URC, Round Four - Teams and Predictions

PREVIEW: The United Rugby Championship returns after a week of Champions and Challenge Cup action, and the South African sides are well poised to make it four wins from four.

There are two South African sides doing battle on Friday evening, with the Sharks facing Cardiff at the Arms Park and the Lions battling Sean Everitt’s Edinburgh at Hive Stadium.

The other Friday fixture sees bottom half teams Connacht and Zebre do battle at Dexcom Stadium

On Saturday, the Bulls host Ulster at Loftus Versfeld before the Stormers take on Scarlets at DHL Stadium.

The Lions could go level on log points should they claim the full house and leave the top of the table Edinburgh empty-handed, which would poise well for the Bulls and Stormers to creep up the table should they win their respective matches.

Franco Smith’s Glasgow Warriors lock horns with Benetton in Treviso, followed by the big Irish derby between old foes Leinster and Munster in Dublin.

The weekend’s action concludes in a Welsh derby between the Ospreys and ever-improving Dragons at St Helen’s stadium.

Sharks aiming to topple their “bogey” team.

Cardiff hold the upper hand in the last five clashes between these sides, including a comprehensive 35-0 victory in Durban back in 2022.

The Sharks showed their intent with their team selection, which features 10 Springboks in their matchday squad which shows that they want to get a win on the road.

Sharks Forwards Coach Warren Whiteley said: “They’re a quality team, tactically very smart, and it’s going to be a massive battle.

“There are three things we’ve themed our season on. One was being fast, quicker and more conditioned than we’ve ever been before, and we’ve seen some unbelievable positives in that area.

“Second was about being physical. We know rugby is a physical game, and in each and every area of the game we want to be the most physical.

“And then it’s the relentless factor which speaks to your culture and the values the team holds dear. What’s pleasing for us is that we’re starting to see that, and a lot of it comes from caring for each other and believing in each other.

“It was fantastic to see it last week, and we just want to keep growing together and connecting, getting closer as a group.

“And when we play, we want to see that identity come through, being fast, physical and relentless.”

Lions to build on La Rochelle bravery

The Lions will have their work cut out against a high-flying Edinburgh outfit away from home, but their performances against the All Blacks and more recently against La Rochelle would see them take several positives from those games, albeit that they ended in defeat.

The return of inspirational skipper Francke Horn is a massive boost in their quest to topple the leading side in the tournament.

The Lions had a tough week following the shock passing of lock Hyron Andrews ahead of their Champions Cup clash against La Rochelle.

Lions Assistant Coach Julian Redelinghuys said: “To say it was a rough week is probably an understatement, but the support we received from almost everyone was huge.

“The sorrow everyone felt, and the way it was handled, felt authentic. The way it was handled – locally, abroad, our leadership, coaches and management and players – felt really respectful and that gave us, to a big extent, some closure.”

The Lions have been tapping into Boan Venter’s insights ahead of Friday night.

“He’s got some interesting insights – from knowing the players well, the coaches, the field, the environment and the weather well,”

“He’s got some good opinions, which is helping us in our prep. One comment he made is we’ll maybe be playing the first half and come out after half-time, the weather’s totally different.”

“With the Edinburgh-Stormers game [in Round Two], we saw that the wind was pumping in the first half and in the second half it died down.”

Bulls to put struggling Ulster to sword

The Bulls will have to do battle without livewire Bok scrumhalf Embrose Papier but still boast a formidable line-up to tackle an Ulster side that’s been hot and cold so far.

The Bulls will target a bonus-point win, but Ulster have proven to be a tough customer to beat on any day.

The early kick-off and altitude could favour the hosts, helping them make the most of their home-ground advantage.

Bulls Head Coach Johan Ackermann said: “Ulster are a side with a rich history. They have a great history of international players, including Marcel Coetzee and Ruan Pienaar, and they now have top players like Angus Bell and Juardo Augustus.

“They keep the ball in play for long and are highly skilled with big backs. We know we must be better than we were against Stade Français last weekend.”

*Also read: Bok blow for Bulls; surgery confirmed

Stormers to continue winning streak against Scarlets.

The Stormers will aim to keep their unbeaten record intact against the Llanelli-based side since the inception of the URC.

They have claimed big scalps against the Welsh side before, including a 34-0 victory away from home last season.

John Dobson went all out with his team selection, but the big talking point is scrumhalf Haashim Pead, who earns his first start after two appearances off the bench.

A full five points would be the key focus for the Capetonians before Ulster visits the following week heading into the international break.

Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson said: “We have four players in Markus Muller, Riley Norton, Olly Reid and Yaqeen Ahmed who are young enough to be playing for the Stormers Bolts, along with the likes of Deon Fourie who is the second most-capped player of all time for this club.

“There are some really dynamic combinations both in the starting line-up and the replacements bench, and they will all be tested against a Scarlets team that has made an impressive start to the season.

“We have enjoyed some great support this month, and everyone is looking forward to an electric atmosphere at DHL Stadium once again.”

*See all the teams and predictions below!

