FRIDAY PREVIEW: The ‘Race to Eight’ within the United Rugby Championship is ready for a good end as 5 groups are preventing for the ultimate three play-off spots and Champions Cup qualification.
Friday might be an enormous day for 4 of these sides.
All of it kicks off in Cape City with Cardiff (ninth) up towards the Stormers (fifth), who’ve already certified for the play-offs due to their 48-12 win over the Dragons within the penultimate spherical.
Cardiff will want a win to sneak into the play-offs as Friday’s different matches will see Benetton (seventh) up towards Munster (eighth) and Tenth-placed Edinburgh going through Ulster.
Edinburgh may nonetheless make the highest eight in the event that they beat the Belfast facet and some different outcomes go their means.
Benetton, Munster, and Cardiff are stage on factors (46), with Edinburgh (44) not far behind.
The Scarlets (sixth with 48 factors) might be in motion on Saturday towards the Sharks.
It is going to be very laborious for Cardiff in Cape City as they’re up towards a Stormers facet brimming with confidence after three straight wins.
The preview continues beneath…
“At first of the yr, in case you had been saying that we had been in Spherical 18 and we had a recreation to get within the play-off, we’d snatch your hand off,” mentioned Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt.
“It’s a must-win recreation by way of getting in that high eight. The Stormers are an excellent workforce and are in good type as effectively.
“Like all of the South African groups, they’ve acquired that stability between energy and tempo and their backs are very, very harmful.
“It could be good if we reached the play-offs. We’ve by no means been within the URC play-offs earlier than and for the membership with our historical past and potential, we ought to be moving into the highest eight.
“It’s going to be a tricky ask as a result of outcomes went towards us on the weekend, however we spoke to the gamers round not attempting to creep in, let’s win a recreation and get in there fairly than hope that different groups didn’t get what they wanted.”
Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson has made a couple of adjustments to his workforce with a watch on the play-offs.
If the highest 5 log positions stay the identical, they may head to Durban to face the Sharks (fourth) within the quarterfinals. Nevertheless, many followers and pundits are predicting a visit to Scotland to face Glasgow.
That’s as a result of Franco Smith’s facet has a tricky process towards Leinster in Dublin on Saturday, and a defeat may see them drop to fourth.
On the problem that Cardiff will deliver, Dobson mentioned: “They’re very organised on assault and defence.
“Additionally they put a number of contestables up, so we all know that’s coming and so they have overwhelmed us earlier than, however I believe the workforce that beat us final time in Cardiff wasn’t as superior as this workforce.
“They in all probability acquired the most effective Welsh scrum, and so they have been good the entire season.
“What they’ve achieved this season on a decreased funds and the circumstances Welsh rugby has gone by means of, I believe they deserve a number of credit score.”
*In the meantime, Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt needs his workforce to indicate some extra grit towards Ulster.
A victory is required to be in with the possibility of qualifying for the URC play-offs and securing Champions Cup rugby.
“Final weekend’s gritty victory in Galway [against Connacht] was a testomony to the resilience and character inside this squad, and it offers us with actual momentum as we head into tomorrow [Friday] night time’s match towards Ulster,” mentioned Everitt.
“The eagerness and vitality of our supporters have been unbelievable, and that environment might be completely essential in driving us ahead as soon as once more.
“To be enjoying in entrance of a 3rd consecutive sell-out crowd might be merely superb – it underscores the connection now we have with our metropolis.
“We all know we’re enjoying for Edinburgh, for our supporters, and we’re decided to ship a efficiency they are often pleased with.”
*In Cork, Springbok lock Jean Kleyn makes his a hundred and fiftieth Munster look within the essential conflict towards Benetton
Nevertheless, the Italians would like to spoil the get together and e book a spot within the play-offs.
“We all know that we should play an amazing match,” mentioned Benetton head coach Marco Bortolami.
“We’re conscious that for the second consecutive yr, future is in our palms. We are going to go there and play our playing cards to attempt to get into the highest eight of the URC.”
See beneath for Friday’s groups and predictions!
Friday, Could 16:
Stormers v Cardiff
(Cape City Stadium, Cape City – Kick-off: 19.00; 18.00 UK & Eire time; 17.00 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Stormers by 11 factors.
Groups:
Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Marcel Theunissen, 7 Louw Nel, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Sti Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Paul de Villiers, 21 Paul de Moist, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Ben Loader.
Cardiff: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Josh Adams, 13 Harri Millard, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Gabe Hamer-Webb, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Aled Davies, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Alex Mann, 6 Alun Lawrence, 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Josh McNally (captain), 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Evan Lloyd, 1 Danny Southworth
Replacements: 16 Dafydd Hughes, 17 Corey Domachowski, 18 Rhys Litterick, 19 Rory Thornton, 20 James Botham, 21 Dan Thomas, 22 Johan Mulder, 23 Rory Jennings
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs (South Africa), Hanru van Rooyen (South Africa)
TMO: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Edinburgh v Ulster
(Edinburgh Stadium, Edinburgh – Kick-off: 19.35; 18.35 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Edinburgh by 14 factors.
Groups:
Edinburgh: 15 Wes Goosen, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Matt Currie, 12 James Lang, 11 Harry Paterson, 10 Ross Thompson, 9 Ali Value, 8 Magnus Bradbury (captain), 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Ben Muncaster, 5 Sam Skinner, 4 Marshall Sykes, 3 D’arcy Rae, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Paddy Harrison, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Glen Younger, 20 Jamie Ritchie, 21 Charlie Shiel, 22 Ben Healy, 23 Mark Bennett.
Ulster: 15 Michael Lowry, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Jude Postlethwaite, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 David McCann, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 Cormac Izuchukwu, 5 Iain Henderson (captain), 4 Kieran Treadwell, 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Rob Herring, 1 Andrew Warwick
Replacements: 16 Tom Stewart, 17 Callum Reid, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Harry Sheridan, 20 James McNabney, 21 Dave Shanahan, 22 Aidan Morgan, 23 Stewart Moore.
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
Assistant referees: Ru Campbell (Scotland), Rob McDowell (Scotland)
TMO: Tom Spurrier (Wales)
Munster v Benetton
(Musgrave Park, Cork – Kick-off: 20.00; 21.00 CET; 19.00 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Munster by 4 factors.
Groups:
Munster: 15 Thaakir Abrahams, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Diarmuid Kilgallen, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Tadhg Beirne (captain), 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Michael Milne.
Replacements: 16 Lee Barron, 17 Josh Wycherley, 18 John Ryan, 19 Fineen Wycherley, 20 Tom Ahern, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Seán O’Brien, 23 Alex Kendellen.
Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Ignacio Brex, 11 Paolo Odogwu, 10 Jacob Umaga, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Riccardo Favretto, 5 Federico Ruzza (captain), 4 Scott Scrafton, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Siua Maile, 1 Thomas Gallo.
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Tiziano Pasquali, 19 Niccolò Cannone, 20 Sebastian Negri, 21 Nicolò Casilio, 22 Tomas Albornoz, 23 Malakai Fekitoa.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Robbie Jenkinson (Eire), Sam Holt (Eire)
TMO: David Sutherland (Scotland)
Extra reporting: SA Rugby & URC
