Scarlets vs Munster Rugby Preview
The United Rugby Championship briefly returns this week in the middle of the Six Nations. The Scarlets host Munster in the first URC fixture since the New Year. This match will take place on Friday, February 16, at 7:35 PM. The pause in regular matches suited both sides as they underperformed in the cup and league this season. However, which side will look fresher on Friday?
Parc y Scarlets is the perfect arena for the return to URC action, as neither side will want to continue where they left off. The Scarlets are on a whopping six-match losing streak, including four European Rugby Challenge Cup matches and two league games. Munster hardly has a reason to celebrate, having picked up one victory and one draw in their last six games. Neither side will head into this fixture high on confidence, but that should make for a closer game.
Scarlets vs Munster Rugby Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The Scarlets vs Munster rivalry only goes back to 2007, with the sides facing off 32 times in 17 years. Most of the wins have gone to the Irish side, including the last five matches. Looking at the ten most recent fixtures between the sides, Munster has won seven, and the Scarlets have picked up three victories. Some results have featured close games decided by a margin of ten points or fewer. Plus, there have been several matches with a 20+ point gap at the final whistle.
Looking at the most recent clash, Munster welcomed the Scarlets in round 15 of the URC last season. The 2023 match was a fantastic game to watch, with both sides registering over 40 points on the scoreboard. In the end, Munster won on the day 49-42 in a match with 13 tries. Munster came out swinging with a Campbell try inside the first three minutes. Before the half-hour mark, Nash, Daly, and Patterson added scores of their own for the home side. The Scarlets got their first points of the game five minutes before halftime with a Joe Roberts try.
The score was 35-7 at the break, and it seemed unlikely there would be much of a fight back. Both teams scored tries inside the first ten minutes of the second half, but the Scarlets went up a gear. Kalamafoni and Lousi scored tries to make the game 42-28 with 20 minutes to play. Munster got their last try of the match five minutes later, a second for Calvin Nash. This set up a blockbuster finish as the Welsh squad got two additional scores in the last ten minutes to finish within seven of Munster.
The last time the Scarlets hosted Munster was in 2021, also in the United Rugby Championship. Once again, the club from Ireland started on the front foot, scoring three tries inside the first half. The Scarlets fought back but were well down after 40 minutes. It was 13-22, and the Scarlets only had one try from McNicholl. The second half was plain sailing for Munster, who added three scores from Loughman, Coombes, and Cloete. It was a demolition job as the game finished 13-43.
The Scarlets have struggled immensely this season, and they find themselves 12 points down on Munster after nine games in the URC. Interestingly, Munster only sits two places higher in the league table than the Welsh side. The Scarlets are 13th with two wins and seven losses. Munster is 11th with four wins, one draw, and four defeats. There is little to no chance of the Turks turning this season around.
Munster played a warm-up game against the Crusaders on February 3. The first-ever Clash of Champions saw the winners of the Super Rugby Pacific take on the URC holders. The Irish side held on for a narrow 21-19 win after the New Zealanders missed a late conversion to tie the game. It was not a comfortable win, but anything should help boost Munster’s confidence before heading into the United Rugby Championship.
Betting on Munster is probably the way to go this week. Sure, the Irish side has only won three of their last ten games in all competitions, but they usually find a way. With an unlikely win in the ERCC against Toulon, they are still in the cup competition. While their season currently hangs in the balance, a string of victories puts them back amongst the best in the division. For the Scarlets, they need nothing less than a miracle this weekend. However, with relatively little to play for, this is when some rugby union teams pull off the biggest surprises.
Scarlets vs Munster Rugby Predictions
The rugby betting options at Novibet show a clear favourite for this fixture. Munster, who is on the away side this Friday evening, is the most likely to win at the bookies. The Irish side has odds of 3/10 if they can pull off a victory by any margin inside 80 minutes. That means a €10 wager on this market will only give you €13 at the final whistle. The Scarlets have good odds for an underdog with 5/2. Making a €10 bet on the home side will give you €35 if they can pull off an upset. Historically, there have not been many draws between these rugby clubs and a tied game this week is worth 20/1.
While Munster has struggled more than expected this season, betting on the underdog would be a mistake this week. We predict Munster will secure a victory on Friday, with a lead of ten or more points. Looking at previous results, this fixture has not seen fewer than 30 points since 2019. We predict Munster to score 30 points or more and hold the Scarlets to 20 or fewer.
