Connacht Rugby vs Scarlets Rugby Preview
The United Rugby Championship is back this weekend, and Connacht vs Scarlets takes place on Saturday. On March 2nd at 5:05 pm, Connacht will continue their fight for a top-half finish in this campaign. Meanwhile, the Scarlets are desperate to save their season.
The Irish side started the new season with many impressive performances. In recent weeks, they have slipped and lost six of their last ten games. The Scarlets are in even worse form and find themselves 14th in the URC. They have lost the last seven consecutive rugby matches in all competitions and will need a miracle to achieve a result in Ireland this weekend. With everything to play for, which side has what it takes to win?
Connacht Rugby vs Scarlets Rugby Head-To-Head and Key Stats
There are many rivalries in the URC where both teams share the spoils. Between Connacht and the Scarlets, the fixture has traditionally favoured the Welsh. In the past ten meetings, the Scarlets have won six matches, with four going to the Irish side. Looking back to 2007, there is yet to be a draw in this matchup. However, the two most recent fixtures in 2022 were both won by Connacht.
The last time these teams faced off was in October 2022. Connacht were the hosts, and they enjoyed a comfortable win after an exciting first half. Niall Murray got the home fans on their feet with a try in the first minute. The Scarlets replied with a Steffan Evans score after 15 minutes, but Mark Hansen scored the last try of the first half for Connacht. The score at halftime was 16-11 in favour of the hosts.
Paul Boyle picked up a yellow card for Connacht seven minutes after the restart. With a man down, Jack Aungier added five more points for the home team. In the 73rd minute, two Scarlets players went to the sin bin, and the referee awarded a penalty try. With two men off the field, Hansen scored his second of the day, and the final score was 36-14.
When the rugby union clubs met in February, it was a much closer match. The Scarlets were the home side this time, and they got the first points on the scoreboard. Dan Jones scored a penalty in the first five minutes, and Johnny William added a try not long after. The visitors responded with scores from Arnold and Fifita before the break. It was 13-18 at halftime. Connacht scored two penalties at the start of the second half, followed by a John Porch try with half an hour to go. With the Irish team in a comfortable lead, Leva Fifita went to the sin bin, conceding a penalty try. When he came back on after ten minutes, Fifita picked up another yellow, resulting in a red. Connacht held the Scarlets to one try in the final five minutes. It finished 23-29.
Connacht has won their past two rugby union matches in all competitions. They beat Cardiff on the road by four points in mid-February and defeated the Bristol Bears at home in the ERCC. Both these matches had red and yellow cards, something to monitor if you were betting on the URC this weekend. The Scarlets have lost seven consecutive matches, including their last URC game against Munster. They suffered a 7-42 loss at home, so there is little confidence the Welsh side will turn it around on Saturday.
If you are going to place a rugby bet this week, Connacht looks like an obvious choice. The Scarlets have consistently underperformed all season, and this is not likely to change when they travel to Ireland. Connacht started the season strongly but had a wobble before the international break. Perhaps this pause in regular season action was just what they needed to get their United Rugby Championship campaign back on track.
Connacht Rugby vs Scarlets Rugby Predictions
Score Prediction: Connacht Rugby 33-15 Scarlets
We predict Connacht is going to win the match on Saturday, March 2nd. The Irish side underperformed in their last fixture and are determined to set things right against the Scarlets. The Welsh side is heading into this match after a 7-42 hammering at home. They will set up more defensively this week, but is that enough to stop Connacht?
However, making a rugby prediction on Connacht to win is not enough. The odds at the online bookmaker are not rewarding for outright predictions on the home side. Instead, you must look at other markets for reasonable returns.
Looking at the recent history between these two teams, Connacht won the last home game by 22 points. We predict the score will be closer, and the home side will win by 15 points or more. Choosing any wager other than the match winner will give you better returns for this fixture. Welsh rugby is in a bit of a lull, and the same applies to the Scarlets. They have been a good side to watch in recent years, even beating Connacht several times. However, the dip has come at the wrong time, and we can’t see the Turks turning things around on Saturday.
Betting on the United Rugby Championship is never straightforward, even in one-sided matches like this. You need to consider that this fixture is during the Six Nations. The best Irish rugby players will not make the journey away from international training. The national team members will stay, while only a few reserves will have the chance to play in this game. That suits the Scarlets, as they need every bit of help they can get. However, Connacht has great depth and should dominate this game, even missing players like Bundee Aki.
The expectation falls heavily on Connacht this week, which means your prediction is not who will win the match. Instead, you will get more if you decide how many points will separate the teams in this fixture. The Scarlets have the joint lowest points difference in the URC this season, alongside the Dragons. Betting on the Turks to get a surprise win this week is unlikely.
However, if you are prepared to wait until game day, the options available can change drastically. If the Scarlets score the first points or are only five points down at halftime, this will change the odds at the online betting site. Live betting on Connacht to extend their advantage or come from behind will be more profitable than placing the wager in advance. It is a risky move to wait until the game starts, but in a match like this, it could prove to be more rewarding.
Connacht Rugby vs Scarlets Rugby Betting Tips
This week in the United Rugby Championship, there are several fixtures with a clear favourite. Betting on Connacht to win this match has small odds at 1/20. Placing a €50 wager on the home team will only return €52.50. A draw also feels farfetched, and that is worth 40/1 at Novibet. If you wanted to risk an underdog wager on the Scarlets, they have odds of 8/1. A ten-euro bet on the away team will give you €90 if they can pull off a miracle.
If you bet on the URC this week, we don’t advise an underdog wager. Instead, it’s worth looking at different full-time markets, such as handicap bets and the winning margin. We can see the Scarlets trying to defend deep and might not concede as many points as expected. That means a handicap wager on Turks at +15.5 points could be a winner this Saturday. If they finish within 15 points of Connacht, you win the bet. Plus, this wager has larger returns than any outright prediction on the Irish side.
Another option not to overlook this week is the odd or even category. This market looks at the total points scored in the game by both teams. There are only two options for this market, and they have similar odds of around 17/20. In the past ten matches between these clubs, five games finished with an odd total, and five were even. The last two meetings had an even number. We predict this trend will happen again. If you are going to bet on the rugby, a market like this feels less risky than other bets.
If you join Novibet, we will give you a welcome bonus to help you sample the betting site. This fixture is a tricky choice for bettors, as it could be a difficult one to achieve good returns. We recommend any new player look at other URC fixtures before placing a bet on this game. Who knows, you might find a more profitable wager on a different Irish rugby team.
Connacht Rugby Team News
We have mentioned that not every Irish international at the Six Nations will return to their club, but one has just been called up. They pulled Finlay Bealham out of Connacht training for a late call-up to the Ireland camp. That means he will be unavailable for the URC clash. They also ruled out Shayne Bolton following a concussion and ankle injury against Cardiff. Head Coach Pete Wilkins confirmed Byron Ralston returned from suspension, and Colm Reilly, alongside Shane Jennings, resumed full training.
Scarlets Rugby Team News
There has been some news for the Scarlets team as they announced Tom Rogers has signed a contract extension. The 25-year-old has committed his future to the Welsh club. In other news, Iwan Shenton has joined Ampthill Rugby on loan for the rest of the season.
After their poor performances, the team announced some changes to the senior coaching group. Jared Payne is now a defence coach, and head coach Dwayne Peel will lead on the attack. A change at the top might be exactly what the Scarlets needed heading into this fixture.
