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United Rugby Championship

PREVIEW: URC quarterfinals take centre stage this weekend

The URC knockouts are finally here, and some games are certainly a lot tougher to call than others.
Steve Haag Sports/ Steve Haag

The URC knockouts are finally here, and some games are certainly a lot tougher to call than others.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

Friday 5 May

Ulster 1/4 | Draw 25/1 | Connacht 3/1

Handicap
Ulster (-10.5) 17/20 | Connacht (+10.5) 17/20

Ulster will be out to avoid a potential banana peel in Connacht when the sides clash at the Kingspan on Friday.

The Belfast Boys finished second and remain in contention to host a Grand Final if results go their way. After some hiccups mid-season, Dan McFarland’s charges bounced back hard to give themselves another great shot at the title but their opponents this week are notoriously tricky customers who don’t tend to pay much mind to the “underdog” tag.

Some cracking form this year powered Connacht to a seventh-place finish after a rocky start, and they’ll look for more of that as they look to wrestle the derby away from the hosts on Friday. The Westerners have a reputation for being, for lack of a better expression, “tough old bastards”, and they’ll definitely give the Northern Irish outfit a fight at the Kingspan.

With rain expected, the battle of the boot will be cardinal to both sides’ fortunes here but ultimately Ulster’s superior class and home ground advantage should get them home.

Ulster on the minus.

Saturday 6 May

Stormers 5/10 | Draw 20/1 | Bulls 17/10

Handicap 
Stormers (-5.5) 17/20 | Bulls (+5.5) 17/20

The Stormers face the Bulls in a rematch of last season’s Grand Final at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

The defending champs squandered the chance to finish second in their home loss to Munster in the penultimate round but remain in contention to go back-to-back. John Dobson  welcomes back Deon “Brannas” Fourie this weekend which will give them a massive boost against a powerful Bulls outfit.

Despite suffering more than their fair share of wobbly moments this season, Jake White’s men did well to claw their way to a sixth-place finish and have a loose forward menace of their own returning in Marcell Coetzee.

It should be another typically tight North-South derby affair, but the hosts will be too good in the Mother City and make it seven wins from seven against their local competitors this season.

Stormers to clear the handicap.

Leinster 1/16 | Draw 33/1 | Sharks 7/1

Handicap
Leinster (-18.5) 17/20 | Sharks (+18.5) 17/20

Leinster should have no trouble seeing off the Sharks in Dublin on Saturday.

Leo Cullen’s boys put a brilliant Toulouse team to the sword in a 41-22 victory at the Aviva in their Champions Cup semi-final tie last week to set up a rematch of last year’s final with La Rochelle. They continue to utterly dominate all before them and should sweep aside the Durbanites on Saturday.

The Sharks have no Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth or Jaden Hendrikse here. Things will definitely improve next season once a permanent coach is installed in the Kings Park setup but this weekend’s tie will be one-way traffic. It could get ugly.

Leinster on the minus.

Glasgow Warriors 9/10 | Draw 20/1 | Munster 9/10

Glasgow welcome Munster to the Scotstoun in what promises to be one of the most competitive fixtures of the weekend.

The Glaswegians’ year got even better last week after they saw off Scarlets to earn a place in the Challenge Cup final against Toulon. Warriors have been on another level this season and will be hellbent on keeping the flame burning here.

Munster fought back well from their poor form early in their campaign and should be right in the contest for most of it. Unfortunately for them though, this Glasgow team should ultimately triumph at home.

Warriors to take the W.

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