Senior rugby writer Brenden Nel gives his thoughts on the glorious world of rugby...
If there ever was a reason for a shake up of the scheduling fixtures for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, then Leinster’s visit to South Africa should underline that.
The Irish juggernaut, drifting far ahead of the chasing pack, has once again brought a young, inexperienced side to South Africa for their two game tour - something that has happened in every of the three years that the competition has taken place.
Now this isn’t the fault of Leinster. The schedule is worked out far in advance, and there are so many moving cogs in it that make it work, but for the average rugby fan over the next two weeks, it is hard not to feel a rethink is needed.
We are BACK AT HOME on the 22nd of March for our clash against Leinster 🏆🔥
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) March 13, 2025
🐂Vodacom Bulls vs Leinster
⏰KICK-OFF: 17:00
📍LOFTUS
🎟️TICKETS ➡️ https://t.co/m0aR7qpPm9 @Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA #ForeverBlue | #ComeHome pic.twitter.com/CIxTPlef3v
Leinster’s fixtures against the Vodacom Bulls and the Hollywoodbets Sharks - top of the log versus three and four respectively, should be box office affairs. It should be strength v strength and should test the Irish team to play in foreign conditions and against the top local teams.
But unfortunately the scheduling has never allowed that. Every year Leinster’s tour are sandwiched in between the Six Nations and the Investec Champions’ Cup, and nobody would blame them for using their limited resources in a way that suits them.
16 PLAYERS IN IRELAND MATCH DAY 23
They had 16 players in the match day 23 against Italy this past weekend, and to expect those players to fly out a day later to South Africa is a big stretch.
Two years ago their fixture was just before their mega Champions’ Cup semifinal against Toulouse, and coach Leo Cullen and some others of the management team left SA to prepare for that game, leaving young coach Sean O’Brien to manage a virtual academy squad. The result was a record score for the Bulls.
With 7⃣7⃣ Leinster Rugby caps already to his name, we're set to see plenty more of Ryan Baird in blue as he has signed a new contract with the province. 🔥#NeverLessThanEverything pic.twitter.com/FffCzZvw2R
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) March 18, 2025
Now that may please Bulls supporters if that happens again, but the chances are that it won’t. Leinster’s squad depth and systems mean their second-string side often is better than the bottom half of the URC and can win away from home as well in these circumstances.
They do, as assistant coach Jacques Nienaber pointed out this week, use it to develop players and expose them to tough altitude conditions and some hard rugby, all which is good for Leinster in the long run.
SUPERSTARS BARRETT AND SNYMAN
They also have players such as Jordie Barrett and RG Snyman, both superstars in their own right, to call upon and can put out a very formidable team onto the park.
But over the weekend, there still will be a sense of something missing. The URC runs very well as a competition and it is hard to complain about much, but Leinster having to tour with a full-strength side to get the valuable points should be a part of that.
📜✍️🤔#NeverLessThanEverything pic.twitter.com/rP13ii0BwT
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) March 18, 2025
It is unclear how the problem can be solved as already there are a number of moving parts - South African teams have complained about the travel schedule and a lot of work has been done behind the scenes to help them that their schedules aren’t a bigger enemy than the opposition. A cross-continent competition will always have some flaws.
RUNAWAY LEAD
Leinster have also given themselves the luxury of not having to tour with a big squad after their runaway lead at the top of the log. So they do technically have the right to send any team they want and to manage their player resources accordingly.
They still are a very tricky team to play, and apart from the Loftus massacre two years ago, have performed admirably against local opposition with weakened teams.
But it is sad that the only time they have toured in the URC with a full-strength side was the semifinal last season where many of their players got to Loftus for the first time outside a test match.
Saturday will showcase many of Leinster’s future stars alongside the superstars like Barrett and Snyman, and it will be an exceptional game. But something is missing, and Leinster do need at some point to tour with a full-strength squad.