Munster Rugby vs Glasgow Warriors Preview
Six games into the United Rugby Championship season and we have a new leader. Glasgow Warriors are first in the league table, one point ahead of Leinster and five in front of the third-place Bulls. This weekend Munster hosts Glasgow on Friday, December 1, at 7:35 PM. The match will spice up the division as Munster hopes to bounce back from their defeat at Leinster.
The two sides meet in Cork at Musgrave Park, an 8,000-seater stadium with an excellent atmosphere on game days. Glasgow impressed many this season, securing five bonus points after six games. They and Leinster are pulling away, having won five and only lost one game so far. Munster is now eight in the table after letting a 0-10 lead slip before halftime to Leinster. Both teams know how important this fixture is, but if Munster suffers another defeat, they could face a tough season scraping with the other sides in the middle of the pack.
Munster Rugby vs Glasgow Warriors Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The sides have met around 30 times since 2007, in what many consider to be a rugby grudge match. Traditionally, Munster has better luck in this fixture winning 19 times, including the most recent match-up. Glasgow has only won on 12 occasions against the Irish side, but they have put in better performances over the recent years. In the period the two sides have faced off, there has only been one draw and that came in 2007.
Glasgow was the host the last time these sides played in the URC quarter-final in May 2023. It was a low-scoring game with most of the points coming in the first half. However, the game swung in favour of the visitors who got the first score in the 24th minute. Two minutes later, Glasgow fly-half Tom Jordan was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Conor Murray. With the home side down to 14 players, Munster took advantage and went in 0-14 ahead at the break. Glasgow broke the Munster defence and scored a try in the 68th minute. But a yellow card to Sione Tuipulotu was the nail in the coffin for the Warriors in this competition.
The last Rugby Union game between the sides was in March 2023, and it was a high-scoring game of rugby. Munster lost 26-38, but the final score does not tell the full story. Munster was the clear favourite to win in round 16 of the URC, but a dismal first half left them a mountain to climb. Hugo Domingo Miotti dominated in the first 40 minutes, leading Glasgow to a 0-28 lead. It wasn’t until 54 minutes into the game that the home side got on the scoreboard. After 60 minutes, Munster closed the gap to 14-31 thanks to tries from Gavin Coombes and Craig Casey. But, yet another score by the visitors killed the game. A late flurry of tries brought Munster within 12 at the final whistle, but it was too late to change the result.
https://twitter.com/GlasgowWarriors/status/1729501501700112440
Glasgow is on a fantastic winning streak this season in the United Rugby Championship. They started the season with an impressive victory over Leinster, followed by a defeat at Connacht. Since then, Glasgow has won every game against the Stormers, Ospreys, Benetton, and Ulster. The match last week against Ulster was a thriller, with the visitors taking a 0-14 lead after 12 minutes. At halftime, the sides were level until Ulster got an early yellow card for Kieran Treadwell. Glasgow took full advantage of the situation, winning 33-20 at the final whistle.
Munster’s last game was against Leinster in what also proved to be a fantastic game of rugby. They took the lead early in the match and looked by far the better side until a Rory Scannell yellow card allowed Leinster into the game. Leinster led 14-10 at halftime thanks to a brilliant score from Jamison Gibson-Park. Jack Crowley got Munster within a point early in the second half, but a Jordan Larmour try took the game away from Munster.
Munster Rugby vs Glasgow Warriors Predictions
Looking at the Rugby Union betting markets shows a clear favourite for the game on Friday. Munster has odds of 2/9, which returns €12.22 if you bet €10 and they win the match by any margin. The odds of Glasgow winning are currently 10/3, which sees €43.33 returned when you wager the same amount. A draw is uncommon in rugby, and this week they set the odds at 22/1.
Betting on Munster seems like the safest bet this week, as they will have the advantage of being at home. They let the lead slip against Leinster, but getting any result at the Aviva Stadium would have been one heck of an upset. Plus, most of Glasgow’s games this season have all been at home. They have played two matches on the road this season, one against Connacht and one versus the Ospreys. Munster might be lower in the division than you would expect, but they have won every single home match so far this season in the URC.
We predict Munster will win this match against Glasgow by a margin of ten points or fewer. If you look at Munster’s performances this season, the scoreline against opposition in the top half of the table has been tight. Against the Stormers, they won 10-3, and they drew 13-13 with Benetton on the road. The two defeats to Leinster and Ulster were by margins of five and seven points, respectively. When the top of the top-of-the-table Glasgow comes to town this week, Munster will have a tough game on their hands.
