URC Round 11 Preview

Edinburgh Rugby v Zebre Parma, Friday 7.35pm

 

Sides from Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Wales, England and, of course, Scotland are name-checked in the Edinburgh team announcement for this BKT URC Origin Round which recognises players’ first clubs.

You’ve got Duendes in Rosario in the case of Pumas star Emiliano Boffelli, who makes a welcome return from injury. Then there’s Old Boys University in Wellington (Wes Goosen), South District Pirates of Victoria (Mosese Tuipulotu), High School de Aar in the Northern Cape (Boan Venter), Nenagh Ormond in Tipperary (Ben Healy), RGC in Colwyn Bay (James Lang), Topsham RFC in Devon (Sam Skinner), Barnstaple RFC (Ben Vellacott), West Norfolk RFC (Ali Price) and Doncaster Knights (Paul Hill).

It will be a first BKT URC appearance of the season for goal-kicking international wing Boffelli following his recovery from back surgery.

Coach Sean Everitt said: “We’re delighted to welcome Emiliano back to the team. He has worked incredibly hard to return to full fitness and I know how proud he is to be pulling on the Edinburgh jersey once again.”

Zebre will arrive full of confidence having beaten Ulster in Belfast in the last round, their first away win in the league since January 2001.

Ospreys v Leinster Rugby, Friday, 7.35pm

As he reaches a proud personal landmark, Jack Walsh is convinced it can coincide with the Ospreys becoming the first team to beat Leinster this season.

The USA-born, Aussie-raised utility back will make his 50th appearance for the Welsh region as they welcome the league leaders to Swansea.

He has become a key figure, with his ability to play at both full-back and fly-half, and he’s bang in form, having scored four tries in his last two starts, amid a five-match unbeaten run for the Ospreys.

Now he turns his attention to all-conquering Leinster, as he prepares to don the No 15 jersey.

“They haven’t lost this season in any competition, so you pay them respect. They are a well oiled machine,” said the 25-year-old.

“But I don’t see why we can’t be the first team to beat them this year.

“We have been working hard and we have come up with a game plan we think can really challenge them.

“We are not going into the game hoping to get a bonus point loss or anything like that. We are going in to win. There’s no doubt about that in our mind.

“We’ve been playing well and results have gone our way and that has built confidence.”

Walsh was born in Jacksonville, Florida, due to his father’s work, but both his parents are from Australia and they headed back Down Under when he was five.

He grew up in Manly, a beach-side suburb north of Sydney, and played his junior rugby for Manly Marlins before progressing to the Waratahs Academy.

Then came a move to England to join Exeter Chiefs, where he spent two two seasons before signing for the Ospreys in 2022.

Reflecting on bringing up his half century, he said: “It’s a proud moment for me.

“To play 50 games for any club is a special achievement, particularly here. With the amount of great players they have had, to play 50 means you have been doing something right over a decent period of time to keep yourself on that team-sheet.

“I came to the Ospreys because I wanted the opportunity to play rugby and I liked the brand of style they played, so I’m happy with how it’s gone and I just want to keep adding to it now.”

Giving the viewpoint from the visiting camp, Leinster coach Leo Cullen said: “It’s going to be a tough challenge for us. It’s never an easy place to go.

“The Ospreys put 40 points on a pretty strong Benetton team in the last round and they were very impressive in how they went about dismantling them.

“They have got that nice mix. They have some good young players and some very experienced heads there who have been around a while.

“There’s been a change with Mark Jones coming in as head coach, so there’s been an uplift there. He’s a coach with a lot of experience. They have definitely expressed themselves a little bit more, I think it’s probably fair to say.”

Emirates Lions v DHL Stormers, Saturday, 12.30pm

Skipper Francke Horn will be looking to celebrate his new contract by leading the “fired up” Emirates Lions to derby day victory at Ellis Park.

The No 8 is one of a three key players to have signed extensions this week, along with prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye and centre Henco van Wyk

Horn was born in the Western Cape town of Stellenbosch and grew up in Bredasdorp - in a rural area close to the most southern part of Africa - while he went on to attend Paarl Boys High School.

