Leinster Rugby vs Benetton Rugby Preview
Fans of the United Rugby Championship are in luck this week as first-placed Leinster welcomes a high-flying Benetton to Ireland. The Italians have been remarkable in this campaign, and they sit two points behind the leaders in second place. Leinster has been the team to beat in the league and European Rugby Champions Cup. Will they continue their winning run this Saturday, February 17 at 3:00 pm?
When first in the URC takes on second place, fans get excited. Leinster is a worthy leader, having brushed past almost every team in the division. The only side with a better win-to-lose record this season is Benetton. The Lions have consistently proven themselves in this campaign with defiant performances. Whose incredible run will continue during this brief pause in the Six Nations?
Leinster Rugby vs Benetton Rugby Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The Leinster vs Benetton rivalry began in 2010, and the sides have only faced off 24 times in 14 years. All but two matches have been in the United Rugby Championship. In the 2019-20 season, Benetton and Leinster faced off in the European Rugby Champions Cup. The Irish side won both games, including the next three meetings in the regular season.
Looking at the ten most recent matches, Leinster has won eight, and Benetton has only picked up one victory. The other result was a draw in April 2019, with the teams sharing the spoils at 27 points apiece. The last time these clubs faced off was in September 2022. Leinster were the hosts, and they cruised to a comfortable victory 42-10 at the final whistle.
The Italians got off to a poor start with Bellini picking up a yellow card inside the first five minutes. With Benetton a man down, Leinster took full advantage. Dan Sheehan scored three tries in the first half, giving the home side a 21-3 lead after 40 minutes. Leinster continued to dominate early in the second period, with van der Flier and another Sheehan try. The visitors hit back inside the hour mark, but Luke McGrath had the final say with a score ten minutes before time.
While Benetton hosted Leinster earlier in 2022, the Italian side did not fare any better. They lost heavily once again, this time 17-61. Rather than looking back at the games from two years ago, let’s examine how each team is playing now. Leinster’s last two games were in the European Rugby Champions Cup. They defeated Leicester and Paris to ensure a first-place finish with four wins out of four in the group stage. They also dispatched the Sharks and French rivals La Rochelle in the previous round.
The Lions also won their last two games before the Six Nations break. They played in the European Rugby Challenge Cup and defeated Montpellier to secure first place in the group standings. They only lost one of their four cup games, and that was the first match against the Ospreys. Since that defeat, Benetton Treviso has won their last five matches in all competitions. They had a doubleheader against local Italian rivals Zebre, and they won both the home and away leg.
Leinster has been the team to beat this United Rugby Championship season. However, the Irish rugby club picked up their second league defeat of the season in the previous round of URC fixtures against Ulster. Leinster lost by one point at home to the spirited Northern Irish side, but that was a result many did not see coming. The Italians were in better form before the break for the Six Nations, but has that interrupted their momentum?
As much as we would love to bet on Benetton, an upset this week does not seem on the cards. Leinster has the advantage of playing at home, and we don’t see them losing consecutive URC home matches this season. Betting on Leinster feels like the smart move this weekend, given they are the hosts and the historical results between the clubs. The Italians might be a surprise package this season, but taking on Leinster away is certainly too big a challenge.
Leinster Rugby vs Benetton Rugby Predictions
The rugby betting markets at Novibet suggest there is a clear favourite in this fixture. Usually, a favourite will return a couple of euros from a $10 bet, but not this week. Leinster is the most likely to win at the online bookmaker by a considerable margin. The Irish side has odds of 1/50 for a win after 80 minutes. Placing a ten-euro wager will only give you €10.20 if they are successful. Betting on Benetton this weekend has astronomical odds of 11/1. That means if you bet €10, you would receive €110 if they pulled off one of the biggest shocks this season.
Usually, the odds between a favourite and an underdog in a rugby union match are tighter than this week. However, we must agree with the betting site. Our prediction for this rugby match is for Leinster to win, and to do so comfortably. As much as we want to see a close game between first and second in the United Rugby Championship, Leinster is the team to beat. They have dominated Benetton in recent years and have looked almost unstoppable in the cup and league this season. We predict betting on Leinster will be the safest option on Saturday, and they will win by 15 points or more.
