United Rugby Championship Round 3: Previews and match summaries

Preview: Connacht go into this match with real momentum after an excellent performance in a narrow 33-35 defeat to Munster in Thomond Park and an amazing 36-30 comeback win against the Sharks, having been 7-27 down at half time. However, Connacht’s problem has always been their inconsistency and such heroics will count for little if they can’t back it up against an average side like the Scarlets. This is the sort of match which Connacht have to win if they want to be involved at the business end of the season.

Connacht welcome back Aki for his first game of the season, which means Cathal Forde, last weeks hero at 12 and 10, moves out to 13. Forde is one of the few players outside the Ireland squad making a serious claim for inclusion in the November tests. His blossoming at 12 and 10 means that Jack Carty, so long a lynchpin for Connacht, could conceivably be down to fifth in the out-half pecking order, behind JJ Hanrahan and Ioane (when back fit), Hawkshaw and Forde. Connacht have never had such riches before.

The same is happening at scrum half, where Caolin Blade, so long the only competition for Marmion’s place in the team, is now being challenged by two young gun 9’s, Ben Murphy (son of Ulster coach, Richie) and Matthew Devine, currently away with the Emerging Ireland squad. If only Ireland had such riches at loosehead prop! Temi Lasisi makes his debut at tight head off the bench; it will be interesting to see whether the Leinster academy graduate can make the grade at senior level despite having been let go by Leinster.

Scarlets are coming off a draw away to Benetton, and a home defeat to Cardiff. They’re not a bad team and should make life difficult for Connacht if the latter let their standards drop. However, Connacht have no obvious weaknesses and their bench looks stronger and should be able to close the deal.

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I missed most of the Connacht match, so I will let others provide an overall  match summary in the comments. Connacht started off very well building up a 14-0 lead and then Bundee got yellow carded for yet another high tackle and the whole momentum of the game changed. Connacht do know how to make life hard for themselves, but seem to have a real match winner in Cathal Forde. Carty also played and kicked well for the first 25 minutes that I saw.

Scarlets: I Nicholas; T Rogers, J Williams, E James, B Murray; S Costelow, G Davies; A Hepburn, R Elias, H Thomas; S Lousi, M Douglas; J Macleod (capt), D Davis, T Plumtree. Replacements: M van der Merwe, K Mathias, S Wainwright, A Craig, C Tuipulotu, E Jones, I Lloyd, M Page.

Connacht: S Cordero; M Hansen, C Forde, B Aki, P O’Conor; J Carty, B Murphy; D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; N Murray, D O’Connor; J Murphy, C Oliver, C Prendergast (capt). Replacements: D Tierney-Martin, P Dooley, T Lasisi, Ó Dowling, P Boyle, C Blade, D Hawkshaw, S Bolton.

Preview: Ulster are coming off a tough home win against Glasgow and an exhausting loss to the Lions at altitude last Saturday. They’ve had another week to acclimatise but it is difficult to see how a team shorn of three hookers, Herring, Stewart, Andrew, as well as Treadwell, Cooney, McCloskey, Hume and Baloucoune can survive what is sure to be a brutal examination by a Bulls side significantly stronger that the Lions were last week.

Two newbies in the front row, McCormick and Barrett, and with McElroy, a temporary signing at 16, is not the way you would want to face a grizzled all Springbok front row. Unless the Bulls take the day off, anything short of a humiliating defeat could be a win. It could make for painful viewing, and that is just for the spectators!

BULLS: W le Roux; S de Klerk, C Moodie, D Kriel, K-L Arendse; B Chamberlain, E Papier; G Steenekamp, J Grobbelaar, W Louw; C Wiese, R Nortje (capt); M van Staden, E Louw, C Hanekom. Replacements: A van der Merwe, J-H Wessels, F Klopper, S Manjezi, C Gumede, K Johannes, S Gans, A Dyantyi.

ULSTER: M Lowry; W Kok, S Moore, B Carson, J Stockdale; A Morgan, N Doak; A Warwick, J McCormick, C Barrett; I Henderson (capt), C Irvine; J McNabney, S Reffell, D McCann. Replacements: T McElroy, E O’Sullivan, T O’Toole, A O’Connor, N Timoney, D Shanahan, J Humphreys, B Moxham.

Preview: Leinster go full metal jacket for a fixture in which they haven’t always had their own way and pick a full International starting XV with Snyman making his Leinster debut. Even the bench contains internationals Ryan Baird and Ross Byrne. Fintan Gunne – another of a new generation of 9’s is preferred to McGrath on the bench after  an outstanding cameo off the bench last week where he outshone the established McGrath.

Benetton must be wondering what they have done to deserve such a strong opponent, but they are not short of Italian internationals themselves. The match is virtually a rehearsal for Italy versus Ireland in the Six Nations, but I suspect uppermost in Cullen’s thinking is to get his front liners match hardened for the date against Munster at Croke Park next week-end.

BENETTON: Matt Gallagher; Ignacio Mendy, Tommaso Menoncello, Malakai Fekitoa, Paolo Odogwu; Jacob Umaga, Alessandro Garbisi; Mirco Spagnolo, Siua Maile, Simone Ferrari; Niccolò Cannone, Riccardo Favretto; Sebastian Negri, Manuel Zuliani, Michele Lamaro (capt). Replacements: Marco Manfredi, Aminu Destiny, Enzo Avaca, Federico Ruzza, Giulio Marini, Lorenzo Cannone, Andy Uren, Leonardo Marin.

LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, RG Snyman; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt). Replacements: Lee Barron, Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Brian Deeny, Fintan Gunne, Ross Byrne, Scott Penny.

Preview: Munster have a lot of atoning to do for last weeks shock defeat away to Zebre, and the heavy guns, Beirne and O’Mahony have been brought in. All the good of a great bonus point win against Connacht was undone. It’s difficult to Munster being quite so bad again, particularly with places in the team to face Leinster at Corke Park next weekend up for grabs. Nankivell is a big loss, but otherwise the team is close to a full first choice selection. Garryrowen centre Fitzgerald, a temporary signing, starts his first game.

Nothing less than a bonus point win will suffice.

MUNSTER: M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, B Fitzgerald, S McCarthy; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, O Jager; J Kleyn, T Beirne (capt); P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, J O’Donoghue. Replacements: D Barron, J Ryan, S Archer, F Wycherley, G Coombes, C Murray, T Butler, J Daly.

OSPREYS: M Nagy; I Hopkins, O Watkin, P Cokanasiga, R Conbeer; D Edwards, R Morgan-Williams; S Thomas, D Lake, T Botha; H Sutton, A Beard; J Ratti, J Morgan (capt), M Morris. Replacements: S Parry, G Phillips, B Warren, L Jones, H Deaves, L Davies, J Walsh, K Williams.

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I will add further match summaries as time allows!

Frank Schnittger is the author of Sovereignty 2040, a future history of how Irish re-unification might work out. He has worked in business in Dublin and London and, on a voluntary basis, for charities in community development, education, restorative justice and addiction services.