URC, Round 15 - Saturday's Teams and Predictions

PREVIEW: The race is on for play-off places and favourable log positions in the United Rugby Championship heading into the final four rounds.

The Stormers will kick off Saturday’s action against Stuart Lancaster’s Connacht, who showed decent form as of late, winning their last four URC games, including big scalps against Leinster and Ulster.

Currently just outside the top eight, the men from Galway will be aware that every match is a non-negotiable to earn competition points, but their task won’t be easy against a Stormers team that lost just one home match this season.

The Stormers, on the other hand, have an opportunity to close the gap on Glasgow Warriors in their quest to top the table, and will hope that the Lions do them a favour in the following clash at Ellis Park.

It’s been an emotional week for the Capetonians, who shockingly lost their long-serving team manager, Christopher “Chippie” Solomon and will want to put up a performance in his memory.

Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson touched on the log position and highlighted the threats Connacht will pose.

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“In terms of the log [position] we’re facing a desperate Connacht team, and we have an opportunity to dream higher, but we must also look at [securing] a position to host a semifinal should we win the quarterfinal,” Dobson said.

“It’s a big game for us, we know Connacht are desperate, and they’re a good, well-coached team.

“It should be a great game. We respect the style of rugby Connacht plays. They never seem to go away, unfortunately.

“I’d like them to roll over and have their tummies tickled, but they’re not that sort of team.”

Connacht are the best defensive team in the tournament, just ahead of the Dragons.

When asked by Rugby365 if that was a factor regarding team selection, Dobson replied with an emphatic “yes” and explained how to breach the visitors from Galway’s defence.

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“Yes, the way they work on defence, how they work their space and their organisation.

“It’s not a defence you can just hit one breakdown, get quick ball and play it out wide,” Dobson told Rugby365.

“It’s not like that at all. You need to find ways through them or over them. That was a big influence in our selection.

“That’s also another reason Damian Willemse remained on the wing. It had a lot to do with who we’re playing and the conditions.”

Lancaster said they know what to expect from the Stormers and that Connacht enjoyed a good week of training in Cape Town.

He also highlighted four players who were selected returning from injury.

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Ben Murphy chatting to us about how all is going in Cape Town so far 🇿🇦#OneConnacht pic.twitter.com/rtrdnDxIXp

— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) April 16, 2026

“We’ve had a good week so far in South Africa, and spirits are high ahead of two very important games.

“To have four players in Jansen, Heffernan, West and Gavin all return from injury is a great boost for us.

“We know that playing the Stormers in Cape Town means we can expect huge physicality, so we’ll have to match them in that area from the first minute while being clinical when the opportunities arise.”

The Lions welcome Franco Smith’s Glasgow Warriors to Ellis Park in the following clash.

The Warriors defeated the Lions 42-0 at Scotstoun Stadium last season, but the Lions won their last two meetings against Glasgow at Ellis Park.

The Lions are under no illusions that they’ll need to secure victory in their final two home games before heading to Ireland for their two-game tour against Leinster and Munster if they were to lock down a maiden quarterfinal spot in the tournament.

Glasgow Warriors Franco Smith highlighted the Lions’ threats and stated they know what to do to combat them.

“The Lions pose one of the toughest away tests in the URC, defending a strong home record as they chase a place in the play-offs.

“Their brand of rugby can cause problems for any team, with a blend of physical forwards and backs that can run the ball from anywhere on the field.

“It is a test that we have prepared for in training this week, and one that we know we must be at our best to meet.”

Scarlets host Cardiff, who, under newly appointed head coach Corniel van Zyl, are fighting to stay in the top eight after a solid start to the season.

Scarlets Interim Director of Rugby Nigel Davies said: “We’ve got a big block of games ahead of us, including three Welsh derbies which have always been fantastic matches; the ante is always up for these games and there is going to be a big crowd, which is fantastic.

“There is also a Welsh Shield to play for, but equally as important are the standards we set ourselves as we look to the future.

