RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 18: 28-30 March 2014 PREVIEW ROUND 18 The pick of the round must be the sell-out Leinster v Munster game at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. The two teams currently occupy the home Play-Off slots, but Munster must know that any slip up in Dublin could see third placed Ulster overtake them in the search for that end of season home advantage. The game at Scotstoun on Friday night is also critical to the Play-Offs; Glasgow Warriors currently sit in 5th place in the table just 4 points behind their opponents, Ospreys, but with two games in hand and a better winning record. Should they beat the Welshmen, Glasgow will take over their spot in the Play-Off zone with the added advantage of an extra 10 points to play for to consolidate their position. Sunday’s game, whilst not directly affecting the Play-Off Zone, does have implications in the table - Connacht’s run of four successive victories has lifted them up five places to 7th and they travel to Scarlets in the knowledge that a win, depending on the scoreline, could see them reside in the top half of the table for the first time since the opening round this season. ROUND 18 FIXTURES Friday 28 March GLASGOW WARRIORS v OSPREYS At Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm. Live on Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 34th competition game) Assistant Referees: Peter Allan, TBC (both SRU) Citing Commissioner: Paul Minto (SRU) TMO: TBC HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue G O Glasgow Warriors scorers Ospreys scorers 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) Kahn Jon Welsh(T) 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) Fri 19 Apr 13 Scotstoun Stadium 35 17 Pete Horne(P) Duncan Weir(2C/P) Nikola Sam Lewis(T) Dan Biggar(2C/P) Cai Matawalu(T) DTH van der Merwe(T) Griffiths(T) Ryan Grant(2T) Sean Maitland(T) Fri 29 Nov 13 Liberty Stadium 28 16 Ryan Wilson(T) Stuart Hogg(P) Chris Sam Davies(C/D/2P) Jeff Hassler(T) Cusiter(T) DTH van der Merwe(T) Ruaridh Jackson(2C/2P) Glasgow Warriors have won their last two matches at Scotstoun but have not managed to score more than two tries in a game at the venue in any match this season. The most recent RaboDirect PRO12 fixture featuring the Warriors to yield a try bonus point for either side came when the Ospreys last visited Scotstoun in round 21 last season. Ospreys have slipped to four straight away defeats in all competitions and have not won outside of Wales since a trip to Connacht in the PRO12 in September. The Welshmen’s only victory in their last eight visits to Scotland since 2009 came when they beat Edinburgh 15-14 at Murrayfield in February 2012. Glasgow have won their last five contests with Ospreys whilst the Welsh region’s most recent victory in Glasgow came on a trip to Firhill in September 2009. Page 1 of 12 RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 18: 28-30 March 2014 Saturday 29 March BENETTON TREVISO v EDINBURGH RUGBY At Stadio Monigo, 7pm local time (6pm UK & Ireland). Live on Referee: Nigel Owens (107th competition game) Assistant Referees: Stefano Penne, Stefano Traversi (both FIR) Citing Commissioner: Stefano Marrama (FIR) TMO: Alan Falzone (FIR) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue B E Benetton Treviso scorers Edinburgh Rugby scorers 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) Fri 19 Apr 13 Stadio Monigo 30 10 Alberto di Bernardo(3C/3P) Manoa Matt Scott(T) Greig Laidlaw(C/P) Vosawai(T) Simone Favaro(T) Michele Rizzo(T) Fri 25 Oct 13 Murrayfield 13 20 Luke McLean(T) James Ambrosini(P) WP Nel(T) Greig Tonks(T) Greig Tobias Botes(C/P) Laidlaw(2C/2P) Benetton Treviso have lost their last eight matches in all tournaments and have not scored a try in the RaboDirect PRO12 for 266 minutes, since Leonardo Sarto crossed against Ospreys on 16th February – this is still a long way short of the league record though, which Llanelli