Darry Worthington previews Round 2 of the PRO14 season which will get underway on Friday the 4th of October.
Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets
Friday 4 October
Scostoun
20:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Glasgow 4/10
Draw 20/1
Scarlets 2/1
Glasgow will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 48-14 defeat to the Cheetahs when they take on a Scarlets side that beat Connacht 18-10 out in Wales last Saturday.
The hosts have racked up a whole lot of air miles this week having to fly back home from South Africa. Considering they picked up a few knocks against the Cheetahs and that the majority of their first-choice XV are on World Cup duty, the ‘Scots may well feel the fatigue come the final quarter of this fixture.
Verdict: Scarlets 2/1
I think the Warriors will struggle here. They’ve had a long-haul flight back home and looked a rather directionless team in the Free State.
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Leinster v Ospreys
Friday 4 October
RDS Arena
20:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Leinster 1/20
Draw 30/1
Ospreys 15/2
Reigning champions Leinster will be looking to make it two wins on the trot when they take on an Ospreys side that went down 38-14 to a clinical Ulster side last Friday.
While Leinster were far from impressive in Round 1 they did manage to claim a respectable 27-32 victory over a dangerous Treviso side. This result isn’t to be sniggered at as Leinster are essentially fielding a B side.
Verdict: Leinster 1/20
The hosts, despite missing the majority of their first-string, will still be far too strong on home soil.
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Kings v Munster
Saturday 5 October
Nelson Mandela Stadium
16:00
To Win (80 Mins)
Kings 4/1
Draw 25/1
Munster 2/11
The Southern Kings will be looking to bounce back from their opening round defeat to the Cardiff Blues when they take on an impressive Munster outfit.
The Kings gave their opponents a real run last week and were unlucky to go down by just fie-points. Having said that, last weekend’s encounter was the type of game the Kings need to win if they are to avoid finishing at the foot of their conference.
Munster had a far better start to their campaign as they ran riot against the Dragons at Thomond Park ending the game as 39-9 victors.
Verdict: Munster 2/11
I reckon the Kings are in for a long-old day out in Port Elizabeth this Saturday. My money is on the hosts taking it by more than 16 points.
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Zebre v Dragons
Saturday 5 October
Stade Sergio Lanfranchi
19:00
To Win (80 Mins
Zebre 15/20
Draw 18/1
Dragons 33/10
French minnows Zebre will be looking to claim their first win of the campaign when they play host to a struggling Dragons outfit.
Both teams endured poor opening rounds with Zebre going down 50-15 to Edinburgh and the Dragons losing 39-9 to Munster.
Verdict: Dragons 33/10
I’ll be having a very small play on the away win as the price is just too big to pass up.
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Cheetahs v Ulster
Saturday 5 October
Toyota Stadium
18:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Cheetahs 9/20
Draw 19/1
Ulster 39/20
The Cheetahs will be looking to continue their impressive start to the campaign when they play host to Ulster.
Both teams enjoyed sensational starts to the season with the Cheetahs hammering last season’s defeated finalist, Glasgow, 48-14 and Ulster beating the Ospreys 38-14.
Verdict: Cheetahs 9/20
This should be a cracking game with both teams playing great attacking rugby. I can see the Cheetahs edging a high-scoring thriller here.
