RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 16: 28th February & 1st March 2014 ROUND 16 PREVIEWS Round 16 of the RaboDirect PRO12 is the last of a run of four straight rounds that could help define a team’s season before international rugby once more takes centre stage. The focus will now be on achieving a top four placing, thereby qualifying for the end of season Play-Offs and the chance to be crowned champions. At present 6 teams appear to be contesting the Play-Off places and two of those are in action against each other in the last game of the round on Saturday night, when Glasgow Warriors travel to Dublin to face Leinster. Warriors have already beaten their hosts once this season, a victory could start them off on another sequence of away wins after Dragons ended their record run last time out. Also on Saturday evening table topping Munster travel to 6th placed Scarlets, and the home team must claim the points if they are to have any chance of making a successful late bid for the Play-Off Zone. The third and fourth placed teams are both in action on Friday night, Ulster welcoming Newport Gwent Dragons to Ravenhill whilst Ospreys travel to Edinburgh to play at Boroughmuir’s Meggetland ground. Dragons may have defeated Ulster in Wales, but will find it a much tougher prospect in Belfast as the home side have lost there just once in 12 months. Ospreys are another team not afraid to travel and will hope their ratio of more wins on the road that at home will continue for this trip. ROUND 16 FIXTURES Friday 28 February EDINBURGH RUGBY v OSPREYS At Meggetland, 7.35pm. Live on Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 52nd competition game) Assistant Referees: James Matthew, Stephen Ward (both SRU) Citing Commissioner: Paul Minto (SRU) TMO: Iain Ramage (SRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue E O Edinburgh Rugby scorers Ospreys scorers Sat 26 Mar 11 Murrayfield 23 16 Greig Laidlaw(2C/3P) Jim Thompson(T) Dan Biggar(T/C/3P) Tim Visser(T) Sat 10 Sep 11 Liberty Stadium 19 26 Greig Laidlaw(C/4P) Tim Visser(T) Dan Biggar(2C/4P) Justin Tipuric(T) Rhys Webb(T) Fri 10 Feb 12 Murrayfield 14 15 Dougie Fife(T) Phil Godman(3P) Dan Biggar(C/D) Hanno Dirksen(T) Richard Hibbard(T) Fri 23 Nov 12 Murrayfield 23 13 Gregor Hunter(6P) WP Nel(T) Matthew Morgan(T/C/2P) Fri 22 Feb 13 Liberty Stadium 7 24 Harry Leonard(C) Hamish Watson(T) Morgan Allen(2T) Matthew Morgan(3C/P) Rhys Webb(T) Sat 21 Sep 13 Liberty Stadium 10 44 Harry Leonard(C/P) Tim Visser(T) Jeff Hassler(T) Dan Biggar(3C/2P) Matthew Morgan(T/C) Eli Walker(2T) Richard Hibbard(2T) Edinburgh Rugby have lost their last three matches in the RaboDirect PRO12 and have dropped two places in the table in as a consequence. This match is the Scotsmen’s first at home since they beat Perpignan in the European Cup on 11th January, but this game will be played at Boroughmuir’s Meggetland venue which thus becomes the 38th different venue to stage a PRO12 encounter. Ospreys have slipped to defeat in two of their last three PRO12 matches, but have also lost fewer games away from home this season than they have at home. The Welsh Region’s only victory in their last seven visits to Scotland was 15-14 over Edinburgh at Murrayfield in February 2012. Edinburgh have won only one of their last five fixtures with the Ospreys: 23-13 at Murrayfield in November 2012. Page 1 of 12 RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 16: 28th February & 1st March 2014 ULSTER v NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS At Ravenhill, 7.05pm. Live on Referee: Lloyd Linton (SRU, 3rd competition game) Assistant Referees: Nigel Correll, John Carvill (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: Gordon Black (IRFU) TMO: Peter Ferguson (IRFU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue U N Ulster scorers Newport Gwent Dragons scorers Fri 6 May 11 Rodney Parade 20 13 Nevin Spence(2T) Ian Humphreys(C/P) Jason Tovey(P) Matt Jones(C/P) Tom Pedrie Wannenburg(T) Riley(T) Fri 30 Sep 11 Rodney Parade 9 22 Paddy Jackson(3P) Jason Tovey(C/5P) Tom Riley(T) Fri 10 Feb 12 Ravenhill Stadium 30 12 Craig Gilroy(T) Ruan Pienaar(T/2C/2P) Jason Tovey(4P) Robbie Diack(T) Stefan Terblanche(T) Fri 26 Oct 12 Rodney Parade 46 19 Darren Cave(T) Tom Court(T) Jared Tom Prydie(C/4P) Andy Tuilagi(T) Payne(T) Nick Williams(T) Ruan Pienaar(T/5C/2P) Andrew Trimble(T) Fri 12 Apr 13 Ravenhill Stadium 31 5 Stuart