GUINNESS PRO12: Round 4 Preview
With the Rugby World Cup now down to the knockout stages, the majority of GUINNESS PRO12 games take place on Friday night so fans can enjoy turning up to support their local team whilst keeping one eye on the progress of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the World Cup quarter-finals. Italy have also qualified for the 2019 RWC.
Two of the three teams defending a 100% PRO12 record will be in action on the opening night, Edinburgh hosting Ulster at BT Murrayfield with the Scarlets welcoming Leinster to Parc y Scarlets. Both hosts will be hoping that their home results are good enough to see their successful runs continue.
Also on Friday night Zebre may find Galway a hard place to travel looking for their opening success of the season, especially as Pat Lam’s Connacht side are aiming for a third straight home win.
Finally on Friday the winners of the Glasgow Warriors v Newport Gwent Dragons match can put space between themselves and their opponents in the table as currently just one point separates them in eighth and ninth places.
The two games on Saturday kick off early, with the two remaining Welsh outfits, the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues, travelling to Italy and Ireland respectively.
On paper, the Blues may have the harder trip playing Munster in Cork, but while Cardiff are top try scorers in the competition so far this season, the Ospreys, who travel to face Benetton Treviso, have yet to get over the whitewash.
GUINNESS PRO12 – ROUND 4 FIXTURES:
Friday, October 16 –
CONNACHT (4th) v Zebre (12th), the Sportsground, 7.30pm (live Galway Bay FM)
Edinburgh (2nd) v ULSTER (5th), BT Murrayfield, 7.45pm (live Sky Sports 3 HD)
Glasgow Warriors (8th) v Newport Gwent Dragons (9th), Scotstoun Stadium, 7.35pm
Scarlets (1st) v LEINSTER (6th), Parc y Scarlets, 7.35pm (live TG4/S4C)
Saturday, October 17 –
Benetton Treviso (10th) v Ospreys (11th), Stadio di Monigo, 2.30pm local time (live Rai Sport)
MUNSTER (3rd) v Cardiff Blues (7th), Irish Independent Park, 1.30pm (live TG4/S4C)