Ian Madigan: URC teams are better prepared than Prem sides for Europe

Northampton Saints were the Prem’s sole victors – 28-12 against Cardiff last Sunday, while Gloucester drew with champions Bordeaux at Kingsholm.

The other six Prem teams all lost. In contrast, six of the URC sides were victorious.

Madigan said: “It’s a really interesting point when you look at how well the BKT URC teams did, winning six of their eight games, versus how the Premiership did.”

Better equipped: Ian Madigan believes URC teams are better prepared for European rugby than their Prem counterparts.
PICTURE: Getty Images

No surprise

He continued: “You then dive deeper and look at the style of play of those competitions and what the teams are facing from week to week.

“For me, in the Premiership there is a lot of similarity between the teams.

“While it has been a good spectacle so far this season, it doesn’t necessarily prepare the Premiership teams for when they move into Europe and they are playing against different styles in the French teams, the South African teams, the Irish, the Scottish, the Italians, the Welsh.

“Whereas for the URC teams, each week you are coming up against very different opposition, you are playing in very different conditions and I think that prepares the URC better than the Premiership for the step up to European rugby.

“So it was no surprise to me to see those teams doing particularly well in round one.”