Munster sent out a statement of intent with a comfortable home win against Ulster, while Leinster edged out a determined Connacht – and the two winners meet this weekend at Aviva Stadium in one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the season.
Round 6 has it all. Fierce rivalries across the Championship, fascinating match-ups and the guarantee of tries to end the first section of Championship matches before the teams prepare for European competition next week.
What’s at Stake
The action begins on Friday night with a triple-header, the first of which sees the Edinburgh welcome Toyota Cheetahs to BT Murrayfield (live on Premier Sports 1, Free Sport 19:35 & SuperSport 1, 20:35). Having won just one of their first four games at the start of the new campaign, Richard Cockerill’s side got back on track with a 31-30 victory over Benetton Rugby after holding off a second-half fightback from the Italians. Simon Hickey’s accuracy from the tee ultimately proved vital, kicking a penalty and all four conversions, while Benetton missed four conversions. Meanwhile, Cheetahs fell agonisingly short of their first win against Cardiff Blues in an equally tight game, after Sibahle Maxwane and Benhard Janse van Rensburg had put them ahead. The two sides have only met once before, with Cheetahs defeating Edinburgh 33-13 in Bloemfontein last season.
The second match on Friday sees Zebre clash with Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium (live on Premier Sports 2, 19:35). The hosts have only suffered one defeat in the first five rounds of the Guinness PRO14, bouncing back from their shock defeat against Isuzu Southern Kings to dispatch Dragons 29-13 last time out. Oli Kebble was the star man for Warriors, who have won their last 25 matches against Italian opponents. Zebre have just one win from their last four matches, slipping to a 22-8 defeat to Ospreys in Round 5, and the odds are stacked against them on Friday. Dave Rennie’s outfit have won all 12 previous encounters between the two side, including two dominant victories last season (Warriors winning 68-7 at home and 40-20 at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi).
An action-packed Friday night schedule will also see Connacht travel to the Kingspan Stadium to face Ulster in search of their first victory in Belfast since November 1960 (live on eir Sport 1 19:00 & Premier Sports 1, 19:35). Despite a promising start to the season, which included three wins and a draw, the hosts were subjected to their biggest ever defeat in Munster last weekend. Dan McFarland’s troops will be desperate to get back to winning ways against a Connacht side that pushed Guinness PRO14 champions Leinster all the way in Round 5. A high penalty count cost them dearly, though, and their record away from home in inter-pro games does not inspire confidence, with just one win away from Galway in the Championship since April 2017.
Saturday’s opening fixture sees Scarlets welcome Ospreys to Parc y Scarlets (live on Premier Sports 1 & eir sport 1, 15:00) in a battle between two in-form sides. Last season’s Guinness PRO14 Finalists Scarlets have won three of five games this term to sit second in Conference B – with their defeats coming away to Connacht and Ulster. Ospreys’ only defeat this season was a 49-13 reverse to Munster in Round 3 and they head to Llanelli off the back of 22-8 triumph over Zebre in Parma. Scarlets have a formidable record as hosts – being unbeaten in their last 24 Guinness PRO14 home games – and have also won their last nine fixtures against fellow Welsh regions in the Championship.
The other Welsh regional clash on Saturday sees Dragons on the hunt for a third win in six games as they play host to Cardiff Blues at Rodney Parade (live on Premier Sports 1 & eir sport 2 17:15). The Blues have the same two win-three loss record as their hosts but the five bonus points tallied in their opening fixtures mean they lie fourth in Conference A on 13 points. The Blues boast the joint-most turnovers in the Guinness PRO14 this season, Ellis Jenkins (8) in their ranks, while no-one has made more metres than Dragons flyer Jordan Williams’ 425. After three consecutive defeats by two points or less to open the season, Blue are now protecting a two-game winning streak, while Dragons are seeking to finally end a 21-match losing run against fellow Welsh regions in the Championship.
The final game of the weekend is an intriguing Saturday evening clash between Benetton and Isuzu Southern Kings at Stadio Monigo (live on DAZN, Super Sport 1 20:00 & Free Sports, 19:00). The Italian side are looking to bounce back from a heart-wrenching loss to Edinburgh Rugby last time out, where Luca Sperandio’s spectacular hat-trick wasn’t enough to stop them falling to a 31-30 defeat. They have slipped to three straight losses in the Guinness PRO14 – their worst run since last December – but have won all three previous games against South African opponents, while the Kings are still seeking their first-ever away victory in the competition.
Did you know?
- Dragons last four matches have all been won by the home side on the day.
- Dragons have won their last two matches at Rodney Parade, against Southern Kings and Zebre, but have not won three in a row at home in the Guinness PRO14 since October 2015.
- Dragons have lost their last twenty-one fixtures against fellow Welsh regions in the Championship since beating the Blues at Cardiff Arms Park at Christmas 2014.
- Cardiff Blues have won their last two games, both at home to Munster and Cheetahs, but have not won three in a row in the Championship since last March.
- Blues have won just one of their last four away games in the PRO14, 45-12 at Southern Kings in April.
- The Blues only win in their last five fixtures against fellow Welsh regions in the Championship came in this equivalent fixture at Rodney Parade on Boxing Day last year.
- Dragons most recent victory over Cardiff Blues came in the quarter final of the European Challenge Cup at Rodney Parade in April 2015.
Tickets for the derby day clash remain on sale NOW.
Click HERE to book your ticket as two teams – and many friendships – collide at Rodney Parade in the first Welsh derby of the season.
