Round 7 of the Guinness PRO14 gives us a Final rematch, some huge games in both conferences and a couple of Friday night thrillers. With Leinster and Munster currently leading the way in each conference, these are the big questions that arise with the return of the Guinness PRO14. Can anyone stop Leinster? Six from six domestically, now two from two in Europe. Leo Cullen’s Leinster look unbeatable so far this season, adding French leaders Lyon to their collection of scalps last weekend. Now they head to Glasgow to take on the Warriors in a repeat of last year’s Guinness PRO14 final. That day, there were only three points in it as Leinster weathered an early storm on their way to the title. Across town at Scotstoun (the Final was at Celtic Park), Glasgow will be looking to avenge that loss, and during the regular season they have recent experience of beating Leinster. Still, Dave Rennie’s team were well-beaten at Exeter last week despite leading at half-time, and they are already 14 points behind Leinster in Conference A. It will take something special to beat this Leinster team, do the Warriors have it in them? Who is getting back into the Final Series hunt? As it stands, Conference B looks like a four-team race for the three Final Series spots. However with fifth-placed Benetton hosting sixth-placed Cardiff Blues on Saturday, the victor in Treviso should reignite their post-season aspirations. Both teams suffered agonising defeats in Europe, going down to last-minute penalties at home, and in the case of Benetton, it was a similar story in their last Guinness PRO14 clash against the Scarlets. Tommaso Allan’s last-gasp conversion settled the encounter between these two at the Stadio Monigo a year ago – Benetton would take a repeat as they look to close the gap on Connacht and the rest of the teams ahead of them in Conference B. Can the Toyota Cheetahs win outside South Africa? The Toyota Cheetahs have been exceptional at home, almost since their arrival in the Guinness PRO14, and particularly this year. Their record on the road, however, leaves a lot to be desired. Their last win outside South Africa came in January away to Zebre, and the only teams they have beaten away from home are Zebre (twice) and the Dragons. In their last three games they came close to improving that record against both Connacht and the Scarlets before a disappointing loss at Cardiff Blues last time out. Against an Ospreys team in flux, Saturday’s clash at the Gnoll is surely a must-win game if the Cheetahs are to be serious Final Series contenders. Who is the team to beat in Conference B? Just five points separate first-placed Munster from fourth-placed Connacht in Conference B, and aside from the Final rematch, perhaps the game of the weekend comes on Friday night when Munster host Edinburgh. Richard Cockerill’s side are currently in third in the conference and know that a win in Cork would mark them out as potential semi-finalists as conference winners. Both they and Munster suffered frustrating home draws in Europe last time out, but after huge knockout meetings between the teams in each of the last two seasons, this game has the potential to be just as tight and just as crucial. Will Zebre get their first win of the campaign? Wales’ clash with the Barbarians this weekend has left the regions missing a number of their front-line players and gives those teams facing Welsh opposition a chance to take advantage. That is particularly true of Zebre, who narrowly missed out on a first win over the season when they went down 13-12 to Stade Français in Europe last weekend. The team from Parma may have lost their home meeting with the Dragons earlier in the campaign, but their trip to Rodney Parade offers the chance of some redemption. It will certainly be one of the biggest early tests of the Dean Ryan era as he looks to reverse the club’s fortunes. Cardiff City Stadium will play host to the 2020 Guinness PRO14 Final on June 20 as one of the most exciting days in the club rugby calendar comes to Wales! General sale tickets are available from http://bit.ly/PRO14Cardiff2020 and prices start at just £13 for concessions and £26 for adults (subject to booking fees), that’s a 15% early bird discount. Family ticket (2 adults / 2 children) prices begin at £64 and fans are encouraged to buy early to get the best value tickets.
