URC - Round 2 Predictions — Catch 22 Rugby

Round 1 of the United Rugby Championship yielded some unpredictable results, with Benetton putting Glasgow Warriors to the sword; Zebre Parma running Leinster close; Cardiff downing Munster; and the west Wales derby ending in a rare draw.

So how will the teams fare in Round 2? Catch 22 Rugby Podcast hosts, Benny Griffiths and Illtud Deiniol, sat down and offered their predictions ahead of the weekend.

Below is a brief overview of their predictions.

Zebre Parma v Cell C Sharks

Winners: Cell C Sharks

Despite Zebre’s heroics against Leinster, they did ultimately lose. The hosts scored some enterprising scores and will be entertaining to watch, but I just don’t see the Durban based Sharks letting their opening fixture slip away from them.

I think it may be closer than most think, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Zebre Parma get some points from this encounter.

Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff

Winners: Cardiff

Cardiff will be without their new acquisitions Liam Williams (injured) and Taulupe Faletau (rested) but have brought in 5 times capped Matthew Morgan and summer tourist with Wales, James Ratti, as replacements. Not exactly a crushing blow to their depth, is it? They have also named a young and exciting pairing in midfield with Grady and Llewellyn having both impressed of late.

Warriors will be up for it this weekend, having lost away to Benetton the week previous, and in front of a home ground they’ll be wanting to prove a point. There’s no lack of talent in their starting XV, with plenty of internationals in the pack and back line. But they’re low on confidence and have little momentum going against a side who will be brimming with both having defeated Munster last week.

Leinster v Benetton

Winners: Leinster

As much as I’d love to see underdogs Benetton give Leinster a scare; I don’t see any other result here than Leinster getting the five points. Stumbling against Zebre Parma away from home in week one is a different scenario to their first game of the season at the RDS in front of a home crowd. There’s expectation there, and they’ve named a side that can deliver.

Benetton will relish the opportunity to go up against one of the best in class; and I’m sure they’ll get over the whitewash at least once. But this round will be a bridge too far for the Italian side.

Scarlets v Ulster

Winners: Ulster

Scarlets showed glimpses of the team they could be against the Ospreys last weekend. Johnny Williams looked back to his best in attack, Sam Costelow pulled the strings from pivot, and the new additions to the pack made a real difference to the relentlessness of their ball carrying.

However, Ulster looked like a well oiled machine as they picked Connacht apart last weekend. Tom Stewart, Nathan Doak, Luke Marshall, and Stuart McCloskey were impressive. In fact, the whole pack looked a cohesive unit and Ulster’s stars behind the pack were all on point. Parc y Scarlets can be a difficult place to go an win, and if the Scarlets up their game, they’re certainly capable of seeing off the Ulstermen. But Ulster head into this fixture as firm favourites.

DHL Stormers v Connacht

Winners: DHL Stormers

I’m sorry Connacht supporters, but I just can’t see the men in green bouncing back high enough to topple the reigning champions on their home soil. If you were going to beat them, this would be the time to do it with their many internationals away on Springbok duty; but Cape Town is a tough old place to go even when you’re on a roll.

I don’t think it’ll be quite the whipping some will be expecting, and Connacht will be wanting to make a statement following last week’s drubbing against rivals Ulster. But I expect Stormers to stamp their authority on the game in the second half and should come away with a comfortable victory.

Vodacom Bulls v Edinburgh

Winners: Vodacom Bulls

One of my least confident predictions this round. Edinburgh had a mixed set of results against the South African sides last season, drawing 20-all against the Stormers in their first encounter before going on to beat the Bulls at home and Sharks in Durban, before losing to the Lions and the Stormers on the road.

The Vodacom Bulls will want to rectify results from their perspective and get one back over the Scots; and get their season off with back-to-back victories.

They’ll have their work cut out for them, however, as Edinburgh despatched Dragons RFC with ease last round and played a style of rugby that could cause problems for any side this season.

Ospreys v Emirates Lions

Winners: Ospreys

This is another prediction that I’m not wholly certain about.

While Ospreys have slowly been building a formidable squad with small but stable steps, they’ve got a rough record against the South African teams, losing all four of their encounters against them thus far, including a heavy loss to the Emirates Lions out in Johannesburg.

But the Lions also tend to struggle in Europe, losing 4 out of their 6 excursions, and lost at home to the Bulls in round 1. If Ospreys can generate some noise in the Swansea.com Stadium, and play a structured game to contain the Lions, then they should be able to get their home record off to a winning start.

Dragons RFC v Munster

Winners: Munster

At first glance, it’d be tempting to put Munster down for a 40+ victory against the struggling Dragons, who shipped 44 points to Edinburgh in round one.

However, I’m not quite ready to write off the Dragons at home, not just yet anyway, and Munster looked flat and lethargic against Cardiff at the Arms Park.

It would be very typical of the Newport based side to grind out an astonishing win and upset the Irish province against all expectations… before going on to get thrashed by the Sharks in the following round. I do think we’ll see a different Dragons team at Rodney Parade, but it won’t be enough to stop Munster claiming a victory before heading home for their round three fixture v Zebre.

In this week's Plays Of The Week, we take a look at some of the best finishes in the Gallagher Premiership, United Rugby Championship (URC) and The Rugby Championship. Pierre Bruno, Mateo Carreras, Chris Ashton, Chris Dean and Will Jordan all make our selection

United Rugby Championship - Round 2 Predictions