United Rugby Championship

[newgalesurf]

Williams and De Beer need to spend some time practicing drop goals. FFS

Frustrating. They didn't get the W but after last season a D is remarkable, especially with their scrum being destroyed. But, yeah it was there for the taking in the last 2 minutes.

Turned me into a crazy man again. Shouting at TV at Rhodri when De Beer was in position. Was there for the taking

What happened to the scrum? Are Sharks that much better than Ulster or did the hooker change affect it so badly

Still to be that close after being destroyed all day in the scrum was a great effort. Here's to more of that

[Sandydragon]

There are clear signs of improvement and I agree that any side which gives away nine scrum penalties is lucky to get a draw.

But we need a win to get some confidence and this one was, remarkably, there for the taking.

[UKHamlet]

Looks like (from the highlights) the Ospreys put in a better show vs the Stormers than Leinster did. Still fell well short although the Stormers definitely got the bounce of the ball in a couple of tries.

I watched the game and I’d suggest that the better team won on the night. Some beautiful tries which needed a bit of chance, but the Sotermers made their own luck. Ospreys started well but seemed to run out of ideas at times.

Sure, no doubt the Stormers deserved the win, I'm just saying the scoreline should have been closer.

Frustrating for Cardiff to lose to Munster but good that they were that close. They should have won, unfortunately just two games in Sheedy has forgotten how to kick again - which lost them 7 points. Okay, I guess the wind was a nightmare but Sheedy always curls them to the left. He otherwise had a great game but he could be Wales's 10 if he fixed this.

The 1/2p acquisition is making more sense now.

[Sandydragon]

Meanwhile, the scarlets got utterly stuffed in Llanelli. I can’t recall a time when a scarlets/llanelli side failed to land a single blow, even when push around the park by a better pack.

This was proper men against boys stuff. Peels future has to be on the line here as many players just looked disinterested and Stormers players just constantly took the piss.

[pompey-zebra]

Meanwhile, the scarlets got utterly stuffed in Llanelli. I can’t recall a time when a scarlets/llanelli side failed to land a single blow, even when push around the park by a better pack.

This was proper men against boys stuff. Peels future has to be on the line here as many players just looked disinterested and Stormers players just constantly took the piss.

Only saw the first half, glad I didnt stick around for the second having seen the final score. I thought a couple decisions against the Scarlets were a bit dodgy, but the Stomers looked so much stronger and faster that it didn't make much difference. And from what I did see, the Stormers didn't look that slick on times and left a few scores out there. God knows what the score would have been had they clicked.

[Sandydragon]

There were some very questionable decisions but equally the scarlets should have list a prop to a yellow for the repeated scrum infringements.

But totally agree that the Stormers looks like they don’t have to get out of third gear.

[UKHamlet]

A bit annoyed we let Connacht sneak a losing bonus point at the death after they spent seventy-five minutes refusing to play rugby. But last season we would have been looking for the lbp. So, it's a baby step forward. Tom Bowen is making a big bid for inclusion in the Wales squad. Sheedy is playing well enough, place kicking aside, to make a case for a bench spot in the Wales squad.

Connacht are a horrible, negative, niggling side. But I thought they were going to nick the game before Bowen got his intercept try. Fair play to Cardiff, they stuck at it, but seemed to run out of ideas after sixty minutes. It's a shame Lloyd didn't get to have a proper run out, I think he would have brought more penetration to Cardiff's attack.

[pompey-zebra]

The Cardiff game was very frustrating, as for a while a decent game of rugby threated to break out. If Cardiff had taken more of their chances in the first half, it might have forced Connacht to play more. As it was, Cardiff's failure to pull away and the long stoppages for injuries & comms issues just sucked the life out of the game & Connacht did the rest.

As for the Dragons that was just dispiriting. Like the Scarlets on Friday they looked second best on pace, power and speed of thought. At the end of the weekend the regions had 2 wins and 2 defeats, but an aggregate score of 38-91 isnt very encouraging.

[Sandydragon]

The Cardiff game was very frustrating, as for a while a decent game of rugby threated to break out. If Cardiff had taken more of their chances in the first half, it might have forced Connacht to play more. As it was, Cardiff's failure to pull away and the long stoppages for injuries & comms issues just sucked the life out of the game & Connacht did the rest.

As for the Dragons that was just dispiriting. Like the Scarlets on Friday they looked second best on pace, power and speed of thought. At the end of the weekend the regions had 2 wins and 2 defeats, but an aggregate score of 38-91 isnt very encouraging.

