Rabodirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 ROUND 15 PREVIEWS ROUND 15 FIXTURES
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 15: 20th – 23rd February 2014 ROUND 15 PREVIEWS With the international weekend kicking off on Friday night, the majority of the RaboDirect PRO12 games take place on Sunday, however Cardiff Blues open round 15 with their game against current champions, Leinster at the Arms Park on Thursday evening and if past form is any guide Cardiff will have their work cut out to claim victory in this match. The sole game on Saturday is also in Wales with Edinburgh Rugby visiting Llanelli to play Scarlets, who missed out last round due to the weather in Belfast. The Scots do not travel well, so Scarlets must be hoping to put their own home record back on track in this fixture. The remaining four games take place on Sunday, with a TV double header in Italy, Benetton Treviso hosting Ulster and Zebre facing another Irish province, Connacht. Connacht’s victory over Edinburgh last time out saw them swap places with Zebre at the foot of the table, which could be reversed if Zebre claim this tie. Ulster on the other hand will be hoping they can make up some ground on the teams above them in the Play-Off zone. At the same time the remaining two Welsh regions will be in action in the principality. Newport Gwent Dragons opponents’ Glasgow Warriors, currently sit in 4th place in the table courtesy of one more win than Ulster, and still have two games in hand over the three teams above them. The outstanding game must be the pick of the weekend, leaders Munster travelling to face 3rd placed Ospreys, who claimed a record victory over Treviso in their last game at the Liberty Stadium. Both teams will be looking for a win to stake their claim for home Play-Off spot. ROUND 15 FIXTURES Thursday 20 February CARDIFF BLUES v LEINSTER At Arms Park, 8.05pm. Live on Referee: Andrew McMenemy (SRU, 27th competition game) Assistant Referees: Gwyn Morris, Greg Morgan (both WRU) Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU) TMO: Paul Adams (WRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue C L Cardiff Blues scorers Leinster scorers Sat 19 Feb 11 Cardiff City Stadium 11 3 Dan Fish(T) Ceri Sweeney(2P) Isa Nacewa(P) Fri 2 Dec 11 Royal Dublin Society 9 52 Ceri Sweeney(3P) Leo Auva'a(T) Dave Kearney(2T) Ian Madigan(T) Isaac Boss(T) Fergus McFadden(3C/D/3P) Jonathan Sexton(2C) Nathan White(T) Sat 7 Jan 12 Cardiff City Stadium 19 23 Gethin Jenkins(T) Dan Parks(D) Leigh Rob Kearney(T) Fergus McFadden(P) Sean Halfpenny(C/3P) O'Brien(T) Jonathan Sexton(2C/2P) Sat 27 Oct 12 Royal Dublin Society 22 59 Alex Cuthbert(T) Tom James(T) Leigh Jordi Murphy(T) Fionn Carr(T) Cian Halfpenny(T/2C/P) Healy(T) Jamie Heaslip(2T) Dave Kearney(T) Ian Madigan(T) Damian Browne(T) Jonathan Sexton(7C) Richardt Strauss(T) Fri 8 Feb 13 Arms Park 11 26 Rhys Patchell(2P) Jason Tovey(T) Jordi Murphy(T) Ian Madigan(2C/4P) Isaac Boss(T) Fri 27 Sep 13 Royal Dublin Society 20 34 Rhys Patchell(C) Cory Allen(T) Alex Dominic Ryan(T) Sean Cronin(T) Ian Cuthbert(T) Leigh Halfpenny(C/2P) Madigan(T/4C/2P) Penalty Try(T) Page 1 of 12 RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 15: 20th – 23rd February 2014 Cardiff Blues’ only victory in their last seven RaboDirect PRO12 contests came at home to Newport Gwent Dragons on New Year’s Day. The Blues have beaten an Irish province just once in their last eight encounters: 21-10 against Connacht at the Arms Park in round 2 this season. Leinster have been defeated just once in the PRO12 since round five: 6-11 at Edinburgh on 20th December. The Leinstermen have not been defeated by a Welsh region in any competition since they visited Ospreys in the PRO12 on 4th November 2012. Cardiff Blues have won just one of their last 14 encounters with Leinster since 2007: 11-3 in the PRO12 at the Cardiff City Stadium in February 2011. Saturday 22 February SCARLETS v EDINBURGH RUGBY At Parc y Scarlets, 2.30pm. Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 23rd competition game) Assistant Referees: Sean Brickell, Jonathan Hardy (both WRU) Citing Commissioner: Aurwel Morgan (WRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue S E Scarlets scorers Edinburgh Rugby scorers Thu 24 Feb 11 Parc y Scarlets 11 3 George North(T) Dan Newton(2P) David Blair(P) Fri 7 Oct 11 Parc y Scarlets 33 17 Adam Warren(2T) Richie Pugh(T) Rhys Greig Laidlaw(2C/P) Lee Jones(T) Tim M. Thomas(T) Aled Thomas(2C/3P) Visser(T) Fri 30 Mar 12 Murrayfield 23 26 Jonathan Davies(T) Andy Fenby(T) Rhys David Denton(T) Greig Laidlaw(2C/4P) Priestland(C/3P) Stephen Jones(C) Penalty Try(T) Fri 26 Oct 12 Murrayfield 29 28 Nick Reynolds(T) George North(2T) Harry Leonard(C/7P) Tim Visser(T) Gareth Davies(T) Rhys Priestland(P) Aled Thomas(3C) Fri 1 Mar 13 Parc y Scarlets 14 13 Owen Williams(P) Andy Fenby(T) Aled Dougie Fife(T) Harry Leonard(C/2P) Thomas(2P) Fri 27 Sep 13 Murrayfield 22 9 Nick Reynolds(T) Jordan Williams(T) Harry Leonard(3P) Jonathan Davies(T) Rhys Priestland(2C/P) Scarlets round 14 game in Ulster fell foul of the weather, The Welshmen’s’ 41-33 victory in Treviso in round 13 ended a four game losing run in the RaboDirect PRO12. Scarlets have won just two of their last six home games in the tournament - against Treviso and Ulster. Edinburgh Rugby have slipped to defeat in their last two PRO12 matches against, Glasgow Warriors and Connacht, whilst their only away victory in the competition since December 2012 came at Zebre in March. The Scotsmen have won just once in their last 17 visits to Wales since 2009, 21-19 over the Blues at the Arms Park in September 2012. The Scarlets have won six of their last seven fixtures against Edinburgh, the loss being 23-26 at Murrayfield on 30th March 2012, whilst Edinburgh’s only victory at Parc y Scarlets was 17-16 in December 2009. Sunday 23 February BENETTON TREVISO v ULSTER At Stadio Monigo, 3pm local time (2pm UK & Ireland) Live on Referee: George Clancy (IRFU, 59th competition game) Assistant Referees: TBA, Andrea Spadoni (both FIR) Citing Commissioner: Alberto Recaldini (FIR) TMO: Carlo Damasco (FIR) Page 2 of 12 RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 15: 20th – 23rd February 2014 HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue B U Benetton Treviso scorers Ulster scorers Fri 7 Jan 11 Ravenhill Stadium 13 32 Willem de Waal(C/2P) Gonzalo Padro(T) Adam D'Arcy(T) Nevin Spence(T) Rory Best(T) Ian Humphreys(3C/2P) Ruan Pienaar(T) Fri 7 Oct 11 Ravenhill Stadium 23 12 Kris Burton(T/2C/3P) Penalty Try(T) Ian Humphreys(C) Pedrie Wannenburg(2T) Sat 24 Mar 12 Stadio Monigo 23 27 Kris Burton(2C/2D/P) Enrico Ceccato(T) Chris Henry(T) Paddy Wallace(T) Ruan Alberto di Bernardo(T) Pienaar(3C/2P) Ian Whitten(T) Fri 23 Nov 12 Stadio Monigo 15 16 Alberto di Bernardo(C/P) Brendan Peter Nelson(T) Niall O'Connor(C/3P) Williams(T) Ludovico Nitoglia(T) Fri 1 Mar 13 Ravenhill Stadium 29 29 Robert Barbieri(T) Alberto di Paddy Jackson(2C/5P) Stuart Olding(T) Bernardo(3C/P) Dean Budd(3T) Andrew Trimble(T) Fri 27 Sep 13 Ravenhill Stadium 13 32 Robert Barbieri(T) Mat Berquist(P) Paddy Jackson(2C/P) Luke Marshall(T) Alberto di Bernardo(C/P) Mike Allen(2T) Rory Best(T) Tommy Bowe(T) Benetton Treviso have slipped to five straight defeats in all competitions since beating Zebre over Christmas. Treviso were defeated by the Scarlets in their most recent home game in the PRO12 and have not lost successive matches in the tournament at Stadio Monigo since November 2012. Ulster’s only defeat in their last ten fixtures in all tournaments since eerily November was 6-19 to Leinster at the RDS in the PRO12 on 28th December. The Ulstermen’s only previous defat to an Italian opponent came in October 2011 at Ravenhill when Treviso were the visitors. The two sides have met on 13 previous occasions in all tournaments with Ulster winning 11, Treviso 1 and one match drawn, however curiously Ulster have won on all six previous visits to Stadio Monigo. NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS v GLASGOW WARRIORS At Rodney Parade, 2.30pm Referee: Matteo Liperini (FIR, 6th competition game) Assistant Referees: Rhys Thomas, Martyn Lewis (both WRU) Citing Commissioner: Russell Howell (WRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue N G Newport Gwent Dragons scorers Glasgow Warriors scorers Fri 25 Feb 11 Firhill Stadium 16 16 Jason Tovey(C/P) Andrew Coombs(T) Duncan Weir(C/3P) Aly Muldowney(T) Matt Jones(2P) Fri 7 Oct 11 Firhill Stadium 19 24 Jason Tovey(P) Matt Jones(C/3P) Martyn Duncan Weir(8P) Thomas(T) Sun 4 Dec 11 Rodney Parade 14 14 Jason Tovey(2P) Steffan Jones(P) Tom Ruaridh Jackson(3P) Scott Wight(T) Riley(T) Fri 2 Nov 12 Scotstoun Stadium 6 37 Tom Prydie(2P) Gordon Reid(T) Tommy Seymour(2T) Peter Murchie(T) Tom Ryder(T) Scott Wight(3C/2P) Fri 15 Feb 13 Rodney Parade 3 60 Tom Prydie(P) Josh Strauss(T) Duncan Weir(5C/2P) Mark Bennett(T) Nikola Matawalu(T) Alex Dunbar(T) Tim Swinson(2T) Taylor Paris(T) Scott Wight(2C) Fraser Thomson(T) Fri 22 Nov 13 Scotstoun Stadium 23 8 Will Harries(T) Jason Tovey(T/2C/D/2P) Henry Pyrgos(P) Nikola Matawalu(T) Newport Gwent Dragons only victory in their last five RaboDirect PRO12 matches came at home to Cardiff Blues on Boxing Day.