URC, Round 17 - teams and predictions
SATURDAY & SUNDAY PREVIEWS: The Bulls will be hopeful to take one step closer to a second-spot finish, whilst the Stormers and Lions will fight to go up as high as possible on the URC table.
The Bulls are sitting pretty in third place on 59 points, one short of Glasgow Warriors who upset them in the 2024 URC Final at Loftus Versfeld.
The Bulls made four changes to the side that defeated the defending champions Glasgow with Cameron Hanekom and Marcell Coetzee the only changes in the forwards.
Embrose Papier rolled his knee against Glasgow Warriors and is sitting out as a precautionary measure and is replaced by Zak Burger with Keagan Johannes providing cover on the bench.
Springbok Willie le Roux got the nod at fullback ahead of Devon Williams who drops down to the bench.
White explained his reasoning for selecting Le Roux ahead of Williams who did a stellar job in his absence.
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“It was a tough call. Devon [Williams] has been playing well. He’s adapted well to the backfield, he’s got pace and is also left-footed.
“We are not losing much in terms of skillsets, but Willie [le Roux,] needs game time. He is our No.1 fullback and the incumbent Springbok.
“Nothing is stopping us from moving Willie [le Roux] to flyhalf at the back end of the game and play Devon [Williams] at fullback.
White added: “When it comes to play-off games Willie [le Roux] will be very important for us. He understands pressure, and [game] management and had many high-profile matches in his career.
“He takes some pressure off the wingers and the rest of the backline and that’s basically the thought process behind putting him in this weekend.”
The Bulls’ Director of Rugby downplayed any suggestions that Cardiff is a walkover and had nothing but praise for the Welsh outfit.
“Cardiff mustn’t be underestimated. They’ve beaten Munster and Ulster. Anyone who beats Munster needs to play well. We know that because we had to do it a couple of weeks ago.
“We won’t for any second take them as an easy option. They’re also desperate and want to qualify for the play-offs.
“They’re also coached by Matt Sherratt who had a stint with the Welsh [national] team.
“That would be a boost not only for him because he comes back having experienced international rugby, but also the players will feel confident that he’s in and around the decision makers of Welsh rugby.
“They’re not an easy team to play against. They’ve got some good players and lots of internationals.
White added: “We’ve got many goals we want to achieve this season and one of them is to get a home semifinal and that means we got to get results at home both against Cardiff and the Dragons.
“We won’t be going in thinking it’s going to be an easy game or that we can just rock up.”
Cardiff Head Coach Matt Sherratt said: “It’s great to go into this final two weeks in South Africa with so much to play for and we are determined to cement our place in the URC play-Offs.
“It would be the first time we have reached the play-Offs, which would be a huge achievement given the journey we are on and qualification for the Champions Cup is the reward.
“We will be doing everything possible to stay in that top eight but we are well aware of how tough the next two weeks will be.
“It all starts on Saturday against the Bulls, who are a quality side and will be hugely motivated to secure a top seeding.
“They have a big, powerful set-piece and pack, as you would expect, with some really dangerous players behind.
“But we have prepared well, we are looking forward to the challenge and experience of two weeks in South Africa and we will not go down wondering.”
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Benetton will be happy to be home following a mixed-bag tour to South Africa where they upset the Lions by 42-31 at Ellis Park but came back down crumbling a week later against the Stormers as they went down 5-56.
The Italians are currently clinging on to eighth position and a loss could put them at risk of missing out on the play-offs.
The second-placed Glasgow Warriors will gun for a full house of points against the Italians before their clash against fellow competition favourites Leinster a week later.
Their loss to the Bulls a fortnight ago has jeopardised their chances of finishing second which could have an impact on their title defence.
Benetton head coach Marco Bortolami said: “We are still in the group of teams that can enter the play-offs, we have two tough games ahead of us but they are within our reach.
“We will treasure what we could have done better against Stormers because it will be important for the next games”
Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith said: “We know that Benetton will pose a strong challenge for us tomorrow evening. they possess a proud home record and they are still in full pursuit of a play-off spot.
