Bookies Favourites – Can Leinster win the URC?
Leinster Remain the Team to Beat
THERE is no doubt about it, Leinster are capable of winning the United Rugby Championship once again this year — and the bookies are in agreement about that.
Ladbrokes currently have them at 4/6 to repeat their success from last year, while Bet365 have them at 8/13, as the bookmakers are sure that the Irish side are capable of going back-to-back in the competition.
And it is easy to see why.
Leo Cullen and his side are the current champions and, as a club, they have won the competition nine times previously — dwarfing the success of every other outfit in the competition.
True, they have been lacking in the success department in the European Champions Cup during that time — their drought now goes back to 2017–18 — but in the URC things are different. They have won five out of the last eight years and are understandably the team to beat this time round as well.
That is helped by the fact that they have real star quality in that team.
They currently have nine of the top 50 ranked players in the world — Dan Sheehan, Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, James Lowe, RG Snyman, Hugo Keenan, Jack Conan and Garry Ringrose all call the club home.
They are built on star power, and since 2007 they have enjoyed four Champions Cups, a Challenge Cup and seven United Rugby Championships — they are the team to be chased down.
And chased down they have been so far this season, as they have only won one out of their opening three games.
For Cullen, it was a start that was to be expected.
He said: “It was going to be a tough start for us.
“When you look at the season, the schedule right from the off, we’re away in South Africa, you have a lot of moving parts in terms of guys returning. This week was going to be a short week and you’re up against a team that’s been in Europe for the last couple of weeks.”
Bulls, Munster and Sharks Lead the Chasing Pack
And that bad start is something that the Bulls are trying to take advantage of.
They went close last time round, losing out 32–7 in the final against Leinster, but the bookmakers think they have a good chance to go one better this time round.
They are currently priced at 9/2 with Bet365 and 5/1 with Ladbrokes to avenge that loss.
Another side who are tipped to run Leinster close are their Irish rivals Munster.
Munster lost to the Sharks in the quarter-final stage last time round, but they have enjoyed URC success in the past, having won the competition four times previously.
The bookies have them among the favourites this time too, as they are 8/1 at Bet365 and 10/1 with Ladbrokes to ensure that the trophy stays in Ireland this season.
If it does leave Ireland, the bookmakers are sure it will end up in South Africa, as the Sharks join the Bulls at the top of their lists early in the season.
The Sharks lost to the Bulls in the semi-finals last year, and they are priced at 10/1 at Bet365 and 12/1 at Ladbrokes.
Stormers and Glasgow Warriors Emerging as Contenders
One team who have started well this year, winning all three of their games so far, are South African side Stormers.
Last year they were well beaten by the Glasgow Warriors in the semi-final stage, but this year they have been perfect in the competition.
That run hasn’t caught up with their odds though, as they are still 8/1 with Bet365 and 7/1 with Ladbrokes to go on and turn that great start into some end-of-season silverware.
Another team who have started strong this season are the Glasgow Warriors, with two wins out of three to kick off the campaign.
They beat the Sharks 35–19 on match day one, and followed that up on match day three with a win over the Dragons — and what a win it was as well.
The 49–0 scoreline showed complete domination and set down a marker that the Warriors, who lost to Leinster in the last four last time round, are a team who could make a deep run into the knockout stage again this time round.
The bookies tend to agree, as the Warriors are 10/1 with Bet365 and 10/1 with Ladbrokes to go on and win some silverware in the competition this time round.