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This Week's Biggest Matches on Rugby Pass
By RugbyPass
We highlight the weekend’s biggest matches from the Pro 12, Aviva Premiership and Top 14
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Pro 12: Leinster v Ulster (Saturday, December 31, 11pm HKT)
You have to hand it to the organisers of the Guinness Pro 12: setting the Christmas holidays aside for wall-to-wall derby action was a stroke of pure genius. We could easily have selected either of the other two Pro 12 games on Rugby Pass this weekend as ones to watch: Scarlets v Cardiff, or Connacht v Munster. Instead, we’ve plumped for third versus fourth as Leinster – who lost last time out at leaders Munster – entertain Ulster, who maintained a 57-year winning streak at home over Connacht just before Christmas. Both are free-scoring, attacking sides, so it’s set to be a cracker in front of more than 18,000 fans at the RDS.
Top 14: Toulouse v Clermont (Sunday, January 1, 12midnight HKT)
In France, the first set of fixtures after Christmas are known as ‘Boxing Day’ games no matter when they actually take place, so welcome to one of two big Boxing Day clashes in the Top 14. The hosts have moved out of their usual Stade Ernest Wallon home to the 33,000-capacity Stadium de Toulouse across the Rose City, so expect the volume to be ramped up all the way up to 11 as the most successful club side in French rugby look to claw their way into the play-off places at the expense of the current league leaders. History is in the home side’s favour. They have won seven of the last 10 games between the two sides in Toulouse, but don’t expect Clermont to give them an easy ride.
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Aviva Premiership: Leicester Tigers v Saracens (Sunday, January 1, 11pm HKT)
A Christmas Eve defeat at Exeter left Leicester four points adrift of the top four places. And, despite some bullish talk from director of rugby Richard Cockerill about being in the play-off places at the business end of the season in May, points could be hard to come by this week and next, as the Tigers face top-of-the-table Saracens here, then second-placed Wasps at the Ricoh next weekend. Against Newcastle last time out, however, an injury-hit Sarries were a long way from the purring, smooth-running machine that other sides in the English top flight have come to know and fear – so, maybe, this is Leicester’s chance to start closing the gap on the teams above them.
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Top 14: Toulon v Racing 92 (Monday, January 2, 3.45am HKT)
It’s fourth against fifth in the Top 14 as ‘Boxing Day’ in France draws to a close with arguably the big game of the weekend, as two of the wealthiest clubs in the world’s richest domestic club competition meet for the second time since last season’s Top 14 final in Barcelona. The first encounter in this campaign, at Racing’s Stade Yves du Manoir in September, was a nine-try exhibition that ended 41-30 in favour of the aristos from the borders of Paris. Since then, however, Toulon have replaced their head coach – and the new man in charge, Mike Ford, has brought back a bit of the sexy that had almost completely disappeared from their game early in the season. The question is, can the rouge-et-noir avenge that early season defeat? And, can Leigh Halfpenny avoid Dan Carter’s bare backside this time?