“We are pleased to welcome Huw [Jones] back into the starting line-up, having worked hard under the supervision of our medical and strength and conditioning teams to put himself in the best possible position.
“It will take a full squad effort to meet our hosts tomorrow, and we are looking forward to meeting that challenge.”
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In Cape Town, the Stormers come up against the bottom-placed Dragons.
The Capetonians have enjoyed a decent run of form winning four out of their last five games and picking up two vital bonus points away from home in their loss to Ulster back in March.
Apart from competition points, there will also be some sentiment to play for as they will face the recently retired Brok Harris’s old team.
Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson selected Vernon Matongo to make his first start at loosehead prop with former Junior Springbok captain Zachary Porthen set to make his Stormers debut off the bench at tighthead.
In the backs, Wandisile Simelane got the nod ahead of Daniel du Plessis at outside centre.
Dobson explained his centres’ selection of Wandisile Simelane starting at outside centre alongside Damian Willemse with Daniel du Plessis dropping to the bench.
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“One of the reasons for the [centres] selection, should we go into the play-offs is that we need to have 28-29 players ready. We didn’t want to disrespect the Dragons by selecting fringe players.
“We can’t push on Wandi’s [Wandisile Simelane] button in a quarterfinal if he didn’t play for seven weeks. Likewise with Joseph Dweba.
“I’m not saying he’s not No.1. I just felt that over the next two games we need to ensure we have a 28-player base. We don’t know what injuries we might sustain this week or next week.
“The logic is that Wandi [Wandisile Simleane] did well for us. He’s gotten better with the minutes that he had.
“He’s a guy we might turn to should we go up to Loftus [Versveld] in a play-off [match]. On that field, he will be exceptional where he’s played before.
“I just want him ready, that’s the first element. The second element is that Dan [du Plessis] has played a lot and felt his hamstring in the match against Benetton.
“He is fit, but we also want Dan [du Plessis] with his body of work to be fit come play-off time.
“I also don’t want him to not play against Cardiff before a bye and be off for three weeks.
“It’s just about player management. You might see a guy like Sti Sithole coming in next week.”
The match also marks the milestone of double World Cup winner Damian Willemse’s 100th match for the Stormers.
Dobson said that Willemse has shown that he is a one-of-a-kind talent.
“I don’t think Damian [Willemse] always gets the recognition that he deserves for what he brings to our team. This is someone who has proven himself at the highest level and would walk into any team in the world.
“You will not find a more professional player, but what stands out is his commitment and loyalty.
“It means so much for him to represent this team and our supporters, so this is a big moment in the career of one of our greatest players,” he said.
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The Dragons are out to spoil the Stormers’ party as they are looking to finish on a high after a disappointing season.
Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia said: “This group is not going to be the same moving into next season. It’s going to be totally different, so the players must finish strongly. It’s about trying to get them to enjoy their moments together.
“We want to finish the season on a high. The players have galvanised around a couple of disappointing results.
“To come over here to Cape Town and play against a very good Stormers side, it’s another good challenge.
“Fans want to see players not give up and that’s a part of the game the players are working hard on around fatigue and fighting through that.
“We are happy to be in South Africa, but we are under no illusions about the challenge.”
He added: “The URC is a highly contested competition. You have got some world-class athletes that play in it.
“The learning for us is how we stay in matches.”
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At Lansdowne Road Leinster will be desperate to prove a point following their exit in the Champions Cup at the hands of Northampton Saints.
The Irish giants have come under great criticism for being unable to deliver when it matters most, and nothing short of clinching the URC title will be a measurement of success for them.
They are, however, up against a much improved Zebre outfit that has proved that they are not easy beats this season.
The Italians have pushed top sides close this season and claimed wins over the likes of Munster and Ospreys.
They also had a 25-all draw against Edinburgh a fortnight ago, a match they could’ve won had it not been for a late converted try by the Scottish capital outfit.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen made it clear that his side wants to finish the season with some silverware.
