The round however kicks off on Friday with three games, all featuring Welsh Regions. Cardiff Blues are at home to Connacht, who have not won at the Arms Park since 2001, Newport Gwent Dragons entertain Edinburgh, with both teams looking for their second win of the season while the Scarlets go north to Glasgow, where a win would take them top for at least 24 hours.
ROUND 4 PREVIEWS
Friday 26 September
CARDIFF BLUES v CONNACHT
At Arms Park , 7.05pm. Live on BBC Wales & Setanta Sports
Referee: Carlo Damasco (FIR, 2 nd League game). Assistant Referees: Neil Ballard (WRU), Leighton Hodges (WRU). TMO: Nigel Whitehouse (WRU).
|
HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT Magners League MEETINGS |
|
||||
|
Date |
Venue |
B |
C |
Cardiff Blues scorers |
Connacht scorers |
|
Sat 3 Sep 05 |
Sportsground |
9 |
13 |
Nick Robinson(3P) |
Conor McPhillips(T) Paul Warwick(C/D/P) |
|
Sat 29 Apr 06 |
Arms Park |
30 |
12 |
Marc Stcherbina(2T) Gethin Jenkins(T) Nick Macleod(3C/3P) |
Mark McHugh(4P) |
|
Sat 18 Nov 06 |
Arms Park |
15 |
13 |
Ben Blair(5P) |
Paul Warwick(C/2P) Matt Mostyn(T) |
|
Sat 7 Apr 07 |
Sportsground |
16 |
16 |
Ben Blair(C/3P) Tom Shanklin(T) |
Paul Warwick(C/3P) Ray Ofisa Treviranus(T) |
|
Fri 12 Oct 07 |
Arms Park |
30 |
16 |
Ben Blair(T/2C) Tom James(2T) Nick Macleod(2P) Martyn Williams(T) |
Tim Donnelly(C/3P) Conor O'Loughlin(T) |
|
Fri 2 May 08 |
Sportsground |
39 |
11 |
Ben White(T) Ben Blair(4C/2P) Tom James(T) Gareth Williams(T) Xavier Rush(T) Gareth Thomas(T) |
Colm Rigney(T) Troy Nathan(2P) |
Cardiff Blues' last defeat at the Arms Park in any competition was 10-11 to Edinburgh in the Magners League on 4 January. The Blues' last reversal at home to an Irish side was when Leinster visited the Arms Park on 28 September 2007.
Connacht broke their season's duck on Friday evening in Galway with a 15-8 defeat of Glasgow Warriors. Connacht's last away win was also in Wales against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade on 18 April. The west Irishmen's only previous victory at the Arms Park was 6-3 against Cardiff RFC in the league on 18 August 2001.
Connacht have won just one of their ten previous encounters with the Blues: 13-9 in Galway on 3 September 2005,
Friday 26 September
GLASGOW WARRIORS v THE SCARLETS
At Firhill Arena, 7.30pm.
Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU, 35 th League game). Assistant Referees: David Changleng (SRU), John Ferris (SRU)
|
HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT Magners League MEETINGS |
|
||||
|
Date |
Venue |
G |
S |
Glasgow Warriors scorers |
Scarlets scorers |
|
Sun 16 Oct 05 |
Stradey Park |
20 |
24 |
Gregor Hayter(T) Dan Parks(5P) |
Hottie Louw(T) Liam Davies(T) Gareth Bowen(C/4P) |
|
Fri 12 May 06 |
Firhill Arena |
17 |
10 |
Jon Petrie(T) Dan Parks(4P) |
Aled Gravelle(T) Craig Evans(C/P) |
|
Fri 8 Sep 06 |
Stradey Park |
17 |
31 |
Francisco Leonelli Morey(D) John Barclay(T) Colin Shaw(T) Dan Parks(2C) |
Darren Daniel(3T) Dwayne Peel(T) Gavin Evans(T) Stephen Jones(3C) |
|
Fri 16 Feb 07 |
Hughenden |
30 |
14 |
Kevin Tkachuk(T) Dan Parks(2C/2P) Hefin O'Hare(T) Stevie Swindall(2T) |
Dafydd Jones(T) Ceiron Thomas(3P) |
|
Fri 15 Feb 08 |
Stradey Park |
7 |
30 |
Colin Gregor(C) Sam Pinder(T) |
Gavin Cattle(T) Iestyn Thomas(T) Regan King(2T) Rhys Priestland(T/C/P) |
|
Fri 18 Apr 08 |
Firhill Arena |
25 |
23 |
Colin Gregor(T) Dan Parks(T/2C/2P) Sam Pinder(T) |
Morgan Stoddart(2T) Stephen Jones(2C/3P) |
Glasgow Warriors have slipped to successive defeats in the Magners League, whilst a Welsh side has already won at Firhill this season - Ospreys on 12 September.
