URC Round 8 Preview: Bragging Rights to be Decided in Derby Round – Glasgow v Edinburgh at Hampden Park

12/20/2024 05:24 AM

The BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) Round 8 promises an action-packed lineup of games featuring fierce rivalries, interprovincial clashes, and significant milestones. Leinster lead the pack with a magnificent seven wins from seven matches, with Irish rivals Connacht looking to upset the league leaders this weekend.

With, Irish, Italian, Welsh and South African derbies all in store, as well as a historic 1872 Cup clash between Edinburgh and Glasgow at the iconic Hampden Park, this weekend's fixtures are set to deliver thrilling rugby action, decide bragging rights, and dish out a decent serving of drama. Here's a comprehensive preview of what's to come.

Ulster Rugby v Munster Rugby, 7.35pm, Friday– Kingspan Stadium, Belfast

The opening game of the weekend sees an Irish interprovincial showdown between two sides looking to bounce back from Champions Cup disappointment.

Ulster lost both of their first two European group games against French opposition, going down 61-21 in Toulouse and then 40-19 at home to Bordeaux-Begles. Meanwhile, Munster suffered a frustrating 16-14 defeat away to Castres last weekend.

On the back of those results, both teams have made changes for the Kingspan Stadium clash, which sees 10th host 11th in the BKT URC table. Ulster welcome back scrum-half John Cooney from a hamstring injury, while there are three alterations in the pack and a league debut for winger Zac Ward.

As for Munster, they have made no fewer than six changes, with Gavin Coombes, Tom Ahern, Shane Daly, and Jack O'Donoghue drafted into the starting line-up. Paddy Patterson takes over from the injured Craig Casey at scrum-half.

Benetton Rugby v Zebre Parma, Saturday, 1pm– Stadio Comunale di Monigo

This game takes place against the backdrop of the big news that Zebre have been put up for sale by the Italian Rugby Federation.

Potential buyers have until January 15 to signal their interest in purchasing the franchise, with requirements including a stadium with at least 5,000 seats, a sufficient financial budget, and a commitment to align with the federation's goals for competitive and commercial growth.

Reacting to the news, BKT URC said:
"We welcome the FIR's invitation for greater investment into the franchise held by Zebre Parma and the ambition to increase the competitiveness of the Italian teams within the league.

"The BKT URC will provide its full support throughout this process to both Zebre and other interested parties to ensure the higher standards required by the FIR for the franchise align with the requirements of the league. This is viewed as a positive development for both the league and Italian rugby."

It remains to be seen who will apply for the franchise and what the future holds for the existing Parma-based club. In the meantime, Zebre face the little matter of back-to-back Italian derbies, starting with this weekend's trip to Treviso.

DHL Stormers v Emirates Lions, 1.45pm, Saturday – DHL Stadium

The Stormers are looking to dig themselves out of a hole as they enter their first South Africa derby of the URC campaign.

They sit in 13th place in the table, having won just two of their six league matches. Recent Champions Cup defeats to Toulon (24-14) and Harlequins (53-16) have compounded their woes.

Reflecting on the season so far, head coach John Dobson said:
"We got ourselves into a hole with a tough URC start and an injury list like I've never seen in my career."

Dobson described the performance against Harlequins at the Stoop last Saturday as "very disappointing."
"We pride ourselves on our defence, we think we've got one of the best in world club rugby, but Harlequins undid us there. We got well beaten," he admitted.

The Lions, in contrast, have had a strong season, winning five of their eight matches in all competitions. They head into the derby buoyed by a six-try, 43-35 victory over French club Pau in the Challenge Cup.

Hollywoodbets Sharks v Vodacom Bulls, 4pm, Saturday– Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium

Kings Park in Durban is set for a 35,000 sell-out crowd as the Sharks host the Bulls in the second all-South Africa clash of the weekend.

Both teams come into the game on the back of Champions Cup defeats, with the Sharks losing 56-17 at Leicester and the Bulls falling to Saracens and Northampton.

The Sharks have been boosted by the return of Springbok stars Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche, Makazole Mapimpi, Vincent Koch, and Aphelele Fassi. Centre Andre Esterhuizen commented:
"Coming off a tough loss in the EPCR, bouncing back is our main priority.

"It's a north-south derby, that's always been great to play in. Historically, playing the Bulls is always tough from a physicality point of view, so we're bracing ourselves for a big challenge."

Ospreys v Scarlets, 5.15pm, Saturday – Swansea.com Stadium

The big story ahead of this west Wales derby has been the departure of Ospreys head coach Toby Booth.

Booth was originally set to leave at the end of the season, but it was announced on Tuesday that he would depart immediately. This has seen Mark Jones step into the role earlier than expected.

"These things happen in professional sport," said Jones. "We know this is in our line of work."

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel anticipates a reaction from the Ospreys, saying: "As you have seen many times when this happens, you can have a bit of a bounce or reaction of some sort."

The Scarlets have been performing well, with four wins in their last six matches, while the Ospreys have managed just three victories in nine outings this term.

Leinster Rugby v Connacht Rugby, 5.30pm, Saturday – Aviva Stadium

Leinster, despite a perfect nine wins in all competitions, are still pushing to improve their standards.

Following a 15-7 win over Clermont last weekend, head coach Leo Cullen remarked: "We're not at the level we need to be if we want to be successful."

Connacht arrive with momentum, having secured back-to-back Challenge Cup victories over Zebre and Perpignan.

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby, 3pm, Sunday – Hampden Park

History will be made as club rugby comes to Glasgow’s Hampden Park for the first time.

Approximately 24,000 tickets have already been sold for the 1872 Cup first leg clash, and the final attendance is expected to approach 28,000.

"This is a massive moment in the history of not just our club, but rugby within our city," said Glasgow managing director Alastair Kellock.

Dragons RFC v Cardiff Rugby, 5.15pm, Thursday, December 26– Rodney Parade

Round 8 concludes with this Boxing Day east Wales derby, a rematch of Round 7 when Cardiff secured a 31-23 victory at the Arms Park.

Cardiff have won their last 19 league encounters with the Dragons, who are seeking to keep Filo Tiatia in charge for the remainder of the season.

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