04-14-2010, 07:36 PM
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#11 (permalink)
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Pensacola, FL
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Previews of the upcoming weekends' matches, including the same Ospreys taking on a Leinster squad hoping to clinch the semifinals:
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The Magners League play-off picture should be a lot clearer after this weekend's action, with leaders Leinster on the verge of becoming the first side to guarantee themselves a top-four finish.
Michael Cheika's men solidified their position at the summit of the standings with a tight but thoroughly deserved victory over Munster at Thomond Park in round 16 a fortnight ago. Indeed, Leinster now enjoy a four-point advantage over their closest challenges, the Ospreys, having played one game less.
However, given their continued involvement in European competition, they will be keen to book their play-off ticket as quickly as possibly, not least because it would allow them to rest players ahead of their Heineken Cup showdown with Toulouse. Leinster's cause has not been aided, though, by the loss of some key personnel to injury, with star centre Brian O'Driscoll, Lions fullback Rob Kearney and first-choice fly-half Jonathan Sexton all having been ruled out.
Still, the province is squaring up to an Ospreys side that is sure to be feeling a tad jaded after a week in which they racked up plenty of air miles after travelling to San Sebastian, where they suffered a heartbreaking Heineken Cup exit at the hands of Biarritz, and then on to Belfast for a rescheduled Magners League meeting with Ulster, whom they defeated 38-27 in an exciting encounter.
Elsewhere, Munster will be feeling pretty good about themselves once more after putting the pain of that home reversal against Leinster behind them by progressing to the last four of the Heineken Cup with a fine victory over Northampton Saints last Saturday.
However, their opponents this weekend, Connacht, are hardly wanting for confidence at the moment after edging out Bourgoin in an absorbing European Challenge Cup quarter-final clash at the Sportsground last weekend. There is now a real sense of belief in Galway that the Westerners are poised to finally secure a place in the Heineken Cup, one way or another.
The Dragons are five points off a play-off berth but they have not yet given up on sneaking into the top four. However, if they are to do so they simply have to beat Edinburgh at Rodney Parade on Sunday. It will certainly be interesting to see how Edinburgh respond after blowing a glorious opportunity to edge closer to a home draw in the play-offs by succumbing to a late Miah Nikora penalty in their clash with Connacht last time out.
Glasgow are hoping that they can secure the play-off place that their vastly-improved form this season warrants and they will put themselves in a fine position to do just that if they can dispose of an Ulster side that will doubtless be somewhat battle-weary after Tuesday's defeat at home to the Ospreys. However, this is a massive match for the visitors in terms of Heineken Cup qualification as they are now just four points above provincial rivals Connacht, having played one game more than Michael Bradley's men.
Glasgow, though, have been buoyed by the return of openside flanker John Barclay, who has recovered from the stomach bug which forced him to pull out of the starting line-up for the game against the Dragons a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, the Cardiff Blues are, mathematically at least, still in play-off contention and they looked mightily impressive in last weekend's European Challenge Cup rout of Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park. However, while they should have too much for the hapless Scarlets, who are now in very real danger of finishing bottom after seeing their advantage over basement boys Connacht reduced to just two points, Dai Young's men have probably already accepted that Europe now represents their only chance of lifting some silverware this term.
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