RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 10: 20 & 21 December 2013 ROUND 10 PREVIEWS The focus returns once again to the RaboDirect PRO12 after two weeks of European competition, with Irish Provinces topping three of the six Heineken Cup Pools. Ulster are the stand-out performers so far, the only team with a 100 per cent winning record still left in the competition, garnering 18 pool points in the process. Munster and Leinster, both also past winners of the trophy, top their respective pools, whilst Cardiff Blues, the top placed Welsh Region, are only two points shy of their pool leaders, reigning champions Toulon. The Irish provinces are faring well in the RaboDirect PRO12 as well, with three of the four Play-Off places taken up by them, Munster pulling out a four point lead at the top of the table as the half-way point of the season approaches. They are in action at Musgrave Park on Saturday evening when they face Scarlets, the Welsh region having won at this venue last time they visited. The round starts off on Friday night with the remaining three teams currently in the Play-Off Zone – Leinster, Glasgow Warriors and Ulster - all in action. Second placed Leinster travel to Murrayfield buoyed by the fact they have won their last five contests with Edinburgh, whilst in Glasgow, Benetton Treviso are the visitors. Having led in the early part of the season Warriors now reside in third place in the table, level on points with Ulster and need a win to keep their season on track. The remaining top-four team, Ulster, will be looking to maintain their near perfect record against Italian teams when Zebre run out at Ravenhill. ROUND 10 FIXTURES Friday 20 December CARDIFF BLUES v OSPREYS At Arms Park, 7.05pm. Live on Referee: Jerome Garces (FFR, 5th competition game) Assistant Referees: Rhys Thomas, Sean Brickell (both WRU) Citing Commissioner: John Charles (WRU) TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue C O Cardiff Blues scorers Ospreys scorers Fri 31 Dec 10 Cardiff City Stadium 27 25 Tom James(T) Richard Mustoe(T) Dan Dan Biggar(P) Andrew Bishop(T) Tommy Parks(C/2D/2P) Ceri Sweeney(P) Bowe(T) James Hook(2C/P) Paul James(T) Sat 2 Apr 11 Liberty Stadium 21 21 Dan Parks(2D/5P) Dan Biggar(D/5P) James Hook(D) Sun 1 Jan 12 Liberty Stadium 12 17 Dan Parks(D) Leigh Halfpenny(3P) Dan Biggar(2P) Matthew Morgan(2P) Tommy Bowe(T) Sat 14 Apr 12 Cardiff City Stadium 12 33 Leigh Halfpenny(4P) Dan Biggar(3C/4P) Alun-Wyn Jones(T) Adam Jones(T) Tom Smith(T) Fri 30 Nov 12 Liberty Stadium 12 33 Rhys Patchell(2P) Ceri Sweeney(2P) James King(T) Morgan Allen(T) Matthew Morgan(3C/4P) Richard Fussell(T) Sat 30 Mar 13 Millennium Stadium 16 23 Leigh Halfpenny(T/C/3P) James King(T) Dan Biggar(2C/3P) Jonathan Spratt(T) Cardiff Blues only defeat in their last five games in all tournaments was 10-31 at home to Munster in the RaboDirect PRO12 on 23rd November. The Blues have not beaten a fellow Welsh Region, excepting The Dragons, since Ospreys visited the Cardiff City Stadium on New Year’s Eve 2010. Ospreys have won just two of their last five PRO12 encounters, at home to both Dragons and Zebre. Ospreys have been defeated in their last four away games in all competitions since they visited Connacht in the PRO12, on 28th September. Ospreys have won their last nine PRO12 fixtures against fellow Welsh Regions since losing 20-21 to the Dragons at Rodney Parade on 6th January 2012. The Blues have already defeated Ospreys this season in the Anglo-Welsh Cup at Liberty Stadium, but in the PRO12 have not won against their rivals since 31st December 2010. Page 1 of 12 RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 10: 20 & 21 December 2013 EDINBURGH RUGBY v LEINSTER At Murrayfield, 7.35pm. Live on Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 52nd Competition game) Assistant Referees: Andrew McMenemy, TBC (both SRU) Citing Commissioner: Iain Goodall (SRU) TMO: Iain Ramage (SRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue E L Edinburgh Rugby scorers Leinster scorers Fri 24 Sep 10 Murrayfield 32 24 David Blair(T/C/P) Geoff Cross(T) Mark Jamie Heaslip(T) Rob Kearney(T/P) Isa Robertson(T) Chris Paterson(2C/P) Tim Nacewa(C/3P) Visser(T) Sat 30 Oct 10 Royal Dublin Society 18 19 Chris Paterson(T/C/2P) Tim Visser(T) Andrew Conway(T) Isa Nacewa(C/4P) Fri 28 Oct 11 Murrayfield 28 36 Matt Scott(T) Greig Laidlaw(2C/3P) Tim Leo Auva'a(T) Isaac Boss(T) Fergus Visser(2T) McFadden(P) Jonathan Sexton(C/D/6P) Fri 13 Apr 12 