The action is coming thick and fast in the Guinness PRO14 as this weekend sees five more games take place over two days, with spectacular tries and bucket loads of drama guaranteed. Three teams remain a cut above the rest so far in the 2020/21 campaign, with reigning champions Leinster, Ulster and Munster all yet to taste defeat after hitting the ground running.
Round 7 begins in Swansea where Ospreys entertain Benetton in the lunchtime kick-off, with both teams looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats last time out. We then head to Parma for the weekend’s second game as Zebre attempt to put their heavy defeat to Ulster behind them when they lock horns with Connacht at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.
Following that mouth-watering starter, the main course on Sunday will centre around last season’s Finalists as Leinster and Ulster bid to continue their perfect starts to the campaign. Defending champions Leinster are on the verge of breaking another record, with the Irish province just one bonus-point win away from matching the Championship best of seven.
Only Cardiff Blues stand in the way of Leo Cullen’s men etching their name into the history books once again, with the Welsh region going into the contest off the back of a victory over Benetton. Ulster will then bring Sunday’s drama to a close as Dan McFarland’s side strive to keep pace with Leinster at the top of Conference A with their seventh consecutive victory. Monday Night Rugby completes the round in style as Munster put their unbeaten record of five games and five wins on the line against Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium. The visitors are riding high at the summit of Conference B and with the Blues and Scarlets facing tough tests this weekend, the Irish province could extend their lead with another triumph.
Sunday - Ospreys v Benetton
Ospreys will raise the curtain on Round 7 when they welcome Benetton to Swansea on Sunday afternoon, with both teams in desperate need of the points after losing last time out.
The hosts currently sit third in Conference A with two victories to their name but Toby Booth’s side has now slipped to defeats in their last three contests in the Guinness PRO14.
Munster, Leinster and Zebre have all got the better of the Welsh region since they beat Glasgow Warriors in Round 3 and they will want to avoid falling further behind the Conference A pacesetters.
Ospreys will take encouragement from their record at St Helen’s, though, where they have played ten previous Guinness PRO14 games and only lost twice - to Connacht in 2003 and Scarlets in 2004.
It will be Benetton’s first visit to the venue and with the last six meetings between these two sides won by the home team on the day, the outlook does not look good for the Italians.
Sunday - Zebre v Connacht
Zebre will be hoping to prove that their 57-14 humbling by title-chasing Ulster last time out was a mere blip, having shown plenty of encouraging signs in a narrow defeat at Scarlets and a home win against Ospreys in their two previous games.
Their success against the Welshmen earlier this month marks their only victory this season so far, but Michael Bradley’s side will be buoyed by the fact that their most recent win over an Irish province was against their next opponents Connacht, in Galway in February 2018.
Connacht was somewhat unfortunate to end up on the losing side of a closely-fought 20-14 battle with Scarlets in Round 6 and will be itching to get back to winning ways and earn successive Championship away victories for the first time in over a year.
The 2015/16 champions have lost just twice in seven previous visits to the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi and will be hoping for a more convincing scoreline than the 6-5 win they managed on their last trip to Parma, to keep them in the running for a Final Series place.
Sunday – Leinster v Cardiff Blues
It was a case of more of the same for Leinster as they thumped Edinburgh 50-10 in Round 6 to extend their perfect start to the season and overall unbeaten run in the Guinness PRO14 to 25 matches.
The next record in their sights? Equalling the Championship best of seven bonus-point victories in succession, which they would achieve with a five-point win over Cardiff Blues.
Indeed, the omens are with Leo Cullen’s side, who have won their last 14 Guinness PRO14 encounters with the Welsh outfit since losing 11-3 all the way back in February 2011.
John Mulvihill’s Blues will be encouraged though, by how they performed against Benetton, where they ended a run of three successive defeats with an impressive victory.
Despite their difficult run the Blues are now second in a very tight Conference B and can think about looking upwards to Munster with an improved run from now.
Those expecting a Leinster demolition may also be surprised to hear that the Blues have only been beaten by the Irish province by one point in three of their last five clashes – another close encounter could very well be in the offing.
Sunday – Ulster v Scarlets
Two of the form sides will go head-to-head at Kingspan on Sunday night, as Ulster welcome Scarlets to Belfast with both sides looking to maintain their respective winning streaks.
Dan McFarland’s side is chasing a seventh successive Guinness PRO14 victory, something they haven’t achieved since way back in 2012, and the signs are positive with a strong home record in this fixture in years gone by.
Scarlets have emerged victorious just once in their last 13 visits to Kingspan, with the solitary victory coming in a 21-20 success back in 2016, but with back-to-back wins to their name heading into this one, Glenn Delaney’s side will fancy their chances of claiming the points.
With a 6-3 defeat to Edinburgh their only loss in four games, the Welsh side has recovered from a sluggish start to the season with victories over Benetton, Zebre and Connacht in the past month with Ryan Conbeer helping himself to three tries in his last two matches.
That pales into comparison compared to Ulster’s Marcell Coetzee, who grabbed four in 80 minutes as Zebre were dispatched 57-14 on Monday, and with eight tries to his name already this season, the visitors will have to find a way to tame the South African this weekend.
Monday – Glasgow Warriors v Munster Rugby
Round 7 concludes with an intriguing contest between two sides who have not met in the Guinness PRO14 for more than two years.
Unbeaten Munster makes the trip to Scotstoun full of confidence having won each of their opening five fixtures, which represents their best start to a campaign since 2008.
Danny Wilson’s Warriors, on the other hand, have lost their last three games and were well beaten by Ulster on their most recent outing. But the history of this fixture suggests it could closer than the form book would imply.
Munster have not always enjoyed their visits to Scotstoun over the years, with just two wins to their name in Glasgow, while the last five meetings between these two teams have all been won by the home side on the day.