GUINNESS PRO12: Round 18 Preview
The GUINNESS PRO12 resumes with the focus firmly on the business end of the season as teams compete to reach the play-offs and secure Champions Cup qualification berths.
Games take place across all four countries this weekend with five games screened live as players return to their teams after battling in their national colours during the Six Nations. Just five rounds remain ahead of the final series which will decide who will reach the GUINNESS PRO12 final in Dublin on Saturday, May 27.
The competition at the top of the PRO12 table is intense with leaders Leinster acutely aware that any slip-up at home to Cardiff Blues will be capitalised on by either the Ospreys or Munster who both face trips to Italy this weekend.
Below the top three, Ulster and the Scarlets appear to be vying for a top four place but Gregor Townsend’s Glasgow Warriors could yet mount a late charge in order to retain the title they won in 2015 when Connacht come to town.
Ulster face a tricky trip to face the Newport Gwent Dragons as they look to keep up their superb scoring form which as seen them collect 24 match points from a possible 25 in the last five rounds, however, the Dragons boast a reasonable overall record against the province with 10 wins from 27.
The Scarlets welcome Edinburgh to Llanelli where they have won seven games in the PRO12 this season, but the visitors will be boosted by the return of their Scotland internationals at they bid to arrest their recent form.
GUINNESS PRO12 – ROUND 18 FIXTURES:
Friday, March 24 –
Newport Gwent Dragons (10th) v ULSTER (4th), Rodney Parade, 7.35pm (live BBC 2 Northern Ireland)
Scarlets (5th) v Edinburgh (9th), Parc y Scarlets, 7.05pm (live BBC 2 Wales/BBC Scotland)
Saturday, March 25 –
Benetton Treviso (11th) v Ospreys (2nd), Stadio di Monigo, 7.35pm local time (live Eurosport Italia 2/S4C)
Glasgow Warriors (6th) v CONNACHT (7th), Scotstoun Stadium, 5.15pm (live Sky Sports 2 HD)
LEINSTER (1st) v Cardiff Blues (8th), the RDS, 3pm (live Sky Sports 2 HD/TG4) Buy Match Tickets
Zebre (12th) v MUNSTER (3rd), Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 3pm local time/2pm Irish time
Glasgow Warriors will be live on Sky Sports this weekend aiming to make a late run at finishing in the top four, but Connacht arrive in Scotland with their own ambitions of finishing within the top six in order to secure a Champions Cup berth.
The Warriors entertain Connacht at Scotstoun and although Pat Lam’s men come into this game having won five of their last six in the PRO12, their hosts boast a record of 10 wins in the last 11 regular season encounters involving the two teams.
Townsend’s side also have a 50/50 record at home this season having won four and lost four. In addition, Glasgow (sixth) are ahead of Connacht (seventh) by seven points in the table, but the westerners also have a game in hand so this is a pivotal encounter.
TOP PERFORMERS IN GUINNESS PRO12 AFTER ROUND 17 (Powered by Opta Statistics):
TOP POINTS SCORERS –
Steve Shingler (Cardiff Blues) 122
Tyler Bleyendaal (Munster) 102
Ruan Pienaar (Ulster) 93
Sam Davies (Ospreys) 92
Rhys Patchell (Scarlets) 91
Angus O’Brien (Newport Gwent Dragons) 91
TOP TRY SCORERS –
Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) 8
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster) 8
Joey Carbery (Leinster) 8
Ronan O’Mahony (Munster) 7
Tom James (Cardiff Blues) 6
Luke McGrath (Leinster) 6
Adam Byrne (Leinster) 6
Rory O’Loughlin (Leinster) 6
Charles Piutau (Ulster) 6
Steffan Evans (Scarlets) 6
TOP TRY ASSISTS –
Tyler Bleyendaal (Munster) 9
Sam Davies (Ospreys) 9
Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors) 9
Duncan Williams (Munster) 8
Ross Byrne (Leinster) 8
METRES GAINED –
Tiernan O’Halloran (Connacht) 1547
Matthew Morgan (Cardiff Blues) 1220
Charles Piutau (Ulster) 1188
Dan Evans (Ospreys) 1164
Steffan Evans (Scarlets) 823
MOST CARRIES –
Tiernan O’Halloran (Connacht) 204
Charles Piutau (Ulster) 188
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) 173
Olly Cracknell (Ospreys) 169
Dan Evans (Ospreys) 165
CLEAN BREAKS –
Tom James (Cardiff Blues) 21
Charles Piutau (Ulster) 20
Ronan O’Mahony (Munster) 19
Darren Sweetnam (Munster) 19
Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) 18
Matthew Morgan (Cardiff Blues) 18
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster) 18
Dan Evans (Ospreys) 18
DEFENDERS BEATEN –
Charles Piutau (Ulster) 54
Willis Halaholo (Cardiff Blues) 45
Steffan Evans (Scarlets) 43
Matthew Morgan (Cardiff Blues) 41
Jack Conan (Leinster) 39
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) 39
MOST PASSES –
Ruan Pienaar (Ulster) 1098
Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues) 904
Tom Habberfield (Ospreys) 893
Duncan Williams (Munster) 769
Luke McGrath (Leinster) 753
MOST OFFLOADS –
Charles Piutau (Ulster) 21
Josh Matavesi (Ospreys) 20
Jack Conan (Leinster) 18
Dan Baker (Ospreys) 17
Rey Lee-Lo (Cardiff Blues) 17
Jake Heenan (Connacht) 17
KICKS FROM HAND –
Carlo Canna (Zebre) 138
Sam Davies (Ospreys) 134
Ruan Pienaar (Ulster) 115
Duncan Weir (Edinburgh) 106
Angus O’Brien (Newport Gwent Dragons) 103
MOST TACKLES –
Sean Reidy (Ulster) 197
Lewis Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons) 197
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) 197
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh) 190
James Davies (Scarlets) 184
LINEOUTS WON –
Ben Toolis (Edinburgh) 110
Macauley Cook (Cardiff Blues) 57
Rory Thornton (Ospreys) 52
Aaron Shingler (Scarlets) 49
Dries van Schalkwyk (Zebre) 45
Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh) 45
TURNOVERS WON –
James Davies (Scarlets) 21
Dan Leavy (Leinster) 20
Ollie Griffiths (Newport Gwent Dragons) 16
Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues) 12
Tommaso Castello (Zebre) 12
Marco Barbini (Benetton Treviso) 12
Tadhg Beirne (Scarlets) 12
For more statistics, please visit www.pro12rugby.com/powered-by-opta