After the end of the 6 Nations, the focus is now back onto club
rugby for the time being and the race to avoid relegation or the playoffs in
respective leagues along with the buildup towards European knockout
competitions, and even a smattering of Lions places amongst those who failed to
make the 6 Nations for injury reasons – Dan Lydiate, player of the tournament
when Wales completed the Grand Slam in Cardiff last year, returns from a long absence for
the Dragons tonight.
The 6 Nations is a severe test of the strength in depth of
club squads, given the extensive call ups from league leaders (or clubs usually
in the top 4) for the National side, and it’s usually at this stage where the
order of the top sides is fully established given the positive results gained before
elite players come back. Before the 6 Nations started Ulster held a long lead
at the top of the Pro 12 table but their blistering start to the season meant more
call ups than ever for Irish duty and suddenly an 11 point lead vanished and a
13 game winning streak turned to just one in four.
However the interval for the last weekend came just at the
right time for the beleaguered Ulstermen and a game against an Edinburgh side
on a run of seven straight league defeats and led by an interim coach (Steve
Scott) after Michael Bradley’s sacking is the ideal opportunity to get back on
track. Ulster have suffered for strength in depth but can call upon Johann
Muller and Jared Payne to the starting line-up after spells out with injury,
while the return of Tom Court adds a sizeable presence to the scrum. Ulster may
have won only one of their last 4 but two of those defeats came to Ospreys and
Glasgow, two of the inform sides in the league, and they have enough to cover a
4 point start given to them by bookmakers.
The Ospreys will need a bonus point against the Dragons to
keep up their charge and they can get it, although handicap and points lines of
14 and 25 look well placed, given that the home side have passed this on only 6
occasions, albeit with three of those coming at home. With Dan Biggar operating
the controls at fly half and some of the 17 players out due to suspension,
international duty and injury coming back, they should be upto gaining a
convincing enough win to get the points even with the Dragons potentially able
to call upon Faletau at No.8 for ball carrying at some point during the game –
they will also have Dan Lydiate and Andrew Coombs available – but there’s just
a slight tinge of uncertainty. In the Premiership, Bath have the look of
potential value for a tight win at Sale but they’ve not won away from Sixways
since the beginning of the season and that’s enough to put me off.
Advice
2 pts Ulster – 4 (10/11 general)
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