Preview: Pro12, Round 17

 

Munster's bonus point win over Glasgow Warriors on Saturday was enough to see the Irish province take over pole position, whilst Ospreys draw with Leinster on Friday was not enough to lift the Welsh Region back into the Play-Off places.

 

The competition for Italian qualification for next season's European Champions Cup intensified with Zebre's win over Dragons narrowing Benetton Treviso's lead to just four points. 

 

There is an eight point spread over the three teams, Connacht, Scarlets and Edinburgh,  aiming for the sixth and possibly final automatic qualification spot at the top end of the table. 

 

The pick of this weekend must be the game at the Liberty Stadium when Ospreys, leaders for so long this season, host Munster, the Welsh region will be hoping they can claw some points back to regain at least a Play-Off place.

 

Also on Saturday Scarlets have a must-win home game against Leinster if they are to keep up the challenge to play in Europe's top tier next season.

 

With the national unions releasing some of the Six Nations squad players back to their clubs during the fallow week, this final round of four consecutive weeks could be crucial for several team's aspirations to win the Pro12 this season.

 

 

 

 

Cardiff Blues ended a three game losing streak in the Pro12 with their 21-15 home victory over Edinburgh on Sunday. 

 

The Blues have yet to beat an Irish Province this season, their last such victory being over Connacht in Galway in May.

 

Connacht have won back-to-back encounters, at Dragons and at home to Treviso, but have not won three in a row since the first three rounds this year.

 

Connacht were victorious on their most recent visit to Wales but have not won two in in succession in the country since season 2004/05.

 

Connacht’s only victory over the Blues in their last ten fixtures was 26-22 at Arms Park in February 2013.

 

 

Cardiff Blues: 15 Rhys Patchell, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Cory Allen, 12 Gavin Evans, 11 Joaquin Tuculet, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Lloyd Williams, 8 Josh Navidi, 7 Ellis Jenkins (captain), 6 Josh Turnbull, 5 Lou Reed, 4 Jarrad Hoeata, 3 Taufa'ao Filise, 2 Kristian Dacey, 1 Sam Hobbs.

Replacements: 16 Rhys Williams, 17 Thomas Davies, 18 Scott Andrews, 19 Filo Paulo, 20 Macauley Cook, 21 Tavis Knoyle, 22 Gareth Davies, 23 Tom Isaacs.

 

Connacht: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Tiernan O’Halloran, 13 Danie Poolman, 12 Dave McSharry, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Craig Ronaldson, 9 John Cooney, 8 George Naoupu, 7 Jake Heenan, 6 John Muldoon (captain), 5 Aly Muldowney, 4 Mick Kearney, 3 Rodney Ah You, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Denis Buckley.

Replacements: 16 Shane Delahunt, 17 Ronan Loughney, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Andrew Browne, 20 Eoghan Masterson, 21 Ian Porter, 22 Jack Carty, 23 Darragh Leader.

 

Referee: Lloyd Linton

Assistant Referees: Leighton Hodges, Craig Evans

TMO: Gareth Simmonds

 

 

Glasgow Warriors’ three match winning run in the Pro12 ended against Munster in Cork on Saturday. 

 

The Warriors have won their last sixteen fixtures played at Scotstoun since Newport Gwent Dragons won there in November 2013.

 

Zebre beat the Dragons in Parma on Sunday and have only won successive encounters once before – against Edinburgh and Ospreys last April-May. 

 

Zebre have won just one away game in the history of the Pro12: 30-25 at Cardiff Blues in September 2013.

 

Glasgow have won all five previous encounters with Zebre, in each of the two most recent scoring 54 points, made up of 8 tries and 7 conversions.

 

 

Glasgow: 15 Peter Murchie, 14 Lee Jones, 13 Sean Lamont, 12 Connor Braid, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 10 Peter Horne, 9 Niko Matawalu, 8 Josh Strauss, 7 Chris Fusaro, 6 Adam Ashe, 5 Al Kellock (captain), 4 Rob Harley, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Kevin Bryce, 1 Ryan Grant  .

