Another jam-packed weekend lies ahead in the United Rugby Championship with an Irish and Welsh derby as well as four more Vodacom URC ‘North v South’ fixtures as Dragons, Edinburgh, Ospreys and Ulster all look to finish their South African tour on a high.
Edinburgh became the first URC touring side to win in South Africa and now sit just two points behind Scottish rivals and Shield leaders Glasgow Warriors who welcome Zebre Parma on Friday night. South African sides, the Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls all sit in the top eight of the URC table and play host to Dragons, Ospreys and Ulster, respectively.
There are two derbies in Round 15, league leaders Leinster travel to Thomond Park where they will face Munster who sit third in the table. While in Llanelli, Scarlets welcome Cardiff Rugby who are looking to secure a win as they only sit 4 points behind their hosts in their opposition in the Welsh Shield. In Italy, Benetton welcome Connacht as they both look to bounce back this weekend with a win after losses in Round 14.
01/04/2022 - Cell C Sharks vs Dragons at Hollywoodbets, Kings Park @ 19h30
The Cell C Sharks are currently 8th on the URC Combined log with 36 points while their visitors are currently 15th on the log with 11 log points.
The two teams have not met before. The Cell C Sharks' four-game winning run in the United Rugby Championship ended with their 5-21 loss to Edinburgh in Durban on Saturday. This was the Sharks' first defeat at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in the United Rugby Championship since the Bulls beat them there during last season’s Rainbow Cup.
The Dragons are without a win since their 35-22 over Connacht in Galway on 9 October. The Dragons have lost their last two matches against South African opponents since their 13-10 victory over Toyota Cheetahs at Rodney Parade in February 2020.
01/04/2022 - Glasgow Warriors vs Zebre Parma at Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow @ 19h35
The Glasgow Warriors are currently 4th on the URC Combined log with 45 points while their visitors are currently 16th on the log with 2 log points.
Glasgow Warriors have lost two of their last three United Rugby Championship matches, both away from home to Scarlets and Cardiff. Glasgow’s only loss in their last twelve United Rugby Championship fixtures at Scotstoun was 15-31 to Leinster in October. The Warriors' only home defeat to an Italian opponent in any competition was 13-15 to Benetton at Firhill Arena in the United Rugby Championship in September 2011.
Zebre’s most recent victory was 26-15 at home to Dragons in February 2021. Zebre has not won outside of Italy in the United Rugby Championship since their trip to Dragons in November 2019. The Italians have not beaten a Scottish opponent since their 34-16 victory over Edinburgh in Parma in October 2018.
Glasgow has won all eighteen previous fixtures they have played against Zebre.
02/04/2022 - Benetton Rugby vs Connacht Rugby at AT Stadio Monigo, Treviso @ 13h00
Benetton is currently 14th on the URC Combined log with 23 points while their visitors are currently 10th on the log with 28 log points.
Benetton Rugby has slipped to four straight defeats since their 13-all draw with Dragons at Rodney Parade at the end of January. Benetton’s most recent victory at Stadio Monigo in the United Rugby Championship was 19-18 against Glasgow on 27 November. Benetton’s only victory over an Irish province since 2018 was 20-12 over today’s opponents, Connacht, in Treviso during last season’s Rainbow Cup.
Connacht has slipped to back-to-back losses, at Edinburgh and at home to Leinster and has not suffered three successive defeats in the United Rugby Championship for twelve months. Connacht’s only away win this season came on a trip to Scarlets on 19 February. Benetton beat Connacht 20-12 in Treviso last May but have never recorded successive victories over the Irishmen.
02/04/2022 - Vodacom Bulls vs Ulster at Loftus Versveld, Pretoria @ 14h00
The Vodacom Bulls are currently 7th on the URC Combined log with 37 points while their visitors are currently 2nd on the log with 50 log points.
Vodacom Bulls have won their last four United Rugby Championship matches since their 22-29 defeat at home to the Cell C Sharks on 12 February. The Bulls' have recorded try bonus points in six of their last eight United Rugby Championship fixtures. The Bulls' record against Irish provinces is won one, lost two, the victory being 29-24 over Munster at Loftus Versfeld on 12 March.
Ulster’s five-game winning run In the United Rugby Championship ended with their 20-23 defeat to DHL Stormers at DHL Stadium in Cape Town last weekend. Ulster has won just one of their last four matches in South Africa: 42-17 over Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth in October 2019.
The two sides have never met before.
02/04/2022 - Emirates Lions vs Edinburgh Rugby at Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg @ 16h05
The Emirates Lions are currently 12th on the URC Combined log with 26 points while their visitors are currently 5th on the log with 43 log points.
Emirates Lions have won their last three United Rugby Championship fixtures, all at Emirates Airlines Park, against Cardiff, Munster, and Ospreys. The Lions' only previous encounter against a Scottish opponent was their 9-13 defeat in Glasgow in October.
Edinburgh beat Cell C Sharks in Durban last weekend but has not won successive matches in the United Rugby Championship since the New Year. The Scotsmen have lost only one of their last nine fixtures against South African opponents: 21-25 to Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth in January 2019.
The two sides have never met before.
02/04/2022 - DHL Stormers vs Ospreys at DHL Stadium, Cape Town @ 18h15
The DHL Stormers are currently 6th on the URC Combined log with 38 points while their visitors are currently 9th on the log with 30 log points.
The DHL Stormers' only defeat in their last eight United Rugby Championship matches was 17-19 to Connacht in Galway on 26 February. The Stormers have won their last four home matches their best such run since 2018. The Stormers have faced Welsh regions just twice before, winning both, in Newport in October and against Cardiff in Cape Town last month.
The Ospreys' last nine fixtures in the United Rugby Championship have all been won by the home side on the day. The Welshmen have not won away from home since beating Benetton in Treviso in October. Ospreys have lost their last four fixtures against South African opponents since their 43-7 win over Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth in April 2019.
The two sides haven’t met before.
02/04/2022 - Muster vs Leinster at Thomond Park, Limerick @ 19h00
Munster is currently 3rd on the URC Combined log with 47 points while their visitors are currently 1st on the log with 55 log points.
Munster’s two-game losing run in the United Rugby Championship ended with their 51-22 eclipsing of Benetton in Cork on Friday. The Munstermen have won their last ten home games in all competitions since Connacht beat them at Thomond Park in the Rainbow Cup in May.
Leinster have lost just one of their last six United Rugby Championship fixtures: 13-18 to Ulster in Belfast on 12 March. That defeat is Leinster’s only one away from home to a fellow Irish province since April 2019. Munster won 27-3 the last time the two famous old rivals met at the RDS Arena in the Rainbow Cup last April, but they have not achieved successive wins over the Leinstermen since 2014.
Leinster have won on three of their last four visits to Thomond Park.
02/04/2022 - Scarlets vs Cardiff at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli @ 19h35
Scarlets is currently 11th on the URC Combined log with 27 points while their visitors are currently 13th on the log with 23 log points.
Scarlets' two-game losing run in the United Rugby Championship ended with their 41-24 victory over Zebre in Parma on Saturday. Scarlets have won three of their last four home games in the United Rugby Championship.
Cardiff’s three-game losing run in the United Rugby Championship ended with their 32-28 victory at home to Glasgow last weekend. Cardiff has not won back-to-back Championship matches since October. Cardiff has not won away from home since their last trip to Parc y Scarlets during last season’s Rainbow Cup. Cardiff has won their last three matches against Scarlets and has never won four in succession against the men from the west.
Cardiff has won on three of their last four visits to Parc y Scarlets.
