Kicking up a storm… A round of United Rugby Championship matches a week before the start of the 6 Nations with most of the current test squads away in training camps doesn’t seem like the most enticing prospect to the casual fan. For rugby nerds it is a chance to see up and coming rugby stars and squad players get a rare opportunity to show what they can do. The points on offer are just the same as in any ... Read more...
Kicking up a storm…
A round of United Rugby Championship matches a week before the start of the 6 Nations with most of the current test squads away in training camps doesn’t seem like the most enticing prospect to the casual fan. For rugby nerds it is a chance to see up and coming rugby stars and squad players get a rare opportunity to show what they can do. The points on offer are just the same as in any other match, and just as vital to moving up (or down) the table to qualify for the play-offs and next year’s Champions Cup.
Ulster (10th.), Munster (12th.) and Connacht (14th.) are all in the bottom half of the table and could badly do with a win to move up the table. In stark contrast to recent years, Wales now have three teams in the top half of the table: Cardiff (3rd.), Scarlets (6.th) and Ospreys (8th.) but bonus point wins for the Irish provinces could move all or any of them into the top half.
I will update this post with match summaries after each match is completed.
Leinster vs. Stormers, today 17.00
Leinster minus about 22 international squad players are up against a Stormers side stacked with Springboks at Lansdowne Road. They have never beaten the Stormers before, so this would be a very good (and difficult) time to start and maintain their unbeaten run this season. Leinster field academy players Henry McErlean and Andrew Osborne at full back and wing, respectively, so we can expect the Stormers to test them early with some high balls in what are expected to be cold and wet conditions. Rory McGuire, Diarmuid Mangan, and Charlie Tector are three further academy players on the bench.
But Leinster can also boast some test class talent with James Lowe and Dan Sheehan just back from medium/long term injury, and Jordie Barrett, RG Snyman and Rabah Slimani aren’t bad either! Other former internationals include Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath, and Max Deegan. The real concern must be for the uncapped loosehead Jack Boyle (released from the Ireland squad for this match) who is up against a test class tighthead in Fouché and possibly the best tighthead in the world in Frans Malherbe coming off the bench. His back-up is Paddy McCarthy, an academy tighthead switching to loosehead and so he may have to put in a long stint perhaps against a Frans Malherbe fresh off the bench in the closing minutes.
The Stormers also boast Springboks in Warrick Geland and Manie Libbok and a back row of Dion Fourie, BJ Dixon and Evan Roos, so should have the edge towards the end of the match. They lost 22-32 to Racing 92 in Paris last week-end but have clearly targeted this match by bringing back all their front liners. They should win unless the Leinster tyros do something extraordinary to maintain their unbeaten record this season.
Leinster managed to attract over 40,000 to Lansdowne rd. for the Champions Cup against Bath last week-end. Doing something similar against the Stormers in the URC with 22 international players not available will be quite a challenge.
LEINSTER: H McErlean; A Osborne, L Turner, J Barrett, J Lowe; R Byrne, L McGrath; J Boyle, D Sheehan (capt), R Slimani; RG Snyman, B Deeny; A Soroka, S Penny, M Deegan. Replacements: J McKee, P McCarthy, R McGuire, D Mangan, J Culhane, W Connors, C Foley, C Tector.
STORMERS: W Gelant; B Loader, R Nel, J Roche, L Zas; M Libbok, P de Wet; A Vermaak, J Dweba, N Fouche; JD Schickerling, R van Heerden; D Fourie, B-J Dixon, E Roos. Replacements: A-H Venter, B Harris, F Malherbe, S Moerat, M Theunissen, P de Villiers, H Jantjies, W Simelane.
Dragons vs Munster, today, 19.35.
Dragons are rock bottom of the table but have lost only three players to the Welsh squad whereas Munster have lost Tadgh Beirne, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley and Calvin Nash and also have a lengthy injury list of test class players including Jeremy Loughman, Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Jean Kleyn, Craig Casey, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams and Mike Haley. Last years Irish U20’s star Ben O’Connor starts and other academy players Kieran Ryan, Evan O’Connell, and Danny Sheahan (on debut) get their chance to impress.
