United Rugby Championship Predictions – Round 3

The Stormers will seek to strike the first blow when they square off against the Scarlets in Llanelli on Friday evening. The rest of the local teams are in action on Saturday.

The Lions continue their Italian trip with a visit to Treviso to tackle Benetton, the Sharks face defending champions Leinster in Dublin, and the Bulls battle Ulster in Belfast.

Munster v Edinburgh

Friday, 10 October – 20:45

Munster weren’t nearly as quick and slick in their 23-20 win over Cardiff last weekend as they were in their 34-21 opening round triumph over the Dragons.

They had moments of good interplay, but in the end, they got it done through the directness of their forwards and the boot and game-management of Jack Crowley.

With Storm Amy resulting in Edinburgh’s scheduled game against Ulster being postponed last weekend, the Scottish side are itching to bounce back from their 31-28 first-round loss to Zebre.

Given that Munster have momentum and home ground advantage, my money’s on them.

Prediction: Munster by 6.

Suggested Bet: Edinburgh +10 at 1.90.

Scarlets v Stormers

Friday, 10 October – 20:45

Sitting second on the log following back-to-back home wins, business picks up for the Stormers as they start their tour in Wales. The Cape side haven’t been the best touring team in the URC, but John Dobson is able to rush some Rugby Championship-winning Springboks straight into club duty to hopefully start their tour on a high.

Last Friday’s 26-10 triumph over the Ospreys was a drop off from the previous week’s 35-0 whitewash of Leinster and Dobson would’ve been particularly frustrated with his charges’ first-half performance. They did iron out most of the kinks in the second stanza, largely thanks to their bench, but frankly they should’ve secured a try-scoring bonus point.

The Scarlets have been unable to get out of the blocks. They started their campaign with a 13-point home loss to Munster and saw their scheduled second-round clash with Connacht postponed. Unfortunately for them, their struggles look set to continue on Friday.

Battle-hardened and bolstered, the Stormers should keep their unbeaten record against the Welsh side intact.

Prediction: Stormers by 8.

Suggested Bet: Stormers -4 at 1.90.

Benetton v Lions

Saturday, 11 October – 16:00

The winless Lions are in need of one of their trademark upsets in Treviso after their poor start to the season.

It’s baffling just how pedestrian they were in the first 40 minutes against Zebre last weekend. They finally came alive 10 minutes into the second half and did well to grab the lead with six minutes to go before being denied at the death.

They showed they still have the flair they’re known for with the two sensational tries rounded off by SJ Kotze and Eduan Keyter, but they struggle to get going. More worryingly, their pack has been bullied, with them bleeding four scrum penalties and a driving maul try in Parma.

With no raft of returning Boks to come to their rescue, and with Benetton on a high after their last-gasp 16-14 upset of the Glasgow Warriors last weekend, the Lions will likely come up short again, which would be their fourth straight loss to the bigger of the two Italian clubs.

Prediction: Benetton by 11.

Suggested Bet: Benetton -10 at 1.90.

Ospreys v Zebre

Saturday, 11 October – 16:00

After a winless South African tour, the Ospreys will be happy to be back home. They had positive periods and led both games against the Bulls and Stormers at halftime, but fell away in the second half.

They can ill afford to do so against a Zebre side who’ll fancy their chances after claiming narrow wins over Edinburgh (31-28) and the Lions (22-20). This, though, is their first away game of the season. 

The Ospreys have impressed at the breakdown, and as long as they keep their discipline in check, they ought to enter the winner’s circle as they’ll be fuelled by their home fans.

Prediction: Ospreys by 5.

Suggested Bet: Zebre -15 at 1.90.

Glasgow Warriors v Dragons

Saturday, 11 October – 18:30

The Dragons missed a golden opportunity to snap their 18-match losing streak against the Sharks last weekend. Dogged and extremely effective in disrupting the visitors’ lineout, they should’ve gone for a drop goal at the death with the scores tied at 17-all instead of pursuing a try and had to be satisfied with a draw in the end.

That’s as close as they’re going to get for a while. Certainly, they have little hope this weekend as the Warriors are in a foul mood after losing to a Rhyno Smith drop goal in the final play of the game in Treviso last weekend. Their response will be emphatic. 

Prediction: Glasgow Warriors by 19.

Suggested Bet: Dragons +22 at 1.90.

Leinster v Sharks

Saturday, 11 October – 18:30

The draw against the Dragons, last season’s wooden spoonists, would’ve felt more like a loss to the Sharks, especially considering the two gift tries they gave their hosts. Yes, conditions were atrocious, but with the scrum dominance they had, the Durbanites should’ve gotten the job done.

They’re set to welcome back some of their Bok superstars, but even that won’t be enough for them to break their duck in Dublin. That’s not being negative but rather because of the fact that they’ll come up against a fully loaded Leinster side out to kick-start their campaign after their second-stringers’ successive losses in South Africa.

Prediction: Leinster by 20.

Suggested Bet: Sharks +27 at 1.90.

Cardiff v Connacht

Saturday, 11 October – 20:45

The clash in the Welsh capital is one of the toughest to call of the weekend.

Cardiff were comfortable 33-20 winners over the Lions at home in Round One and pushed Munster close on the road last weekend, falling short by three points.

Connacht, meanwhile, have only played one game, a 26-15 home win over Benetton, with their other scheduled fixture forced to be postponed.

History is on Connacht’s side, but the form the Ospreys have shown so far has me leaning toward them to record their first win over the Irish club since 2021.

Prediction: Cardiff by 1.

Suggested Bet: Connacht +4 at 1.90.

Ulster v Bulls

Saturday, 11 October – 20:45

Johan Ackermann will be well pleased that his team is at the top of the table after picking up maximum points from their two home games, but he’ll know the hard work starts now with a tough tour opener against Ulster.

The Bulls lead the attacking stats, having racked up 15 tries and 92 points, but they’ve also conceded 10 tries and a total of 71 points. Thus, they’ll put a lot of focus on their defence this week, along with fixing the lineout issues they had in last weekend’s 39-31 win over Leinster.

Ulster were unable to build on their 42-21 opening round win over the Dragons due to Storm Amy last weekend and will be determined to make it two from two at home.

The men from Pretoria lost 26-19 on their only previous trip to Belfast, but with their power, pace, and returning Boks, they should leave with the win this time around.

Prediction: Bulls by 3.

Suggested Bet: Ulster +6 at 1.90.