Munster Rugby vs Zebre Rugby Club Preview
The Six Nations is on another break, which means the United Rugby Championship returns. The first fixture for us to enjoy is Munster vs Zebre on Friday, March 1, at 7:35 pm. This is a big game for Munster, as they attempt to catch up to the top teams in the league. Zebre is the best of clubs at the bottom and will hope to end their URC winless streak on the road in Limerick.
This is the second round of URC fixtures during the Six Nations, and Munster is looking for consecutive wins. They faced Welsh strugglers, the Scarlets, and put on a fantastic attacking display, scoring six tries. However, Zebre is seriously struggling in this campaign and has recorded five consecutive losses in the league. The Italians picked up two wins during the European Rugby Challenge Cup, but the Irish side offers a unique challenge.
Munster Rugby vs Zebre Rugby Club Head-To-Head and Key Stats
When looking at rugby union matches, some teams dominate in a fixture. Munster is by far the superior side, having won all 19 of the meetings between the clubs since 2012. The most worrying sign from a Zebre perspective is how poorly they have performed when making the trip to Ireland. The Italians scored 20 points in their last three away matches to Munster. While we are big fans of rugby bets on the underdogs, this week does not seem like a good idea.
The last meeting between these rugby clubs was in October 2022. It finished 21-5, which is not as bad as the scoreline suggests from an Italian perspective. Munster started the game strongly, and Niall Scannell scored the first try in ten minutes. Keynan Knox followed in with a second seven minutes later, and the Italian side had no response. Instead, the referee sent Gabriele Venditti to the sin bin, and the Irish side immediately capitalised on the 14 men. Scannell scored his second of the match, and Munster led 21-0 at the break. Zebre got on the scoresheet with a Lorenzo Pani try in the 44th minute, but that was the final score of the match for either side. While fans would have liked to have seen more points, the Italians showed up in the second half, winning it 0-5.
In the previous meeting, Zebre welcomed Munster to Parma, Italy, in a much higher-scoring affair. The home side held out for almost 20 minutes before Jack Crowley scored a penalty kick. That opened the floodgates, and O’Donoghue, Goggin, and Wycherley scored tries for Munster. One minute before the end of the first half, Erich Cronjé got Zebre off the mark with a score. It was 7-22 at the break, and Tim O’Malley scored the first points of the second half for Zebre. Munster responded with a second try for Wycherley and a score from Barron. In additional time, the Italians scored a consolation try to finish the game 17-34.
Munster played a friendly last weekend against the Harlequins at Twickenham. The Irish side flexed their muscle and romped to a 35-43 victory in a thrilling rugby match. Munster started brightly, taking a 14-0 lead after 20 minutes. The Harlequins hit back twice in the first half, but the Irish side defended a five-point lead. After the interval, the English team took the lead within a minute of the restart. Munster found their rhythm and dominated the scoring to bring it to 21-43 with less than 15 minutes on the clock. The hosts found two late scores, but it was not enough to close a mighty Munster performance.
Neither side has performed consistently in the United Rugby Championship this season, but Zebre is in big trouble. They have the worst five-match record in the league right now and are nine points away from Cardiff, one place above them on the table. Munster was in trouble of dropping out of the race for the top eight places, but a win against the Scarlets has brought them right back in it. Zebre has consistently struggled against the Irish rugby club over the years, and this does not look likely to change. Betting on Zebre to get a win on the road against Munster is a waste of cash.
Munster Rugby vs Zebre Rugby Club Predictions
Prediction: Munster Rugby 35-7 Zebre Rugby Club
Munster will win the match on Friday by 25 points or more. The Irish side has struggled throughout this season, but they are showing signs of a team reborn. After getting 42 points past a struggling Scarlets last week, they could easily repeat the feat against Zebre. The Italians lack the depth to cope with even a reduced Munster squad.
We predict Munster is going to defeat the Italian side. Betting on Munster to win this match is the most likely outcome. However, that also means it will be the least rewarding. This week, basic predictions will give you low returns at the sports betting site. To get better odds, look into more complex wagers. We believe Munster will start the first half on top. They will record the game’s first score and could hold the Italians to a scoreless half. We predict the Irish team will record four or more tries in the match, and Zebre will register a single score. Munster will win this match by a margin of 20 points or more.
