Magners League: Round 16 Preview
The Magners League sees midweek action on Tuesday night when Ulster host the Ospreys in their rearranged round 11 fixture at Ravenhill (kick-off 7.30pm).
Having exited the Heineken Cup over the weekend, the Ospreys will be looking to quickly get back to winning ways and propel themselves into the Magners League play-off zone as the season’s end draws ever closer.
That is the first of three trips across the Irish Sea for the Ospreys before the regulation phase concludes, as they return on Friday night to face table-topping Leinster in Dublin, having recorded just one previous league victory in the city.
Ulster are also in action on Friday, travelling to Scotland to face Glasgow Warriors. The hosts currently have a good record at Firhill Stadium, however Ulster have won on three of their last four visits to Glasgow.
Saturday sees a tasty Welsh derby when the Scarlets welcome the Cardiff Blues to Parc y Scarlets.
With automatic qualification for next season’s Heineken Cup at stake, the result is vital for both regions, and the Blues will be buoyed by the fact they have beaten their hosts twice already this season.
Round 16 wraps up on Sunday with two games – the Newport Gwent Dragons face Edinburgh and Connacht host reigning league champions in a mouth-watering Irish derby.
Both the Dragons and Edinburgh need a victory to maintain their push for a play-off spot, Edinburgh being the better-placed as they are already in the top four. Anything but a victory would severely hamper the Dragons’ chances.
Munster, like Leinster, are facing the possibility of achieving a domestic league and European cup double, and need this victory to maintain their push for home advantage in the play-offs.
But Connacht, who have qualified for the Amlin Challenge Cup’s last four, have not lost at home since September and beat Munster 12-6 in Galway last season.
MAGNERS LEAGUE – ROUND 16 FIXTURES:
ROUND 11:
Tuesday, April 13 –
ULSTER v Ospreys, Ravenhill, 7.30pm (live Setanta Sports Ireland/S4C)
ROUND 16:
Friday, April 16 –
Glasgow Warriors v ULSTER, Firhill Stadium, 7.05pm (live Setanta Sports Ireland)
LEINSTER v Ospreys, the RDS, 7.05pm (live Setanta Sports 1/BBC Wales)
Saturday, April 17 –
Scarlets v Cardiff Blues, Parc y Scarlets, 6.30pm (live Setanta Sports 1/S4C)
Sunday, April 18 –
CONNACHT v MUNSTER, the Sportsground, 5.05pm (live Setanta Sports Ireland)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh, Rodney Parade, 5.05pm (live Setanta Sports 1/S4C)