But since 2020, he has been with the Johannesburg-based Emirates Lions and his re-signing shows his commitment to the set-up.

“As a squad we’ve set goals that we want to achieve over the next couple of years,” he said.

“We want to stay and succeed, to take the union forward. We have a lekker group of guys, and we are enjoying the style of play.

“It’s very exciting for the guys signing the extensions. It gives us energy, it gives clarity and, most importantly, it gives the union stability.”

The Lions lie down in 13th place in the URC table, but Horn remains optimistic as they head into a crucial run of derbies, with this weekend’s clash followed by a trip to the Bulls and back-to-back fixtures against the Sharks.

“We’ve played two games less than most teams and the log is still bunched,” he said.

“There are a lot of teams within five points of each other. The next four weeks are crucial for us. We need to win the derbies.

“We have been honest about it, and we can’t hide from it. The derbies come with a certain physical challenge and responsibility.

“We are fired up for this one. You play against guys in your position that are in the Springbok set-up, so it’s great to test yourself against the best.”

Turning to the DHL Stormers, Springbok star Frans Malherbe will become just the second player to reach the 150 cap milestone, following in the footsteps of fellow prop Brok Harris.

Director of Rugby John Dobson said: “Frans made his debut 14 years ago and has achieved so much in that time. It is very rare these days to see someone play that long for one team, especially a player of his stature.

“He has the respect of everyone he plays with and against and his contribution to this team over the years has been immense.”

Vodacom Bulls v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saturday, 3pm

Jake White says his Vodacom Bulls will be looking to make amends for their 20-17 defeat to the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban back in December when the two South African rivals lock horns once again at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld.

“We had a chance to win that game. We think we missed an opportunity,” said the former Springboks coach.

“Everyone in the team realises we could have won, should have won. But that’s sport. So we get another crack at home and it’s a must win because we want to win the conference, so we’ve got to win our home games now which are big derbies.”

Commenting on the Hollywoodbets Sharks, he said: “They are a difficult team to beat. They went overseas and beat Cardiff convincingly with a bonus point in the last round. When they are on fire and have their best team available, they are strong.”

The Bulls go into the game on the back of away derby victories over the Lions and the Stormers.

“We’ve played seven away games now and won five and we could quite easily have won all seven of those,” said White.

“That’s a good place to be, a good position. We have now got to make sure we turn that momentum into home wins.”

White has made three changes to his pack, including drafting in flanker Marco van Staden, but the backs are unchanged, so World Cup-winning No 15 Willie le Roux continues at fly-half.

For the Sharks, star forward duo Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi are both absent, but there are still a number of Springboks on duty, including the likes of Bongi Mbonambi, Lukhanyo Am, Grant Williams, Trevor Nyakane, Jordan Hendrikse, Phepsi Buthelezi and Jason Jenkins.      

Munster Rugby v Scarlets, Saturday, 5.15pm

The BKT URC Origin round sees a focus on players’ first clubs and it’s safe to say the Scarlets’ Aussie prop Archer Holz is pretty unique, having started out with Lightning Ridge Tigers!

That’s the junior rugby league side where it all began for him in his home town in the New South Wales outback, a ten hour drive from Sydney.

He then switched to Union when he went to boarding school, beginning his senior career with Eastern Suburbs in Sydney before playing Super Rugby with the Brumbies and Waratahs and having a spell with French giants La Rochelle.

Now he’s in west Wales and getting his first taste of the BKT URC.

“It’s definitely different,” said the 24-year-old tighthead.

“Super Rugby is very fast and focused on ball movement, whereas in the French league everything is a bit more regimented and focused on set-piece, with a lot of structure.

“I’ve found the URC kind of sits somewhere in the middle, especially the way the Scarlets play. We like to move the ball, we have got really good outside backs, but at the same time there’s also a focus on set-piece, which is really important for me as I am a prop that prides myself on my set-piece.

