RaboDirect PRO12: Round 9 Preview
With the completion of their postponed round 4 game against Zebre, Ulster have now pulled six points clear at the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 table.
Ulster are in action in Italy again on Friday night when they face Benetton Treviso at the Stadio di Monigo. Mark Anscombe’s men will be looking to extend their unbeaten record in the country as well as maintaining their 100% start to this season’s RaboDirect PRO12.
Current RaboDirect PRO12 champions, the Ospreys, travel to Murrayfield on Friday to resume their league campaign against Edinburgh.
The Ospreys sit just outside the top four due to a poorer points scoring difference than Munster. Should results go their way this weekend it could be the first time the Welsh side have entered the play-off zone this season.
The match of the day must be the encounter at Scotstoun Stadium where thee third-placed Glasgow Warriors must overcome the reigning Heineken Cup champions, Leinster, if they are to set a new Warriors record of seven successive league wins.
The final game on Friday night is in Wales where the Newport Gwent Dragons host Connacht. Both teams have had a mixed start to their seasons, and a victory would be a welcome boost to their campaigns.
The round concludes with two games on Sunday, Munster v Scarlets and Zebre v Cardiff Blues. After having narrowly missed out to Ulster last weekend, Zebre are still looking for their first league success and will be hoping the Blues’ poor form continues for one more week.
Munster will be bidding to extend their impressive record against the Scarlets. They have not lost to the Welsh region since March 2007, while the second-placed Scarlets will be aiming to close the gap on leaders Ulster.
RABODIRECT PRO12 – ROUND 9 FIXTURES:
Friday, November 23 –
Newport Gwent Dragons (11th) v CONNACHT (8th), Rodney Parade, 7pm
Benetton Treviso (9th) v ULSTER (1st), Stadio di Monigo, 7.05pm local time/6.05pm Irish time (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland red button/SportItalia)
Edinburgh (10th) v Ospreys (5th), Murrayfield, 7.05pm (live BBC 2 Wales)
Glasgow Warriors (3rd) v LEINSTER (6th), Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm (live RTÉ Two/BBC ALBA)
Sunday, November 25 –
Zebre (12th) v Cardiff Blues (7th), Stadio XXV Aprile, 3pm (live SportItalia)
MUNSTER (4th) v Scarlets (2nd), Musgrave Park, 5.15pm (live TG4/S4C)