If you were to look at the previous results for guidance, both teams are in remarkable form. Leinster has only lost one of their last ten matches in all competitions. They suffered a one-point home defeat to Ulster on New Year’s Day. That was Leinster’s first defeat since the opening day of the rugby union season in October. Benetton Rugby has lost two games in the past ten matches, one in the Challenge Cup and one in the league in Glasgow. The only other blotch on their record was a 13-point draw with Munster in week two of this season.
Everything on paper is pointing towards this being a fantastic match. However, you would have to go back to 2018 to find the last time Benetton defeated the Irish giants. While we are delighted to see an Italian side at the top end of the URC this season, we can’t imagine them getting the better of Leinster this weekend. If they get something out of this game, it would open the season for a fantastic finale.
If you have not placed a rugby bet this season, this is not the game to start. With the odds so heavily skewed in favour of Leinster, placing a rewarding wager this weekend will be incredibly difficult. Yes, you can claim a welcome bonus when you register at Novibet, but it would be a waste to use it on Leinster. There are several other more rewarding matches this week instead. If you are determined to bet on Leinster or if you want to chance a wager on Benetton, check out the tips listed below.
Leinster Rugby vs Benetton Rugby Betting Tips
Placing bets on the United Rugby Championship is difficult at the best of times, but this fixture is a real doozy. With very little money to be made betting on the favourites, we must examine different markets to find a good return. Luckily for us, there are several markets available at Novibet that do not require a full-time result. Plus, there are other options to bet on Leinster and still walk away with reasonable returns.
Handicap wagers are excellent for rugby matches such as this. They seek to level the playing field when two unbalanced teams face each other. The favourites in a handicap bet start with a negative score. That means, if they are to win the bet, they need to outscore the opposition by a certain amount. Just winning the game is not enough for Leinster to win a handicap bet. This week, the Irish side has a handicap of -22.5, which means they must score at least 23 points more than Benetton to win. The odds for this bet is 17/20, which will return €37 from a €20 bet.
You can find great returns when betting on a rugby match if you look at the winning margin. This market offers more profit than the handicap bet, depending on the option you choose. If you think Leinster will run away with the scoring, the home side to win by 15 points or more has odds of 1/5. A simple €10 wager on this market will yield €12. If you predict Benetton will be much closer at the final whistle, you can go for a winning margin of eight to 14. Placing the same value bet will see €45 returned if the Italians are within 14 points.
If you don’t want to bet on Leinster winning, there are other options to consider. The last four matches between the clubs have ended with an even number of points scored. If you were to bet on this rugby match, you could get odds of 17/20 for either an odd or even total. We predict history will repeat itself and they will register an even number.
As the pregame markets have not been alluring, you can always wait until game day to bet on this event. Leinster has a habit of scoring multiple tries when they face the Italians, so live betting on a try scorer is a good move. With both teams missing key personnel at the Six Nations, there could be mistakes and sin bins aplenty this Saturday.
🏉 | Ross Byrne and Jamie Osborne both have increased their training loads ahead of the #BKTURC match with Benetton this weekend.
Injury Update 👉 https://t.co/31pRLIz6o2#LEIvBEN #FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/HgV8OdD2JM
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) February 12, 2024
Leinster Rugby Team News
Ireland coach Andy Farrell called up 19 players from the Leinster side to train for the national team. 16 of these players made the squad to play against France on the opening day of the competition. In the starting lineup, ten players were from Leinster. While not every one of these players will be unavailable for this game, they will not risk several key personnel this weekend.
Instead, Leinster will have to look within, and there is good news for two players. Jamie Osborne and Ross Byrne stepped up their training this week, hoping to make the game on Saturday. Five players are still on the doctor’s table, including Jimmy O’Brien, Martin Moloney, Cormac Foley, Charlie Ngatai, and Alex Soroka.
Benetton Treviso Team News
Benetton expected many players to represent Italy at the Six Nations, and they were not disappointed. 17 players made the provisional squad. In the first round of the Six Nations, Italy faced England, and 14 Benetton players were in the squad. After the narrow defeat and a couple of injuries, only 11 Lions players made the national team against Ireland. Edoardo Iachizzi and Lorenzo Cannone both picked up minor injuries and will most likely miss the match against Leinster.