Friday, October 23

Cardiff v Sharks

(Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff – Kick-off: 19.45 IRE & UK; 20.45 SAST; 18.45 GMT)

Prediction:

Rugby365: Cardiff by three points

Teams:

Cardiff: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Josh Adams, 13 Le Roux Malan, 12 Steff Emanuel, 11 Harri Millard, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Johan Mulder, 8 Taine Basham, 7 James Botham, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Josh McNally, 3 Javan Sebastian, 2 Liam Belcher (captain), 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Evan Lloyd, 17 Danny Southworth, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Tom Manz, 20 Semisi Paea, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Callum Sheedy, 23 Tom Bowen

Sharks: 15 Zekhethelo Siyaya, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 André Esterhuizen (captain), 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Nick Hatton, 7 Manu Tshituka, 6 Matt Romao, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Hanro Jacobs, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Phatu Ganyane.
Replacements: 16 Ethan Bester, 17 Ox Nché, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Stephan Lewies, 20 Vincent Tshituka, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Jaco Williams.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse (WRU), Carwyn Sion (WRU)
TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)

Connacht v Zebre Parma
(Dexcom Stadium, Galway – Kick-off: 19.45 IRE & UK; 20.45 CEST; 18.45 GMT)

Prediction:

Rugby365: Connacht by 12 points

Teams:

Connacht: 15 Sam Gilbert, 14 Finn Treacy, 13 Harry West, 12 Cathal Forde, 11 Mack Hansen, 10 Ciarán Frawley, 9 Colm Reilly, 8 Sean Jansen, 7 Paul Boyle, 6 Cian Prendergast (captain), 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Niall Murray, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Eoin de Buitléar, 1 Jerry Cahir
Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Jordan Duggan, 18 Sam Illo, 19 David O’Connor, 20 Will Connors, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Sean Naughton, 23 Daniel Ryan

Zebre: 15 Mirko Belloni, 14 Tobias Wade, 13 Marco Zanon, 12 Riccardo Casarin, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giovanni Montemauri, 9 Alessandro Fusco (captain), 8 Davide Ruggeri, 7 Jacopo Botturi, 6 Giacomo Ferrari, 5 Alessandro Ortombina, 4 Francesco Ruffolo, 3 Muhamed Hasa, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Sergio Pelliccioli
Replacements: 16 Giampietro Ribaldi, 17 Federico Pisani, 18 Juan Ignacio Castellano, 19 Matteo Canali, 20 Bautista Stavile, 21 Thomas Dominguez, 22 Giacomo Da Re, 23 Leonardo Sodo

Referee: Hanru van Rooyen (SARU)
Assistant referees: Jack MacNeice (IRFU), Sam Holt (IRFU)
TMO: Egon Seconds (SARU)

Edinburgh v Lions
(Hive Stadium, Edinburgh – Kick-off: 19.45 IRE & UK; 20.45 SAST; 18.45 GMT)

Prediction:

Rugby365: Edinburgh by seven points

Teams:

Edinburgh: 15 Piers O’Conor, 14 Geordie Gwynn, 13 Matt Currie (co-captain), 12 Mosese Tuipulotu, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 James Grayson, 9 Hector Patterson,8 Magnus Bradbury (co-captain), 7 Tom Currie, 6 Liam McConnell, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 4 Glen Young, 3 Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Harri Morris, 17 Jamie Stewart, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Marshall Sykes, 20 Tom Dodd, 21 Conor McAlpine, 22 Cammy Scott, 23 Harry Paterson

Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Bronson Mills 11 Erich Cronje, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Francke Horne (captain), 7 Batho Hlekani, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Morné Brandon, 1 Boan Venter.
Replacements: 16 PJ Botha, 17 SJ Kotze, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Dylan Sjoblom, 20 Siba Mahashe, 21 Zian Cilliers, 22 Richard Kriel, 23 Boeta Chamberlain.

Referee: Peter Martin (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Mike Adamson (SRU), Rob McDowell (SRU)
TMO: Mark Patton (IRFU)

Saturday, October 24

Bulls v Ulster
(Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – Kick-off: 13.45 SAST; 12.45 IRE & UK; 11.45 GMT)

Prediction:

Rugby365: Bulls by 20 points

Teams:

Bulls: 15 Luan Giliomee, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Cheswill Jooste, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 Reinhardt Ludwig, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Alu Tshakweni, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Curwin Bosch, 23 Dylan Maart.

Ulster: 15 Jacob Stockdale, 14 Chay Mullins, 13 Jamie Benson, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Michael Lowry, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 David McCann, 5 Cormac Izuchukwu, 4 Ben Donnell, 3 Keynan Knox, 2 Tom Stewart (captain), 1 Tom O’Toole
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Eric O’Sullivan, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 James McNabney, 21 Matthew Devine, 22 Jake Flannery, 23 James McKillop

Referee: Ru Campbell (SRU)
Assistant referees: Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU), Sean Muller (SARU)
TMO: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

Stormers v Scarlets
(DHL Stadium, Cape Town – Kick-off: 16.00 SAST; 15.00 IRE & UK; 14.00 GMT)

Prediction:

Rugby365: Stormers by 22 points

Teams:

Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Markus Muller, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Haashim Pead, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Evan Roos, 6 Paul de Villiers (captain), 5 Connor Evans, 4 Riley Norton, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: 16 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 17 Olly Reid, 18 Neethling Fouché, 19 Adré Smith, 20 JD Schickerling, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Yaqeen Ahmed.

