FRIDAY PREVIEWS: The race to the United Rugby Championship play-offs resumes at a maddening tempo, as Spherical 14 will get underway with two intriguing Friday matches.
Simply seven factors separate fifth and thirteenth locations and 15 groups stay in play-off competition.
With solely 5 rounds remaining, each sport counts.
Friday will kick off in Belfast as Ulster welcomes the Stormers and Edinburgh host the Dragons.
The Stormers are one in every of two groups that climbed into the highest eight in Spherical 13.
Ospreys are actually seventh after their 43-40 win over Connacht and the Stormers are eighth following their 29-17 win over Scarlets.
Retaining these spots, nonetheless, is not going to be straightforward – with simply three factors separating seventh and thirteenth.
Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson described Ravenhill as one of many hardest locations to play.
“Friday night time on this climate is the last word [challenge],” he mentioned, including: “We haven’t obtained a win at Scotstoun [Glasgow), we got a win at Connacht [Galway] final 12 months.
“Thomond Park [Munster in Limerick] is one other place the place it is advisable begin getting wins.
“We obtained ourselves carried out ][5-35 loss] right here [Belfast] two years in the past.
“That is important for the expansion of our workforce, we have now to study to win these video games.
“That is up there with the hardest away video games you possibly can play.”
With the anticipated temperatures set to be within the low single digits, with the wind-chill issue that would take it to sub-zero (°C), it should get ‘very chilly’.
The lack of some senior forwards – Frans Malherbe (200+ first-class caps and 76 Checks), Deon Fourie (300+ first-class caps and 13 Checks) and captain Salmaan Moerat (80+ first-class caps and 10 Checks) – has robbed the guests from South Africa of a big chunk of expertise.
“We needed to make extra modifications than we’d have wished to,” Dobson informed @rugby365com, including: “The management would have been helpful for us.
“Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless a ok workforce to do the job.”
Stand-in captain Neethling Fouché admitted Ulster is a ‘completely different animal’ at Ravenhill.
“We expect a really determined Ulster workforce,” he mentioned of a house workforce that’s one level and one place behind the Stormers (eight and 33 factors) within the standings.
“Additionally they obtained a number of gamers again, which can elevate them.
“They aren’t proud of their place on the standings and neither are we.
“There is no such thing as a doubt it will likely be an intense sport and we must enhance on final week.”
Ulster has received the final two URC fixtures and haven’t received three in succession since final Might.
The Ulstermen have misplaced their final 4 fixtures in opposition to South African opponents, however all have been performed within the Republic.
Nevertheless, Ulster have an ideal performed 10, received 10 report in opposition to South African opponents in Belfast within the Championship.
The Stormers have received their final two URC matches and haven’t received three in succession since final June.
The South Africans have received their final two away video games within the Championship and have by no means received three successive matches on the street.
Their solely earlier victory away at an Irish province was once they beat Connacht 16-12 in Galway in Might 2024.
The 2 sides have met on 4 earlier events with Stormers’ solely defeat being 5-35 at Ravenhill in January 2023.
(John Dobson and Neethling Fouché preview Stormers versus Ulster….)
* In the meantime, Edinburgh’s solely win within the final 4 rounds was 34-28 in opposition to Munster in Cork in Spherical 12.
Edinburgh’s six-game home-winning run in all tournaments ended with their defeat to Zebre in Spherical 11 of the URC.
The Scottish outfit has misplaced their final two matches in opposition to Welsh areas, though each of these video games have been performed in Wales. The Scotsmen have received all seven dwelling video games they’ve performed in opposition to Welsh areas in Edinburgh.
The Dragons are with no win within the URC since their opening weekend’s 23-21 victory at dwelling to Ospreys.
They haven’t received outdoors of Wales within the Championship since beating Connacht in Galway in October 2021.
The Dragons’ most up-to-date victory over a Scottish opponent was beating Edinburgh 24-17 in March 2021.
Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt described the Dragons as a ‘harmful’ aspect.
“They win numerous turnovers and will be environment friendly and damage you within the 22-metre [area],” Everitt mentioned.
“They gave Ulster a tough time final Saturday, so it’s not a workforce we will take frivolously.
“Each sport within the URC has been tight within the final couple of months, so we have now to give attention to ourselves and ensure we will execute as precisely as we will.”
Dragons coach Filo Tiatia returned the praise.
“At dwelling, they [Edinburgh] play quick and prefer to play up-tempo with a very good set piece,” Tiatia mentioned.
“It’s going to be a heck of a problem in Scotland.
“We have to begin effectively and preserve constructing round how we apply strain from minute one.”
All of Friday’s groups and predictions comply with beneath …
Ulster v Stormers
(Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast – Kick-off: 19.35; 21.35 SAST; 19.35 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Ulster by 5 factors
Groups
Ulster: 15 Michael Lowry, 14 Rob Baloucoune, 13 James Hume, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 John Cooney, 8 David McCann, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 Matty Rea, 6 Kieran Treadwell, 4 Alan O’Connor (captain), 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Rob Herring, 1 Andrew Warwick.
Replacements: 16 Tom Stewart, 17 Callum Reid, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Harry Sheridan, 20 James McNabney, 21 Nathan Doak, 22 Ben Carson, 23 Zac Ward.
Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Connor Evans, 3 Neethling Fouché (captain), 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 André-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Willie Engelbrecht, 21 Paul de Moist, 22 Jurie Matthee, 23 Wandisile Simelane.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Eoghan Cross (Eire), Andrew Fogarty (Eire)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (Italy)
Edinburgh v Dragons
(Edinburgh Stadium – Kick-off 19.35; 19.35 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Edinburgh by 12 factors
Groups
Edinburgh: 15 Wes Goosen, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Matt Currie, 12 James Lang, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Ross Thompson, 9 Ben Vellacott (co-captain), 8 Magnus Bradbury, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Grant Gilchrist (co-captain), 4 Marshall Sykes, 3 D’arcy Rae, 2 Paddy Harrison, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Dave Cherry, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Glen Younger, 20 Freddy Douglas, 21 Ali Worth, 22 Cammy Scott, 23 Ross McCann.
Dragons: 15 Huw Anderson, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Joe Westwood, 12 Aneurin Owen (captain), 11 Ashton Hewitt, 10 Will Reed, 9 Rhodri Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Harrison Keddie, 6 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 5 Cummins, 4 Joe Davies, Steve, 3 Paula Latu, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Rodrigo Martinez.
Replacements: 16 Brodie Coghlan, 17 Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, 18 Nathan Evans, 19 Barny Langton-Cryer, 20 Taine Basham, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Josh Thomas, 23 Jared Rosser.
Referee: Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jonny Perriam (Scotland), Rob McDowell (Scotland)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
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@rugby365com
* Extra reporting by @URCOfficial
