'What I'm hearing is the final is going to be in South Africa'
The inaugural season of the United Rugby Championship (URC) is poised to have an intriguing twist as it is rumoured that the June 18 final will be played in South Africa for the first time. In its previous iterations as the PRO14/16 the finals were always played in the UK or Ireland, either with a designated final venue or at the home of the top-ranked team.
However, having axed the Cheetahs and the Kings from the lineup and introduced the leading four South African franchises into the tournament, officials are now said to be considering staging the end-of-season URC showpiece in the southern hemisphere in an effort to extend the profile of the five-country competition.
While the franchises from South Africa all endured difficult starts to their maiden season in the URC, sometimes losing heavily on their European tours, the momentum has now shifted and some European teams have been badly beaten on their southern hemisphere travels in recent weeks.
That has resulted in a shake-up on the table where the top eight teams will qualify for the quarter-finals. The Stormers (43 points), Bulls (42) and Sharks (41) now respectively occupy the sixth, seventh and eighth places and they are expected to climb even higher as Edinburgh (44), Munster (47) and Glasgow and Ulster (both 50) and within range heading into the final rounds of regulation season fixtures where champions Leinster are leading the way on 60 points.
The Irish province would feel they are in pole position to earn the right to host the final in Dublin but that assumption is set to be scuppered. The four teams finishing in the top four will have home advantage in the quarter-finals and with momentum behind the South African teams, they are set to potentially have a decisive say in that last-eight round.
This progress had piqued the interest of URC administrators and with a tournament-best attendance of 19,436 attending last Saturday’s Bulls-Ulster game in Pretoria, the speculation is growing that the final will now be staged in South Africa. Speaking about the URC and South Africa on the latest episode of The Rugby Pod, show co-host Jim Hamilton said: “It’s all going to come down to Leinster at the end of the season so the big question around the URC is, who can beat Leinster? Ulster, that’s it. Just. But I am telling you now a Stormers or a Bulls could beat Leinster I reckon on the day.
“It has not been formalised yet but what I am hearing, because there is a lot of who knows, is that the final is going to be in South Africa. So having a final in South Africa will be class as a commentator but that is where you are thinking, can Leinster win it again?
“The fact that the South African teams are coming good now, the fact they are comfortable now and the conditions… but the big thing around last weekend was the officials. Big Stevie Ferris was going off on one around the Ulster-Bulls game and rightly so…
“The South Africans are not just dominant, they are extremely dominant physically and that is the worry… comfortable wins across the board. We have seen 40 points, 50 points by South African teams on anyone who has gone there. It is good for the URC but is it good for the teams that are getting absolutely hosed by them going down there? Well, I’m sure they are having a good little mini-tour in the sun.”
Fellow co-host Andy Goode agreed about the improvement of the South African franchises in the URC. “I’ve said it before about the South African teams, the way their season is worked out it’s all based around the Rugby Championship, the Springboks, and when they play in Super Rugby. We have obviously seen Super Rugby start over in Australia and New Zealand over the last few weeks. These guys are used to playing this time of year.
“We are seeing these South African sides playing a lot of their international stars because they are building up to the July internationals. We have seen the South Africans not perform earlier in the season, October and November time when their internationals are not playing because they are in the Rugby Championship and then on the November tour. Now you are seeing the value of the true strength of the South African team and all four won this weekend. They just looked like a different kettle of fish really.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments