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URC Round 7

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The United Rugby Championship’s three front runners will be looking to edge ahead of their rivals in Round 7 while there are also a bonus pair of all-South African clashes to look forward to.

Ulster’s 20-10 victory at Leinster last weekend pulled them level on points with the defending champions at the summit while Edinburgh triumphed 30-14 at the Dragons to reduce the gap on the leading duo to a single point.

Leinster host a rejuvenated Connacht at the RDS Arena on Friday, the same night Edinburgh welcome Benetton to the Scottish capital.

Ulster’s quest to stay among the competition’s pace setters takes them to Swansea to face the Ospreys on Saturday while Glasgow Warriors meet the Dragons at home later that evening.

Meanwhile, following the postponement of cross-hemisphere fixtures in South Africa in Rounds 6 and 7, two matches have been brought forward to fill the gap.

The Cell C Sharks host the Vodacom Bulls in a Round 12 fixture on Friday before the DHL Stormers welcome the Emirates Lions in Round 8 a day later.

FRI – Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Bulls
Jonsson Kings Park, Durban | KO 17:00 UK (18:00 ITA, 19:00 SA) | Live on Super Sport, Premier Sports and URC TV

The Cell C Sharks host the Vodacom Bulls in their first home fixture of the URC – a clash between two sides chasing only their second victory in the competition.

The Sharks triumphed 27-13 at the Ospreys in Round 3 while the Bulls’ only win to date came at Cardiff on the same weekend.

A 35-28 defeat for the Bulls on their most recent visit to Durban in the Currie Cup in August was their only loss in the last five meetings.

But they have won only once on their last six visits to Jonsson Kings Park – a 34-22 success in the Rainbow Cup.

FRI – Edinburgh v Benetton
DAM Health Stadium, Edinburgh | KO 19:35 UK (20:35 ITA, 21:35 SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV

Benetton are responsible for Edinburgh’s only defeat of the season so far after Leonardo Marin struck a last-gasp drop goal to clinch victory for the Italians in Round 2.

The men from Treviso won for the first time since that match by beating Glasgow Warriors 19-18 last weekend but they could face an uphill struggle in the Scottish capital.

Edinburgh are yet to be beaten at their new DAM Health Stadium while Benetton have not won outside Italy since a trip to the Dragons in March 2020.

That said, Benetton have won their last three matches against Scottish opponents and have not lost to Edinburgh since September 2018.

FRI – Leinster v Connacht
RDS Arena, Dublin | KO 19:45 UK (20:45 ITA, 21:45 SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV and TG4
Defeat to Ulster in Round 6 ended Leinster’s six-game winning run but they have never lost successive matches at the RDS Arena.

Connacht will arrive in confident mood following back-to-back bonus-point victories over Ulster and the Ospreys, although their most recent away win came back in May – at Munster in the Rainbow Cup.

The visitors will look to draw on their most recent experience of playing at the RDS in January when they emerged as 35-24 victors – their first win on Leinster soil since September 2002.

SAT- Ospreys v Ulster
Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea| KO 15:00 UK (16:00 ITA, 17:00 SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV

Ulster have been good travellers of late and head to Swansea having won three of their last four away matches.

Dan McFarland’s side have an excellent record against Welsh opposition and have won their last six matches against the regions since a 26-24 defeat to the Ospreys in February 2020.

The Ospreys have won only two of their last nine home encounters against Irish provinces in all competitions, although one of those came in their most recent outing at the Swansea.com Stadium – an 18-10 win against Munster.

SAT – DHL Stormers v Emirates Lions
DHL Stadium, Cape Town | KO 15:00 UK (16:00 ITA, 17:00 SA) | Live on Super Sport, TG4, Premier Sports and URC TV

South African Shield leaders the DHL Stormers welcome the Emirates Lions unbeaten in their last two matches having drawn 20-20 with Edinburgh before a 24-10 win against the Dragons in Newport.

By comparison, the Lions, who currently sit second in the South African standings, have not won since overcoming Zebre Parma in their opening game of the season.

The Johannesburg outfit’s last win over the Stormers was a 41-22 Super Rugby triumph back in June 2019 while their last victory in Cape Town came at Newlands the previous May.

SAT – Glasgow v Dragons
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow | KO 19:35 UK (20:35 ITA, 21:35 SA) | Live on Premier Sports, URC TV

Glasgow Warriors have hit a rocky run of form after following up three consecutive victories with back-to-back defeats against Leinster and Benetton.

Danny Wilson’s side had been on a six-match winning run at Scotstoun prior to the Leinster loss but it was the Dragons who came out on top when these sides last met at the venue in December 2020.

The Dragons’ only win in their last 10 championship fixtures was a 35-22 victory at Connacht in Round 3 while their most recent defeat also came at the hands of Scottish opposition, with Edinburgh claiming victory at Rodney Parade last weekend.

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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.