It’s been a tale of tight affairs and close contests in the Vodacom URC so far this season.
In the first four rounds, there have been no fewer than 18 matches where the margin between the sides was seven or less points, including one draw.
That has seen a host of losing bonus points being racked up, which could yet be decisive for some teams in the final shake-up.
Last weekend, the first seven matches played saw winning margins of just 2, 6, 7, 3, 8, 1 and 3 points respectively, amid a succession of titanic tussles.
It’s all making for a very congested table with just five points separating first and tenth.
So what’s behind all the knife-edge encounters? Here’s what Leinster head coach Leo Cullen, a winner of several league titles as a player and a coach, has to say on the subject.
“That’s what you want in a league. Everyone is getting better. That’s the point, isn’t it? Because there was a longer pre-season it gave teams a moment to pause and reflect.
“Then, for those teams who didn’t have a lot of players away at the World Cup, in many ways they had a big advantage at the start of the season because they had that cohesion for a longer period.
“You see the likes of Connacht, they were probably the form team of the first three rounds and they had very few players away during that international period.
“We had 17 players away. So we’ve had to navigate a period where you’ve had a good chunk of guys away at the World Cup.
“Everyone is asking when the reintroduction is going to begin. Well, it’s begun now. It was great to see five of those players out there on the weekend against Dragons RFC and we will get a few more back this week for the Scarlets game.”
No team has walked the tightrope more than Cardiff Rugby, with all four of their games being one-score cliff-hangers that featured losing bonus points.
After suffering a last-gasp 23-22 defeat at home to Benetton Rugby on the opening weekend, they then won 16-9 away to the Dragons before going down 31-25 at the Scarlets and losing 18-12 to the Vodacom Bulls at the Arms Park.
Their Welsh international lock Teddy Williams sums it up, saying: “We could have won four games and here we are with one win. Ultimately, we are judged on results, so we are a bit disappointed with just the one win, but we have been right in the game in each of the three losses.”
Adding his opinion, Cardiff’s Tongan No 8 Lopeti Timani said: “We could have won all four, 100 per cent.
“I think it’s just that one per cent you have got to get right, getting that pass through or finishing that maul.
“We could have won the Bulls game easily, but we just made a load of mistakes.”
Looking at the wider picture, Cardiff’s attack coach Richie Rees said: “The league is tight. If you watch all the matches, it’s the best players in teams that are creating and making the difference at key moments in games. Your best players are paid the most money and they get you wins or not. They are the game breakers.
“If you have experienced those situations before, you absorb the experience and get better for it. We are a young group, but they will only get better through these experiences.
“There were opportunities we left out there from an attacking perspective against the Bulls. It is frustrating, but we are pleased with the direction the group is going.”
High Heel Goddess
Sport Trivia: Which South African soccer (football) player was appointed captain of Leeds United in 1998? Answer: Lucas Radebe. Lucas Radebe grew up in a family of 11 children in Soweto, Johannesburg. He played soccer to keep himself occupied and in 1989 he was signed up to play for Kaizer Chiefs. He jumped at the chance to move to England when offered an opportunity to play for Leeds in 1994.
Icedog
England’s national rugby team, renowned for their skill and determination, has achieved significant success on the world stage. They won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, a crowning achievement that remains a source of national pride.