Leinster Rugby vs Ulster Rugby Preview
We’re finally reaching the business end of the United Rugby Championship. Leinster will play Ulster in the quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, June 8th at 5 pm. It’s a massive opportunity for these teams in their pursuit of silverware.
Leinster endured heartbreak against the Toulouse in the Champion’s Cup. Now they’re hoping to win the URC to make up for it. Ulster will be determined to give their provincial rivals a massive test and potentially end their season. This is a monumental game for both sides, with a semifinal clash at stake. Leinster is the favourite at our online betting site, but Ulster won’t show them any respect.
Leinster Rugby vs Ulster Rugby Key Stats and Head-to-Head
It’s been a strange year for Leinster because they poured their souls into the Champion’s Cup. They finished third in the URC after losing three consecutive games toward the end of the regular season. However, Leo Cullen kept resting players as they looked toward European glory. Ultimately, this didn’t work out.
Meanwhile, Ulster is on the rise after they appointed Richie Murphy. They’re a different side since he replaced Dan McFarland. Since then, Murphy has overseen impressive results over Cardiff, Benetton, and Leinster.
These teams played each other recently, with Ulster emerging victorious on May 19th. It was a glorious victory for Murphy’s men but against a weakened Leinster team. Cullen heavily rotated his line-up ahead of the Toulouse game. It was a famous win that will give Ulster’s players confidence. Ulster knew their season was on the line and started with great energy. They took the lead, but Leinster responded with two late first-half tries. Mike Lowry was like a bull for Ulster, with the officials ruling out his two try attempts. John Cooney kept Ulster in touch as they went into the break trailing 10-14.
He scored a penalty after the break to bring them within a point of Leinster. Then Michael Ala’alatoa scored another try for Leinster. Ulster showed tremendous heart and grit to keep fighting. Jacob Stockdale scored a breathtaking try for the Northerners with Cooney completing the conversion. Cooney was the hero for Ulster as he scored the game-winning penalty. They also defended valiantly as Leinster pressed for a bonus point, but they held out. It was a superb game and did not align with our rugby prediction.
Leinster’s most recent match saw them convincingly beat Connacht in their last game at the RDS this season. They won 33-7 and sealed a bonus point. Four Leinster players scored tries with Jimmy O’Brien crossing the line in both halves for his team. It’s worth noting Connacht was without star players Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen.
Sam Prendergast is one of this game’s most fascinating and polarising subplots. The out-half is a blue-chip prospect and showed his impressive abilities against Connacht. Prendergast assisted three of his team’s tries against the Westerners. He also completed four conversions during an outstanding display.
“We’re not the same as other countries in terms of bringing through young talent quick enough.”
Discussing the Sam Prendergast situation on Against The Head, Bernard Jackman feels that Irish rugby is staring down a depth problem at 10. pic.twitter.com/8yW0vvtlj2
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 3, 2024
Ross Byrne has been Leinster’s main starter this season ahead of his brother Harry, Ciaran Frawley, and Prendergast. However, fans and pundits are pressuring Leo Cullen to pick Prendergast because they believe he’s the future for Leinster and Ireland. Garry Ringrose will finally make his return to Leinster after a lengthy absence. The Ireland star hasn’t played for his province since St. Patrick’s week when he injured his shoulder on international duty. His addition is a massive boost for Leo Cullen as they look to finish this season on a high.
Ulster’s four-game winning streak ended abruptly against Munster in their last match. They lost 29-24 at Thomond Park in a hard-fought clash. However, they had already done enough to seal sixth place in the rankings. Ulster led at half-time through Rob Herring and David McCann’s converted tries. Munster fought back and sealed the victory.
Jacob Stockdale has been one of the most effective wings in the URC this season. He is fourth overall in metres gained and second in clean breaks. The Ulster star has nine tries this season and is always a threat.