“We have spoken about that as a group; our performances have to reflect that. We can’t just turn up next season and hope to be performing to a level; we need to set the standards now.

“Cardiff are obviously fighting hard in the play-off zone and have had a good season; they will be desperate for that victory, which adds a bit of extra spice.”

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It’s going to be a cracker 🧨

Edrych ymlaen at y gêm fawr ar ddydd Sadwrn#SCAvCAR #BKTURC pic.twitter.com/Q7IxmMiYb0

— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) April 16, 2026

Munster travel to Treviso to take on Benetton, looking to reclaim their early-season form.

The men from Limerick fell off the pace after winning their first seven games of the season and flirting with losing out on a play-off spot.

Benetton head coach Calum MacRae said: “Looking ahead to next week against Munster, a top-level side, the group must maintain confidence in its qualities, especially by making the most of home advantage.

“From a technical point of view, the focus will be on improving accuracy in transition play, both offensively and defensively, to limit opponents’ opportunities to raise the tempo.

“With four URC games remaining, the team is determined to maintain consistency, with high levels of intensity, focus, and a strong sense of identity”

Saturday’s action concludes at the Brewery Field when Ospreys host an injury-depleted Sharks team who have an outside chance to make the play-offs.

Sharks head coach JP Pietersen acknowledged that each match going forward will be treated as a knockout and that his mixture of youth and experienced players pays off.

“We definitely understand the position we are in with every match being a knockout clash.

“We spoke about this already. We’ve got four games, and we want as many wins to give ourselves a chance to qualify for the top eight.

“It’s important for us to get the result on Saturday, and everyone understands that.

“It’s good to see how players love the challenge.

“Some of them thrive on it while others are still learning about pressure games, which is the group we have with young players, the in-between player and the experienced ones.

“They’re all pulling together, and the experienced guys like Manu Tshituka are all speaking, and you can see the young guys like [Zekhethelo] Siyaya are listening, buying into and learning from the experienced players, which is great.

“Hopefully, everything comes together by Saturday.”

*See all Saturday’s teams and predictions below!

Stormers v Connacht
(DHL Stadium, Cape Town – Kick-off: 13.45 SAST; 12.45 IST; 11.45 GMT)

Prediction

Rugby365: Stormers by 10 points

Teams

Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Damian Willemse, 13 Ruhan Nel (captain), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: 16 André-Hugo Venter, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Neethling Fouché, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Wandisile Simelane.

Connacht: 15 Sam Gilbert, 14 Harry West, 13 John Devine, 12 Cathal Forde, 11 Shayne Bolton, 10 Sean Naughton, 9 Ben Murphy, 8 Sean Jansen, 7 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 6 Cian Prendergast (captain), 5 Darragh Murray, 4 David O’Connor, 3 Sam Illo, 2 Dave Heffernan, 1 Billy Bohan
Replacements: 16 Matthew Victory, 17 Peter Dooley, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Josh Murphy, 20 Paul Boyle, 21 Colm Reilly, 22 Jack Carty, 23 Hugh Gavin

Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Italy)
Assistant referees: Hanru van Rooyen (South Africa), Sean Muller (South Africa)
TMO: Fillipo Russo (Italy)

Lions v Glasgow Warriors
(Ellis Park, Johannesburg – Kick-off: 16.00 SAST; 15.00 BST; 14.00 GMT)

Prediction

Rugby365: Lions by eight points

Teams

Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Erich Cronje, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn (captain), 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Siba Mahashe, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 SJ Kotze
Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Edward Davids, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Batho Hlekani, 21 JC Pretorius, 22 Nico Steyn, Kelly Mpeku

Glasgow Warriors: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Kyle Rowe, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Stafford McDowall (captain), 11 Fergus Watson, 10 Dan Lancaster, 9 Jack Oliver, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Sione Vailanu, 6 Euan Ferrie, 5 Alex Samuel, 4 Jare Oguntibeju, 3 Fin Richardson, 2 Seb Stephen, 1 Rory Sutherland
Replacements: 16 Gregor Hiddleston, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Dylan Cockburn, 20 Ryan Burke, 21 Angus Fraser, 22 Ben Afshar, 23 Sione Tuipulotu

