Advertisement
©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Briefing

Pro12 Cheat Sheet: your guide to the weekend's rugby action

Here’s a cut-out and keep guide to what awaits the Irish provinces on jam-packed weekend of action in the RaboDirect Pro12.

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster

When? Friday, 19:35

Where to watch? RTÉ 2

The story so far? Glasgow are looking to bounce back from last Sunday’s Heineken Cup loss to Leinster — their first in six games — by going top of the table with a win tonight. Ulster scored a 22-3 win over Connacht last time out in the Pro12, ending a run of four successive defeats in the competition.

Team news: Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has rested four players for this evening’s trip to Firhill. The IRFU’s player management policy means that Rory Best and Stephen Ferris both miss out, while Craig Gilroy and Chris Henry are given a well-deserved rest after featuring in all of the province’s games so far this season.

Glasgow Warriors: Hogg; Lemi, Nathan, Morrison, Aramburu; Weir, Pyrgos; Welsh, MacArthur, Cusack; Ryder, Kellock; Harley, Barclay, Wilson.
Ulster: D’Arcy; Trimble, Cave, Spence, Danielli; Humphreys, Marshall; Court, Kyriacou, Fitzpatrick; Muller, Tuohy; Diack, Faloon, Wannenburg.

Benetton Treviso v Leinster

When? Saturday, 14:00 (15:00 CET)

Where to watch? RTÉ 2

The story so far? Treviso go into tomorrow afternoon’s game having won four of their last five in the Pro12, a run which has seen them move up to sixth in the table. Leinster are currently tied for top spot with the Ospreys and are unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions.

Team news: Anxious to avoid a repeat of last season’s loss in Treviso, Joe Schmidt has named a strong XV despite being forced to rest a number of his Irish internationals. Ian Madigan comes in to replace Jonny Sexton at out-half while Rhys Ruddock and Leo Auva’a join captain Shane Jennings in a new-look back row.

Benetton Treviso: McLean; De Jaeger, Benvenuti, Sgarbi, Williams; Burton, Botes; Rizzo, Ceccato, Cittadini; Pavanello, Bernabo; Derbyshire, Zanni, Barbieri.
Leinster: Fitzgerald; McFadden, O’Malley, D’Arcy, Carr; Madigan, Reddan; Healy, Cronin, Hagan; Browne, Toner; Ruddock, Jennings, Auva’a.

Connacht v Ospreys

When? Saturday, 18:30

Where to watch? TG4

The story so far? Connacht have lost their last six, suffering back-to-back defeats in Europe since the loss to Ulster in their last Pro12 game. Ospreys are top of the Pro12 pile with six wins and a draw from their eight games in the competition so far.

Team news: Mike McCarthy serves the first part of his two-week suspension and both Michael Swift and Eoin Griffin are ruled out through injury, forcing Eric Elwood to make three personal changes and a number of positional switches for tomorrow evening’s game. Henry Fa’afili comes in at inside centre where he partners Dave McSharry, while up front, TJ Anderson and Ray Anderson return to the starting XV alongside John Muldoon in the back row.

Connacht: Duffy; Tuohy, McSharry, Fa’afili, O’Halloran; Nikora, O’Donohoe; Wilkinson, Flavin, Ah You; Gannon, Naoupu; Anderson, Muldoon, Ofisa.

Ospreys: Davies; Bowe, Bishop, Beck, Fussell; Morgan, Webb; Jones, Hibbard, Jarvis; Gough, King; Smith, O’Toole, Bearman

Munster v Edinburgh

When? Saturday, 20:30

Where to watch? TG4

The story so far? Munster will be hoping to get their Pro12 campaign back on track having lost last time out against Leinster in the Aviva Stadium. Edinburgh are currently on a three-game unbeaten run in all competitions, though they have already lost five times in the Pro12 this season.

Team news: Injuries and IRFU policy have forced Munster boss Tony McGahan to experiment with a young and untested side. Only Will Chambers and Donncha O’Callaghan remain from the side which started against Leinster in Munster’s last Pro12 outing. O’Callaghan is paired with international colleague Mick O’Driscoll in the second row, while Tomás O’Leary gets his first start of the season at scrum-half.

Munster: Hurley; O’Dea, Chambers, Barnes, Zebo; Keatley, O’Leary; Horan, Fogarty, Archer; O’Callaghan, O’Driscoll; Holland, O’Donnell, Butler.
Edinburgh: Paterson; Visser, Thompson, King, Brown; Godman, Blair; Traynor, Lawrie, Gilding; Cox, Turnbull; Talei, Rennie, McInally.

WATCH: UCD students tog out to save the Belfield running track

England trio refused RFU advice to pay off Dunedin hotel maid