Before you bet on the URC, we need to examine the previous results of each team. The Scarlets lost all four European Rugby Challenge Cup fixtures and the previous two United Rugby Championship matches. They lost away to local rivals, the Dragons and at home to the Ospreys. While they only lost to the Dragons by one point, we hoped they would bounce back in their next Challenge Cup games against Clermont and Edinburgh. Unfortunately, the Scarlets were on the receiving end of even heavier defeats.
Munster is the obvious choice this Friday if you are looking at form. While they have only won one game in their last five, they luckily squeezed through in the ERCC. Finishing higher up the group would have given them a more favourable draw, but they can get revenge on Northampton in the knockout stage. Everything looks bleak for Munster heading into the league this week, but that could change in the blink of an eye. They were in and amongst the action in the first few weeks of the season. A win in Wales and the confidence could be sky-high entering the second half of the campaign.
If you are considering betting on the URC this weekend, it could be a good time to sign up for a new betting site. If you join Novibet, you can claim a welcome bonus to use this weekend. You can bet on Munster to restart their campaign or back the Welsh to continue raining on the Irish parade. As Munster is the clear favourite this week, you will need to examine other markets to find profitable wagers. The section below is full of exciting bets with better returns than an outright prediction.
Scarlets vs Munster Rugby Betting Tips
Placing sports bets on rugby matches is never easy. In games with a clear favourite, all obvious markets are low-paying. In tight matches, selecting a winning wager relies more on luck than that skill. This week, we must look a little harder to find bets worth placing. There is nothing wrong with backing Munster to win at 3/10, but you can get better returns with only a small increase in risk.
In this fixture, the handicap bet becomes a viable option, given the recent results between the sides. Munster at -7.5 is a fairly low-risk option, as you only need the Irish side to score eight more points than the Scarlets. The market at Novibet has odds of 22/25, which will return $18.80 from a ten-euro bet. If you think around eight points will be the difference, you can examine the winning margin market. Munster to win by 8-14 points has 13/5 odds. This bet has more risk, but you could get up to €36 from the same value stake.
Betting on Munster feels like the right option this week. If they lose this match, they could be in for a long season with very little to play for. They must rediscover a way to win, which the coach has certainly instilled into the squad over the three-week break. If you don’t want to bet on the full-time result, there are plenty of other options. Munster usually starts this fixture with an early score. Betting on the away side to lead at half-time has odds of 4/9. You can also wager on an odd or even number of points scored across the game. Last time, there was an odd number, so we predict an even total this Friday.
Live betting on this rugby match could be interesting. Both squads will have some key personnel missing because of the Six Nations, potentially opening the door to some rotation players. For Munster, this break was timed to perfection as they have several key players out with injuries. The pause has allowed players like RG Snyman to return to training. Could he have some part to play in this match?
🗞️ SQUAD UPDATE | The Munster squad have started preparations ahead of Friday week's trip to Scarlets in the #URC.
There is good news for Tom Ahern & RG Snyman as they both return to full team training.
See the latest news from camp ⤵️#SCAvMUN #SUAF 🔴
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) February 6, 2024
Scarlets Team News
There are eight Scarlets players in the Wales squad for the 2024 Six Nations. Out of the 19 forwards, only two are from the Turks. Both Kemsley Mathias and Ryan Elias have enjoyed their time with the national squad. Mathias has one cap, and Elias has 38 caps for his country. The back line is where the Scarlets will feel the most exposed, as six of the 15 players called up are from the Scarlets. Gareth Davies, Kieran Hardy, Sam Costelow, Ioan Lloyd, Joe Roberts, and Tom Rogers are all part of the Six Nations team. Davies could be the biggest miss with 74 caps for Wales, so expect to see a different backline in this game.
Munster Rugby Team News
Several Munster players are injured and will not recover in time for the URC game against the Scarlets. Liam Coombes, Simon Zebo, Roman Salanoa, John Hodnett, Jean Kleyn, Paddy Patterson, Diarmuid Barron, Paddy Patterson, Dave Kilcoyne, and Jack O’Donogue are all out. The Irish national rugby team called up five Munster players. They include Tadhg Beirne, Calvin Nash, Peter O’Mahony, Jack Crowley, and Conor Murray. Tom Ahern has followed the return-to-play protocols, plus RG Snyman and Cian Hurley are back in full training. Patrick Campbell will miss the rest of the season following shoulder surgery.
Three players have been released from international duty for the upcoming game and are all available for selection. Jeremy Loughman, Conor Murray, and Oli Jager can make a return on Friday.