Dragons can be tough and physical opponents, especially at home, while Munster are coming off a good performance against Northampton but have been inconsistent. However, I would expect Munster to still have too much quality for the Dragons and eventually force a win.
Dragons: H Anderson; R Dyer, A Owen, H Ackerman, J Rosser; L Evans, M Lloyd; R Martinez, B Coghlan, C Coleman; J Davies, R Woodman; S Lewis-Hughes, D Lydiate, T Basham. Replacements: J Benjamin, D Kelleher-Griffiths, P Latu, B Langton-Cryer, G Young, D Blacker, W Reed, H Wilson.
Munster: B O’Connor; D Kilgallen, T Farrell, R Scannell, S Daly; B Burns, E Coughlan; D Bleuler, D Barron, O Jager; F Wycherley, T Ahern; J O’Donoghue (capt), A Kendellen, G Coombes. Replacements: D Sheahan, K Ryan, J Ryan, E O’Connell, B Gleeson, P Patterson, T Butler, J Hodnett.
Glasgow vs. Connacht, Sunday 15.30 (rearranged from Friday due to storm Éowyn).
Connacht have a terrible away record in Scotland, having never beaten Glasgow away, and Edinburgh only once. However, there is no better time to meet the Champions, Glasgow, than when they are missing 12 players to the Scotland squad. Connacht are also missing Final Bealham, Cian Prendergast, Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki, Cathal Forde and Ben Murphy with the Ireland squad, and are down to bare bones in some positions with Irish u.20 Finn Treacy making his debut off the bench.
However, I have a suspicion that Connacht could sneak this one if they can maintain the form they have shown in the Challenge Cup. Missing both Aki and Forde from the 12 position puts a lot of pressure on David Hawkshaw who is a good, but different, type of player. A lot depends on how good the Glasgow back-up squad are and whether Connacht can improve their away form.
Glasgow Warriors: J McKay, S Cancelliere, O Smith, D Munn, F Cordero, D Weir (C), B Afshar, P Schickerling, J Matthews, F Richardson, E Ferrie, A Samuel, A Miller, H Venter, Jack Mann. Replacements: G Stewart, N McBeth, S Talakai, M Duncan, J Roberts, A Fraser, S Kennedy, K Johnston.
Connacht: S Cordero, C Mullins, P O’Conor, D Hawkshaw, B Ralston, JJ Hanrahan, C Blade, P Dooley, D Heffernan, J Aungier, D O’Connor, J Joyce (C), J Murphy, S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen. Replacements: D Tierney-Martin, J Duggan, S Illo, O Dowling, P Boyle, M Devine, J Carty, F Treacy.
Ulster vs. Zebre, Sunday 17.30
Playing Zebre at home must be about as easy as it gets in the URC with Ulster only missing Rob Herring, Iain Henderson, Tom O’Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu and James MacNabney and Zebre also missing three players to the Italy squad. However Zebre have shown signs of life this season, beating Munster at home, and should not be taken too lightly.
Ulster have had to bring Rob Lyttle back from professional retirement because of all their injuries in the backs (and lack of confidence in their academy players? – some of whom starred for the Ireland u.20s last season?) Ulster are coming off good wins against Connacht and Exeter and should register a bonus point win if they can maintain that sort of form.
It is expected to be cold and wet in Ravenhill Sunday evening, so it will be interesting to see what sort of crowd Ulster can attract to one of their least attractive fixtures of the season.
Ulster: S Moore; M Lowry, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, Z Ward; J Murphy, J Cooney; E O’Sullivan, T Stewart, S Wilson, H Sheridan, K Treadwell, L McLoughlin, N Timoney (c), D McCann. Replacements: J Andrew, C Reid, C Barrett, A O’Connor, Matty Rea, N Doak, J Flannery, R Lyttle.
Zebre: G Da Re; A Gesi, F Paea, D Mazza, S Gregory; G Montemauri, G Garcia; P Buonfiglio, L Bigi, M Hasa, M Canali, L Krunov, R Nasove, B Stavile Bravin, G Licata. Replacements: G Quattrini, L Franceschetto, J Pitinari, G Ferrari, L Andreani, T Dominguez, L Morisi, S Brisighella.
