Rugby
United Rugby Championship Predictions – Round 8
Teams will look to finish the year on a high in Round Eight of the United Rugby Championship this weekend, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
The four South African sides won’t be in action as their games have been rescheduled; however, it’s still a juicy menu to close out 2025, with the blockbuster battle between Munster and Leinster in Limerick the pick of the lot.
Cardiff v Dragons
Friday, 26 December – 17:00
The derby in the Welsh capital is all but a foregone conclusion, despite last weekend’s shock results.
The leading Welsh team, Cardiff have been excellent this season but were stunned 21-17 by the Scarlets, while the Dragons ended a 15-month winless drought in the URC by crushing Connacht 48-28. If anything, those results will wake up Cardiff and ensure they don’t take the Dragons lightly.
Theirs is not a rivalry but more an abusive relationship. The Dragons haven’t beaten Cardiff in a decade, and that’s not going to change on Friday.
Prediction: Cardiff by 17.
Scarlets v Ospreys
Friday, 26 December – 19:30
A clash of the basement dwellers, only die-hard fans will be tuning into the second Welsh derby.
A clash not to see who’s better but rather who sucks the least, this is exactly the type of game where punting gives it some greater meaning and interest.
The Ospreys have long had the better of the Scarlets; they’ve won seven of the last eight games between them, including a 36-14 victory in their most recent encounter, which was in last season’s EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
However, the injection of momentum and belief courtesy of their shock four-point triumph in Cardiff last weekend should see the supercharged Scarlets prevail at home.
Prediction: Scarlets by 3.
Zebre v Benetton
Saturday, 27 December – 16:30
Zebre will look to turn the tables on their local rivals after Benetton banked a 21-15 win in Treviso last weekend. It was Benetton’s 11th straight victory over their little brother and restored order as it saw them overtake Zebre on the log.
Zebre have been patchy on their home turf in Parma, winning just four of their last 10 games in their background, and lost their last two URC games in front of their local fans to the Stormers (31-13) and Cardiff (29-14), respectively.
A bounce-back from Massimo Brunello’s men is thus unlikely.
Prediction: Benetton by 4.
Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors
Saturday, 27 December – 17:00
With their 24-12 win at home last weekend, the Warriors are in the driver’s seat to hold onto the 1872 Cup for another year.
The Scottish rivals battle it out for the silverware every year over two legs, with the winners determined via aggregate. Glasgow have proudly held it since 2023, and with the form they’re on – including a famous 28-21 victory over Toulouse in the Champions Cup two weeks ago – Franco Smith’s men should seal the deal by doing the double.
Prediction: Glasgow Warriors by 3.
Connacht v Ulster)
Saturday, 27 December – 19:30
Despite being lower-placed than their local rivals, Connacht were expected to head into this clash with momentum on their side. Everyone expected them to back up their Challenge Cup win over Black Lion with a win over the Dragons last weekend, but they took a 20-point hiding instead.
Ulster have dropped their last two games against Cardiff (in the Investec Champions Cup) and Leinster (in the URC). Connacht are not in the same class as those teams, though, and have battled against the men from Belfast in recent times.
Having won the last three meetings between the two teams, including doing the double last season (winning 32-27 at home and 17-7 away), Ulster should get back on track.
Prediction: Ulster by 12.
Munster v Leinster
Saturday, 27 December – 21:45
It’s apropos that we bring down the curtain on a cracking rugby year with this Irish blockbuster.
A rivalry steeped in history, the teams have met on 115 occasions, with Leinster winning 64 times and Munster 46 times, while there have been five draws.
When it comes to Saturday’s showdown, Munster’s home record against their arch-rivals is particularly interesting as there’s nothing between the teams. Remarkably, each team have won 25 games, whilst also playing to four stalemates.
Munster have the psychological advantage going into the clash after snapping a four-match losing streak in the rivalry with a stunning 31-14 win in Dublin in October.
The flip side of that shock result is that Leinster will be out for revenge, and with the Stormers having toppled Munster in Limerick last month, Leo Cullen’s charges should be able to do the same in a titanic tussle.
Prediction: Leinster by 3.