Thursday, April 10, 2014

Wins for Ulster and Munster this weekend...

 
Where is he? (picture http://bit.ly/1jwzojs)

After a hectic, and apart from Munster, not a very productive Heineken Cup weekend, it’s back to the day job, the RaboDirect PRO12.

Ulster have to put defeats, cards and injuries behind them ( they currently have Best, Pienaar, Wilson. Afoa and Tuohy out) (and no Payne after 2 week suspension) and pull themselves together to beat Connacht, to keep them in the play-off race. They’ve still put out a strong team, and have Tommy Bowe in center – a place a lot of Irish fans would have liked to see him in for a long time. While Connacht have put a good few wins together recently, I think they’ll find Ravenhill a step too far.

Leinster have to pick themselves up, and get back on the horse at the Liberty Stadium, as they try to get a result out of the Ospreys. Leinster escaped pretty well injury free against Toulon, apart from Fergus McFadden, pride was the main thing that was hurt.  BOD has been swanning around England this week so he’s out, and Ian Madigan is nowhere to be seen, which is odd, apart from that it’s a strong team. The Ospreys have a pretty potent squad out, they’ll be a bit rusty after all the gaps in play, but I think realistically Leinster will look at a  losing bonus point as the main points on offer. Surprise me!

Finally, Munster get to play Glasgow at home on Saturday. They don’t have Peter O’Mahoney due to his surgery, but CJ Stander made his case convincingly for more regular starts last weekend, for Munster and maybe ultimately Ireland. Also absent are Donnacha Ryan and Casey Lualua. Glasgow had a great end to the 2013 season, and great start to this year’s season, but things have gone a bit pear shaped since then. Unless they’re tired from last weekend, or they underestimate Glasgow, they should win this easily.

RaboDirect PRO12
Friday , April 11
Ulster vs Connacht 
Ospreys vs Leinster 
Edinburgh vs Cardiff Blues 
Saturday , April 12
Benetton Treviso vs Newport Gwent D'gons 18:00
Scarlets vs Zebre 18:30
Munster vs Glasgow 18:30

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