United Rugby Championship Predictions – Round 15

Two South African derbies are on deck as the race for playoff places intensifies in the United Rugby Championship this weekend, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

The coastal clash between the Stormers and the Sharks in Cape Town is the first of Saturday’s local games followed by the Jukskei derby between the Bulls and the Lions in Pretoria.

Munster v Scarlets

Friday, 03 March – 21:35

Two in-form teams kick off the action with Munster having won their last four URC fixtures and the Scarlets going one better.

Munster were ruthless in their last outing, trouncing the Ospreys 58-3 in a showcase of their depth, while the Scarlets, in lowly 14th, also impressed with a 42-14 win over Edinburgh.

The fifth-placed Irish club are pushing for a home playoff and should prevail with room to spare at home.

Prediction: Munster by 14.

Suggested Bet: Scarlets +16.5 at 1.85.

Glasgow Warriors v Zebre

Friday, 03 March – 21:35

Were they complacent or beaten by a better team on the day? That’s the question Glasgow would’ve asked themselves in the wake of their surprise 35-24 loss to the Lions last weekend that ended a 10-match winning streak in all competitions. 

Despite it being an away game, they would’ve fancied getting the full five points, which is by how much they trail third-placed Ulster. This is a gift of an opportunity for them to put the disappointing defeat behind them and secure a full house against the defensively poor men from Parma.

Prediction: Glasgow Warriors by 19.

Suggested Bet: Zebre +22.5 at 1.85.

Stormers v Sharks

Saturday, 04 March – 14:30

The Sharks will have to dig deep and discover a new dimension to their game if they are to upset the Stormers. Without their plethora of Springboks, the Durban side have lacked grunt, accuracy, and confidence, which saw them go down 31-24 to Ulster at home last weekend.

It also meant they were no match for the Stormers last month, suffering a 46-19 humiliation in front of their home crowd. The puzzle pieces simply don’t fit as well sans their superstars while basic individual errors add to their stuttering.

The Stormers have dealt the best with losing their Springboks, a testament to their structures, depth, and John Dobson’s man-management and these factors will see them do the double over the Durbanites, whose weak maul defence was exposed by Ulster.

Prediction: Stormers by 12.

Suggested Bet: Stormers -7.5 at 1.82.

Bulls v Lions

Saturday, 04 March – 16:45

Adversity often galvanises a team and that was the case for the Lions last weekend as they stunned the Warriors with a spirited performance to snap a five-match losing streak in the UFC and move within six points of the top eight.

Unfortunately for them, they’re running into the physical and mental block that is a local derby. It’s been over a year since the men from Johannesburg beat a fellow South African side. That’s mainly because they are unable to match the power of their counterparts up front, which sees them fade.

The Bulls, who comfortably won the previous meeting (31-15) in Johannesburg last September, lost 23-19 to the Stormers in their last fixture and the fifth-placed Pretoria side cannot afford to drop another home game.

A good start by the Lions would make things interesting as it’ll pile pressure on the hosts, but the tactical nous and strength of the Bulls will see them bag a bonus-point win. 

Prediction: Bulls by 14.

Suggested Bet: Bulls -13.5 at 1.82.

Edinburgh v Leinster

Saturday, 04 March – 19:05

Edinburgh have been in a serious free-fall and just can’t seem to grab hold of a branch on their way down. They are 1-6 in their last seven URC games following their 28-point loss to the lowly Scarlets and have dropped out of the top eight down to 11th. They’ll be no match for the unbeaten log leaders.

Prediction: Leinster by 12.

Suggested Bet: Leinster -8.5 at 1.85.

Ospreys v Benetton

Saturday, 04 March – 19:15

The last three games between these sides were decided by four points or less and this looks set to be another close one. The Ospreys were nowhere in their 58-3 drubbing by Munster in their last match, so it takes a braver man than me to back them here, even with home-ground advantage.

Benetton lost by 17 to Cardiff so this is a tricky one to call, but I have more faith in the Italians to get over the line as underdogs.

Prediction: Benetton by 3. 

Suggested Bet: Benetton at 2.80.

Cardiff v Ulster

Saturday, 04 March – 21:35

A fresh Cardiff side lies in wait for Ulster, whose trip to Durban saw them rebound from an away loss to Glasgow and consolidate third place on the log.

The travel factor makes this an intriguing encounter as it makes one wonder if the Irish outfit will have the stamina to go a hard 80 minutes. To that end, ninth-placed Cardiff will want to push the pace from the onset.

Ulster’s maul was ultra-impressive against the Sharks and it should be similarly successful against the men from the Welsh capital while the tactical prowess of their halfback pairing will help them intelligently negotiate the challenge.

Prediction: Ulster by 5.

Suggested Bet: Cardiff +5.5 at 1.82.

Dragons v Connacht

Saturday, 04 March – 21:35

The Dragons haven’t won a URC match since last October when they thumped the only team below them, Zebre, while Connacht have won their last three URC games against the Sharks (24-12), Lions (43-27) and Zebre (57-34).

They have more sting on attack and offer more resistance on defence, so they should get the job done to stay in the top eight.

Prediction: Connacht by 10. 

Suggested Bet: Connacht -5.5 at 1.85.