URC Round 17 - Teams and Predictions
FRIDAY PREVIEW: With just two rounds left to go, it is all to play for in the United Rugby Championship as the top spot and all four home quarterfinals are still up for grabs.
Round 17 gets underway on Friday with two very exciting fixtures.
The Bulls, who are just four points adrift of the second-placed Stormers, host Glasgow Warriors at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
The two sides will go head-to-head for the first time in the history of professional rugby.
In the other fixture, third-placed Munster face Cardiff at Musgrave Park.
No room for error
The action at Loftus Versfeld will certainly attract loads of attention as the clash could have a major influence on the end of season standings.
The Bulls have a chance to leapfrog to second place on the overall log and first in the South African Shield.
"We have two games left and have to make sure we win both those games." Jake white said, adding: "Whatever happens around us, happens.
"The difference between second and eight is four points, so if all things go well on Friday we could be second on the log come Saturday - that's how close it is."
Knowing what is at stake, White has emphasised that there is no room for error.
"When you play for the Bulls every game is a must-win that is a given," White said.
"It's a home game, we must play and find ways to win.
"We have certain ways that suit us and we have to find a way to get to that type of game plan as soon as possible and play as well as we can on Friday."
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At the back of a 7-32 defeat to the Stormers, Glasgow Warriors will be desperate to bounce back and head home with a win.
Glasgow coach Danny Wilson admitted their second-half performance against the Stormers let them down and has urged his team to be more clinical.
"We need to improve our second-half performance," Wilson said.
"Our first half gave us an opportunity away from home against a very good Stormers team.
"However, after 50 minutes we conceded two tries and that was the game. I think it's that patch and lack of concentration that we need to improve on."
A victory would guarantee Glasgow’s place in the play-offs ahead of the final round of the competition, albeit pending the results elsewhere.
"We head into the game knowing that is an away game and we need to win to give us the best opportunity to secure a home semifinal," Wilson said.
"A lot is going to come down to that last game against Edinburgh.
"So it's two big URC games and on top of that we balancing a European knockout game against Lyon, so we really need to manage our team well."
Ryan Wilson returns to lead Scottish-laded Glasgow Warriors starting XV.
The captain’s inclusion is one of seven changes to the team that ran out in Cape Town last weekend.
Two of the seven changes come in the front row, as Jamie Bhatti and George Turner come into the starting line-up to join Zander Fagerson to form an all-Scotland combination up front.
Behind the scrum, Ali Price continues at scrumhalf, with Duncan Weir joining his fellow Scotland international in the halfbacks.
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The Bulls will be without their star fullback Kurt-lee Arendse, who will be out of action for several weeks due to a fractured thumb he suffered in the win over Benetton.
Jake White has also changed the halfback pairing which will see Zak Burger combining with the experienced Morne Steyn.
In the pack, Arno Botha makes a return to the starting XV where he will do the No.7 jersey.
While Marcel Coetzee will continue to captain the side.
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*Elsewhere, Munster (third-placed) will be looking to build on their 24-17 away win over Ulster last weekend when they host bottom dwellers Cardiff (14th) at Musgrave Park.
The two teams are experiencing contrasting seasons.
Cardiff have slipped to three defeats in the United Rugby Championship since beating Glasgow at the Arms Park in March.
They are yet to win away from home in the United Rugby Championship this season.
In team news, halfback duo Jarrod Evans and Lloyd Williams return to the Cardiff starting line-up.
The Welsh internationals are reintroduced with scrumhalf Tomos Williams ruled out with a hand injury.
In an otherwise unchanged backline for the trip to Musgrave Park, Rey Lee-Lo and Max Llewellyn continue in midfield with back three trio Hallam Amos, Owen Lane and Theo Cabango.
Kristian Dacey and Dillon Lewis are welcomed into the front row alongside Rhys Carré, with Dmitri Arhip ruled out while Seb Davies and Rory Thornton continue their lock combination.
James Botham, who missed out last week due to illness, replaces Shane Lewis-Hughes on the blindside, with Josh Navidi set to captain the side in Cork.
As the Blue and Blacks head into the final four fixtures of the season, Director of Rugby Dai Young said: “It’s no secret that we have been disappointed with our results in recent weeks and it doesn’t get any easier going over to Munster.
“Facing them over in Ireland is always a big challenge and we will need to be at our best to have any chance of securing a result.
“We can only concentrate on ourselves, focusing on our performance and ensuring we see significant improvements in our game. It is really important that we finish this URC season as positively as possible as we continue building.”
On the Munster side, Mike Haley keeps his place at fullback with Calvin Nash and Simon Zebo coming into the side on either flank.
Rory Scannell starts at inside centre with Chris Farrell keeping his place at No.13 as Conor Murray and Ben Healy form the halfback partnership.
John Ryan joins Jeremy Loughman and Diarmuid Barron in the front row with Thomas Ahern starting in the engine room alongside Jean Kleyn.
Captain Peter O’Mahony, Munster Rugby Academy man Alex Kendellen and Jack O’Donoghue complete the side.
Academy hooker Scott Buckley is among the replacements and in line to make his seventh appearance of the campaign.
Flank Jack Daly is set for his first appearance since January after a spell on the sidelines with injury.
Ireland international trio Craig Casey, Joey Carbery and Shane Daly provide the backline back-up.
* All the Friday teams and predictions are below …
Friday, April 29
Bulls v Glasgow
( Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria - Kick-off: 19.00; 18.00 UK time; 17.00 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Bulls by 12 points
Teams:
Bulls: 15 Canan Moodie, 14 James Verity-Amm, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Madosh Tambwe, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Arno Botha, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Dylan Smith, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Harold Vorster.
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Ollie Smith, 14 Josh McKay, 13 Sione Tuipulotu, 12 Stafford McDowall, 11 Cole Forbes, 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Ali Price, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Ryan Wilson (c), 5 Richie Gray, 4 Rob Harley, 3 Zander Fagerson, 2 George Turner, 1 Jamie Bhatti.
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Simon Berghan, 19 Kiran McDonald, 20 Thomas Gordon, 21 Jamie Dobie, 22 Ross Thompson, 23 Sam Johnson.
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs (South Africa), Griffin Colby (South Africa)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Munster v Cardiff
(Musgrave Park, Ireland - Kick-off: 19.35; 18.35 GMT)
Prediction
@rugby365com: Munster by 17 points
Teams:
Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Chris Farrell, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Ben Healy, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jack O’Donoghue, 7 Alex Kendellen, 6 Peter O’Mahony (captain), 5 Thomas Ahern, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 John Ryan, 2 Diarmuid Barron, 1 Jeremy Loughman
Replacements: 16 Scott Buckley, 17 Josh Wycherley, 18 Keynan Knox, 19 Jason Jenkins, 20 Jack Daly, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Shane Daly
Cardiff: 15 Hallam Amos, 14 Owen Lane, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Max Llewellyn, 11 Theo Cabango, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Lloyd Williams, 8 James Ratti, 7 Josh Navidi (captain), 6 James Botham, 5 Rory Thornton, 4 Seb Davies, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Kristian Dacey, 1 Rhys Carré
Replacements: 16 Kirby Myhill, 17 Brad Thyer, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Matthew Screech, 20 Ellis Jenkins, 21 Jamie Hill, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Garyn Smith
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland), Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Compiled by Leezil Hendricks
@leezil07
@rugby365com