Royal Dublin Society 13 54 Nick de Luca(T) Greig Laidlaw(C/2P) Leo Auva'a(T) Brendan Macken(T) Fionn Carr(T) Sean Cronin(T) Ian Madigan(2C) Shane Jennings(T) Fergus McFadden(T/P) Devin Toner(T) Isa Nacewa(T/2C/P) Sat 22 Sep 12 Royal Dublin Society 16 22 WP Nel(T) Greig Laidlaw(C/3P) Brendan Macken(2T) Jonathan Sexton(T/2C/P) Fri 4 Jan 13 Murrayfield 16 31 WP Nel(T) Piers Francis(C/D) Greig Gordon D'Arcy(T) Ian Madigan(T) Penalty Laidlaw(2P) Try(T) Jonathan Sexton(T/4C/P) Edinburgh have won four of their last six games in all competitions, whilst at home in the RaboDirect PRO12 they have been defeated only once since April: 9-22 to the Scarlets in round 4. The Scotsmen’s’ only defeat to an Irish Province at Murrayfield in their last four such matches was 24-32 to Connacht on 12th April. Leinster’s 9-18 European Cup loss to Northampton on Saturday at Aviva Stadium ended a seven game winning run in all competitions. Away from home the Leinstermen have won their last four encounters since their 15-19 reversal to Munster at Thomond Park in the PRO12 on 5th October. Leinster have already been defeated in Scotland this season going down 6- 12 to Glasgow at Scotstoun on 20th September. Leinster have won their last five fixtures with Edinburgh, whilst the Scotsmen’s only win in their last eight contests with the Irish Province since 2009 was 32-24 at Murrayfield in September 2010. GLASGOW WARRIORS v BENETTON TREVISO At Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm. Referee: Claudio Blessano (FIR, 5th competition game) Assistant Referees: David Changleng, Bob Nevins (both SRU) Citing Commissioner: John Kirk (SRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue G B Glasgow Warriors scorers Benetton Treviso scorers Fri 18 Mar 11 Firhill Stadium 25 17 Duncan Weir(2C/2P) Alex Dunbar(T) Aly Willem de Waal(2C/P) Ludovico Nitoglia(T) Muldowney(T) Jon Welsh(T) Michele Rizzo(T) Sat 16 Apr 11 Stadio Monigo 16 19 Ruaridh Jackson(C/3P) Graeme Robert Barbieri(T) Willem de Waal(C/D/3P) Morrison(T) Fri 23 Sep 11 Firhill Stadium 13 15 Duncan Weir(T/C/P) Scott Wight(P) Kris Burton(D/4P) Sun 22 Apr 12 Stadio Monigo 13 8 Duncan Weir(2P) DTH van der Merwe(T) Kris Burton(P) Brendan Williams(T) Ruaridh Jackson(C) Sat 27 Oct 12 Stadio Monigo 24 13 Tommy Seymour(2T) Ruaridh Tobias Botes(P) Kris Burton(C/P) Manoa Jackson(3P) Scott Wight(C/P) Vosawai(T) Fri 4 Jan 13 Scotstoun Stadium 41 7 Duncan Weir(2C) Stuart Hogg(2T) Nikola Kris Burton(C) Francesco Minto(T) Matawalu(T) DTH van der Merwe(T) Tommy Seymour(T) Ruaridh Jackson(3C/2P) Page 2 of 12 RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 10: 20 & 21 December 2013 Glasgow Warriors have slipped to two defeats in their last four RaboDirect PRO12 fixtures, dropping them from top of the table to third. The Warriors won ten successive home games at Scotstoun between December 2012 and October 2013, however since then they have lost their last three matches at the venue in all tournaments. The Scotsmen have been victorious in their last eight contests with Italian opponents since Treviso won 15-13 at Firhill on 23rd September 2011. Benetton Treviso are winless in their last four PRO12 encounters since beating Connacht 23-3 at Stadio Monigo in round 5, although they did draw 26-all at home to Cardiff Blues last time out. The Italians have won only one away game in any competition in 2013: 41-17 at the Scarlets in the PRO12 in round 22 last season. Treviso’s most recent victory in Scotland came against Edinburgh at Murrayfield in October 2012. Glasgow have won their last three matches against Treviso since the Italians victory at Firhill in September 2011. ULSTER v ZEBRE At Ravenhill Stadium , 7.05pm. Live on Referee: Neil Hennessy (WRU, 17th competition game) Assistant Referees: Sean Gallagher, Dermot Blake (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: Wayne Sheridan (IRFU) TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue U Z Ulster scorers Zebre scorers Sun 18 Nov 12 Stadio XXV Aprile 27 25 Paddy Wallace(T) Niall O'Connor(C/5P) Daniel Halangahu(T/C/P) Tito Tebaldi(T) Penalty Try(T) Dries van Schalkwyk(2T) Fri 15 Feb 13 Ravenhill Stadium 26 3 Rob Herring(T) Ricky Andrew(T) Ruan Daniel Halangahu(P) Pienaar(3C) Robbie Diack(2T) Sat 30 Nov 13 Stadio XXV Aprile 19 11 Paddy Jackson(C/4P) Darren Cave(T) Guglielmo Palazzani(T) Gonzalo Garcia(2P) Ulster’s only loss in their last eleven fixtures in all tournaments was 9-17 at the Scarlets in the RaboDirect PRO12 on 2nd November.