Round 5 of the Guinness PRO14 promises excitement, drama and lots and lots of points, with five more matches set for the weekend.
Munster and Benetton’s Saturday afternoon contest might have been postponed but there is more than enough action to whet the appetite across three days.
Wales versus Ireland is the theme of the week, with Connacht and Leinster on the road at Dragons and Ospreys respectively, while Zebre bid to break their duck against Scarlets at the 14th time of asking.
Scotland’s two teams play on Monday Night Rugby, with Glasgow Warriors facing the tricky prospect of a trip to Ulster, while Edinburgh Rugby will hope to build on their first win of the campaign against Cardiff Blues.
After four weeks, this is where the season starts to take shape and both conferences are intriguingly poised. Leinster and Ulster rule the roost in Conference A while, the likes of Blues and Connacht will hope to eat into Munster’s Conference B advantage.
Dragons v Connacht Rugby – Match Preview
It has been a tough start to the season for Dean Ryan’s Dragons and it doesn’t get any easier against a Connacht side that has had an extra week to prepare for their visit to Rodney Parade.
Connacht’s Round 4 contest with Benetton Rugby was postponed and they return to Guinness PRO14 action at a familiar venue, having played Cardiff Blues in Newport just four weeks ago.
That game ended in a 29-7 defeat for Connacht but their record against Dragons is strong, losing just two of their last 12 meetings.
Dragons, by contrast, are seeking a first win against Irish opposition since a 21-8 victory against Connacht in September 2017 and can take confidence from the fact that the Galwaymen have not won back-to-back matches in more than 12 months.
Dragons are currently fifth in Conference A with one win from four matches, while Connacht are behind only Munster and Cardiff Blues in Conference B – and have played a game less.
Location:
At Rodney Parade, Newport – 5.15pm kick-off
Officials:
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU, 46th competition game); Assistant Referees: Ben Whitehouse, Aled Evans (both WRU); TMO: Ian Davies (WRU)
Overall Guinness PRO14 head to head record:
Played 31, Dragons won 11, Connacht won 20
Did you know?
- The Dragons only victory in their last six first team games was 26-18 at home to Zebre in the Guinness PRO14 on 9 October.
- The Men from Gwent have not beaten an Irish opponent since their 21-8 victory over this evening’s opponents Connacht at Rodney Parade in September 2017.
- Connacht match with Benetton last weekend was postponed due to health reasons. They were victorious in their most recent match against Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield and have not won successive encounters for over 12 months.
- Connacht visited Rodney Parade four weeks ago and were defeated there by Cardiff Blues. The Irishmen have won only once at the venue since 2016; 38-14 in October 2019.
- Connacht have lost only twice to Dragons in their last dozen meetings, both at Rodney Parade in 2016 and 2017.