One aspect you must consider before betting on the URC this week is the effect the Six Nations has on the teams. The best Irish rugby players will train in the international team and won’t return to Munster for this clash. The same applies to Zebre and any Italian players, so keep that in mind before you bet. This is a battle of squad depth during international rugby competitions. It is not the time to place a large bet. Munster has the better squad on paper and is playing the better rugby.
Back on the field 🔥
On Friday March 1 the #BKTURC Rd. 11 #MUNvZEB 🦌🦓
⏰🇮🇹 8:35
📺 @SkySport & @NOWTV_It #WeAreZebre pic.twitter.com/taxxq7O6zM— Zebre Parma 🦓 (@ZebreParma) February 27, 2024
Everyone is predicting Munster to walk away with this fixture, and they will. They need to keep the wins flowing if they are to have any chance of the likes of Leinster at the top of the URC. Zebre has fallen way off the pace. Only four teams in the entire division have 13 points or fewer, leaving Zebre in a battle at the bottom. The Italians have a poor point difference of -130, and they will be lucky if, at the final whistle, it remains under -150.
In a fixture as one-sided as this, live betting might be one of your best options. That is because you can bet on certain players to score one or more tries or bet on the total points scored in a match. This fixture has seen several high-scoring matches over the years, so betting on there being over 50 points is not a bad idea. Conversely, you could bet on there being fewer points than people expected, especially if they hold Munster to only a couple of tries in the first half. The odds fluctuate throughout the match, so timing the wager is crucial.
Munster Rugby vs Zebre Rugby Club Betting Tips
This week, our rugby betting tips are riskier than we would like. Usually, we go for a mix of risky and safe bets, all with varied returns. In this match, there is no point playing it safe. The bookmaker has assigned odds of 1/100 for betting on Munster to win. That means a €10 wager will return as little as $0.10 in profit. The odds for Zebre to pull off a miracle are 12/1, which is low considering they have not defeated Munster in any competition in the past 12 years. A draw is by far the most unlikely outcome, with odds of 50/1 at Novibet.
If you are going to bet on the URC this week, you must be smart with your money. For starters, there is very little to be made if you are betting on Munster in any capacity. That is an excellent opportunity to reduce your stake. If you were going to bet on the handicap for this wager, look at backing Zebre. If you think the Italian rugby club will finish within 27 points of Munster, the odds are 17/20. This offers you the chance to turn €10 into €18.50, almost double the profit compared to the same wager on the home team.
This fixture is a unique opportunity to look at some other markets. Betting on rugby matches is not usually this one-sided, but you must adapt your betting strategy. Looking at the total number of points scored, you can wager on an odd or even total. Both odd and even markets have odds of 17/20, which will return more than a Munster bet. In the past ten meetings, four have finished with an even number of points and six were odd.
Are you thinking about joining Novibet and betting on this rugby union match? We recommend using your welcome bonus on a different fixture. It is troublesome to make a profit when a game is as one-sided as this. It could be an opportunity to convert your free wagers to withdrawable funds, but there are other matches to look at this week. Adding this fixture to your accumulator is also not worthwhile, as it will have close to no effect on your returns.
🗞️ SQUAD UPDATE | Tom Ahern, Craig Casey & Jeremy Loughman have all returned to the HPC ahead of Friday night's #URC clash against Zebre at Virgin Media Park (7.35pm).
See the latest news from Munster camp with limited tickets remaining ⤵️#MUNvZEB #SUAF 🔴
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) February 27, 2024
Munster Rugby Team News
Munster fielded a mix of academy and young club players in their victory over the Harlequins last week. Unfortunately, academy players Dinel Okeke and Shay McCarthy picked up injuries and will miss this URC match against Zebre Parma. The good news is Jeremy Loughman, Craig Casey, and Tom Ahern returned from international duty.
However, the first-team injury list is substantial. Roman Salanoa, Simon Zebo, Liam Coombes, Patrick Campbell, Jean Kleyn, John Hodnett, Diarmuid Barron, Paddy Patterson, Dave Kilcoyne, and Jack O’Donoghue are unavailable.
Zebre Rugby Club Team News
Zebre has several players away on international duty, and it’s not clear how many will be available for the trip to Ireland. In other news, the Italian side announced Josh Kaifa has joined the back row to provide much-needed reinforcement. Another new signing for Zebre Parma to get excited about is Giacomo Ferrari. The Italy U20 captain signed with the club until 2028, and he certainly looks like one for the future. Finally, Danilo Fischetti has committed his future to the club by signing a two-year contract extension.