RFC hold at 350 minutes. Edinburgh Rugby’s only victory in their last five matches in all tournaments came against Ospreys at Meggetland on 28th February. The Scotsmen have picked up just two league points away from home this season, both losing bonus points, in their last two matches at Connacht and at Scarlets. Edinburgh have won three of their last four matches against Italian opposition. The two sides have met on seven previous occasions with the Scotsmen having the slight edge by four wins to three. CARDIFF BLUES v ULSTER At Arms Park, 6.30pm. Live on Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 25th competition game) Assistant Referees: Gwyn Morris, Sean Brickell (both WRU) Citing Commissioner: Russell Howell (WRU) TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue C U Cardiff Blues scorers Ulster scorers Fri 25 Feb 11 Ravenhill Stadium 13 32 Dan Fish(T) Ceri Sweeney(C/2P) Craig Gilroy(T) Luke Marshall(T) Ian Humphreys(3C/2P) Ruan Pienaar(T) Andrew Trimble(T) Fri 16 Sep 11 Ravenhill Stadium 3 20 Ceri Sweeney(P) Paddy Jackson(P) Darren Cave(2T) Ian Humphreys(2C/P) Fri 17 Feb 12 Arms Park 21 14 Tom James(T) Dan Parks(T/C/3P) Ruan Pienaar(3P) Robbie Diack(T) Fri 28 Sep 12 Arms Park 19 48 Harry Robinson(T) Gareth Davies(C/P) Paddy Jackson(5C/P) Mike Allen(T) Jason Tovey(3P) Tommy Bowe(2T) Jared Payne(T) Nick Williams(2T) Andrew Trimble(T) Fri 3 May 13 Ravenhill Stadium 13 37 Rhys Patchell(C/D/P) Dafydd Hewitt(T) Ruan Pienaar(T/4C/3P) Andrew Trimble(2T) Robbie Diack(T) Page 2 of 12 RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 18: 28-30 March 2014 Fri 25 Oct 13 Ravenhill Stadium 21 39 Richard Smith(T) Robin Copeland(T) Paddy Jackson(3P) Luke Marshall(T) Dan Leigh Halfpenny(C/3P) Tuohy(2T) Jared Payne(T) Ruan Pienaar(C/P) Andrew Trimble(T) Cardiff Blues have lost their last five RaboDirect PRO12 matches equalling their worst ever run in the competition. The Blues only victory in their last nine fixtures with Irish provinces was 21-10 over Connacht at the Arms Park in round 2 this season. Ulster have won their last eight matches in all tournaments although their 9-3 victory at Edinburgh on Friday was only the third time in the history of the tournament that Ulster have won a game without scoring a try. The Ulstermen have lost on two of their last three visits to Wales whilst the Blues only victory in their last seven encounters with Ulster was 21-14 at the Arms Park in February 2012. LEINSTER v MUNSTER At Aviva Stadium, 7pm. Live on Referee: Pascale Gauzere (FFR, 5th competition game) Assistant Referees: David Wilkinson, Michael Black (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IRFU) TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue L M Leinster scorers Munster scorers Sat 28 May 11 Thomond Park (TF) 9" 19 Jonathan Sexton(3P) Keith Earls(T) Doug Howlett(T) Ronan O'Gara(2C) Penalty Try(T) Fri 4 Nov 11 Aviva Stadium 24 19 Rob Kearney(D) Jonathan Sexton(7P) Ronan O'Gara(C/4P) Penalty Try(T) Sat 31 Mar 12 Thomond Park 18 9 Ian Madigan(D) Fergus McFadden(P) Ronan O'Gara(3P) Jonathan Sexton(4P) Sat 6 Oct 12 Aviva Stadium 30 21 Ian Madigan(T) Brian O'Driscoll(T) Conor Murray(T) Peter O'Mahony(T) Ian Jonathan Sexton(3C/3P) Richardt Keatley(C) Ronan O'Gara(3P) Strauss(T) Sat 13 Apr 13 Thomond Park 22 16 Ian Madigan(C/5P) Brian O'Driscoll(T) Felix Jones(T) Ian Keatley(T/2P) Sat 5 Oct 13 Thomond Park 15 19 Ian Madigan(4P) Fergus McFadden(P) Keith Earls(T) Ian Keatley(C/4P) Leinster have won their last nine matches in all tournaments and have dropped only two points out of a possible thirty in their last six RaboDirect PRO12 fixtures. The Leinstermen have lost on their last two visits to Aviva Stadium, but both of these games were in the European Cup, however the Leinstermen have won all twelve previous RaboDirect PRO12 games they have played at the venue . Munster’s only defeat in their last seven matches in all tournaments was 13-18 at the Scarlets in round 16 of the PRO12.