So, the fixtures for the URC season 2022-2023 have dropped. Well, they’ve sort of dropped in that we know the weekends but not the actual dates and the kick off times. These are supposed to be with us sometime next week.
How will the season unravel for Edinburgh? First off the bat it's worth noting that 8 of the 18 rounds of URC fixtures will be affected by international rugby. That's not unusual but here’s the games affected and how those international games may affect them
Round 1 v Dragons will see a full Edinburgh squad available for selection minus only Emiliano Boffelli who will be plying his trade in the Rugby Championship for Argentina.
Round 2 is away to the Bulls. South Africa play Argentina on 23/9/22 so our loss of Boff will be mitigated somewhat by the small no. of players The Bulls might expect to have in the SA squad.
Round 3 is still in SA and against Stormers but comes 1 week after the Rugby Championship finishes so there is a chance that Boff may join up with the squad right after Argentinas game against South Africa but I doubt he will be flung right back in unless there's an injury crisis. Stormers provide a lot of players for the Springboks and some of those may also be rested.
Our away game at Zebre falls on the weekend of 21/10/22 and with Scotland due to face Australia the following weekend I’d expect the usual Sunday night meet for the Scotland boys to take place on Sunday 23/10/22. I don’t expect Townsend will let the backbone of his squad travel to Italy that same weekend even if that game is on the Friday. Especially as the game against the Wallabies falls outside the international window meaning only players based in Scotland will be available.
And if there's a doubt about that then the following weekend there's no doubt Edinburgh will take to the field against Cardiff with a shadow side as Scotland face the Wallabies. Cardiff may also be a little light with Wales taking on New Zealand on 5/11/22.
On the weekend of 25/11/22 Edinburgh travel to Benetton in round 8 of the URC exactly 1 week after Scotland play Argentina in the last of the Autumn internationals. So, perhaps some returnees depending on rest periods including Boff. Benetton however may also be in the same boat as Italy play South Africa in their last AI match.
Round 13 of the URC fixtures falls on the weekend of 27th January 2023 and with Scotland due to kick off their 6N against The Auld Enemy the following Saturday expect the training camp to strip Edinburgh for their fixture that weekend against Sharks.
The next 2 club fixtures fall slap bang in the middle of the 6N. Scarlets and Leinster on successive weekends. Bare bones anyone?
I reckon an Edinburgh side denuded of it’s Scots and Argentinian internationals for this coming season might look a bit like this -
Boan Venter
Adam McBurney
Luan de Bruin or WP Nel
Pierce Phillips
Glen Young or Marshall Sykes
Connor Boyle
Ben Muncaster
Bill Mata
Henry Pyrgos
Charlie Savala or Jaco Van der Walt
Wes Goosen
James Lang
Matt Currie
Damien Hoyland
Henry Immelman
Whereas a full balls to the wall side might look a bit like this-
Pierre Schoeman
Stuart McInally
WP Nel
Grant Gilchrist
Sam Skinner
Jamie Ritchie
Hamish Watson
Bill Mata
Ben Vellacott
Blair Kinghorn
Emiliano Boffelli
James Lang
Mark Bennett
Darcy Graham
Henry Immelman
Fully fleshed or Skeleton crews may never appear completely but there will be a significant number of occasions where there will be very little flesh on the bone. It would be handy if this year Hamish Watson could have more minutes on the pitch than he has in promotional material.*
*Exaggeration but still……
The good news. Look at that full strength side. That's a side that doesn't even have Ben Muncaster, Luke Crosbie, Dave Cherry, Chris Dean, Cammy Hutchison, Wes Goosen or Connor Boyle in it to name but a few. So what can we expect results wise especially with confidence being high on the back of MIke Blair’s first season in charge?
We won 10 of 18 games last season and Leinster who finished top of the regular season had 13. I think the top spot this year will go to whoever makes it to 12. It will be tighter - make a note of that!
Week 1 - Dragons W 5pts
Week 2 - Bulls W 4 pts
Week 3 - Stormers L 1pt
Week 4 - Lions W 4pts
Week 5- Benetton W 5pts
Week 6 - Zebre W 5pts
Week 7 - Cardiff L 1pt
Week 8 - Benetton L 1 pt
Week 9 - Munster W 4pts
Week 10 - Glasgow L 1pt
Week 11 - Glasgow W 5pts
Week 12 - Zebre W 5pts
Week 13 - Sharks L 1pt
Week 14 - Scarlets L 0pts
Week 15 - Leinster L 0pts
Week 16 - Connacht W 4pts
Week 17 - Ospreys W 5pts
Week 18 - Ulster L 0pts
My guesses add up to 10 wins and 51 points which is less than 2022 but I’m a pessimist at heart. It may just be that if the league is tighter as I think it could be that those points might be enough for a home quarter though.
A couple of wins against Irish opposition would go a long way to make that happen.
And that would be progress.
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