I was expecting a hiding in Glasgow from the minute I saw the team sheet. Basically a dragons second string which got duly hammered.

[Son of Mathonwy]

The Scarlets' stuffing will make the Ospreys feel better about last week but that's the only positive I can find.

The Dragons were outclassed.

Cardiff were lucky Connacht only decided to start playing in the last 5 minutes. Cardiff creative but hugely wasteful, Connacht hugely negative.

Ospreys, well that was a nice training match to get some more of that rust off and my god was there a lot of rust. Should have scored 8 tries but were hopelessly inaccurate. And again in the last seconds, butchering a chance that had taken half the match to produce. Nice to nil someone but it was only Zebre and we should have got that bonus point. Reality hits again next week with Glasgow.

[newgalesurf]

The Cardiff game was very frustrating, as for a while a decent game of rugby threated to break out. If Cardiff had taken more of their chances in the first half, it might have forced Connacht to play more. As it was, Cardiff's failure to pull away and the long stoppages for injuries & comms issues just sucked the life out of the game & Connacht did the rest.

As for the Dragons that was just dispiriting. Like the Scarlets on Friday they looked second best on pace, power and speed of thought. At the end of the weekend the regions had 2 wins and 2 defeats, but an aggregate score of 38-91 isnt very encouraging.

I was expecting a hiding in Glasgow from the minute I saw the team sheet. Basically a dragons second string which got duly hammered.

Dragons obviously looking ahead to the Cardiff game. Played with a lot of heart even though they were stuffed by 7 tries. Good experience for them

[Sandydragon]

In a strange way, this already feels like a better season for the dragons compared to last season. Not that last season is a high bar to trip over.

But there seems more fight and I sense we just need to beat someone to get a bit of confidence.

[newgalesurf]

Totally agree. I was struggling with the contradiction of being ok with a 49-0 drubbing and thinking they played alright for a bunch of squad players

Floor raised I guess. Now just need the wins and competition in the squad.

Tinus De Beer has looked great, but gotta make those kicks to touch

[UKHamlet]

Pretty poor match in Newport tonight. Cardiff 3 tries to 1 up, but there hasn't been a single moment of great play

[UKHamlet]

And Cardiff clock up the bonus point after a good run from Bowen. Best move of the night.

[UKHamlet]

Good try from the Drsgons. Makes the game interesting.

[UKHamlet]

Christ, that was tedious. Cardiff need to be better than this.

[paddy no 11]

Unless scarlets have a ball of players to come back in they're in for a long season

Simply no athletes today v the lions bar Taylor at 6

[Sandydragon]

Pretty poor match in Newport tonight. Cardiff 3 tries to 1 up, but there hasn't been a single moment of great play

Weird game. Derbies are always high quality but they have something about them. This was a bit lacking. Cardiff deserved winners but again frustrating that Dragons left it very late to try playing rugby. Last season we were competitive for 60 mins then got stuffed now we seem to be looking at the 70min mark to try anything. I don’t think Tiatia got his selections right with the Glasgow trip. We would have lost probably to a much stronger team but the selection of what was basically a B team stopped any building on the draw the previous week.

[Sandydragon]

Unless scarlets have a ball of players to come back in they're in for a long season

Simply no athletes today v the lions bar Taylor at 6

Pretty dire. They do have a number of decent players out but equally, I can’t see them making the top eight or bothering anyone in Europe this season.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Damn, the Ospreys made a good start but really fell off the pace in the last 25 minutes. Poor bench? Tips will not be happy with their defence at the end.

[paddy no 11]

That's a god awful decision against the scarlets hooker he's picked the ball up clean there no hands on the floor

Costelow great break do the simple thing and give it to your team mate and it's a draw game

[paddy no 11]

That's a penalty try you can't lift a player off the ground like that

[paddy no 11]

Absolutely total rogering from the ref, that's a penalty against van heerden for not releasing

[UKHamlet]

Cardiff winning a fairly evenly contested match against Edinburgh is a small improvement on last season. We've beaten the poorest teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and South Africa, and arguably should have got more from the Munster game. The thing that worries ne though, is they aren't improving. If anything, the cutting edge, and free flowing style of play seems to disappearing from their game. That leads me to assume they'll fall away when the going gets hot later in the season. Zebra next I belief. We'll need to give them a good rogering and come away with max points to give us a chance of finishing in the ranks of the glorious.

At the other end of the table, things will get easier for the Ospreys and the Scarlets.