Magners League: Round 14 Preview

Round 14 of the Magners League kicks off in Dublin on Thursday evening when Leinster welcome Italian outfit Aironi to the RDS for the first time.

Leinster are the only one of the top four teams at home in round 14 and will want to make that advantage count.

On Friday night, the Cardiff Blues travel to Glasgow Warriors. The Blues, who currently hold the last play-off place, may be 12 points adrift of the leaders, but have a game in hand over all three teams ahead of them as well as their nearest rivals for a top four spot, the Ospreys.

There are two games on Saturday, the Newport Gwent Dragons hosting Edinburgh and Connacht playing the second-placed Scarlets.

Edinburgh will be looking for a much-needed victory to kickstart their challenge for the play-offs as they have been stuck in seventh place since the eighth round.

In the other game, it is the Scarlets who will be pushing for a win as only five points, or one win, separate the teams lying in second to fifth places in the table.

The round wraps up with two games on Sunday. Munster, who have topped the table since round 2 and are now nine points clear of their nearest rivals, travel to Italy to play Benetton Treviso in the sides’ second meeting this season.

In the final game, Ulster need a win to reverse their decline, having slipped from third to sixth place over the course of three rounds. The Ospreys, meanwhile, need a victory to regain their play-off spot.

MAGNERS LEAGUE – ROUND 14 FIXTURES:

Thursday, February 10 –

LEINSTER v Aironi Rugby, the RDS, 7.05pm (live RTE Two)

Friday, February 11 –

Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Blues, Firhill Stadium, 7.35pm (live BBC Wales)

Saturday, February 12 –

Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh, Rodney Parade, 2pm

CONNACHT v Scarlets, the Sportsground, 7.35pm (live TG4)

Sunday, February 13 –

Benetton Treviso v MUNSTER, Stadio di Monigo, 2pm local time/1pm Irish time (live TG4/Dahlia TV)

Ospreys v ULSTER, Liberty Stadium, 5.10pm (live S4C)