The Scarlets' perfect start to the new season ended on Friday night with a 12-32 reversal to Edinburgh at Murrayfield. The Welshmen have now lost their last three matches against Scottish sides, whilst their only win in Scotland since September 2005 was 19-13 against Border Reivers at Galashiels on 10 November 2006.
The last six encounters between the two teams have all been won by the home side on the day. The Scarlets only previous away win in Glasgow in the Magners League was 31-18 at Hughenden on 28 November 2003.
Friday 26 September
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS v EDINBURGH RUGBY
At Rodney Parade, 7.30pm.
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 17 th League game). Assistant Referees: Phil Fear (WRU), Simon Harris (WRU).
|
HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT Magners League MEETINGS |
|
||||
|
Date |
Venue |
N |
E |
Newport Gwent Dragons scorers |
Edinburgh scorers |
|
Fri 14 Oct 05 |
Murrayfield |
15 |
17 |
Hal Luscombe(T) Craig Warlow(T/C/P) |
Francisco Leonelli Morey(T) Simon Webster(T) Chris Paterson(2C/P) |
|
Sat 13 May 06 |
Rodney Parade |
11 |
37 |
Hal Luscombe(T) Craig Warlow(2P) |
Chris Paterson(2T/4C/3P) Hugo Southwell(T) Simon Webster(T) |
|
Fri 10 Nov 06 |
Rodney Parade |
17 |
10 |
Nic Fitisemanu(T) Nathan Brew(T) Aled Thomas(C/P) Craig Warlow(C) |
David McCall(T) Duncan Hodge(C/P) |
|
Fri 6 Apr 07 |
Murrayfield |
20 |
30 |
Aled Brew(T) Ceri Sweeney(T/2C/2P) |
Chris Bentley(T) David Callam(T) Andrew Kelly(T) Allister Hogg(T) Duncan Hodge(P) Chris Paterson(2C/P) |
|
Fri 12 Oct 07 |
Murrayfield |
19 |
13 |
Wayne Evans(T) Ceri Sweeney(2T/2C) |
Nick de Luca(T) Phil Godman(2P) Ali Warnock(C) |
|
Fri 29 Feb 08 |
Rodney Parade |
10 |
10 |
Richard Fussell(T) Aled Thomas(C/P) |
Ben Cairns (T) Phil Godman(C/P) |
Newport Gwent Dragons opened their winning account in the Magners League this season with a 16-14 victory in Ulster last Friday. The Dragons have not beaten a Scottish team at Rodney Parade since Glasgow were the visitors on 2 March 2007.
Edinburgh Rugby also won their first match of the season on Friday with a 32-12 defeat of the Scarlets at Murrayfield. Edinburgh have now won their last three games against teams from Wales, and have not lost in the Principality since a 17-42 reversal against the Scarlets at Stradey Park on 29 April 2007.
Last season the two teams drew 10-all at Rodney Parade, whilst Edinburgh have won just twice in Newport in ten previous visits in all competitions.
Saturday 27 September
OSPREYS v ULSTER
At Liberty Stadium, 5.30pm. Live on S4C and Setanta Sports
Referee: Peter Allan (SRU, 22 nd League game). Assistant Referees: James Jones (WRU), Alan Jenkins (WRU).
