The RaboDirect PRO12 is back and so is our weekly PRO12 preview, which takes the spotlight off the capital club and pans across the division.
edinburghrugby
FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER
The RaboDirect PRO12 season 2013/14 kicks off with both the reigning champions, Leinster and runners up, Ulster in action in Wales on Friday night.
Surprisingly, the Champions are not known as fast starters (having only won one opening round since 2003 (2007 v Edinburgh at the RDS), while their opponents, Scarlets, will be looking to make the most of their home advantage. Dragons took maximum points from their opening fixture last season, but they will find Ulster far tougher opposition then new boys Zebre were in 2012/13.
Glasgow Warriors and Cardiff Blues complete the action on Friday night and, after an auspicious start to the season last year, the Warriors will look to get their push for a Play-Off return underway at their Scotstoun home.
SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER
The remaining three round one games all take place on Saturday, in Italy and Ireland.
In a repeat of last season’s opening fixture, Ospreys travel to Italy to face Treviso, and will hoping for a better result than last year when the began their then title defence with a 12-6 loss to their hosts. The second Italian outfit, Zebre, face Irish province Connacht in Galway.
The visitors are still looking for that elusive first win in the competition, but should be buoyed by the fact that, on the last two occasions that the teams met, there was less than seven points apart.
The round wraps up on Saturday evening at Musgrave Park in Cork where Munster welcome Edinburgh Rugby. History seems to favour the hosts who have only been defeated once in the opening weekend of the tournament since 2006, though records are there to be broken.
ROUND ONE FIXTURE LIST:
FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER
GLASGOW WARRIORS v CARDIFF BLUES, Scotstoun (kick-off 7.35pm) – Live on BBC ALBA
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS v ULSTER, Rodney Parade (kick-off 7.15pm) – Live on BBC NI
SCARLETS v LEINSTER, Parc y Scarlets (kick-off 7.05pm) – Live on BBC Wales
SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER
BENETTON TREVISO v OSPREYS, Stadio Monigo (kick-off 6.30pm) – Live on S4C
CONNACHT v ZEBRE, Sportsground (kick-off 5pm)
MUNSTER v EDINBURGH RUGBY, Musgrave Park (kick-off 7.15pm) – Live on BBC ALBA and TG4
Game between Glasgow and Cardiff about to kick off in Glasgow – in pouring rain.
Tyrone Holmes on the bench for Glasgow. Josh Strauss not playing tonight.
Penalty to Glasgow, Cardiff diving into ruck
Glas 3/0 Cardiff as Scott Wight slots the penalty. PRO12 season underway for Glasgow!
Gla 3/3 Car – Patchell gets penalty over in 6th minute
A lot of kicking, both teams struggling under the high ball in the wet conditions
Gla 3/6 Car – Patchell gets a long kick over, from straight in front but about half a metre inside Cardiff half.
Glasgow get penalty in middle of field about a metre inside their half…
Gla 6/6 Car as Mark Bennett slots the penalty well clear! 13th minute.
Gla 6/6 Car – As Patchell misses the penalty – 17th minute. Interesting there was a delay as the ref asked TV ref something about foul play but it came to nothing and penalty went ahead. Confusing that one even Mathew Rees (Cardiff captain) went up to the ref to find out what the hold up was.
Sloppy Glasgow, trying to run the ball down the bacline eventually a bad pass behind the player on right wing is knocked on.
Not nice to see Byron McGuigan (Glasgow wing) is helped off limping – 19th minute, replaced by Tommy Seymour.
Good kick by Cardiff to force the lineouth near Glasgow 22m, now captain Al Kellock is on his back getting treatment, looks in lots of pain.
Kellock came tumbling out of a scrum and looks to have hurt maybe an ankle. So Kellock off and Jonny Gray on for Glasgow – 20th minute. Two players injured and off in two minutes for Glasgow.
Quite a long delay and Kellock finally stretchered off, hopefully its not too serious.
Poor kick by Scott Wight straight into touch so Cardiff line a few metres inside Glasgow 10m area
Another Glasgow player getting treated – no 7 Chris Fusaro has to go off for blood – Tyrone Holmes comes on as temporary replacement. Welcome to PRO12 Tyrone!
Fusaro back on and Holmes off 27th minute
Great kick Cardiff takes play deep into Glasgow 22
Nice clearance under pressure by Pyrgos takes play from deep in Glasgow 22 to halfway line
Seymour does well in defence runs stronly then launches up and under starts chasing but then taken down off the ball looks like a wee trip or knock by Cardiff 13.
Gla 9/6 Car Scott Wight easily slots the penalty – 34th minute
21 @ Bullscot:
Hello Bully… you’re all alone here!
They are’nt showing the game you are commenting on, here in SA, BUT they are showing the Aviva game between Newcastle & Bath… in rainy conditions.
Bath 3 / 0 Newcastle, after 23 minutes in the game
Scarlet 16/17 Leinster – must be midway through second half
Dragons 6/8 Ulster – early in 2nd half
Gla 9/6 Car – Scott Wight misses a difficult kick from near left touchline- 38th minute.
Gla 12/6 Car – Straight long penalty over by Mark Bennett and its half time
Arghh no another promising move breaks down as Wight kicks deep but out on the full!
Good run by Cardiff 13 eventually brought down a few metres inside Glasgow 22
Gla 12/9 Car – penalty by Patchell – 52nd minute – so that kick direct into touch eventually cost Glasgow 3 points
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