RaboDirect PRO12 : PREVIEW 2012/13 Round 21: 19th – 21st April 2013 ROUND 21 PREVIEWS It was all change yet again at the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 table following round 20 with Ulster retaking the top position, whilst Glasgow Warriors slipped to third. And with just two rounds left, and a maximum of ten points on offer, five teams are still vying for the four Play-Off places. The game of this round must be 4th placed Ospreys visit to Scotstoun to play third in the table Glasgow Warriors on Friday night. Having lost to another Play-Off contender, Scarlets, last time out, Warriors have slipped to their lowest point in the table since Christmas, whilst if they have to have any hope of retaining their title, Ospreys must ensure they make the Play- Offs so both teams know every point counts. Leaders Ulster are also in action on Friday night facing a trip to ninth placed Connacht and must be wary of the fact Connacht have not lost at the Sportsground in 2013 and won this equivalent fixture last season. Fifth placed Scarlets will have a chance to catch up on the top four when they face Cardiff Blues on Saturday, knowing they have won their last 7 matches against the Blues in all tournaments. The final match of the round sees second placed Leinster breaking new ground when they take on Zebre at Stadio Citta del Tricolore in Reggio Emilia, Italy. It is the first time a RaboDirect PRO12 game has been played there, the game has been moved to the larger venue to help raise funds for victims of the earthquake that hit the region last year. ROUND 21 FIXTURES Friday 19 April BENETTON TREVISO v EDINBURGH RUGBY At Stadio Monigo, 8.30pm local time (7.30pm UK & Ireland). Live on Referee: Mark Patton (IRFU, 2nd competition game) Assistant Referees: Stefano Traversi, Simone Boaretto (both FIR) Citing Commissioner: Alberto Recaldini (FIR) TMO: Stefano Marrama (FIR) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue B E Benetton Treviso scorers Edinburgh Rugby scorers Fri 5 Nov 10 Murrayfield 9 21 Tobias Botes(3P) David Blair(C/3P) Kyle Traynor(T) Netani Talei(T) Fri 6 May 11 Stadio Monigo 31 6 Luke McLean(2T) Willem de Waal(2C/4P) Chris Paterson(2P) Lorenzo Cittadini(T) Sat 5 Nov 11 Stadio Monigo 11 22 Kris Burton(D/P) Ludovico Nitoglia(T) Harry Leonard(C/5P) Allan Jacobsen(T) Sat 5 May 12 Murrayfield 21 44 Tommaso Benvenuti(T) Edoardo Gori(T) David Denton(T) Greig Laidlaw(T/5C/3P) Kris Burton(3C) Ludovico Nitoglia(T) Chris Paterson(T) Kyle Traynor(T) Tim Visser(T) Fri 5 Oct 12 Murrayfield 27 22 Robert Barbieri(2T) Alberto di Dougie Fife(T) Greig Laidlaw(2C/P) Lee Bernardo(3C/2P) Penalty Try(T) Jones(T) Tim Visser(T) Benetton Treviso’s three game unbeaten run in the RaboDirect PRO12 ended in Swansea on Saturday evening. The Italians have won their last four games in all competitions at Stadio Monigo since their 13-14 defeat there to Leicester in the European Cup on 15th December. Treviso have won just one of their last six games against Scottish opponents. Edinburgh Rugby’s two game winning run in the PRO12 came to a halt at home to Connacht on Friday. The Scotsmen’s only away win in the PRO12 since September was also in Italy against Zebre on 29th March. Edinburgh have lost just one of their last six encounters with Italian opposition: 22-27 to Treviso at Murrayfield in October 2012. Edinburgh have the slight edge in previous contests with Treviso, gaining three wins to two. Page 1 of 13 RaboDirect PRO12 : PREVIEW 2012/13 Round 21: 19th – 21st April 2013 CONNACHT v ULSTER At Sportsground , 7.45pm. Live on Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 47th competition game) Assistant Referees: Leo Colgan, B O’Connell (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: Eugene Ryan (IRFU) TMO: Seamus Flannery (IRFU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue C U Connacht scorers Ulster scorers Fri 7 May 10 Ravenhill 10 41 Ian Keatley(C/P) Ronan Loughney(T) Dan Tuohy(T) Ian Humphreys(T/3C/P) Jamie Smith(T) Andy Kyriacou(T) Niall O'Connor(C) Simon Danielli(T) Ian Whitten(T) Sat 25 Sep 10 Sportsground 15 15 Ian Keatley(5P) Paddy Wallace(4P) Niall O'Connor(P) Fri 22 Apr 11 Ravenhill 16 27 Sean Cronin(T) Ian Keatley(C/D/2P) Adam D'Arcy(T) Rory Best(T) Darren Cave(T) Ian Humphreys(3C/2P) Sat 5 Nov 11 Ravenhill 3 22 Miah Nikora(P) Craig Gilroy(T) Tom Court(T) Ian Humphreys(T/2C/P) Sat 14 Apr 12 Sportsground 26 21 Tiernan O'Halloran(T) Gavin