URC Round 12 - teams an predictions
SUPER SATURDAY: It is going to be a significant weekend for the Irish provinces.
The table-topping Ulster (36) is just one point ahead of second-placed Leinster (35) and third-placed Warriors (35).
Leinster host the Ospreys in Dublin in a super Saturday.
Leinster underlined their depth last week when they easily beat Edinburgh, who were in third position going into the game, and this week they will be boosted by the availability of international squad members Ryan Baird and Jordan Larmour.
This game should be closely watched by the leading South African team currently, the Stormers.
The Cape side has made an impressive surge up the log from near the bottom to seventh, and they could move to sixth if they beat Connacht next week and the Ospreys lose to Leinster.
Leinster are rarely vulnerable at their home ground, RDS Arena in Dublin.
There are currently just three points separating the sixth-placed side from the seventh, and the Stormers have a game in hand on the Welsh team – ahead of the weekend matches.
Fifth-placed Munster, with seven more points after the same number of matches (30 against 23), are a bit more distant for the Stormers, but Munster does have a tour to South Africa and a potentially perilous trip to Loftus to play the Bulls.
The knowledge they will be travelling to the Highveld soon should put more pressure on Munster to win against Edinburgh on Friday, as they could do with a bit of a buffer in order to ease some pressure.
With next week’s games involving South African teams in mind, it is going to be interesting to see whether some of the Irish internationals released this week will be available for that.
Connacht, who host the Stormers in Galway, get Jack Carty and Dave Hefferman back for this weekend’s visit to Wales for their clash with the Scarlets.
Like Farrell, Wales coach Wayne Pivac has also released players from his Six Nations squad to play URC fixtures this weekend, but in the Welsh case, there are just six players coming back into the club system.
Elsewhere, Ospreys’ Gareth Anscombe can feature against Leinster and Scarlets scrumhalf Kieran Hardy will be available to face Connacht on Saturday, and Ulster hooker Bradley Roberts could play against the Dragons at Rodney Parade on Sunday.
Saturday, February 19
Leinster v Ospreys
(RDS Arena, Dublin – Kick-off: 17.00, 17.00 GMT)
Leinster will be keen to make amends following their last game against Welsh opposition, which produced an agonising 29-27 loss to Cardiff.
The Irish province have not lost successive matches to Welsh sides since 2015 and they have only been beaten once at the RDS Arena in all competitions during the past 10 months.
Ospreys have lost their last three URC away games since beating Benetton in October but they can reflect on two wins against Irish sides – Munster and Ulster – this term.
Ospreys beat Leinster in Dublin last year but they have not won back-to-back matches at the RDS Arena since their title-winning campaign of 2011-12.
Prediction
@rugby365com: Leinster by 25 points
Teams
Leinster: 15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Jordan Larmour, 13 Jamie Osborne, 12 Harry Byrne, 11 Dave Kearney, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Luke McGrath (captain), 8 Max Deegan, 7 Scott Penny, 6 Martin Moloney, 5 Ryan Baird, 4 Ross Molony, 3 Michael Ala’alatoa, 2 James Tracy, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Seán Cronin, 17 Peter Dooley, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Jack Dunne, 20 Rhys Ruddock, 21 Nick McCarthy, 22 Rory O’Loughlin, 23 James Lowe.
Ospreys: 15 Dan Evans, 14 Keelan Giles, 13 Michael Collins, 12 Keiran Williams, 11 Luke Morgan, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Rhys Webb (captain), 8 Morgan Morris, 7 Harri Deaves, 6 Ethan Roots, 5 Will Griffiths, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Sam Parry, 1 Nicky Smith.
Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Rhys Henry, 19 Lloyd Ashley, 20 Dan Lydiate, 21 Reuben Morgan Williams, 22 Gareth Anscombe, 23 Tiaan Thomas Wheeler.
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Dan Carson (Ireland)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Scarlets v Connacht
(Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli – Kick-off: 19.35, 19.35 GMT)
If Scarlets lose to Connacht they would be the fourth Irish side to beat them in this season’s competition after Leinster, Munster and Ulster.
Munster’s win in Llanelli was the Scarlets’ only URC home defeat this season, while Connacht are striving to avoid a third successive loss for the first time in almost a year.
Connacht have lost all six games they have played on the road in all competitions this season and been beaten on 11 previous visits to Parc y Scarlets.
The last time Connacht won in Llanelli was at the old Stradey Park – more than 17 years ago.
