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URC Round 5

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Irish trio Ulster, Munster and Leinster continue to lead the way after four rounds of the inaugural United Rugby Championship.

Ulster maintained their perfect start to the season by beating the Emirates Lions and next face an Irish derby with Connacht at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Munster and Leinster are a point behind after wins over Connacht and the Scarlets respectively.

A trip to the Ospreys is next for Munster while Leinster head to Glasgow Warriors, who are fourth and on a three-game winning streak, on Friday night.

Rainbow Cup champions Benetton, on the back of two successive defeats, travel to Scarlets on Friday night while Zebre Parma host Edinburgh on Saturday having been left as the only team yet to win.

Cardiff and the Dragons meet in a Welsh derby on Saturday evening while the South African teams’ R5 derbies will be played in February due to their extended tours finishing in Europe.

FRI – Scarlets Rugby v Benetton Rugby

Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli | KO 19:35 UK (20:35 ITA & SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV

Scarlets will look to return to winning ways having conceded 93 points in heavy defeats to Munster and defending champions Leinster.

The Welsh side, whose only victory so far this season came against the Emirates Lions in Round 2, should be encouraged by their record over Italian opponents having won their last six since losing to Benetton in Treviso in 2019.

After starting the season with back-to-back wins, Benetton head to Wales hoping to avoid a third successive defeat having been beaten by Ulster and the Ospreys.

The Italians have won just two of their previous 15 championship meetings with Scarlets – at this venue in May 2013 – and have triumphed only once away from home in this competition since August 2020.

FRI – Glasgow Warriors v Leinster Rugby

Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow | KO 19:35 UK (20:35 ITA & SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV, TG4

Glasgow host the defending champions on the back of three wins on the trot and having just lost once in eight across the Rainbow Cup and URC.

But they will need to buck a poor record against Irish provinces which has yielded just one win in 11 fixtures – a 15-12 home success over Leinster in the Rainbow Cup in June.

Leinster are one of only three teams – Ulster and Munster the others – to have won all four games this season.

Their loss to the Warriors in the summer was their only defeat on their travels in the championship since April 2019 but they have been beaten six times in 10 visits to Scotstoun in all competitions.

SAT – Zebre Parma v Edinburgh Rugby

Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi | KO 14:00 UK (15:00 ITA & SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV, Mediaset

Zebre remain the only team in the competition still to register a victory, with them claiming just the solitary bonus point.

Their last win came at home to the Dragons in the PRO14 in February and they have lost their previous eight matches against Scottish opponents since beating Edinburgh in Parma in October 2018.

Edinburgh sit sixth on 13 points after following up a home draw with the DHL Stormers by beating the Vodacom Bulls at the Dam Health Stadium.

The Scottish outfit have not won away from home since overcoming Connacht in March and their only victory in their five previous trips to Italy came in this fixture in January.

SAT – Connacht Rugby v Ulster Rugby

Aviva Stadium, Dublin | KO 17:15 UK (18:15 ITA & SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV, TG4

Ulster put their perfect record in the United Rugby Championship on the line in an Irish derby.

Dan McFarland’s side have reeled off four successive bonus-point wins but they have failed to win on their previous five visits to this venue and have also lost their last five games against fellow Irish provinces.

Connacht suffered a late 20-18 defeat to Munster last week but will have been buoyed by their performance and beat Ulster 26-20 at the Aviva last August.

While Connacht have triumphed in just nine of their 37 meetings with Ulster, the last six have been shared with three wins apiece.

SAT – Cardiff Rugby  v Dragons Rugby

Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | KO 17:15 UK (18:15 ITA & SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV

Cardiff returned to winning ways with victory over the Cell C Sharks having suffered successive losses to the Ospreys and the Vodacom Bulls.

That defeat to the Bulls was the only time in six matches they have been beaten at the Arms Park and they have also won six of their previous nine matches against fellow Welsh regions.

The Dragons have won just one of their last eight Rainbow Cup/URC matches and have gone down in three consecutive Welsh derbies.

Their record against Cardiff reads just eight wins from 35 encounters and they have lost the last 11 times they have met since registering a Boxing Day win at the Arms Park in 2014.

SAT – Ospreys Rugby v Munster Rugby

Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea | KO 19:35 UK (20:35 ITA & SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV, S4C, RTE

Munster will head to Wales with their tails up after a late 20-18 win over Connacht maintained their 100 per cent winning start to the season.

Beaten finalists last term, Munster have triumphed in their last 11 matches against the Ospreys in all competitions since defeat in Cork in February 2016.

The Ospreys survived a Benetton fightback to claim a third victory in four matches but have won only twice in eight meetings against Irish provinces.

They have also beaten an Irish opponent just once at this stadium since April 2018 while Munster have prevailed on their last five visits.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.