Ulster Rugby vs Leinster Rugby Preview
It’s another huge weekend in the United Rugby Championship. Ulster will host Leinster on Saturday, 18 March at 7.35 pm at the Kingspan Stadium. Leinster can continue their march toward the top of the URC table. Meanwhile, Ulster is clinging to their playoff hopes.
These teams are in excellent form, and this promises to be a close rugby game. Ulster already defeated Leinster this season. They have a massive opportunity to do it again because Leinster will have an eye on another competition. Their next game is the Champion’s Cup Final against Toulouse.
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Leinster’s approach toward this interprovincial clash. Will they treat it as a template for their match with Toulouse? Or perhaps they’ll rest their star players and won’t take any risks. This promises to be one of the most intriguing URC games so far.
Ulster Rugby vs Leinster Rugby Key Stats and Head-to-Head
Ulster appointed Richie Murphy as their new full-time head coach. He impressed everyone with three straight wins in the URC before this game. It’s a fresh appointment and his team will play without fear against Leinster.
Their last match was an away victory over the Scarlets. Ulster won the game 20-31 and secured a valuable bonus point. Scarlets led 6-3 at the break before the match exploded into life. Ulster scored four converted tries, leaving the Scarlets with too much to do. Jacob Stockdale and Stuart McCloskey were among the scorers. The Scarlets tested Ulster’s rearguard as they scored four tries. But it still wasn’t enough. McCloskey and John Cooney were the difference makers for Ulster. McCloskey performed brilliantly as he set an example with his leadership. Meanwhile, Cooney scored four conversions and a penalty.
Leinster’s previous URC victory came against the Ospreys. They smashed the Welsh team in the RDS with a huge 61-14 win. Nobody expected this winning margin at half-time. Ospreys kept the game respectable as the first half ended 21-14. Leinster was the superior side, but Ospreys still had a chance.
Everything changed after the break. Leinster scored six tries without a Welsh response. Jordan Larmour enjoyed a hat-trick with seven try-scorers in total. Robbie Henshaw was at the centre of the action as his hard work led to two tries. Meanwhile, the returning Tommy O’Brien was outstanding after he entered the game as a replacement.
Ulster’s last clash against Leinster saw them secure a famous victory over their provincial rivals on New Year’s Day. The wet and windy conditions suited the Northerners. They put Leinster on the back foot with Nick Timoney scoring an early try. This rattled Leinster, and Ulster took advantage. Jacob Stockdale was the next man over the line after he caught a fine kick from Billy Burns.
Nobody can count Leinster out of any game. There’s a reason they’ve been Ireland’s most successful team in recent years. Cian Healy cut the deficit when he powered over from a maul. Then, Rob Russell added a second. Sam Prendergast’s conversions ensured Leinster took the lead after John Cooney missed for Ulster. It was Prendergast’s first inter-provincial start, and he looked sharp.
Leinster had finally wrestled control of this game, but Ulster didn’t get the memo. They scored against the run of play, with Timoney getting his second try. Ulster led at half-time, making this game extremely profitable for anyone betting on the United Rugby Championship. Cooney scored a penalty for Ulster before Leinster got another try through Dan Sheehan. There was only a point between the teams after Harry Byrne’s successful conversion. Ulster did just enough to keep Leinster at bay. They defended bravely, kicking 2024 off with a bang.
Ulster has only won two of their past five games with Leinster. They’d love to do the double over them in the URC this year. Meanwhile, Leinster would enjoy another confidence boost ahead of their final against Toulouse.
Ulster Rugby vs Leinster Rugby Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: Ulster 23 – 25 Leinster
We predict this will be an extremely close game. Ulster has more motivation to win this one than Leinster. They’re in a tight scrap for a playoff place and desperately want Champion’s Cup rugby next season. Leinster’s focus may be elsewhere, but they have a stronger squad than Ulster and should win this match.
This is the type of rugby match where every score matters. The fly-halves will play a key role because any missed penalty or conversion could be the difference between winning or losing. There’s a lot of pressure on the shoulders of John Cooney and Ross Byrne in this one.
Byrne has 87% kicking success this season in the URC. Leo Cullen will hope that his most experienced fly-half increases his numbers against Ulster. Leinster has 500 points in the competition in 2024 compared to their northern rival’s 390.
They also have the most tries in the competition, with an impressive 73. Ulster has 48 with Jacob Stockdale contributing eight. Stockdale has been one of their most effective players and has the second-most clean breaks in the URC with 20. However, players like Jamison Gibson-Park and Robbie Henshaw will make a difference to Leinster. Gibson-Park is arguably the best scrum-half in world rugby right now. Leinster should win if Cullen picks his best team, but there are no guarantees.
Live betting is a great option for this game. Leinster are favourites by the smallest possible margin. If Ulster takes an early lead, the odds may fluctuate. It may be worth betting on Leinster to win the second half.
Ulster Rugby vs Leinster Rugby Betting Tips
There’s barely anything separating these two teams on our sports betting site. Leinster enters this game as 9/10 favourites. This means that a €10 bet could net a €9 profit. Meanwhile, Ulster are 20/21 underdogs. The same stake would see a €9.52 profit. It’s difficult to assess which way this game will go.
Betting on Leinster is usually a safe option because they’re a European powerhouse. But questions remain about their mentality and preparation. They’re playing a highly motivated Ulster in Belfast. This has the potential to be a banana skin.
𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 ⬆️😤
We're set for another one this Saturday. 💪#ULSvLEI #FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/e7yP7Jm5xb
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) May 16, 2024
One of the best rugby union bets is on the winning margin. Most experts predict that this will be a close game. Bet on either team to win by 1 to 7 points at 13/5. A successful €10 stake would see returns of €36.
It’s fun to make rugby predictions about who will score the tries for their teams. Jordan Larmour and Jacob Stockdale are two of the safest bets. Both men are prolific and can make something happen out of nothing. Expect John Cooney and Ross Byrne to add to their points tallies. This game is more likely to finish with an even-match points total. According to our sports betting site, with odds of 17/10 for this market. This would see a profit of €17 if successful.
Try taking advantage of our welcome bonus after you sign up. Why not use it to bet on the United Rugby Championship overall winner? Leinster is the 8/15 favourite, while Ulster is available at 16/1.
Ulster Rugby Team News and Predicted Line-Up
Ulster will pick their strongest available fifteen players to face Leinster. They have more to gain from winning this match than their Irish rivals. However, their gruelling victory over Scarlets may force them to make some changes. The likes of Tom Stewart and Andrew Warwick could experience more game time. New coach Richie Murphy has some big decisions ahead of this interprovincial derby.
- Ulster Predicted Line-Up: Mike Lowry, Ethan McIlroy, Will Addison, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney, Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Scott Wilson, Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor, Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, and Nick Timoney.
Leinster Rugby Team News and Predicted Line-Up
Leo Cullen received a massive boost ahead of this game with Ulster. James Ryan and Hugo Keenan are both fit and ready for action. The Irish internationals will get game time with one eye on the Champion’s Cup final against Toulouse. Will Connors will also travel after he returns to training this week.
Tommy O’Brien is back after a sensational cameo against the Ospreys. However, Garry Ringrose is the only major doubt. He’s unlikely to be ready for the Ulster clash, and Cullen won’t risk him. Leinster played a strong line-up against the Ospreys and they’re likely to do the same again.
- Leinster Predicted Line-Up: Ciaran Frawley, Jordan Larmour, Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien, Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath, Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Ryan Baird, Jason Jenkins, Ross Molony, Tadhg Furlong, Ronan Kelleher, and Andrew Porter.