“So there’s been a good balance so far and I’ve really enjoyed it.

“In this league, you really need to be across all areas. You can’t rest on your laurels in one area and fall back in another.”

As for life with the sixth-placed Scarlets, he says: “It’s been good. It’s a great club, a good environment, so I have really enjoyed that aspect of it. I’ve settled in well. Everyone has been very welcoming.

“As the season has progressed, we have definitely clicked as a team and we can take confidence going forward.”

Looking ahead to the meeting with Munster at Limerick’s Thomond Park, he said: “We know what they are going to bring. They are a very confrontational side.

“They want to win those battles physically in the middle of the park. We have prepared for that and we know we have to front up.”

Munster lie just a point behind the Scarlets in seventh, so this is another big match in the context of the battle for play-off spots.

Benetton Rugby v Ulster Rugby, Saturday, 5.15pm

This Treviso tussle sees a meeting between two sides who will be determined to bounce back from bruising defeats in the last round of BKT URC matches.

Benetton were thumped 43-0 by the Ospreys, while Ulster became the first team to lose at home to Zebre in the league in four years when they were beaten 15-14 in Belfast.

That saw both of them drop out of the top eight, so this is now a crucial fixture in terms of making up ground in the quest to qualify for the end of season play-offs.

Ulster warmed up for their return to league action by taking on touring side Queensland Reds at Kingspan Stadium, going down narrowly 31-28 as they welcomed back internationals Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and James Hume.

 

Connacht Rugby v Cardiff Rugby, Saturday, 7.35pm

Cardiff will be looking to send new Wales coach Matt Sherratt off on a winning note as they take on familiar foes this weekend.

Sherratt will be at the helm for the Galway clash before flying back home on Sunday morning to take charge of the Welsh team for the remainder of the Six Nations following the departure of Warren Gatland.

Reflecting on the appointment, Cardiff captain Liam Belcher said: “I think it’s great for the club and great for him personally.”

As for how Sherratt will approach the Wales job, the fit-again hooker said: “I think he will do exactly what he has done here, which is be himself.

“He knows when to switch off and when to switch on. You can have a joke and a laugh with him and you don’t get that from certain coaches.

“He can install confidence in the group straight away and confidence goes a long way in any sport. It’s a new voice, it’s a fresh start.

“Then he will give them licence to be brave with the ball which is what he does here with us.”

This will be the second of three meetings between Connacht and Cardiff in the space of 12 weeks. The Irish province triumphed 28-19 at the Arms Park in a Challenge Cup group match in January to set up a home last 16 tie against the same opponents in early April.

While Connacht qualified as top seeds in the Challenge Cup, they are down in 14th spot in the BKT URC, so coach Pete Wilkins knows the next two matches - at home to Cardiff and Benetton - are critical.

“The pressure will come on if we slip up in either of these two games,” said Wilkins.

“If we are not already in knock-out stage in the URC, then we are certainly not far away from that.

“It sharpens the focus. So let’s see what we are made of, let’s see if we can deliver in those circumstances.”

Dragons RFC v Glasgow Warriors, Sunday, 2pm

For Filo Tiatia, this will be a first outing since his appointment as the Dragons’ permanent head coach.

The former All Black has been in interim charge since Dai Flanagan departed in November, but he has now agreed terms on a multi-year contract.

“I am absolutely delighted and excited about the challenge ahead,” said the ex-Ospreys back row.

“It’s been a real privilege to work in Gwent rugby this season and to now lead the programme here as we look towards a bright future.

“We have a talented squad of players, with a number of homegrown youngsters coming through our system, and a backroom team that I am looking forward to working with in the seasons to come.”

As for the immediate goal, he says: “We know where we are. Our ambition is to get off the bottom of the table.”

Glasgow boss Franco Smith brings his team to Newport amid speculation that he is among the WRU’s targets to become the new permanent Wales head coach in the wake of Warren Gatland’s exit.

But his focus will be firmly on keeping the champions’ defence of their BKT URC title on track as they look to hold on to second spot in the table.