Scarlets: 15 Ioan Nicholas, 14 Ioan Jones, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Macs Page, 10 Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, 9 Dane Blacker, 8 Fletcher Anderson, 7 Josh Macleod (captain), 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Alex Groves, 3 Harri O’Connor, 2 John McKee, 1 Kemsley Mathias
Replacements: 16 George Roberts, 17 Sam O’Connor, 18 Gabe Hawley, 19 Harvey Cuckson, 20 Dan Davis, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Gareth Anscombe, 23 Isaac Murray-Macgregor

Referee: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Christopher Allison (SARU); Juan de Bod (SARU)
TMO: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)

Benetton v Glasgow Warriors
(Stadio Monigo, Treviso – Kick-off: 16.00 CEST; 15.00 IRE & UK; 14.00 GMT)

Prediction:

Rugby365: Glasgow Warriors by 15 points

Teams:

Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Federico Zanandrea, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Matt Gallagher, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Lamaro (captain), 6 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 5 Mattia Midena, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Bautista Bernasconi, 1 Matias Medrano
Replacements: 16 Siua Maile, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Marcos Gallorini, 19 Piero Gritti, 20 Antony Miranda, 21 Manuel Zuliani, 22 Louis Werchon, 23 Paolo Odogwu

Glasgow Warriors: 15 Kyle Rowe, 14 Kyle Steyn (captain), 13 Stafford McDowall, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Ollie Smith, 10 Matthew Urwin, 9 Jamie Dobie, 8 Euan Ferrie, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Max Williamson, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 Seb Stephen, 1 Rory Sutherland
Replacements: 16 Gregor Hiddleston, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Murphy Walker, 19 Alex Craig, 20 Jare Oguntibeju, 21 Gregor Brown, 22 Callum Reidy, 23 Bayley Kuenzle

Referee: Griffin Colby (SARU)
Assistant referees: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR), Lorenzo Negro (FIR)
TMO: Egon Seconds (SARU)

Leinster v Munster
(Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Kick-off: 18.00 IRE & UK; 17.00 GMT)

Prediction:

Rugby365: Leinster by 10 points

Teams:

Leinster: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Jamie Osborne, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Jimmy O’Brien, 10 Joey Carbery, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Dan Sheehan (captain), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Rónan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Gus McCarthy, 17 Alex Usanov, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Conor O’Tighearnaigh, 20 Scott Penny, 21 Fintan Gunne, 22 Caspar Gabriel, 23 Charlie Tector

Munster: 15 Ben O’Connor, 14 Shay McCarthy, 13 Seán O’Brien, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Shane Daly, 10 Charlie O’Shea, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 Alex Kendellen, 6 Jack O’Donoghue, 5 Tadhg Beirne (captain), 4 Fineen Wycherley, 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Josh Wycherley
Replacements: 16 Max Clein, 17 Mark Donnelly, 18 Michael Ala’alatoa, 19 Seán Edogbo, 20 Brian Gleeson, 21 Ben O’Donovan, 22 JJ Hanrahan, 23 Gordon Wood

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Keane Davison (IRFU), Dan Carson (IRFU)
TMO: Colin Stanley (IRFU)

Ospreys v Dragons
(St. Helen’s, Swansea – Kick-off: 19.00 IRE & UK; 18.00 GMT)

Prediction:

Rugby365: Dragons by one point

Teams:

Ospreys: 15 Tom Rogers, 14 Iestyn Hopkins, 13 Owen Watkin (co-captain), 12 Keiran Williams, 11 Keelan Giles, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Reuben Morgan-Williams, 8 Morgan Morris, 7 Harri Deaves, 6 Liam Wright, 5 Ryan Smith, 4 Rhys Davies, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Sam Parry (co-captain), 1 Gareth Thomas
Replacements: 16 Efan Daniel, 17 Steffan Thomas, 18 Rhys Henry, 19 James Ratti, 20 Ross Moriarty, 21 Luke Davies, 22 Lawson Creighton, 23 Lalakai Foketi

Dragons: 15 Rio Dyer, 14 Jared Rosser, 13 Fetuli Paea, 12 Aneurin Owen, 11 Anzelo Tuitavuki, 10 Tinus de Beer, 9 Rhodri Williams, 8 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 7 Harry Beddall, 6 Barny Langton-Cryer, 5 Ben Carter (captain), 4 Seb Davies, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Rodrigo Martinez
Replacements: 16 Oli Burrows, 17 Jordan Morris, 18 Chris Coleman, 19 Matthew Screech, 20 Evan Minto, 21 Che Hope, 22 Jac Lloyd, 23 Fine Inisi

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Assistant referees: Craig Evans (WRU), Ben Breakspear (WRU)
TMO: Adam Jones (WRU)