Our prediction means it will most likely be a low-scoring match, with less than 50 points scored between the teams. Plus, if you look at Munster’s last four matches in the United Rugby Championship, each game has finished with an odd number of points. We believe this trend will continue this week if you are looking for something to bet on besides the outright winner.
Munster Rugby vs Glasgow Warriors Betting Tips
United Rugby Championship odds change throughout the week, meaning choosing the right time to place a wager can be vital. However, in the build-up to a rugby game, the odds stay the same unless there is a serious development. This can include injury troubles or star players returning from a lengthy stretch on the sideline. If you are looking to maximise your returns, you are going to have to consider other wagers than the outright winners.
One option not to overlook in this fixture is live betting. If you wait until game day, you can bet on the match as it transpires. You can predict things like the next try scorer, the winner at halftime, and the total number of points scored in a half. Live wagers are an exciting way to bet on the rugby, especially if you are neutral. It gives you more reasons to cheer than just the result.
Placing an online bet on Munster stopping the run of consecutive Glasgow wins seems like the smartest option this week. While unbeaten runs in Rugby Union seasons occur, there is an undisputed advantage of playing your games at home. Plus, Munster needs to get a result today to stop the rot as they slowly slide down the league table. They find themselves eighth after six games, certainly a few places lower than most of us would expect. If Munster is going to have a successful season, they need to pick up all the points this weekend.
If you are determined to bet on Munster to win on Friday, you can look at handicap bets or choose the winning margin. Munster to win the game by one to seven points has odds of 3/1. That would return €30 in profit from a ten euro bet, significantly more than the outright wager. Alternatively, you can bet on Glasgow Warriors to win a handicap bet. For example, the Warriors to win the match by any scoreline or to lose within ten points has odds of 17/20. That means if Munster cannot beat Glasgow by ten or more points, your bet is a winner.
Munster Rugby Lineup
This week, Munster players Jean Kleyn, Liam Coombes, and John Hodnett signed contract extensions with the club. Unfortunately, RG Snyman did not sign an extension and will leave the province at the end of this season. Injury news is a mixture this week for Munster, with players edging closer to a return. Oli Jager is at the High-Performance Centre (HPC) and could be available for selection this Friday. RG Snyman is also at the PHC but will not be available for the clash against Glasgow. Jack O’Donoghue and Peter O’Mahony are also unavailable, but their injuries are not as bad as first feared.
🗞️ SQUAD UPDATE | See the latest news from Munster camp ahead of Friday night's #URC clash against leaders Glasgow at Musgrave Park.
There is good news for Peter O'Mahony (shoulder) & Jack O'Donoghue (ankle) but they are both unavailable this weekend ⤵️#MUNvGLA #SUAF 🔴
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) November 28, 2023
Players who won’t make the trip include Jack Daly, who suffered an ankle injury last week in training and will undergo surgery this week. Liam Coombes, Joey Carbery, Patrick Campbell, Mike Haley, Roman Salanoa, Cian Hurley, and Niall Scannell will also miss the next game.
- Munster Predicted Lineup: J. Loughman, D. Barron, J. Ryan, J. Kleyn, T. Beirne, T. Ahern, J. Hodnett, G. Coombes, C. Casey, J. Crowley, S. Daly, A, Nankivell, A. Frisch, C. Nash, and S. Zebo.
Glasgow Warriors Lineup
There is good news for Glasgow fans this week, as scrum-half George Horne could make a speedy return to the squad. Horne missed last week’s game at Ulster over a hamstring injury which is not as bad as first feared. Duncan Weir could also make his return following a three-game suspension for a dangerous tackle against the Ospreys. Unfortunately, several players are still recovering from their injuries and will not make the game against Munster. Jamie Dobie, Fraser Brown, Facundo Cordero, JP du Preez, Huw Jones, Kyle Steyn, and Murphy Walker are all unavailable.
- Glasgow Predicted Lineup: J. Bhatti, G. Turner, Z. Fagerson, S. Manjezi, S. Cummings, M. Fagerson, S. Vailanu, J. Dempsey, G. Horne, T. Jordan, K. Rowe, S. McDowell, S. Tuipulotu, S. Cancelliere, and J. Mckay.
