It’s the most wonderful time of the year again – the Festive Derbies! Rivalries will be renewed, and old scores settled in five enthralling contests from across the Championship this Christmas, ranging from Limerick to Parma via Galway and Newport.
Saturday brings four enticing matches, with Zebre and Benetton kicking things off in Italy before Dragons host Cardiff Blues, Ospreys face Scarlets and Munster do battle with Leinster.
The 1872 Cup contest between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh has been postponed, leaving Connacht and Ulster as Sunday’s sole game.
Saturday – Zebre v Benetton (Postponed)
The Round 9 Guinness PRO14 fixture between Zebre Rugby Club and Benetton Rugby has been postponed. The game was due to take place on Saturday, December 26 in Parma, however, Benetton has reported a small number of positive cases of Covid-19 from last week. Having considered all of the information available and considered local health guidelines, the PRO14 Rugby Medical Advisory Group has deemed that this fixture cannot go ahead as scheduled. PRO14 Rugby will examine potential dates in early 2021 to reschedule the game.
Saturday – Dragons v Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues dominate their head-to-head record with Dragons but face a tall task at Rodney Parade on Saturday afternoon.
Dragons are seeking a third straight Guinness PRO14 win for the first time since 2014/15, while the Blues have only won one of their last six league matches.
The Blues have not lost to Dragons in six years though, winning each of their last ten games against the Men of Gwent, and lead the overall head-to-head 25-8.
Both sides sit fourth in their respective conferences but it’s the Blues who can still dream of a top-two finish. They are just six points behind Connacht in Conference B, while Dragons are 22 points adrift of high-flying Leinster in Conference A.
Saturday – Ospreys v Scarlets
We look set for a Christmas cracker. Ospreys are seeking a first win against Welsh opposition in five encounters, while Scarlets have won their last four.
The last five fixtures between the two has been won by the home side on the day, with Scarlets cruising to a comfortable 44-0 win the last time these two met on December 26 last year.
Both teams are third in their respective conferences having won three of their seven matches so far this season.
Saturday – Munster v Leinster (Postponed)
The Round 9 Guinness PRO14 fixture between Munster Rugby and Leinster Rugby has been postponed. The game was due to take place on Saturday, December 26 in Limerick, however, Leinster Rugby are currently investigating the outcomes of some of the results from their latest round of Covid-19 PRC testing. Results of these investigations will not be returned in time to meet guidelines set by public health authorities in order for the game go ahead as planned. Having considered this, the PRO14 Rugby Medical Advisory Group has agreed that this fixture cannot go ahead as scheduled.
PRO14 Rugby will examine potential dates in early 2021 to reschedule the game.
Sunday – Connacht v Ulster
A second Irish derby completes Round 9 as Ulster pack up and head west to Galway for a clash with Connacht. Both sides have been excellent this season, with Ulster winning all eight of their Guinness PRO14 matches so far to sit top of Conference A.
Connacht are also sitting pretty, with four wins from six placing them second in Conference B, while they have lost just once since Round 2. Connacht’s record against Irish teams is not for the feint hearted, however, and the Men in Green have won just one of their last nine derby games.
That came against Ulster in August, one of three straight derby defeats for Dan McFarland’s side. Ulster have not won at The Sportsground in five years, with the home side on the day winning each of the last four fixtures between these two teams.