Duffy(T) Paddy Jackson(T/C/3P) Paul Marshall(T) Miah Nikora(T/C/3P) Fri 5 Oct 12 Ravenhill 0 25 Paddy Jackson(2C/2P) Luke Marshall(T) Nick Williams(T) Penalty Try(T) Connacht’s solitary reversal in their last five RaboDirect PRO12 fixtures was 0-22 to Munster in Cork on 23rd March. Connacht have won all four matches played at the Sportsground in all competitions in 2013. Connacht’s only win over a fellow Irish province this season came in round 5 when they beat Leinster 34-6 in Galway. Ulster returned to the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 table with their 31-5 victory at home to Newport Gwent Dragons on Friday. The Ulstermen’s only away victory in their last four trips in all competitions was 22-18 over Leinster at RDS on 30th March. Ulster have lost just once against a fellow Irish province this season: 10-24 in Munster on 29th December. Connacht’s only win in their last 13 PRO12 contests with Ulster was 26-21 in this equivalent fixture at the Sportsground last season. GLASGOW WARRIORS v OSPREYS At Scotstoun Stadium , 7.35pm. Live on Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU, 57th competition game) Assistant Referees: TBC Citing Commissioner: Iain Goodall (SRU) TMO: TBC HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue G O Glasgow Warriors scorers Ospreys scorers Fri 14 May 10 Liberty Stadium (SF) 5" 20 Fergus Thomson(T) Dan Biggar(2C/2P) James Hook(T) Shane Williams(T) Sun 24 Oct 10 Firhill Stadium 31 23 Richie Gray(T) Duncan Weir(2C/P) Kevin Dan Biggar(C/2P) Nikki Walker(3T) Tkachuk(T) Ruaridh Jackson(3P) Richie Vernon(T) Sat 5 Mar 11 Liberty Stadium 6 37 Duncan Weir(2P) Ashley Beck(T) Dan Biggar(T/3C/D/P) Jerry Collins(T) Penalty Try(T) Tom Smith(T) Fri 28 Oct 11 Firhill Stadium 28 17 Richie Gray(T) Duncan Weir(C/7P) Matthew Morgan(T/4P) Fri 2 Mar 12 Liberty Stadium 26 20 Ruaridh Jackson(2C/4P) Colin Shaw(T) Dan Biggar(2C/2P) Hanno Dirksen(T) Jon Welsh(T) Kahn Fotuali'i(T) Fri 14 Sep 12 Liberty Stadium 28 10 Chris Fusaro(T) Duncan Weir(2C/2P) Dan Biggar(C/P) Ian Evans(T) DTH van der Merwe(2T) Ruaridh Jackson(P) Page 2 of 13 RaboDirect PRO12 : PREVIEW 2012/13 Round 21: 19th – 21st April 2013 Glasgow Warriors slipped to their lowest position in the RaboDirect PRO12 table since Christmas with their 6-29 defeat at the Scarlets on Friday night. The Warriors have won their last half a dozen encounters played at Scotstoun in all competitions since Castres won there 9-6 in the European Cup on 7th December. Glasgow have suffered just four defeats in their last sixteen matches against Welsh regions, all four losses have been at the hands of the Scarlets. Ospreys’ only defeat in the RaboDirect PRO12 since round 9 was 10-22 to Connacht in Galway on 15th February. The Welshmen have won only one of their last six visits to Scotland, 15-14 over Edinburgh at Murrayfield in February 2012. Glasgow Warriors have won the last three encounters with Ospreys including the 28-10 victory at Liberty Stadium in round three. NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS v MUNSTER At Rodney Parade, 7pm Referee: Claudio Blessano (FIR, 2nd competition game) Assistant Referees: Neil Hennessy, Neil Perkins (both WRU) Citing Commissioner: Denis Jones (WRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue N M Newport Gwent Dragons scorers Munster scorers Sat 6 Mar 10 Rodney Parade 31 22 Will Harries(T) Jason Tovey(2C/4P) Aled Tony Buckley(T) Ronan O'Gara(2C/P) Brew(T) Martyn Thomas(T) Tommy O'Donnell(T) Penalty Try(T) Fri 26 Nov 10 Rodney Parade 20 6 Jason Tovey(2C/D/P) Gavin Thomas(T) Paul Warwick(2P) Tom Riley(T) Sat 5 Mar 11 Musgrave Park 17 38 Jason Tovey(4P) Steve Jones(T) Paul Warwick(2C/3P) Doug Howlett(2T) Mick O'Driscoll(T) Alan Quinlan(T) Johne Murphy(T) Sat 3 Sep 11 Musgrave Park 12 20 Jason Tovey(3P) Steffan Jones(P) Danny Barnes(T) Ian Keatley(2C/2P) Lifeimi Mafi(T) Sat 3 Mar 12 Rodney Parade 14 24 Lewis Robling(3P) Ashley Smith(T) Luke O'Dea(T) Scott Deasy(C/P) Felix Jones(T) Ian Keatley(3P) Sat 22 Sep 12 Thomond Park 13 33 Tom Prydie(P) Lewis Robling(C/P) Dan Conor Murray(T) Ian Keatley(T) Ronan Evans(T) O'Gara(4C) Tommy O'Donnell(T) Niall Ronan(T) Simon Zebo(T) Newport Gwent Dragons have occupied 11th place in the RaboDirect PRO12 table since round 6, slipping to defeat in their last four matches in the competition, and have not been victorious at Rodney Parade since beating Treviso there on 8th February.