In the final round robin action of the 2024-25 season, spots five through eight are still up for grabs in what will be a dramatic weekend of the United Rugby Championship.
Friday 16 May
Stormers | Draw | Cardiff
Though the Stormers ended up with a convincing 48-12 win over Dragons on the west coast last week, they were notably less accurate than they have been of late. Still, they’re well placed to lock down fifth spot with another win here and will be a force for anyone heading into the knockouts.
Despite showing strong form early on in the season, Cardiff’s loss at Loftus last week has now seen them drop to ninth and it’s unlikely they will have the ammo to match John Dobson’s side in the Mother City.
Verdict: Stormers on the minus
The Stormers to make it four wins on the bounce.
Edinburgh | Draw | Ulster
Edinburgh’s win at Connacht in round 17 has left them 10th with just two-log points separating them from the playoff bracket. Theirs has been a season of inconsistency but they can still scrape into the knockouts if they can put away 12th-placed Ulster.
The Belfastians’ defeat at Thomond Park a week ago has put paid to their playoff ambitions and they must now raise themselves for this dead rubber in the Scottish capital.
Verdict: Edinburgh on the board
The hosts to take the win and do all they can to keep them alive.
Munster | Draw | Benetton
Munster’s defeat of Ulster has put them right on the cusp of knockout qualification in eighth with 46-points, the same amount as their seventh-placed opponents this week as well as ninth-placed Cardiff. With club legends Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony and Stephen Archer all retiring at the end of this campaign, the remainder of the squad will have even more motivation to finish the regular season strongly.
Benetton come off the back of a fantastic 33-7 defeat of Glasgow and certainly won’t be backing down from this challenge. Although they will have that momentum in their favour, the Thomond Park faithful will be in full voice which may dampen their efforts.
Verdict: Munster on the board
As tempting as it is to pick the Treviso side based on what we saw last wee, Munster at home should manage to get the job done.
Saturday 17 May
Bulls | Draw | Dragons
Love him or hate him, you’ve got to hand it to Jake White – the man is one of the very best at what he does. Given faltering Glasgow must travel to Leinster later in the day, his Bulls are within touching distance of a second consecutive second-place finish in the competition, a hugely impressive feat. They’ve won their last five URC games in a row and should have no problem folding Dragons in Pretoria.
Verdict: Bulls on the minus
The Bulls to ease to a BP win, even with the expected absence of injured Johan Goosen.
Lions | Draw | Ospreys
The Lions’ capitulation at the backend of this season has been pretty difficult to watch, and time may be up for Cash van Rooyen in the coach’s box. The union itself must certainly cop most of the blame for their management of the franchise over the past few years, but it may still be in the team’s best interests to bring some fresh ideas into Emirates Airline Park.
Ospreys had some very good spells in their eventual loss to the Sharks, and a similar performance will stand them in good stead coming up against a low-on-confidence Lions outfit that fell 19-32 to Scarlets last week.
Verdict: Ospreys on the board
Ospreys to edge out the Pride in Joburg.
Zebre | Draw | Connacht
In what will be a dead rubber for both teams, Connacht travel to Parma to tackle Zebre. The visitors, renowned for their tough-as-nails, backs-against-the-wall performances, haven’t been anywhere near their best this season and lie 14th following their 21-31 home defeat to Edinburgh last week.
15th-placed Zebre on the other hand deserve massive plaudits for their results in 2024-25. They’ve already earned 14 more points this season than they did in the entirety of their last campaign, truly encouraging signs for Massimo Brunello and his team. Let’s hope for even more improvement going forward.
Verdict: Zebre on the board
The Italian club to finish on a high.
Hollywoodbets Sharks | Draw | Scarlets
The Hollywoodbets Sharks (fourth) got the job done last week against Ospreys and can even secure third spot by the end of the weekend depending on Warriors’ result in Dublin. Even if they’re without a seemingly crocked without Eben Etzebeth, they should collect another try-scoring bonus point at the Tank.
As good as Scarlets were in their big win at the Lions, they will need an even greater effort to knock over the Durbanites on their home patch here. Currently sixth on 48-points, they may yet drop out of the top eight.
Verdict: Sharks on the minus
The Sharks to make it four in a row.
Leinster | Draw | Glasgow Warriors
If anybody still had doubts about Leinster after their European semi-final exit, last week’s 76-5 win over Zebre has provided a timely reminder of just what they are capable of. Surely this must be their year in the URC.
Warriors’ 52-0 April drubbing in Dublin in the Champions Cup will still be very much in the minds of Franco Smith’s players, who must produce an otherworldly performance if they are to upset the apple cart here. Unfortunately for them, their recent form suggests it could be another long afternoon.
Verdict: Leinster on the minus
Leinster to win comfortably and potentially condemn Glasgow to a fourth-place finish.
