Ulster Rugby vs Edinburgh Rugby Preview
The United Rugby Championship continues this week with fourth in the league table versus fifth. Ulster vs Edinburgh is one to watch as the two sides traditionally throw the kitchen sink at this fixture. Currently, five teams are level on 18 points, including Ulster, Edinburgh, Benetton, Connacht, and Munster. Who will close in on the top two and break away from the rest of the pack?
The match is on Saturday, December 2, at 5:15 PM. Ulster host rugby rivals Edinburgh at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Both sides want to bounce back after suffering defeats last weekend. Ulster threw away a 14-point lead in the first half against Glasgow. Edinburgh led three times at home to a resilient Benetton who walked away as worthy winners. This week is looking as important as ever, as the clubs have one eye on the cup competitions in early December.
Ulster Rugby vs Edinburgh Rugby Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Since 2007, these clubs have faced off 32 times in 16 years. They have met in cup competitions, club friendlies, and most recently, in the URC. The last meeting between the teams was in April 2023 when Ulster hosted Edinburgh. The home side was the resounding favourite that day, and they comfortably dispatched the visitors 28-14.
In that game, Edinburgh took the lead within ten minutes thanks to a Darcy Graham score. Ulster responded with a Jacob Stockdale try plus two penalties in the first half. The second half began with a score of 11-7, but it took the home side two minutes to score again. John Cooney got the score, giving Ulster an 11-point lead. A yellow card to Glen Young brought Edinburgh down to 14 men with 65 minutes on the clock. With the man advantage, Ulster scored again, taking the score up to 25-7 with 70 minutes played. A late try from Edinburgh was only a consolation as the score finished with a 14-point advantage for Ulster.
Last time v Edinburgh…
Throwback to this team try 🤩
🎟️ https://t.co/gs9qLoSdLe pic.twitter.com/C8pDN8aAj7
— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) November 28, 2023
The other recent match between the clubs was in April 2022. This time Edinburgh had the home advantage, but they still fell short on the day. Ulster was down a man after five minutes thanks to a Nick Timoney yellow card. Even with the temporary disadvantage, Ulster led the home side 3-13 at the break. Another yellow card for Ulster opened the door for Edinburgh, but the gap in class was too much for the Scots to overcome. It finished 10-16 with the home side unable to capitalise on the man advantage twice in the game.
Almost nothing separates the two sides after six matches in the United Rugby Championship this season. Ulster has played three games at home and three on the road. Out of these three road matches, they have only won one against Zebre in the first week. They lost to Irish rivals Connacht 22-20 and 33-20 to Glasgow last weekend. So far this season, Ulster is undefeated at home, even after hosting Munster a few weeks back.
Edinburgh also won their first two games of the season before suffering a defeat away to Leinster. The Scottish side lost their perfect home record after a shock defeat to Benetton. While you must give the Italians credit, Edinburgh did a fantastic job of throwing the game away, which could haunt them going into this weekend. Do they have the character to recover from a humiliating home defeat to beat Ulster on their patch?
Ulster Rugby vs Edinburgh Rugby Predictions
Looking at the online betting markets available, the home team is the clear favourite going into this week. Ulster, to win the contest by any margin, has odds of 2/11. That means if you wager as much as €100 on the home side, you are only looking at €18.18 in profit if they win the match. The odds for Edinburgh to perform an upset is 4/1, which means you can four times whatever you stake. A draw is always an unlikely option in Rugby Union games, and the odds are 25/1.
We predict that the bookies have it right and that Ulster will win at home. Historically, there have not been many blowouts between the two sides. Usually, Ulster wins on the day more often than the Scots, but the winning margin varies between one and ten points. In the most recent fixture, Ulster won at home by 14 points, something that could easily happen again, given Edinburgh’s poor defence last weekend. Our prediction sees Ulster winning this Saturday by 14 points or fewer.
If you are new to online sports betting, you can claim a welcome bonus for this fixture. To increase your potential returns, you can look at other markets rather than the outright winner. Choosing the first-half winner or winning margin are far more rewarding bets for rugby matches. Ulster, to win the first period by one to seven points, had odds of 2/1. Plus, you can consider other bets like which half will see the most points scored or whether the total number of points will be odd or even.
