The United Rugby Championship (URC) heads into round three this week with the Hollywoodbets Sharks taking on Dragons in Newport, the Stormers facing high-flying Zebre in Parma and the Lions and Bulls welcoming Edinburgh and Ulster to Gauteng respectively.
Sharks celebrate going through to the finals after the 2024 Currie Cup Semi Final match between the Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks (Pic – Nokwanda Zondi/BackpagePix)
Friday 4 October
47/20 Cardiff | Draw 23/1 | Glasgow Warriors 7/20
Handicap
Cardiff (+7.5) 9/10 | Glasgow (-7.5) 9/10
After going behind early on, Cardiff downed Scarlets last week to head into round three having accumulated a full house of 10-log points so far.
They face their toughest test in the form of the reigning champions however and cannot afford another slow start on Friday or they will be put to the sword.
Warriors got their first victory in a big win over Benetton and will be eager to keep that momentum going after their round one disappointment at Ulster. Their barnstorming maul and backline firepower should be too much for Cardiff.
Verdict: Glasgow on the minus
Warriors to deal Cardiff a first loss of the season.
43/20 Scarlets | Draw 22/1 | Connacht 38/100
Handicap
Scarlets (+6.5) 9/10 | Connacht (+6.5) 9/10
In their game against Cardiff, Scarlets scored after just 14-odd seconds to shoot to a 15-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes.
That was as good as it got for them though, as some ill-discipline led to their being reduced to 13 men at a stage before finally copping a 24-15 defeat at Parc y Scarlets. A similar showing against Connacht and it could be even worse.
The Westerners were sensational in coming back from the dead to down the Sharks in Galway last week, underlining again the tenacity of the club.
Following that up with anything less than another win in Llanelli on Friday would be a big disappointment for Peter Wilkins and his squad.
Verdict: Connacht to win
Get on the visitors to follow up their round two heroics with another victory.
Saturday 5 October
3/10 Lions | Draw 22/1 | Edinburgh 11/4
Handicap
Lions (-8.5) 9/10 | Edinburgh (+8.5) 9/10
The Lions put their Currie Cup final disappointment behind them in emphatic fashion, winning 35-22 against a good Ulster lineup in Joburg to begin their campaign with a deserved bonus point victory.
While Edinburgh did well to challenge the Bulls at Loftus last time out, the Lions’ dynamism should prove too much.
Sean Everitt’s side may have to wait a little longer to get their first win of the campaign, with the Lions’ attack at altitude a deadly prospect for most sides.
Verdict: Lions on the minus
The hosts to ease to victory at Emirates Airline Park.
1/7 Bulls | Draw 28/1 | Ulster 5/1
Handicap
Bulls (-12.5) 9/10 | Ulster (+12.5) 9/10
The Bulls held off Edinburgh 22-16 at Loftus last week to stat their campaign with a win but may feel slightly aggrieved at not having locked in all five-log points on offer.
They should have another opportunity to do that on Saturday against an Ulster outfit that struggled at times on the highveld last week.
Although the Northern Irish club will be better acclimatised for this one, their defeat to the Lions in Joburg showed again just how difficult it is for European sides to win at altitude.
They’ll have their moments but don’t look set to topple the Bulls in Pretoria over the course of a full 80-minutes.
Verdict: Bulls on the minus
The Bulls to earn a comfortable win at home.
26/10 Dragons | Draw 22/1 | Hollywoodbets Sharks 31/100
Handicap
Dragons (+8.5) 9/10 | Sharks (-8.5) 9/10
Dragons were always going to struggle against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium in round two but can make home-ground advantage count when the Sharks visit Rodney Parade on Saturday.
The Newport club will be looking to follow up their first-round win over Osprey with another here, though they will have the Durbanites’ muscle with which to contend
Coming off the back of an intensely demanding Currie Cup playoff run, it appeared the Sharks’ fatigue finally caught up with them in Galway last week.
John Plumtree’s side led 27-7 at halftime, but a resounding Connacht fightback meant the visitors had to be content with just a losing bonus-point in the end. Coming up against a less physical Dragons outfit here, they could have the edge.
Verdict: Sharks to win
The Sharks to get their first win of the campaign.
52/10 Benetton | Draw 28/1 | Leinster 2/15
Handicap
Benetton (+13.5) 9/10 | Leinster (-13.5) 9/10
Benetton have had a pretty rotten start to the new campaign, drawing at home to Scarlets before being on the receiving end of a 42-10 loss in Glasgow after losing Scott Scrafton to a red card.
With Leinster visiting the Stadio Comunale on Saturday, things could get worse before they get better.
Leinster put Dragons away 34-6 in Dublin to lock in all 10-log points on offer so far this season, and one would expect them to have 15 in the bank come the end of round three.
Verdict: Leinster on the minus
Leinster to come good in Treviso.
32/10 Zebre | Draw 24/1 | Stormers 24/100
Handicap
Zebre (+9.5) 9/10 | Stormers (-9.5) 9/10
Zebre’s brilliant 42-33 defeat of Munster a week ago was just the third win the club has achieved since the inception of the URC. While there will certainly be cause for celebration for fans of the Parma outfit, the reality is that getting another victory on their season tally won’t come easy.
That said, they showed a real doggedness to come back from 13-points down against the two-time European champions last week and harnessing more of that will serve them well going forward.
The Stormers got their campaign underway in a disappointing 24-37 loss at Ospreys but will feel they have the elements to pick up a first win this weekend. While they won’t be underestimating Zebre given what they achieved in round two, you’d think John Dobson’s boys will get the job done, even with so little rugby behind them.
Verdict: Stormers to win
It may be closer than expected, but the Capetonians will get the result.
1/7 Munster | Draw 28/1 | Ospreys 48/10
Handicap
Munster (-11.5) 9/10 | Ospreys (+11.5) 9/10
Munster will still be reeling from that horror result in Parma and simply must hit back with victory over travelling Ospreys here. While Zebre deserve all the credit they got for their round two performance, the fact is that Graham Rowntree’s men should never let a 13-point lead slip against any side, let alone one with as poor a competition record as the Italian outfit.
Still, the 2023 champions should get back on the horse in Limerick.
Ospreys rebounded well from their opening-round defeat at Dragons to see off a rusty Stormers outfit by 13 points last week.
They’ll take plenty of confidence from that result into this week, but a hurting Munster side will be difficult to stop at home
Verdict: Munster to win
The hosts to lock in the win at Thomond Park.
