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Heineken Cup betting tips for round five
Hugh Cahill / 14 January 2010 Free Bet View Market
Ulster are strong favourites at 1.33 for Friday's clash against Edinburgh.
"The squad are playing with an enthusiasm and energy not seen in the province for quite some time. In fact, you would have to go back to 1999 - the year Ulster won this tournament - to find the last time they made it out of the group stages."
Round 5 of the Heineken Cup and for many teams there is still a lot to play for. Two games and potentially ten points could push some sides into the knockout stages, while for others defeat in one or both could spell the end of their journey in the competition. Group 4 is balanced on a knife edge with three sides still in the hunt for a place in the quarter finals. Stade Francais, leading on 13 points, look almost certain to progress but Ulster and Edinburgh who clash at Ravenhill on Friday night could still catch the French side at the top of the table with 9 points apiece.
The Irish province under new coach Bryan McLaughlin have made huge progress from last season. The squad are playing with an enthusiasm and energy not seen in the province for quite some time. In fact, you would have to go back to 1999 - the year Ulster won this tournament - to find the last time they made it out of the group stages.
This year they are undefeated at home in the competition, including a stunning victory over Stade Francais before Christmas and although their coach insists there is a long way to go, Ulster are playing with a new found confidence and belief in their ability. McLaughlin has put a huge emphasis on developing home grown talent and this weeks announcement that several academy players have been rewarded with senior contracts next year is a clear indication that they are on the right track.
The inclusion of Ireland's grand slam winning defensive coach Les Kiss has also had a positive impact on the squad, while former fly half David Humphries stamp on the back line dynamic is also clearly visible. Edinburgh come in to this game on the back of a decent Magners League victory over Cardiff last weekend and they will present a tough physical challenge for Ulster. Home captain Chris Henry has spoken this week of the need to be aggressive at the break down and to starve the Edinburgh back line of possession.
The Scots are not shy about throwing the ball around and can be very dangerous if they are allowed to play the game on their terms. The Ulster back row of Henry, David Pollock and Stephen Ferris will have to be at their best to provide decent clean ball for the backs. Ian Humphries has proven to be a real handful to opposing teams at ten and can punish sides who infringe inside their own half. His goal kicking has been exceptional so far this season and he is not afraid to use the talent out wide to press for tries.
Darren Cave, Andrew Trimble and Simon Danielli are all proven try scorers and will not need a second invitation to exploit the gaps. Edinburgh have pointed at Ulster's lack of game time during the past 3 weeks as a potential weakness. But, as many sides will attest, Ravenhill is always an extremely difficult place to go and get a result and with Ian Humphries running the show at fly half and Ferris, Pollock and Henry in ruthless form upfront, I don't see Edinburgh getting anything out of this fixture.
Munster travel to Italy to face Treviso on Saturday. After two hard fought and thrilling victories over Perpignan in December, it would appear that any talk of Munster's demise earlier this season was severely misplaced. Treviso caused a big upset in October when they saw off the Top 14 champions at home, but recent results have confirmed that that was merely a one off. Munster are full of confidence and appear to be hitting form at just the right time. There is no way Paul O'Connell will allow his team to undo all their good work with defeat against the Italians.
Leinster too are in a rich vein of form. They dismantled the Scarlets with ease over back to back games and look every inch the defending Heineken cup champions. Brive were poor in the first leg of this fixture in France and I don't expect them to be any better at the RDS. Keep a close eye on Leinster fly half Jonathon Sexton who makes his much anticipated return to the starting fifteen after injury. Sexton's form before he broke his hand was world class. It will be very interesting to see how he has handled his time on the sidelines and if he remains a serious threat to Ronan O'Garas Ireland jersey for the start of the 2010 6 Nations Championship.
Recommended:
1 point Ulster to beat Edinburgh.
1 point Ulster, Munster, Leinster treble.
1 point Jonathon Sexton first score/penalty versus Brive.
