Ulster and Leinster are in pole position to meet in this year’s Rabo Direct PRO12 Final a year on from their Heineken Cup decider.
By Declan Whooley
Both coaches will be eagerly hoping to get over the semi-finals this weekend for different reaons and with both enjoying home advantage, the Irish Provinces are favoured by the bookies to see off the challenges of the Scarlets and Glasgow.
Ulster to put the Scarlets to the sword?
After a drop in form after the New Year, head coach Mark Anscombe would love to celebrate his first year in charge with reaching the final of the league and their form in recent weeks has been encouraging. They have put 30-plus points on the Dragons, Connacht and the Blues in their last three outings while they simply demolished the Scarlets earlier in the season at Ravenhill, winning on a scoreline of 47-17.
Ireland internationals Paddy Jackson, Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick and Dan Tuohy all return to the side, while Ruan Pienaar switches from outhalf to scrumhalf.
The Welsh side will have Rhys Priestland back fully fit after a couple of substitute appearances in recent weeks and he will need to be in top form to get any change out of the Ulster defence.
Before last week’s reversal to Treviso, they had won seven of their previous eight encounters but Ulster should have too much firepower and pedigree, especially in front of a passionate home support.
Will Glasgow be in the Schmidt at the RDS?
The Warriors will travel to the RDS full of belief that they can cause an upset. Gregor Townsend, fresh from winning coach of the year at the recent Rabo Direct awards has instilled a new belief in the side, as Munster found to their cost when they put 51 points on them at Scotstoun.
The corresponding fixture in the RDS last March was one of the closest encounters Leinster have had at home and with Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Niko Matawalu, Josh Strauss, Al Kellock and Ryan Grant in the starting XV, they could pose a serious threat.
Leinster will be determined to right a few wrongs in this competition in recent seasons, especially with just a few games left in Joe Schmidt’s reign. Gordon D’Arcy is back in the side in what is almost a full-strength selection, though Sean O’Brien is struggling with a strain, with Rhys Ruddock waiting in the wings should the Tullow Tank fail to make it.
Leinster should have enough to pull away in the final 10 minutes and chances are they could face an Inter-Provincial rival in the decider.
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