“I would love to be talking about getting ready for a Champions Cup final in Cardiff, but we are not,” said coach Cullen.
“We will be watching on with absolute envy. How else could you put it?
“Now we are getting ready to try and win the URC. That’s it. It’s a singular focus. We need to turn the desire and desperation to win the Champions Cup into URC.
“We are sitting top by eight points. If we beat Zebre this weekend, it means we get a home run through to a final, but we know there are no guarantees with any of that.
“I admire Northampton. Last year, they lost to us in the Champions Cup semi-final, they dusted themselves off, learned their lessons and won the Premiership. We need to do the equivalent of that.”
Cullen continued: “There’s a group of players and staff here that are very desperate to be successful.
“The dressing room was a pretty sombre place last week. It’s one of those games that’s going to sting for a long time. It was a pretty horrific feeling.
“But now we need to turn our attention to the next thing. It’s very challenging trying to juggle two tournaments. How do you flip-flop between one and the other?
“That’s one of the challenges we’ve had over the last three seasons where we’ve lost in European finals and haven’t been able to go on and win the URC.”
Zebre head coach Massimo Brunello said: “We’re heading into our final away match in Dublin, against the strongest team in the league, who have proven all year to be complete and solid in every area. They’ve only lost two matches in the URC.
“Our goal is definitely to rise to the occasion again, as we’ve done in other games: playing against a side like this, and in such a stadium, gives us extra motivation.”
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The final match on Saturday will be the dance of the desperates when Connacht hosts Edinburgh at the Sportsground.
There are merely four points separating the two sides and the hosts will be desperate to get a win following a disappointing tour to South Africa.
Edinburgh will be hopeful to get one over the Irishmen and make a push for a top-eight spot on the URC table.
The men from the Scottish capital are still without several internationals sidelined with injury including Duhan van der Merwe, Dave Cherry and Emiliano Boffelli.
Connacht interim head coach Cullie Tucker said: “We know our play-off hopes are out of our own hands, but that’s not stopping us doing everything we can to finish this season strongly.
“We’re aiming for 10 points across these final 2 games, starting tomorrow against a tough Edinburgh side, and then whatever happens, happens after that.
“Our supporters have been brilliant to us, especially during the more difficult times, so for this final home game, we want to give them something to cheer for.
“It’s also the final game at the Sportsground for a number of our departing players, so we want to pay tribute to them in the right way, both on and off the field. So it should be a great occasion and we’re looking forward to the challenge”
Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt said: “This Saturday’s clash in Galway is massive for us. We’re pushing hard for a play-off spot, and with only two games left, every point matters.
“We were disappointed with the result against Bath, but the performance had some real positives that we need to build on.
“It’s vital that we learn from that game and maintain our upward trajectory. Connacht are always a tough team to face at home.
“They’re passionate and play with a lot of energy in front of their own crowd. But we can take a lot of confidence from our European run and our recent URC form into this match. We know what we’re capable of when we play to our potential.”
On Sunday the Lions host Scarlets at Ellis Park in a do-or-die clash for the hosts.
Nothing less than a bonus point win will do for the men from Johannesburg as they are desperate to make the URC play-offs for the first time.
Lions defence coach Jacque Fourie lamented the opportunities his side wasted throughout the season but has not given up on their play-off ambitions.
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“It’s been an up and down season. We’ve had a few good games but also a few bad ones we didn’t expect to lose. That’s rugby and that’s our season.
“For us, going into the business end [of the competition] knowing that you’ve qualified already going into the last few games, so it is a bit disappointing for us.
“We’re always fighting to get better and hopefully we can win the last two games and whatever happens must happen. We will take it from there.
“Hopefully we’ll make a quarterfinal but if we finish in eighth position we’ll have to travel to Leinster.
“We are positive, the mood in the camp is good after the last match against Connacht who are a tough side.
“Coming off a good win but not getting five points [four try bonus point] is a bit disappointing but a win is a win.