TMO: Tony Rowlands (WRU).
|
HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT Magners League MEETINGS |
|
||||
|
Date |
Venue |
O |
U |
Ospreys scorers |
Ulster scorers |
|
Fri 4 Nov 05 |
Ravenhill |
20 |
12 |
Jason Spice(T) Shaun Connor(D/4P) |
Paul Steinmetz(4P) |
|
Fri 26 May 06 |
Liberty Stadium |
17 |
19 |
Jonny Vaughton(T) Jason Spice(T) Gavin Henson(2C/P) |
Matt McCullough(T) David Humphreys(C/D/3P) |
|
Fri 22 Sep 06 |
Ravenhill |
7 |
43 |
Lee Byrne(T) James Hook(C) |
Rory Best(T) Tommy Bowe(T) Paul Steinmetz(T) Neil McMillan(T) David Humphreys(4C/5P) |
|
Sat 27 Jan 07 |
Liberty Stadium |
29 |
22 |
Nikki Walker(2T) Shaun Connor(2C/2D/3P) |
Stephen Ferris(T) Paul Steinmetz(C/5P) |
|
Fri 21 Sep 07 |
Ravenhill |
16 |
17 |
Andrew Bishop(T) Shaun Connor(C/3P) |
Niall O'Connor(4P) Simon Danielli(T) |
|
Fri 28 Mar 08 |
Liberty Stadium |
32 |
7 |
James Hook(T/3C/2P) Shane Williams(2T) Nikki Walker(T) |
Kieron Dawson(T) Niall O'Connor(C) |
Ospreys lost their 100% winning record in the Magners League with their 13-19 defeat at champions Leinster on Friday night. The Welshmen's only reversal at Liberty Stadium since last November was 18-19 to Edinburgh on 2 May.
Ulster are still struggling to break their season's duck following an unprecedented fifth successive Magners League defeat at the hands of Newport Gwent Dragons at Ravenhill on Friday. Ulster have not won in Wales since a 32-25 victory against Dragons at Rodney Parade on 9 September 2006.
The Ulstermen have not beaten Ospreys since a 17-16 win at Ravenhill in September 2007, whilst Ulster 's only previous victory on Ospreys' soil was 19-17 at Liberty Stadium on 26 May 2006.
Sunday 28 September
LEINSTER v MUNSTER
At RDS, 7pm Live on Setanta Sports
Referee: Simon McDowell (IRFU, 25 th League game). Assistant Referees: C Stanley (IRFU), D Wilkinson (IRFU).
TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU).
|
HEAD TO HEAD - RECENT Magners League MEETINGS |
|
||||
|
Date |
Venue |
L |
M |
Leinster scorers |
Munster scorers |
|
Sun 9 Oct 05 |
Musgrave Park |
9 |
33 |
Felipe Contepomi(3P) |
Marcus Horan(T) Alan Quinlan(T) Denis Leamy(T) John Kelly(T) Ronan O'Gara(T/4C) |
|
Sat 31 Dec 05 |
Royal Dublin Society |
35 |
23 |
Brian Blaney(T) Shane Horgan(T) Felipe Contepomi(2T/3C/3P) |
Paul O'Connell(T) Trevor Halstead(T) Ronan O'Gara(2C/3P) |
|
Fri 6 Oct 06 |
Lansdowne Road |
27 |
20 |
Brian O'Driscoll(2T) Shane Horgan(T) Jamie Heaslip(T) Felipe Contepomi(2C/P) |
David Wallace(T) Marcus Horan(T) Ronan O'Gara(2C/2P) |
|
Wed 27 Dec 06 |
Thomond Park |
11 |
25 |
Girvan Dempsey(T) Johnny Sexton(2P) |
Ronan O'Gara(C/6P) Penalty Try(T) |
|
Fri 30 Nov 07 |
Musgrave Park |
10 |
3 |
Felipe Contepomi(C/P) Shane Horgan(T) |
Ronan O'Gara(P) |
|
Sat 12 Apr 08 |
Royal Dublin Society |
21 |
12 |
Felipe Contepomi(6P) Johnny Sexton(D) |
Paul Warwick(2P) Ronan O'Gara(2P) |
Defending Magners League champions Leinster have been defeated just once since they moved permanently to the RDS at the start of last season: 23-52 to the Scarlets on 5 October 2007. Leinster are undefeated in their last eight encounters against fellow Irish teams, whilst their last home defeat in the league to an Irish Province was 8-15 to Munster at Donnybrook on 5 September 2003.
Munster 's 28-20 defeat of Cardiff Blues on Saturday evening sees them sit atop the Magners League table for the first time since February 2006. The Munstermen's last win in Dublin was 30-6 over Leinster in the semi-final of the European Cup at Lansdowne Road on 23 April 2006.
Leinster have won three of their last four encounters with Munster .
63x46.png){kind=logo}