Prediction
@rugby365com: Connacht by five points
Teams
Scarlets: 15 Ioan Nicholas, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Johnny Williams, 12 Scott Williams (captain), 11 Ryan Conbeer, 10 Dan Jones, 9 Dane Blacker, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Shaun Evans, 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Morgan Jones, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Samson Lee, 2 Daf Hughes, 1 Steff Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Marc Jones, 17 Phil Price, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Jac Price, 20 Carwyn Tuipulotu, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Joe Roberts.
Connacht: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 Peter Sullivan, 13 Sammy Arnold, 12 Tom Daly, 11 John Porch, 10 Jack Carty (captain), 9 Kieran Marmion, 8 Paul Boyle, 7 Jarrad Butler, 6 Cian Prendergast, 5 Leva Fifita, 4 Niall Murray, 3 Tietie Tuimauga, 2 Dave Heffernan, 1 Jordan Duggan.
Replacements: 16 Shane Delahunt, 17 Greg McGrath, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Eoghan Masterson, 20 Abraham Papali’i, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Conor Fitzgerald, 23 Tom Farrell.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Elgan Williams (Wales), Jason Bessant (Wales)
TMO: Jon Mason (Wales)
Glasgow v Benetton
(Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – Kick-off: 19.35, 20.35 Italian time, 19.35 GMT)
Glasgow is on a roll in the United Rugby Championship, winning four successive games since losing by a point to Benetton in November.
The Warriors have not won five URC games on the bounce since reaching the 2019 Final and they have only lost once at home in the competition during the past 12 months.
Benetton will arrive in Scotland on the back of some impressive form, having lost one of their last four URC fixtures and won their last two away games.
The Italian side is also chasing a third successive victory against Glasgow but they have only defeated their opponents once away from home – in September 2011.
Prediction
@rugby365com: Glasgow by 12 points
Teams
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Walter Fifita, 13 Kyle Steyn, 12 Sam Johnson, 11 Rufus McLean, 10 Domingo Miotti, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Thomas Gordon, 6 Ryan Wilson (co-captain), 5 Richie Gray, 4 Kiran McDonald, 3 Simon Berghan, 2 Fraser Brown (co-captain), 1 Oli Kebble.
Replacements: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Enrique Pieretto, 19 Lewis Bean, 20 Ally Miller, 21 Jamie Dobie, 22 Ross Thompson, 23 Stafford McDowall.
Benetton: 15 Tommy Bell, 14 Lorenzo Pani, 13 Joaquin Riera, 12 Filippo Drago, 11 Rhyno Smith, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Yaree Fantini, 6 Manuel Zuliani, 5 Carl Wegner, 4 Irnè Herbst (captain), 3 Nahuel Tetaz, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Matteo Drudi, 18 Filippo Alongi, 19 Marco Lazzaroni, 20 Matteo Meggiato, 21 Alessandro Izekor, 22 Luca Petrozzi, 23 Ratuva Tavuyara.
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Keith Allen (Scotland), Dunx McClement (Scotland)
TMO: Ben Blain (Scotland)
Sunday, February 20
Dragons v Ulster
(Rodney Parade, Newport – Kick-off: 14.00, 14.00 GMT)
The Dragons’ four-match losing run in the United Rugby Championship ended with a 13-all draw at home to Benetton last time out.
The Welsh side has not recorded a win at Rodney Parade, since defeating the Scarlets in last season’s Rainbow Cup.
In-form Ulster has only lost one of their last seven first-team fixtures but was beaten on their only previous visit to Wales this season when they were edged out by the Ospreys two months ago.
Ulster is unbeaten in their last 10 games against the Dragons since March 2015.
Prediction
@rugby365com: Ulster by eight points
Teams
Dragons: 15 Josh Lewis, 14 Jonah Holmes, 13 Adam Warren, 12 Aneurin Owen, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Sam Davies, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Dan Baker, 7 Ollie Griffiths, 6 Harri Keddie (captain), 5 Joe Maksymiw, 4 Joe Davies, 3 Chris Coleman, 2 Taylor Davies, 1 Greg Bateman.
Replacements: 16 TBC, 17 Aki Seiuli, 18 Mesake Doge, 19 Huw Taylor, 20 George Young, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Ioan Davies, 23 Will Talbot-Davies.
Ulster: 15 Rob Lyttle, 14 Robert Baloucoune, 13 James Hume, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Ben Moxham, 10 Billy Burns, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Nick Timoney (captain), 7 Marcus Rea, 6 David McCann, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Kieran Treadwell, 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 John Andrew, 1 Andrew Warwick.
Replacements: 16 Brad Roberts, 17 Eric O’Sullivan, 18 Marty Moore, 19 Cormac Izuchukwu, 20 Matty Rea, 21 David Shanahan, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Stewart Moore.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Adam Jones (Wales), Gareth Newman (Wales)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Source: @URCOfficial