“Going into [the] Scarlets and Ospreys matches we want to get maximum points and then we’ll take it from there.”
Lions loose forward JC Pretorius said that the win against Connacht was vital and that the team is looking forward towards the Scarlets challenge.
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“[The week] has been good. The team is gelling well after the win against Connacht.
“We’ve worked on a couple of stuff this week, but there were a lot of positives we could take out of the Connacht game. We are looking forward to playing in front of the faithful.
Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: “It is a big challenge ahead, a massive game on Sunday in Joburg, but we are in a good spot and looking forward to getting into it.
“We have spoken about competing this season and we are in the play-offs with two rounds to go.
“But it is about not just staying there, we want to push up the league, not just surviving.
“Our destiny is in our hands and we will approach it that way. We hadn’t beaten Leinster since 2018 – we haven’t won in South Africa since the four main franchises have been introduced so to get through [to the play-offs] we are going to have to create another bit of history.”
All the teams and predictions follow below…
SATURDAY, MAY 10:
Bulls v Cardiff
(Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria – Kick-off: 16.00; 15.00 UK & Ireland time; 14.00 GMT)
Prediction:
@rugby365com: Bulls by 20 points
Teams:
Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sebastian de Klerk, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Ruan Nortje (captain), 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johann Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-hendrik Wessels.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Jannes Kirstin, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Devon Williams, 23 Stedman Gans.
Cardiff: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Josh Adams, 13 Harri Millard, 12 Ben Thomas (captain), 11 Gabe Hamer-Webb, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Johan Mulder, 8 Alun Lawrence, 7 James Botham, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Rory Thornton, 4 Josh McNally, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Evan Lloyd, 1 Corey Domachowski.
Replacements: 16 Liam Belcher, 17 Danny Southworth, 18 Rhys Litterick, 19 Teddy Williams, 20 Dan Thomas, 21 Taulupe Faletau, 22 Aled Davies, 23 Rory Jennings
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Griffin Colby (South Africa), Dylen November (South Africa)
TMO: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Stormers v Dragons
(Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town – Kick-off: 18.15; 17.15 UK & Ireland time; 16.15 GMT)
Prediction:
@rugby365com: Stormers by 25 points
Teams:
Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Vernon Matongo.
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Louw Nel, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Dan du Plessis, 23 Suleiman Hartzenberg.
Dragons: 15 Huw Anderson, 14 Harry Rees-Weldon, 13 Harry Wilson, 12 Aneurin Owen, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Angus O’Brien (co-captain), 9 Rhodri Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Dan Lydiate, 6 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 5 Ryan Woodman, 4 Ben Carter (co-captain), 3 Chris Coleman, 2 Brodie Coghlan, 1 Rhodri Jones.
Replacements: 16 James Benjamin, 17 Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, 18 Paula Latu, 19 Joe Davies, 20 Barny Langton-Cryer, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Lloyd Evans, 23 Ashton Hewitt.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs (South Africa), Hanru van Rooyen (South Africa)
TMO: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Leinster v Zebre Parma
(Lansdowne Road, Dublin – kick-off: 17.15; 18.15 CEST; 16.15 GMT)
Prediction:
@rugby365com: Leinster by 30 points
Teams:
Leinster: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Jimmy O’Brien, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 James Lowe, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Luke McGrath, 8 Jack Conan (captain), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 Diarmuid Mangan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Thomas Clarkson, 2 Rónan Kelleher, 1 Jack Boyle.
Replacements: 16 John McKee, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 James Ryan, 20 James Culhane, 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 Ciarán Frawley, 23 Robbie Henshaw
Zebre: 15 Jacopo Trulla, 14 Scott Gregory, 13 Fetuli Paea, 12 Enrico Lucchin, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giovanni Montemauri, 9 Gonzalo Garcia, 8 Davide Ruggeri (captain), 7 Iacopo Bianchi, 6 Bautista Stavile, 5 Leonard Krumov, 4 Rusiate Nasove, 3 Juan Pitinari, 2 Giampietro Ribaldi, 1 Luca Franceschetto.
