Weekly Rugby Preview
Edinburgh v Munster, 7:35pm Friday
Edinburgh Rugby have won their last three BKT United Rugby Championship fixtures since their 13-23 defeat to the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban in Round 13.
The Scotsmen’s only home defeat in the Championship this season was 22-24 to Benetton at Hive Stadium in Round 6.
Edinburgh have won their last two Championship fixtures against Irish provinces and have not won three such encounters in a row since 2018.
Munster Rugby have won their last seven BKT United Rugby Championship matches since their defeat at Connacht in Round 9 and have not won eight in succession in the Championship since 2017.
Munster have won their last four fixtures with Edinburgh since the Scotsmen’s 18-16 victory in Cork in November 2019.
Munster won 38-17 on their only previous visit to Hive Stadium in December 2022.
I’d expect this to be very tight match but I’ll give the win to the home side. 2/1 Edinburgh for small stakes.
Connacht v Stormers, 5:05pm Sat
Connacht will be looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Munster, while Stormers aim to continue their solid form, having lost only one of their last five matches.
Connacht boasts a strong home record, having suffered only two defeats at Dexcom Stadium since December 2022. However, they’ve struggled against South African opponents recently, losing their last two encounters.
Stormers, on the other hand, have been impressive on the road, winning three of their last four away games.
Despite Stormers’ historically winless record against Irish provinces, their current form suggests they could challenge Connacht, who have won their only previous meeting in Galway.
Having Santi Cordero on the bench with a high possibility of getting some game time should attract plenty of supporters.
But for many Connacht fans it’s a massive end of an era with the Clan Stand being knocked after the game. The great memories of days out with mates will come flooding back.
With probably 11 players leaving the club, many who have given so much I really think Connacht could just have one of those nights. I predicted they would lose by 25 last week but I reckon they could win by 7 this week. The players will hopefully leave absolutely everything on the field. Connacht -6 at 5/1.
Ulster v Leinster, 7:35pm Saturday
Not fully sure how but Ulster are on a three-match winning streak, aiming to extend their run and secure a fourth consecutive victory, a feat they haven’t achieved since April 2023.
Despite a strong record at Kingspan Stadium this season, with only one loss, they face a tough challenge against Leinster, who have also found form with a convincing win in their last match.
Leinster have historically performed well against Ulster, winning three of their last five encounters at Kingspan Stadium.
Ulster are saying goodbye to nine players and hopefully they get a great fairwell from the fans.
It’s all about the team Leinster name but I could see them winning by 10pts and topping the URC come end of season if they go 3/4 loaded. So it’s Leinster -9 at 4s.
Starting team news for Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster Rugby
