THE FINAL ROUND of fixtures in the United Rugby Championship regular season takes place this weekend and there’s plenty to play for, with plenty of potential twists on the cards.
The top four has a settled look to it but from fourth to eighth there’s plenty to keep an eye on, and the regional shields further complicate matters. Whoever finishes eighth after this weekend’s fixtures will only play in the Champions Cup next season if they go on to win the URC, as while none of the four Welsh teams will make the URC top eight, the Welsh Shield winners are guaranteed a place in the Champions Cup.
If all that wasn’t enough, Benetton and Scarlets could also upset the final standings and land a Champions Cup spot. Both teams are in the Challenge Cup semi-finals next weekend, and should either team go all the way in that competition, they’d be rewarded with a place in next season’s Champions Cup.
Here’s how the Irish sides are shaping up heading into a big weekend of URC action.
Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby (7.35pm, Friday)
Ulster’s task is straightforward – a win of any kind will see Dan McFarland’s team finish second, even if they were to finish level on points with the Stormers, who currently sit one point behind them ahead of the weekend’s games. In that scenario, Ulster would place ahead of the Stormers on matches won.
And this game looks a great opportunity to finish the regular season on a high in front of a packed Kingspan Stadium crowd.
Edinburgh have struggled for form this season, sitting 12th having won just six URC games. The visitors will take confidence from putting a big score on Ospreys last weekend and can be dangerous on their day, but anything other than an Ulster win would be a surprise here.
ULSTER: Mike Lowry; Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Andy Warwick, Rob Herring, Jeff Toomaga-Allen; Alan O’Connor (captain), Kieran Treadwell; David McCann, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Callum Reid, Gareth Milasinovich, Sam Carter, Harry Sheridan, Nathan Doak, Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy.
EDINBURGH: Emiliano Boffelli; Darcy Graham, James Lang, Cammy Hutchison, Duhan van der Merwe; Blair Kinghorn, Henry Pyrgos; Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, Luan de Bruin; Glen Young, Sam Skinner; Jamie Ritchie (captain), Hamish Watson, Viliame Mata.
Replacements: Stuart McInally, Boan Venter, WP Nel, Pierce Phillips, Connor Boyle, Henry Pyrgos, Mark Bennett, Nathan Sweeney.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
TV: Premier Sports/URC TV
Vodacom Bulls v Leinster (3.05pm, Saturday)
League leaders Leinster have had top spot in the bag for a while now, but last weekend’s remarkable defeat of the Lions was evidence there’s no lack of motivation among the group out on tour in South Africa.
With the frontliners back in Dublin, Leinster defied the odds to come back from 15 points down with 20 minutes to play, and two yellow cards, to keep their unbeaten run intact.
Saturday’s trip to play the Bulls should be an even greater challenge, but Leinster have the quality to sign off for the regular season in style. The Bulls – who beat Leinster at the RDS in last year’s semi-finals – will look to test Leinster with their power game but they have strong runners and exciting backline talent too. Jake White’s side are seventh so will be looking to win to secure Champions Cup qualification.
Once again, it’s a young Leinster team – including first starts for hooker Tadgh McElroy and highly-rated flanker James Culhane, with Liam Molony and Conor O’Tighearnaigh both in line to debut off the bench. This could be a cracker at the Loftus Versfeld.
BULLS: Kurt-Lee Arendse; Canan Moodie, Stedman Gans, Harold Vorster, David Kriel; Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Mornay Smith; Ruan Vermaak, Ruan Nortje (captain), Marco van Staden, Cyle Brink, Elrigh Louw.
Replacements: Bismarck du Plessis, Dylan Smith, Francois Klopper, Janko Swanepoel, WJ Steenkamp, Keagan Johannes, Chris Smith, Cornal Hendricks.
LEINSTER: Chris Cosgrave; Tommy O’Brien, Liam Turner, Ben Brownlee, Dave Kearney; Sam Prendergast, Nick McCarthy; Ed Byrne (captain), Tadgh McElroy, Thomas Clarkson; Alex Soroka, Brian Deeny; James Culhane, Will Connors, Max Deegan
Replacements: Lee Barron, Michael Milne, Temi Lasisi, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Liam Molony, Ben Murphy, Charlie Tector, Rob Russell.
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)
TV: TG4/Premier Sports/URC TV
Cell C Sharks v Munster (5.15pm, Saturday)
Munster were brilliant last weekend, their defeat of the Stormers probably their best day yet under Graham Rowntree. You can be sure the talk all week has been about backing that performance up and finishing the job.
The province can stay fifth and qualify for the Champions Cup if they beat the Sharks tomorrow, and while there are lots of moving parts beneath them, a losing bonus point would also probably be enough. Defeat could see them drop to sixth, and an unlikely sequence of results elsewhere could even leave them as low as seventh.
The Sharks will have plenty of motivation themselves. Currently eighth, as is stands they’ll miss out on Champions Cup rugby next season. They need to win and then hope the Bulls or Connacht slip up above them.
Of course, it’s only been three weeks since the Sharks thrashed Munster in the Champions Cup quarter-finals. Back at King’s Park, it will be fascinating to see how Munster cope with the challenge second time round. The absence of RG Snyman is a blow, as Fineen Wycherley comes into the team and Edwin Edogbo returns on the bench following a long layoff.
SHARKS: Boeta Chamberlain; Werner Kok, Lukhanyo Am, Ben Tapuai, Makazole Mapimpi; Curwin Bosch, Grant Williams; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit; Jeandre Labuschagne, Gerbrandt Grobler; Siya Kolisi (captain), Vincent Tshituka, Sikhumbuzo Notshe.
Replacements: Kerron van Vuuren, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Carlu Sadie, Reniel Hugo, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Aphelele Fassi.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Peter O’Mahony (captain), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Scott Buckley, Josh Wycherley, Keynan Knox, Edwin Edogbo, Jack O’Donoghue, Craig Casey, Ben Healy, Keith Earls.
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)
TV: TG4/Premier Sports/URC TV
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht (7.35pm, Saturday)
A win in Glasgow tomorrow would keep Connacht in the top six but a defeat could see them drop as far as eighth, depending on results elsewhere, a scenario which would see them playing Challenge Cup rugby next year. The good news is that given the late kick-off, Andy Friend’s side will know exactly what they need by the time they take to the field on Saturday night. The bad news is that both Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki miss out with illness.
Glasgow are fourth but have a top-four spot sewn up, five points clear of Munster with two more wins to their name. They also have a Challenge Cup semi-final against Scarlets next weekend, so it’s possible their focus might be elsewhere, although they have named a strong team.
Still, this is a game an in-form Connacht side can win, and to qualify for the Champions Cup would be a brilliant achievement considering their difficult start to the season.
GLASGOW: Huw Jones, Jamie Dobie, Stafford McDowall (C), Sam Johnson, Cole Forbes, Tom Jordan, Ali Price; Allan Dell, Fraser Brown, Lucio Sordoni, Scott Cummings, Richie Gray, Rory Darge, Sione Vailanu, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Jamie Bhatti, Zander Fagerson, JP du Preez, Lewis Bean, Matt Fagerson, George Horne, Domingo Miotti.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; John Porch, Tom Farrell, Cathal Forde, Byron Ralston, Jack Carty (Capt), Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Finlay Bealham; Oisín Dowling, Niall Murray; Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast
Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar, Peter Dooley, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Kieran Marmion, Tom Daly, Shane Jennings
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
TV: TG4/Premier Sports/URC TV
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