Our rugby scribe previews Round 4 of the Pro 14’s Cheetahs vs Ulster match, as well as the Southern Kings vs Glasgow Warriors encounter. Let’s see how the South African teams will fare against Irish and Scottish opposition.
Cheetahs v Ulster
21 September 19h15
Toyota Stadium
To Win *forecast odds
Cheetahs 23/10
Draw 16/1
Ulster 1/3
Handicap *forecast handicaps
Cheetahs +8 (9/10)
Ulster -8 (9/10)
Following their heart-breaking 24-52 defeat to the Glasgow Warriors, the Toyota Cheetahs will be looking to bounce back when they host Ulster at the Toyota Stadium on Friday evening.
Despite being in the contest for much of the game, the Cheetahs did eventually succumb to a strong Glasgow attack. Rory Duncan’s men, though, will take the hard lessons from that result and look to channel it into positive energy when they face Ulster.
Big away losses to Munster and the Ospreys has made this weekend’s game all the more important for the Cheetahs. They tour again in Round Five, so it’s imperative they earn a victory at home this weekend to gain some kind of momentum as they head overseas once more.
While Ulster did claim a 28-7 win over the Kings in Port Elizabeth on the weekend, it certainly wasn’t a performance that would strike fear into Free State hearts. Considering the amount of opportunities they let go astray, it isn’t hard to see the men in orange claim an invaluable win this weekend to potentially get them off the bottom of the Conference A standings.
Verdict: Cheetahs +8 (9/10) *forecast handicaps
After three-successive losses, I’m banking on the Cheetahs coming good and punishing an ill-disciplined Ulster lineup by seven-points or more.
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Southern Kings v Glasgow Warriors
22 September 15h00
NMU Stadium
To Win *forecast odds
Handicap *forecast handicaps
After losses in all three of their opening Pro14 fixtures thus far, it’s hard to see the Southern Kings putting in a winning performance over a cunning Glasgow Warriors outfit on Saturday afternoon.
The Kings remain rooted to the bottom of the Conference B standings following defeats to Zebre, Dragons and Ulster. Conversely, Dave Rennie’s Glasgow sit atop Conference A with a 100% record thus far and come into this one off the back of their drubbing of the Cheetahs a week ago.
If Deon Davids’ hosts concede penalties at the same rate as they did against Ulster in Round Three, it may be a long afternoon for them. The Warriors’ offensive game has improved tenfold since former Waikato Chiefs coach Rennie took over at the helm, and they have the capacity to score from almost anywhere on the field.
In their loss to Ulster, the Kings did display a solid looking driving maul that broke their deadlock just after halftime. If they can keep this weekend’s game tight and shove the Northern Irishmen off the ball, they may be in with a shot at what would be just their second win in the competition after March’s 43-15 drubbing of the Dragons.
Verdict: Glasgow -25 (9/10) *forecast handicaps
It’s a pity the Kings will face such staunch opposition after having improved so much over the past three weeks. Still, the Scotsmen should take it by 15 or more.
