RaboDirect PRO12: Round 10 Preview
After a round of games that saw four home wins, with two of those victors also picking up try-scoring bonus points, the same four teams – the Ospreys, Leinster, Munster and Glasgow Warriors – still occupy the RaboDirect PRO12 play-off spots.
Elsewhere in the table the Scarlets were the biggest movers with their 22-12 win over Welsh rivals the Newport Gwent Dragons lifting them two places to sixth. The Llanelli-based outfit will look to continue their winning ways at Ulster on Friday night.
Also on Friday another Irish-Welsh clash takes place at the RDS where Leinster host the Cardiff Blues. Leinster lie close behind the Ospreys at the top of the table, and have not lost to a Welsh region in Dublin since the Ospreys took the title there in May 2010.
A third Irish orovince, Connacht, are also in action on Friday welcoming Benetton Treviso to the Sportsground, each team looking for a victory to kickstart their season after suffering dips over the last couple of rounds.
Both Italian outfits are lining out on Friday night as Aironi visit Edinburgh, and with both sides at the wrong end of the table a victory would be a welcome boost for either. Aironi are still looking for their first away win.
It is top versus third on Saturday when Munster travel to Swansea to play the Ospreys. Munster were the last RaboDirect PRO12 team to win at the Liberty Stadium, so this is likely to be a hard-fought encounter.
Round 10 wraps up on Sunday with Glasgow Warriors travelling to Wales to face the Dragons. Another Warriors triumph would see them equal their record for their best ever winning run in the league.
RABODIRECT PRO12 – ROUND 10 FIXTURES:
Friday, December 2 –
ULSTER v Scarlets, Ravenhill, 7.05pm (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland)
CONNACHT v Benetton Treviso, the Sportsground, 7.30pm
Edinburgh v Aironi Rugby, Murrayfield, 7.30pm
LEINSTER v Cardiff Blues, the RDS, 8.05pm (live TG4/BBC 2 Wales)
Saturday, December 3 –
Ospreys v MUNSTER, Liberty Stadium, 6.30pm (live RTÉ Two/S4C)
Sunday, December 4 –
Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors, Rodney Parade, 4.30pm (live S4C/BBC ALBA)