgend full of confidence.
Cardiff's performance against Munster was a game of bingo for those who watch them regularly: Attacking intent, brilliant tries, scare a big team, miss all their kicks, lose. These are the hallmarks of their last 2 seasons and whilst they are unquestionably fantastic to watch, the frustration is also very real.
In the cold light of day a win and 2 losing bonus points in Munster is a very good start to their season. To be fair to their goal kickers, scoring brilliant backs tries usually means the conversions are taken from the touch line, making them much harder.
What remains to be seen is if they can keep this attacking identity the longer they go without Matt Sherratt, who is credited with creating this team in his own image.
It's worth dwelling on Leinster being 0 from 2 to start the URC purely because it almost never happens! They now have as many losses this season as they had all of last. To be fair, they've had one of, if not the hardest possible start in the URC fixture wise but these are not Bulls or Stormers teams at their peaks in terms of personnel.
Vodacom BullsLeinsterLeinsterVodacom BullsLeinsterLeinster did manage to drag themselves back into what was a thrilling game as the now customary Bulls 2nd half collapse manifested once again. For the most part it was a fantastic advert for the URC but the final try was very poor as the players looked totally spent. There's no reason to think normal service won't be resumed when Leinster arrive back home, so rival fans should enjoy it while they still can!
The URC came in for criticism this weekend due to its handling of games postponed due to storm Amy, but not all this criticism was fair. Edinburgh vs Ulster was called off in good time as it became obvious conditions would not be safe in the Scottish captial to play the game.
The Connacht vs Scarlets postponement however was more nuance: The game was not called off due to the weather in Galway (which is never ideal at the best of times) but because of the disruptions to the Scarlets' flight. The plane attempted to land at Dublin airport twice before being force to land at Manchester to refuel. The emergency services then had to be called to the plane due to incidents suffered by other passengers which lead to further delays until eventually the flight was cancelled.
In the end the whole ordeal went of for 11 hours and the game wasn't called off until late on Friday night. What makes it confusing is that Cardiff were able to successfully tavel to Munster for their game on the same day. In the end, one single thing cannot be blamed for the postponement and it is perhaps unfair to say there was a great deal anyone could have done differently.
