GUINNESS PRO12: Round 5 Preview

After four rounds of play, only five points separate GUINNESS PRO12 leaders Ulster and Glasgow Warriors in sixth position.

An exciting start to the season has been backed up by tries with 118 scored across the first four rounds of play which is seven more than at this point last season. This exciting play is drawing in the crowds, too, with attendances for like-for-like games in 2015/16 also up by 24.5% during round 4.

Only Ulster and Cardiff Blues have maintained their unbeaten starts to the season and both of those teams will put their records on the line against Ospreys and Leinster, who sit in third and fourth place, respectively.

The Scarlets and Benetton Treviso collected their first wins of the season last weekend which leaves just Connacht and Zebre as the only teams without a victory to their name so far.

With each passing round, the intensity has cranked up across the league and Glasgow Warriors, the Scarlets, Leinster, Edinburgh and Zebre all face tricky away games in round 5.

The Newport Gwent Dragons will be looking for their second win of the season as Glasgow aim to get back to winning ways after successive losses. Defending champions Connacht entertain an improving Edinburgh side, who have won on two of their last four visits to Galway, while the Scarlets will have to put an end to Treviso’s three-match winning streak at home to the Welsh regions.

Cardiff Blues will host Leinster on their artificial surface at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park and the fast pitch should produce an exciting game between the sides who have combined to score 27 tries already this season.

GUINNESS PRO12 – ROUND 5 FIXTURES:

Friday, September 30 –

Newport Gwent Dragons (7th) v Glasgow Warriors (6th), Rodney Parade, 7.35pm (live BBC 2 Wales)

CONNACHT (12th) v Edinburgh (9th), the Sportsground, 7.35pm (live TG4)

Saturday, October 1 –

MUNSTER (5th) v Zebre (11th), Thomond Park, 5pm

ULSTER (1st) v Ospreys (3rd), Kingspan Stadium, 6.30pm (live Sky Sports 3 HD)

Cardiff Blues (2nd) v LEINSTER (4th), BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, 7.35pm (live TG4/S4C)

Benetton Treviso (10th) v Scarlets (8th), Stadio di Monigo, 8.05pm

Ulster have not won a league title since 2006 and an unbeaten start to the season will have buoyed their ambition to get to the PRO12 Final on May 27, however, the Ospreys will be determined to rebound from their loss to Leinster in round 4.

Some of the most exciting firepower in the PRO12 will be on display with Charles Piutau, Stuart Olding and Jared Payne (Ulster) and Josh Matavesi, Jeff Hassler and Ben John (Ospreys) all appearing in the key Opta attacking categories.

TOP PERFORMERS IN GUINNESS PRO12 AFTER ROUND 4 (Powered by Opta Statistics):

TOP POINTS SCORERS –

Sam Davies (Ospreys) 42
Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) 35
Steve Shingler (Cardiff Blues) 28
Duncan Weir (Edinburgh) 28
Tyler Bleyendaal (Munster) 28

TOP TRY SCORERS –

Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) 7
Sam Parry (Ospreys) 4
Ben John (Ospreys) 4
Tom James (Cardiff Blues) 3
Josh van der Flier (Leinster) 3
Dafydd Howells (Ospreys) 3

TOP TRY ASSISTS –

Sam Davies (Ospreys) 5
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors) 3
Dan Evans (Ospreys) 3
Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues) 2
Duncan Weir (Edinburgh) 2
Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 2
Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) 2
Luke McGrath (Leinster) 2
Joey Carbery (Leinster) 2
Tyler Bleyendaal (Munster) 2
Rhys Webb (Ospreys) 2
Josh Matavesi (Ospreys) 2
Carlo Canna (Zebre) 2

METRES GAINED –

Dan Evans (Ospreys) 368
Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons) 331
Liam Williams (Scarlets) 327
Tom James (Cardiff Blues) 311
Jeff Hassler (Ospreys) 303

MOST CARRIES –

Ed Jackson (Newport Gwent Dragons) 51
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 45
Olly Cracknell (Ospreys) 45
CJ Stander (Munster) 43
Stuart Olding (Ulster) 41

CLEAN BREAKS –

Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) 11
Tom James (Cardiff Blues) 8
Dan Evans (Ospreys) 7
Rhys Webb (Ospreys) 7
Ben John (Ospreys) 7
Louis Ludik (Ulster) 7
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster) 7

DEFENDERS BEATEN –

Ben John (Ospreys) 19
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) 15
Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) 15
Charles Piutau (Ulster) 15
Tom James (Cardiff Blues) 14

MOST PASSES –

Ruan Pienaar (Ulster) 408
Luke McGrath (Leinster) 253
Rhys Webb (Ospreys) 230
Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) 213
Sarel Pretorius (Newport Gwent Dragons) 194

MOST OFFLOADS –

Rey Lee-Lo (Cardiff Blues) 8
Charles Piutau (Ulster) 8
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 5
Josh Matavesi (Ospreys) 5
Sam Davies (Ospreys) 5

KICKS FROM HAND –

Duncan Weir (Edinburgh) 75
Sam Davies (Ospreys) 66
Rhys Patchell (Scarlets) 60
Tommaso Allan (Benetton Treviso) 50
Jack Carty (Connacht) 43

MOST TACKLES –

Billy Holland (Munster) 72
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 61
Sean Reidy (Ulster) 60
Josh van der Flier (Leinster) 54
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) 52

LINEOUTS WON –

Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) 19
Jake Ball (Scarlets) 19
Rory Thornton (Ospreys) 19
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) 18
Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 19

TURNOVERS WON –

Clive Ross (Ulster) 7
Federico Ruzza (Zebre) 5
Hamish Watson (Edinburgh) 5
Dan Leavy (Leinster) 5
Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues) 4
Phil Burleigh (Edinburgh) 4
Josh van der Flier (Leinster) 4
John Barclay (Scarlets) 4
James Davies (Scarlets) 4
Wyn Jones (Scarlets) 4
Jack O’Donoghue (Munster) 4
Marco Barbini (Benetton Treviso) 4

For more statistics, please visit www.pro12rugby.com/powered-by-opta