Referee: Peter Martin (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Griffin Colby (South Africa), Dylen November (South Africa)
TMO: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)

Scarlets v Cardiff
(Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli – Kick-off: 17.30 BST; 16.30 GMT)

Prediction

Rugby365: Cardiff by six points

Teams

Scarlets: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Eddie James, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Ellis Mee, 10 Joe Hawkins, 9 Dane Blacker,8 Fletcher Anderson (captain), 7 Jarrod Taylor, 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Max Douglas, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Archer Holz, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Kemsley Mathias
Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Josh Morse, 18 Harri O’Connor, 19 Jac Price, 20 Dan Davis, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, 23 Joe Roberts

Cardiff: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Jacob Beetham, 13 Ben Thomas, 12 Rory Jennings, 11 Mason Grady, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Johan Mulder, 8 Alun Lawrence,7 James Botham, 6 Alex Mann, 5 George Nott, 4 Josh McNally, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Liam Belcher (captain), 1 Rhys Barratt
Replacements: 16 Daf Hughes, 17 Danny Southworth, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Rory Thornton, 20 Dan Thomas, 21 Taine Basham, 22 Ellis Bevan, 23 Ioan Lloyd

Referee: Morne Ferreira (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Adam Jones (Wales), Carwyn Sion (Wales)
TMO: Christopher Allison (South Africa)

Benetton v Munster
(Stadio Monigo, Treviso – Kick-off: 20.45 CEST; 19.45 IST; 18.45 GMT)

Prediction

Rugby365: Munster by 12 points

Teams

Benetton: 15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Malakai Fekitoa, 11 Paolo Odogwu, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Alessandro Garbisi,8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Giulio Marini, 3 Marcos Gallorini, 2 Nicholas Gasperini, 1 Destiny Aminu
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Ivan Nemer, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 Jadin Kingi, 21 Alessandro Izekor, 22 Andy Uren, 23 Leonardo Marin

Munster: 15 Shane Daly, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Andrew Smith, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Tom Ahern, 5 Tadhg Beirne (captain), 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Michael Ala’alatoa, 2 Diarmuid Barron, 1 Jeremy Loughman
Replacements: 16 Lee Barron, 17 Michael Milne, 18 Oli Jager, 19 Edwin Edogbo, 20 Brian Gleeson, 21 Ben O’Donovan, 22 Dan Kelly, 23 Alex Kendellen`

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant referees: Andrew Piardi (Italy), Riccardo Bonato (Italy)
TMO: Keith David (Wales)

Ospreys v Sharks
(Electric Brewery Field, Bridgend – KO 19.45 BST; 20.45 SAST; 17.45 GMT)

Prediction

Rugby365: Sharks by three points

Teams

Ospreys: 15 Iestyn Hopkins, 14 Luke Morgan, 13 Evardi Boshoff, 12 Owen Watkin, 11 Dan Kasende, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Morgan Morris, 7 Jac Morgan (captain), 6 James Ratti, 5 Ryan Smith, 4 Huw Sutton, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Sam Parry, 1 Gareth Thomas
Replacements: 16 Efan Daniel, 17 Garyn Phillips, 18 Ben Warren, 19 Ross Moriarty, 20 Harri Deaves, 21 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 22 Phil Cokanasiga, 23 Jack Walsh

Sharks: 15 Zekhethelo Siyaya, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Le Roux Malan, 12 Andre Esterhuizen (captain), 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Jean Smith, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Manu Tshituka, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Hanro Jacobs, 2 Fez Mbatha, 1 Phatu Ganyane.
Replacements: 16 Eduan Swart, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Corne Rahl, 20 Nick Hatton, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Jurenzo Julius.

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Marcus Caudle (Wales)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)