For those of you looking for some predictions when you make live wagers, there are a couple of markets to consider. In the last four meetings between these sides, there has been at least one yellow card in every match. Ulster has received two yellow cards in this fixture twice over the past few years. In June 2021, both sides got two yellow cards during the game.
Ulster Rugby vs Edinburgh Rugby Betting Tips
Betting on the United Rugby Championship has been exciting this season as lots of teams have put in incredible performances. After the slump Edinburgh faced last week, it would be mighty impressive if they could get anything out of the game this weekend at Ulster. However, betting on a long shot is not usually worth it in rugby, so the safe bet is still on the home side.
Betting on Ulster to win is your best option this week, but as we have alluded to above, it’s not the most rewarding. If you want better returns still betting on Ulster to win, you can choose the winning margin or a handicap bet. The size of the winning margin or handicap will affect how much you win, but we think there will be at least ten points between Ulster and Edinburgh in this game.
Other rugby betting options for this fixture include halftime results. If you bet on Ulster to lead after 40 minutes, you can get odds of 7/20. Compare that to Ulster winning at full-time at 2/11, and you can double your profit and enjoy your winnings long before the final whistle. Another option to consider is the odd or even market for the score at full-time. If the combined points are odd or even, you can get odds of 17/20. Our prediction for this market is that the full-time score finishes on an odd number.
Every Rugby Union match is important, but this matchup is certainly an exciting one for the neutral. Both sides find themselves adrift from Leinster and Glasgow, so a win here is as much a statement piece as any. If Edinburgh secures an unlikely result, they will be one to watch for the rest of the United Rugby Championship. However, we can only see the result going one way, and that is to Ulster.
💬 "It's been great to get a run of games. I'm feeling confident when I'm out there."@GlenYoung1 reflects on his strong start to the season with Ulster next up on Saturday night. pic.twitter.com/wstW0kVIec
— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) November 28, 2023
Rugby matches have injuries, so it’s important to stay one step ahead of the curve. That is why we have the latest squad information for both sides in the section below. Remember, injuries can happen during the match, which is why live betting can be risky. Betting on a team to win just before their star man gets an injury is a surefire way to bet regret.
Ulster Rugby Lineup
Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has contented with far more injuries than even he would have imagined at the start of this season. Many are blaming the brand-new artificial turf at the Kingspan Stadium, but that hardly matters now. Instead, they must choose as strong a 15 as possible given the missing players. Jude Postlethwaite, Michael Lowry, Tom O’Toole, and Kieran Treadwell will miss this weekend’s match. Ethan McIlroy is also a doubt for this fixture as he follows the return-to-play protocols following his facial fracture.
- Ulster Predicted Lineup: E. O’Sullivan, T. Stewart, T. O’Toole, C. Izuchukwu, I. Henderson, H. Sheridan, R. Crothers, N. Timoney, J. Cooney, B. Burns, J. Stockdale, S. McCloskey, J. Hume, R. Baloucoune, and W. Addison.
Edinburgh Rugby Lineup
Coach Sean Everitt has already spoken about Blair Kinghorn in what will be his last game before joining Toulouse on Monday. Thanks to several injuries to the Edinburgh full-backs, Everitt has little choice but to play Kinghorn, who will already have one eye on his new club. In other news, Hamish Watson and Viliame Mata are available following their head injuries. Unfortunately, multiple players will not be ready for the game this weekend. The players set to miss out include Emiliano Boffelli, Luan de Bruin, Darcy Graham, Jacob Henry, Michael Jones, Cam Neild, Sam Skinner, and Scot Steele.
- Edinburgh Predicted Lineup: P. Schoeman, D. Cherry, W. Nel, G. Young, J. Hodgson, J. Ritchie, C. Boyle, V. Mata, A. Price, B. Healy, D. van der Merwe, J. Lang, M. Currie, W. Goosen, and B. Kinghorn.
