RaboDirect PRO12 : PREVIEW 2012/13 Round 22, 3rd May 2013 ROUND 22 PREVIEW With just four points separating the top three teams who have already qualified for the RaboDirect PRO12 Play-Offs, no-one can yet be certain of their position in the table. With all six games being played on Friday night, the focus of attention will be in Ireland, as Glasgow Warriors face Connacht at the Sportsground in Galway, whilst Ulster welcome Cardiff Blues to Ravenhill. A win for Ulster will put them well clear at the top of the table, anything less and they have to start looking over their shoulders at what their nearest rivals are doing. Glasgow Warriors are the only one of the top three playing away from home, and carry the added disadvantage of having won one game less than the two team who are above them, so must go all out for a win and see what happens elsewhere to secure home advantage in the knockout stage. The pick of the final round of this RaboDirect PRO12 campaign must be the repeat of last season’s final, when Leinster host Ospreys at the RDS in Dublin. Leinster have already secured a Play-Off spot, the question is whether it will be home or away, whilst Ospreys must win, and other results go their way, if they are to snatch the fourth and final Play-Off place from Welsh neighbours, Scarlets. Scarlets, four points clear of Ospreys and one win to the better of their rivals, have the added advantage of playing their last regular season game at home, but even so must be wary as they lost to Benetton Treviso in the reverse of this fixture earlier in the season. Comes 10pm on Friday night, all the questions should answered. ROUND 22 FIXTURES Friday 3 May CONNACHT v GLASGOW WARRIORS At Sportsground, 7.45pm. Live on Referee: George Clancy (IRFU, 55th competition game) Assistant Referees: Paul Haycock, John Carvill (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: John Cole (IRFU) TMO: Seamus Flannery (IRFU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue C G Connacht scorers Glasgow Warriors scorers Fri 5 Mar 10 Sportsground 19 19 Gavin Duffy(T) Ian Keatley(C/4P) DTH van der Merwe(T) James Eddie(T) Ruaridh Jackson(3P) Fri 17 Sep 10 Firhill Stadium 19 17 Fionn Carr(T) Ian Keatley(C/4P) Ruaridh Jackson(4P) Graeme Morrison(T) Fri 18 Feb 11 Sportsground 37 8 Fionn Carr(T) Gavin Duffy(T) Ian Ruaridh Jackson(P) Hefin O'Hare(T) Keatley(3C/2P) Penalty Try(T) Brian Tuohy(2T) Sat 18 Feb 12 Sportsground 13 13 Tiernan O'Halloran(T) Niall Duncan Weir(P) Ruaridh Jackson(C/P) O'Connor(C/2P) Jon Welsh(T) Sat 5 May 12 Firhill Stadium 3 24 Miah Nikora(P) Duncan Weir(4P) John Barclay(T) DTH van der Merwe(T) Ruaridh Jackson(C) Fri 21 Sep 12 Scotstoun Stadium 17 27 Matthew Jarvis(2C/P) Mark McCrea(T) DTH van der Merwe(2T) Sean Lamont(T) Nathan White(T) Peter Murchie(T) Scott Wight(2C/P) Page 1 of 13 RaboDirect PRO12 : PREVIEW 2012/13 Round 22, 3rd May 2013 Connacht currently occupy 8th place in the RaboDirect PRO12 table, and are aiming to equal their best ever finish which they achieved last year. The Irishmen have won just one of their last four games, whilst their 23-24 loss to Edinburgh at the Sportsground in December ended a six game unbeaten run against Scottish opponents in Galway. Glasgow Warriors have already qualified for the Play-Offs , but will probably need to win to give themselves any chance of gaining home advantage. The Warriors last six fixtures have all been won by the home side on the day, and they have not tasted victory on the road since beating Newport Gwent Dragons 60-3 at Rodney Parade in February. Glasgow’s only win in Ireland since 2009 came against Leinster at RDS in September 2011. The Warriors are unbeaten in their last three contests with Connacht, whilst they have not been victorious at the Sportsground since April 2007. EDINBURGH RUGBY v NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS At Murrayfield , 7.45pm. Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 17th competition game) Assistant Referees: Andy Macpherson, David Changleng (both SRU) Citing Commissioner: Paul Minto (SRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue E N Edinburgh Rugby scorers Newport Gwent Dragons scorers Sun 18 Apr 10 Rodney Parade 28 49 Ben Cairns(T) Ross Ford(T) Phil Will Harries(3T) Wayne Evans(T/C) Godman(4C) Alan MacDonald(T) Richard Fussell(T) James Arlidge(3C/2P) Penalty Try(T) Ashley Smith(T) Martyn Thomas(T) Sat 12 Feb 11 Rodney Parade 22 30 Geoff Cross(T) Lee Jones(T) Chris Jason Tovey(T/C/P) Andrew Coombs(T) Paterson(2C/P) Tim Visser(T) Lewis Evans(T) Ashley Smith(T) Phil Price(T) Fri 22 Apr 11 Murrayfield 27 15 Greig Laidlaw(T) Chris Adam Hughes(T) Jason Tovey(C/P) Aled Paterson(T/3C/2P) Tim Visser(T) Brew(T) Sat 18 Feb 12 Rodney Parade 10 21 Gregor Hunter(C) Grant Gilchrist(T) Phil Jason Tovey(C/3P) Joe Bedford(T) Aled Godman(P) Brew(T) Fri 23 Mar 12 Murrayfield 15 29 Harry Leonard(5P) Lewis Robling(2P) Tondi Chavhanga(2T) Steffan Jones(2C/3P) Fri 28 Sep 12 Rodney Parade 12 32 Tom Brown(T) Harry Leonard(C) Tim Tom Prydie(6P) Steffan Jones(3D) Phil Visser(T) Price(T) Edinburgh Rugby have slipped to successive defeats in the RaboDirect PRO12, to Connacht and Treviso, whilst they have won just one of their last six fixtures at Murrayfield in all competitions. Newport Gwent Dragons’ 30-24 victory over Munster last time out ended a four match losing run in the competition. The Dragons have not won back to back fixtures in the PRO12 since March 2012. The Men from Gwent’s only away win this season in the tournament came on a visit to Zebre in February. Edinburgh’s only victory over the Dragons in their last seven meetings was 22-15 at Murrayfield on 22 April 2011. LEINSTER v OSPREYS At RDS , 7.45pm. Live on Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU, 98th competition game) Assistant Referees: Mark Patton, Stuart Gaffikin (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: Eugene Ryan (IRFU) TMO: Alan Rogan (IRFU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue L O Leinster scorers Ospreys scorers Sun 28 Nov 10 Liberty Stadium 15 19 Andrew Conway(T) Isa Nacewa(T/C/P) Dan Biggar(C/4P) Penalty Try(T) Fri 7 Jan 11 Royal Dublin Society 15 10 Jonathan Sexton(5P) Dan Biggar(C/P) Justin Tipuric(T) Fri 2 Sep 11 Liberty Stadium 3 27 Mat Berquist(P) Dan Biggar(3C/D/P) Justin Tipuric(T) Hanno Dirksen(T) Rhys Webb(T) Fri 23 Mar 12 Royal Dublin Society 22 23 Ian Madigan(T) Fergus McFadden(C/5P) Dan Biggar(2C/3P) Richard Hibbard(T) George Stowers(T) Page 2 of 13 RaboDirect PRO12 : PREVIEW 2012/13 Round 22, 3rd May 2013 Sun 27 May 12 Royal Dublin Society (TF) 30" 31 Sean Cronin(T) Jonathan Sexton(3C/3P) Ashley Beck(T) Dan Biggar(2C/4P) Shane Isa Nacewa(2T) Williams(2T) Sun 4 Nov 12 Liberty Stadium 10 19 Leo Auva'a(T) Ian Madigan(C/P) Matthew Morgan(C/D/3P) Eli Walker(T) Leinster must win to ensure home advantage in the Play-Offs. Leinster’s only defeat in their last 14 contests in all competitions was 18-22 at home to Ulster in the RaboDirect PRO12 on 30th March. The Leinstermen have lost just once to a Welsh region in any competition this season: 10-19 at the Ospreys in round 8 of the PRO12. Ospreys also must win to give themselves any chance of taking the 4th Play-Off spot away from the Scarlets. Ospreys five match unbeaten run in the PRO12 ended in the last round with their 17-35 reversal in Glasgow. Leinster have won just one of their last seven contests with Ospreys: 15-10 at the RDS in January 2011. SCARLETS v BENETTON TREVISO At Parc y Scarlets, 7.45pm. Live on Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU, 32nd competition game) Assistant Referees: Neil Hennessy, Tim Hayes (both WRU) Citing Commissioner: Richard Gwynn (WRU) TMO: Huw Lewis (WRU) HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT RaboDirect PRO12 MEETINGS Date Venue S B Scarlets scorers Benetton Treviso scorers Sat 4 Sep 10 Stadio Monigo 28 34 George North(2T) Rhys Tommaso Benvenuti(T) Tobias Priestland(T/2C/3P) Botes(T/2C/4P) Kris Burton(D) Ezio Galon(T) Sun 27 Mar 11 Parc y Scarlets 22 16 Tavis Knoyle(T) Jonathan Davies(T) Jon Tobias Botes(T) Kris Burton(C/D/2P) Edwards(T) Stephen Jones(2C/P) Sat 1 Oct 11 Stadio Monigo 10 20 Dan Newton(C/P) Liam Williams(T) Kris Burton(2C/2P) Brendan Williams(T) Ludovico Nitoglia(T) Thu 23 Feb 12 Parc y Scarlets 34 20 Liam Davies(T) Deacon Manu(T) Aled Valerio Bernabo(T) Willem de Thomas(4C/2P) Liam Williams(T) Josh Waal(2C/2P) Ludovico Nitoglia(T) Turnbull(T) Sat 29 Sep 12 Stadio Monigo 20 22 Andy Fenby(2T) Rhys Priestland(2C/D/P) Robert Barbieri(T) Alberto di Bernardo(2C/P) Leonardo Ghiraldini(T) Fabio Semenzato(T) Scarlets’ require two match points to secure fourth place and a trip to the number 1 seeds in the Play-Offs. Scarlets only defeat in their last nine matches in all competitions was to Leinster at the RDS on 23rd February.