Ulster Rugby vs Newport Dragons

Welcome back to this match in Round 12 of the Guinness PRO12 and it is at this time of year that the push for the Play-Offs as well as automatic qualification places for Europe are at stake. Add to the mix the drama of the RBS 6 Nations, that will feature 117 Guinness PRO12 players, and it all amounts to a key time of year for the unions, clubs, players and fans alike. Many of you will have followed the recent games in Europe and will join me in congratulating Connacht and Newport Gwent Dragons who, for the second successive year, have reached the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup. Ulster will be keen to maintain their momentum and move top of the table should they win tonight. The Newport Gwent Dragons too had a notable win over Leinster last week. Both teams will now want to improve their standing in the Guinness PRO12 table, so there’s a lot at stake this evening. Once again, the league table tells the story of how competitive the Guinness PRO12 is. Just eleven points separates table toppers Scarlets (40 points) from eighth place Glasgow Warriors (29 points) and, despite the seasonal weather, on average over four tries have been scored per match. Throw in a couple more stats including the average winning margin (the difference between points scored and conceded in a game) stands at 9.66 and that 56 percent of the games played to date has resulted in the losers finishing within seven points of the opposing teams and therefore claiming a bonus point, once again epitomises the strength, depth and quality of the teams in the Guinness PRO12 championship. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the teams, players and officials all the very best for their games this weekend including those who are competing or involved in the RBS 6 Nations Championship. Enjoy the game.