Replacements: Replacements: 16 Dougie Hall, 17 Alex Allan, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 James Eddie, 20 Will Bordill, 21 Ali Price, 22 Richie Vernon, 23 Glenn Bryce.

 

Zebre: 15 Giulio Toniolatti, 14 Dion Berryman, 13 Mirco Bergamasco, 12 Matteo Pratichetti, 11 David Odiete, 10 Edoardo Padovani, 9 Alberto Chillon, 8 Valerio Bernabò, 7 Mauro Bergamasco (captain), 6 Ruben Riccioli, 5 Andrei Mahu, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Lorenzo Romano, 2 Oliviero Fabiani, 1 Andrea De Marchi.

Replacements: 16 Luciano Leibson, 17 Andrea Lovotti, 18 Luca Redolfini, 19 Filippo Gerosa, 20 Renato Giammarioli, 21 Brendon Leonard, 22 Luciano Orquera, 23 Gonzalo Garcia.

 

Referee: Ian Davies

Assistant Referees: Sam Grove-White, Mike Adamson

TMO: Iain Ramage

 

 

 

Ospreys only victory in their five Pro12 matches played in 2015 was 22-11 at home to Newport Gwent Dragons in Round 13.

 

The Welshmen are unbeaten at the Liberty Stadium in the tournament since Munster were the visitors in February last year.

 

Munster’s 22-10 victory over Glasgow took them to the top of the table for the first time since Round Nine.

 

The Munstermen are unbeaten in their last four fixtures in the tournament since tripping up 16-24 at Connacht on New Year’s Day.

 

The Irishmen have lost on just one of their last seven visits to Wales, 13-18 at Scarlets 12 months ago.

 

Ospreys were victorious 19-14 in Limerick in Round Four and are going for their first season’s double over the Munstermen since season 2011/12. 

 

Munster’s record at Liberty Stadium in all competitions is won three, lost eight.

 

 

 

Referee: Marius Mitrea

Assistant referees: Sean Brickell, Simon Rees

TMO: Simon McDowell

 

 

Scarlets have won just one of their last four Pro12 matches: 32-14 at home to Connacht on in February. 

 

The Welshmen are unbeaten in the Pro12 at Parc y Scarlets since Ospreys visited the stadium on Boxing Day 2013.

 

Leinster have lost just one of their last seven matches in all tournaments: 14-16 at home to Dragons in February – a sequence which includes two draws. 

 

The Leinstermen’s only defeat in their last nine trips to Wales in all tournaments was to Ospreys in April.

 

Leinster have won their last six contests with Scarlets in all tournaments, whilst their only defeat in their last four fixtures with the Welshmen was 20-45 at Parc y Scarlets in Round One of the 2012/13 season.

 

 

 

 

Benetton Treviso have won just one of their last four Pro12 encounters: 40-24 at home to the Blues in Round 15.

 

The Italians have been defeated only once at the Stadio Monigo in 2015: 20-24 by Ulster.

 

Edinburgh Rugby have lost their last two matches but have not lost three in a row in the competition since the end of the last campaign.

 

Edinburgh’s only away win in their last seven trips was 16-13 at Connacht in Round 13.

 

Edinburgh’s last seven games against Italian opponents have all gone the way of the home side on the day.

 

The Scotsmen won 48-0 when the two sides met at Murrayfield in Round 10, whilst the only time Edinburgh have achieved a season’s double over the Italians was in 2011/12. 

 

Edinburgh’s only previous victory at Stadio Monigo was 22-11 in November 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newport Gwent Dragons only victory in their last five Pro12 matches was 16-14 in Leinster in Round 14.

 

Dragons have won just two of their last seven home games at Rodney Parade.

 

Ulster have won their last four games since losing out in Leinster in January. The Ulstermen have won their last two away games in the tournament but have not won three in a row on the road since December 2012.

 

Ulster’s only win in Wales in their last six visits came at Cardiff Blues in September.

 

Dragons only victory in their last six encounters with Ulster was 15-8 at Rodney Parade in this equivalent fixture in Round One last season.