Episode notes
Episode 80, and the URC title defence starts in the Lions den, Leinster fly to Ellis Park for Round 1 with a youthful matchday 23, no Jamison Gibson-Park, and the biggest selection story of the week: Andrew Porter at tighthead, not his usual loosehead jersey. Here is what I'm hitting on this week's episode:
📰 News Items; Porter and O'Brien fit, Gibson-Park groin, Nienaber's Ellis Park warning, France Women's burning-bus chaos, and Irish Friday night URC openers for Ulster and Connacht.
🏉 BKT United Rugby Championship Round 1 predictions; Full opening-weekend scoreboard from Treviso to Johannesburg.
📋 Details of our game; Kick-off, Ellis Park, Ben Breakspear in the middle, and where to watch on TG4 and Premier Sports.
👕 Team lineups; Pitch-style sheets for both sides, with a headline callout on Porter packing down at 3 beside Usanov and McCarthy.
🎯 Score and MOTM prediction; Market handicap, form lines, and why I'm backing Porter to boss the scrum.
💬 Discussion Point; Porter at 3, loosehead legend, tighthead return? What Cullen might be signalling for Furlong, Ireland, and the Sharks week.