Leinster Rugby vs Ulster Rugby Predictions
Prediction: Leinster 30 – Ulster 15
Leinster will convincingly beat Ulster in this URC semifinal. While recent weeks have been punishing, Leo Cullen will take his team selection seriously this weekend. After looking unstoppable throughout most of the season, they will waste no time putting ten points between them and Ulster. There will be a fightback from the Northern Irish province, but not enough to progress in the URC.
Ulster will fight bravely because Richie Murphy has cultivated an impressive team spirit. But they have several injury doubts and Leinster’s quality should be too much for them. Garry Ringrose’s return is massive for Leinster, while they’ll also start big names like Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe.
Leinster lost their last meeting with Ulster. However, they showed flashes of quality and ripped through their northern rivals with scores throughout the game. This time Ulster will face Leinster’s best players which could be too much for them. Live betting is a good option for this game. If Ulster takes a shock lead, it would be wise to bet on Leinster to win the second half. It’s also worth checking if there are unexpected injuries before or during the game.
Our prediction sees 45 points scored by both teams in this game. If you are interested in over/under betting, choosing over 44 points scored could be a profitable wager. We could see north of 50 points in this contest depending on how ruthless Leinster is.
Leinster Rugby vs Ulster Rugby Betting Tips
Betting on Leinster to win this quarterfinal is not worthwhile because the odds aren’t favourable. It’s 1/9 for them to beat Ulster on our sports betting platform. This means that a €10 stake would only make €1.11. Ulster is a sizeable underdog at 11/2. This time, a €10 bet would win €55. It’s a huge reward and shows that the bookmakers have no faith in them. They’ll believe that they can pull off an upset.
Betting on rugby is exciting because there are so many opportunities. The winning margin is another great market. It’s 4/5 for Leinster to beat Ulster by 15 points or more. A €10 stake would make €18 if successful. Some punters may think that this scoreline is too ambitious. It’s 12/5 for Leinster to win by 8 to 14 points with potential returns of €24.
Meanwhile, Ulster’s most likely winning margin is 1 to 7 points. This correlates with their previous victory over a weakened Leinster team. The odds of them repeating this are 17/2, with €10 potentially making €85. Consider betting on a rugby game’s total points to be odd or even. It’s 17/20 for the former, while the latter comes in at 22/25. The halftime winner often offers excellent opportunities too. It’s more likely that Ulster will sneak the first half than win the entire game.
https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/status/1798010571389841847
The race to 10 points could also be a fun bet. It’s 2/11 for Leinster to pass this mark first. Ulster is available at 10/3, which could be rewarding if they roar into a lead. Check out the first scorer and highest-scoring half odds too. Don’t forget to check out our welcome bonus. This is open to all new users who register for the first time. Consider betting on the United Rugby Championship overall winner. Leinster is the current 5/8 favourite.
Leinster Rugby Team News and Predicted Line-Up
Garry Ringrose is back from a shoulder injury. He hasn’t played since March, so this is an enormous boost for Leo Cullen. Charlie Ngatai also returns and could replace Ciaran Frawley as a starter. The biggest question is who will play at fly-half. Sam Prendergast is popular, but Cullen may revert to the tried-and-tested Ross Byrne. Tommy O’Brien and Jason Jenkins are both out of this game while Jack Conan is doubtful.
- Leinster Predicted Line-Up: Andrew Porter, Ross Byrne, James Lowe, Jamie Osborne, Rob Henshaw, Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Tadhg Furlong, Dan Sheehan, Jack Conan, Joe McCarthy, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris, and Jamison Gibson-Park.
Ulster Rugby Team News and Predicted Line-Up
Richie Murphy will probably start a similar team to the one that defeated Leinster in their last meeting. However, like their provincial rivals, they have several injury concerns. Alan O’Connor and Kieran Treadwell are doubts but remain in contention. Iain Henderson is out for the season. Ulster’s medical staff will assess Ethan McIlroy and Stuart McCloskey throughout the week.
- Ulster Predicted Line-Up: Ethan McIlroy, Mike Lowry, Will Addison, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney, Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor, Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, and Nick Timoney.