Replacements: 16 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 17 Muhamed Hasa, 18 Ion Neculai, 19 Matteo Canali, 20 Giacomo Ferrari, 21 Alessandro Fusco, 22 Giacomo Da Re, 23 Filippo Drago.
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Keane Davison (Ireland), Dan Carson (Ireland)
TMO: Colin Brett (Scotland)
Benetton v Glasgow Warriors
(Stadio Monigo, Treviso – Kick-off: 18.15; 17.15 UK & Ireland time, 16.15 GMT)
Prediction:
@rugby365com: Glasgow Warriors by 16 points
Teams:
Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Ignacio Brex, 11 Paolo Odogwu, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Riccardo Favretto, 5 Federico Ruzza (captain), 4 Scott Scrafton, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Siua Maile, 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosuè Zilocchi, 19 Niccolò Cannone, 20 Sebastian Negri, 21 Nicolò Casilio, 22 Leonardo Marin, 23 Malakai Fekitoa.
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Jamie Dobie, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Stafford McDowall, 11 Kyle Steyn (captain), 10 Tom Jordan, 9 George Horne, 8 Sione Vailanu, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Scott Cummings, 5 Alex Samuel, 4 Max Williamson, 3 Fin Richardson, 2 Johnny Matthews, 1 Jamie Bhatti.
Replacements: 16 Gregor Hiddleston, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Murphy Walker, 19 JP du Preez, 20 Euan Ferrie, 21 Ben Afshar, 22 Adam Hastings, 23 Kyle Rowe.
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant referees: Federico Vedovelli (Italy), Lauren Jenner (Italy)
TMO: Aled Griffiths (Wales)
Connacht v Edinburgh
(The Sportsground, Galway – Kick-off: 19.35; 18.35 GMT)
Prediction:
@rugby365com: Connacht by five points
Teams:
Connacht: 15 Santiago Cordero, 14 Shayne Bolton, 13 Hugh Gavin, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Finn Treacy, 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 Ben Murphy, 8 Sean Jansen, 7 Conor Oliver, 6 Cian Prendergast (captain), 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Josh Murphy, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Dave Heffernan, 1 Denis Buckley.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Tierney-Martin, 17 Peter Dooley, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Oisín Dowling, 20 Paul Boyle, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Cathal Forde, 23 David Hawkshaw
Edinburgh: 15 Wes Goosen, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Matt Currie, 12 Mosese Tuipulotu, 11 Jack Brown, 10 Ross Thompson, 9 Ali Price, 8 Magnus Bradbury (captain), 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Ben Muncaster, 5 Sam Skinner, 4 Marshall Sykes, 3 D’arcy Rae, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Paddy Harrison, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Glen Young, 20 Liam McConnell, 21 Charlie Shiel, 22 Ben Healy, 23 James Lang.
Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wales)
Assistant referees: Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland), Padraic Reidy (Ireland)
TMO: Tom Spurrier (Wales)
SUNDAY, MAY 11:
Lions v Scarlets
(Ellis Park, Johannesburg – Kick-off: 15.00; 14.00 UK & Ireland time; 13.00 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Lions by 12 points
Teams:
Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Richard Kriel, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Bronson Mills, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Jarod Cairns, 7 Renzo du Plessis, 6 JC Pretorius, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Ruan Venter, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Jaco Visagie (captain), 1 Morgan Naude.
Replacements: 16 PJ Botha, 17 SJ Kotze, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Sibabalo Qoma, 21 Layton Horn, 22 Lubabalo Dobela, 23 Rynhardt Jonker.
Scarlets: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Ellis Mee, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Taine Plumtree, 7 Josh Macleod (captain), 6 Vaea Fifita, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Alex Craig, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Alec Hepburn.
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Kemsley Mathias, 18 Sam Wainwright, 19 Dan Davis, 20 Jarrod Taylor, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Ioan Lloyd, 23 Macs Page
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Griffin Colby (South Africa), Stephan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
TMO: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
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