Olding(T) Tommy Bowe(T) Darren Tom Prydie(T) Cave(T) Paul Marshall(T) Ruan Pienaar(4C/P) Fri 6 Sep 13 Rodney Parade 8 15 Paddy Jackson(P) Roger Wilson(T) Jason Tovey(D/4P) Ulster’s only defeat in any competition since early November was 6-19 to Leinster at the RDS in the RaboDirect PRO12 on 28th December. The Ulstermen have not managed to tally a try bonus point in the competition since round 8, whilst their only defeat at Ravenhill in the last twelve months was to Glasgow on 13th September. Newport Gwent Dragons last five fixtures in the PRO12 have all been won by the home side on the day, whilst the Welshmen’s solo victory on the road in the competition since round 16 last season came at Glasgow in November. The Men form Gwent have lost their last five contests with Irish provinces and have won just once away from home against an Irish team since October 2004: 16-14 against Ulster at Ravenhill in September 2008. The Dragons were victorious 15-8 at Rodney Parade when the two teams met in round 1 but have not achieved a season’s double over the Ulstermen since 2008/09. Saturday 1 March LEINSTER v GLASGOW WARRIORS At RDS, Dublin, 8.30pm. Live on Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU, 105th competition game) Assistant Referees: Stuart Gafikin, Richard Kerr (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IRFU) TMO: Alan Rogan (IRFU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue L G Leinster scorers Glasgow Warriors scorers Sat 25 Feb 12 Firhill Stadium 10 10 Ian Madigan(C) Isa Nacewa(P) Heinke Ruaridh Jackson(C/P) Penalty Try(T) van der Merwe(T) Sat 12 May 12 Royal Dublin Society 19" 15 Dave Kearney(T) Jonathan Sexton(C/4P) Duncan Weir(P) Stuart Hogg(T) Ruaridh (SF/PO) Jackson(C) Dougie Hall(T) Fri 23 Nov 12 Scotstoun Stadium 6 0 Ian Madigan(2P) Sat 23 Mar 13 Royal Dublin Society 22 17 Ian Madigan(T/C/5P) Pete Horne(T) Duncan Weir(2C/P) Ed Kalman(T) Sat 11 May 13 Royal Dublin Society 17 15 Jamie Heaslip(T) Jonathan Sexton(4P) Stuart Hogg(C/P) Mark Bennett(T) Nikola (SF/PO) Matawalu(T) Fri 20 Sep 13 Scotstoun Stadium 6 12 Jimmy Gopperth(2P) Chris Fusaro(T) Stuart Hogg(C) Jerry Yanuyanutawa(T) Page 2 of 12 RaboDirect PRO12 PREVIEW 2013/14 Round 16: 28th February & 1st March 2014 Leinster’s only defeat in the RaboDirect PRO12 since round 5 came away at Edinburgh on 20th December. The Leinstermen have not been defeated at the RDS in any tournament since last March. Leinster have lost their last two fixtures with Scottish opponents but the only Scottish side to have won at the RDS remains Glasgow, who did so in September 2011. Glasgow Warriors’ record breaking sequence of seven successive away victories in the PRO12 ended on Sunday with their narrow 23-24 defeat at the Dragons. Glasgow have won four of the five encounters they have played against Irish provinces this season. The Warriors were successful 12-6 when the two sides met at Scotstoun in round 3 and are going for a first ever season’s double over the Leinstermen. Glasgow’s only previous victory on Leinster soil in 18 previous visits in all tournaments was 23-19 at the RDS in the PRO12 on 17th September 2011. SCARLETS v MUNSTER At Parc y Scarlets, 6.30pm. Live on Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU, 41st competition game) Assistant Referees: Wayne Davies, Rhys Thomas (both WRU) Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU) TMO: Tim Hayes (WRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue S M Scarlets scorers Munster scorers Sat 16 Apr 11 Parc y Scarlets 6 13 Rhys Priestland(2P) Paul Warwick(C/2P) Simon Zebo(T) Sat 17 Sep 11 Musgrave Park 12 35 Dale Ford(P) Dan Newton(3P) Ian Keatley(3C/3P) Doug Howlett(T) Tommy O'Donnell(T) Penalty Try(T) Duncan Williams(T) Sat 21 Apr 12 Parc y Scarlets 20 20 Aaron Shingler(T) Sean Lamont(T) Rhys Ian Keatley(2C/2P) Donnacha Ryan(T) Priestland(2C/2P) Simon Zebo(T) Sun 25 Nov 12 Musgrave Park 13 6 Andy Fenby(T) Aled Thomas(C/2P) JJ Hanrahan(P) Ian Keatley(P) Sat 16 Feb 13 Parc y Scarlets 18 10 Owen Williams(D/5P) Denis Hurley(T) Ronan O'Gara(C/P) Sun 21 Dec 14 Musgrave Park 10 16 John Barclay(T) Led Thomas(C/P) Ronan O'Mahony(T) JJ Hanrahan(C/3P) Scarlets have won their last two matches in the RaboDirect PRO12, in Treviso and at home to Edinburgh, but have not won three in a row in the tournament since last April. The Welshmen have won three of their last four fixtures with Irish provinces at Parc y Scarlets.