Round 5 of the United Rugby Championship is done and dusted, and with a break of more than a month before Round 6, we look back at how our bets fared and where things stand heading into the international break.
Bulls and Sharks Deliver, Edinburgh Disappoint
It was a mixed weekend on the betting front. The Bulls and Sharks delivered, while Edinburgh were the big disappointment. The Stormers won comfortably but fell short of our points target.
All our selections were posted in the URC Round 5 betting blog.
Connacht 5–50 Leinster – WIN
2 units, Over 46.5 points at 0.94/1
Leinster ran riot in Galway, taking the game comfortably over the points line. A nice start to the weekend for us and also for the bookies as Connacht were backed from +3.5 to -4.5 and never raised a gallop.
Glasgow 29–20 Lions – LOSS
1 unit, Lions to win at 5/2
The Lions gave Glasgow a decent game but eventually went down by nine points. We'd passed up the handicap in favour of an outright upset, which didn't materialise. Fortunately, the decision to go for the win meant it was only a small loss.
Stormers 33–7 Ulster – LOSS
2.5 units, Stormers over 37.5 points at 9/10
The Stormers were too strong in the end for a depleted Ulster side, but a very slow start saw them fall five points short of our target. A frustrating loss.
Bulls 54–26 Scarlets – WIN
3 units, Bulls over 45.5 points at 9/10
Our strongest bet of the weekend, and the Bulls didn't disappoint, running in 54 points against the Scarlets.
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I'd been annoyed with myself for missing the early Bulls handicap of -21.5, but switching to the team-points market worked out nicely.
Benetton 31–12 Edinburgh – LOSS
2 units, Edinburgh -1.5 at 9/10
The biggest disappointment of the weekend. I'd quietly fancied Edinburgh all week, but Benetton had other ideas. A very poor result for our selection.
Munster 3–15 Sharks – WIN
2 units, Sharks to win at 13/10
The Sharks continue to impress, and their victory in Limerick was another excellent result. It wasn't a high-scoring affair, but they got the job done, often absorbing waves of Munster attacks and we collected at a decent price.
Dragons 35–14 Zebre / Ospreys 0–26 Cardiff – LOSS
1 unit, Dragons v Zebre over 52.5 points and Ospreys v Cardiff over 44.5 points at 2.65/1
Neither leg arrived. The Dragons game finished four points short of our target, while Cardiff blanked the Ospreys.
Not the way I wanted to finish the weekend, but by taking them in a double, the loss was kept small.
Overall, a weekend of mixed fortunes. The Bulls and Sharks were the highlights, particularly the Sharks at 13/10, while Edinburgh and the Stormers points bet were frustrating misses.
Latest URC League Standings
Glasgow Warriors head into the international break unbeaten and top of the table with 23 points, two ahead of the Bulls and Stormers. The Bulls have been particularly impressive on attack, scoring 214 points in five matches.
The Sharks are fourth on 19 points, level with Edinburgh, while Leinster sit sixth on 18. Cardiff and the Dragons currently occupy the final two playoff positions on 14 points each.
From a South African perspective, having the Bulls, Stormers and Sharks in the top four is encouraging. All three have won four of their five matches, with the Sharks looking a much stronger outfit than in recent seasons.
The Lions, meanwhile, are down in 13th with nine points. They've had a difficult run of fixtures but will need to start picking up wins if they are to challenge for a playoff spot.
Round 6 Fixtures – 4 and 5 December
There is now a lengthy break for international rugby before the URC returns on the first weekend of December.
Friday 4 December
OSPREYS V LEINSTER – St Helen's, Swansea
EDINBURGH V DRAGONS – Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Saturday 5 December
LIONS V BULLS – Ellis Park, Johannesburg
SHARKS V STORMERS – Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
CARDIFF V ULSTER – Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
SCARLETS V CONNACHT – Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
GLASGOW WARRIORS V BENETTON – Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
ZEBRE V MUNSTER – Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
The standout fixtures from a South African perspective are the two local derbies, with the Lions hosting the Bulls and the Sharks taking on the Stormers.
We won't open the Round 6 betting blog just yet, given how far away those fixtures are.
For now, attention turns to the internationals, and we'll be back with betting previews, early handicaps and selections as the markets become available.
Good luck with your betting!