The short side: Arch-rivals clash and Carbery’s chance

Colin Newboult

The short side returns to Planet Rugby as we study the major talking points ahead of this weekend’s action from the various European club competitions.

Premiership game to watch – Gloucester v Bath

Two arch-rivals go head-to-head for the first time in the league this season in a key West Country derby. Both teams are searching for a crucial victory which will aid their play-off push after inconsistent starts to the campaign.

It is symptomatic of how tight the Premiership currently is that Gloucester sit in third position despite succumbing in four of their seven games. They are one point ahead of Bath in the table, even though Stuart Hooper’s men have a better win-loss record, and it duly sets up an intriguing encounter.

Neither side has truly impressed so far in 2019/20, however. The Cherry and Whites have yet to find the fluency of the previous campaign while Saturday’s visitors to Kingsholm are still building under their new boss.

Hooper’s charges have improved over the past couple of weeks and secured important triumphs over London Irish and Sale Sharks, but there is still plenty of work to be done.

Gloucester will therefore be favourites but it will be tight. There are internationals aplenty in the respective squads and these games rarely fail to disappoint, so expect a feisty affair.

PRO14 game to watch – Cardiff Blues v Scarlets

There has been plenty of drama in the Welsh derbies so far and this will be another competitive encounter between two improving sides. The Scarlets were on the receiving end of a devastating loss two weeks ago as the Dragons’ Sam Davies kicked a last-gasp drop-goal, but they responded well to that setback by thrashing the Ospreys on Boxing Day.

Brad Mooar’s men will be facing an in-form outfit, however, in the shape of the team from the Welsh capital, who have won their last four matches in the PRO14. All of a sudden the Blues have put themselves in play-off contention and are just four points behind Friday’s visitors going into the contest at Cardiff Arms Park.

Although their biggest victory in the previous three league games has been by four points, John Mulvihill’s charges have evidently found a way to win and that will stand them in good stead this weekend.

Player to watch – Joey Carbery (Munster)

The fly-half’s Ireland audition begins here. With Johnny Sexton injured and Jack Carty currently out of the equation, the pivot position is very much up for grabs heading into the Six Nations.

At the moment, there is not much to choose between the others but, before his ankle issues, the Munsterman was highly-rated by previous Irish head coach Joe Schmidt. However, in his absence both Billy Burns – Carbery’s opposite number on Friday – and Ross Byrne have stood out and, as a result, they may have usurped the ex-Leinster player, unless, of course, he can find his best over the next month.

Munster boss Johann van Graan has duly given him an opportunity to display his credentials after being named in the starting XV to take on Ulster. A good performance is vital for the Limerick-based province, who are attempting to bounce back from their defeat to Leinster, but it is also important on a personal level as Carbery looks to impress Andy Farrell.

One-v-one battle to watch – Dan Robson (Wasps) v Cobus Reinach (Northampton Saints)

It is perhaps not the most important game in the Premiership this weekend, but the head-to-head at scrum-half is a mouth-watering prospect.

Despite the presence of Sale’s Faf de Klerk, Reinach has probably been the best South African nine in the Premiership over the past 18 months and he has impressed since returning from the World Cup.

Two tries in last weekend’s 33-26 triumph over Gloucester once again showed his importance to the Saints and the Springbok will need to reproduce that against a fine player in Robson. The Wasps half-back is still searching for his best after recovering from deep vein thrombosis, but he played a crucial part as the Coventry outfit stunned Bristol in Round Seven.

Subplot to watch – Sam Davies to add to Ospreys’ woes?

Once the rising star of Welsh rugby, Davies was effectively dumped by the Ospreys in favour of New Zealand-born Wales representative Gareth Anscombe, who was signed as their first choice 10.

The Dragons duly stepped in, bringing the 26-year-old to Rodney Parade, and the pivot has settled in nicely. He starred against the Scarlets, kicking a last-minute drop-goal which won the game for the Newport-based outfit, and the eight-times capped international will look to continue his good run against his former team.

Problems at the Swansea side run deeper than just one position but how they must wish they had someone of Davies’ quality in their ranks following Anscombe’s unfortunate injury. The ex-Cardiff Blues player is potentially out for the season and they have struggled in his absence.

It is not often that the so-called Welsh minnows will go into a Dragons v Ospreys match as favourites, but that is what will happen on Saturday and Davies will no doubt revel in the moment should Dean Ryan’s men emerge triumphant this weekend.

Best of the rest

Sale Sharks and Harlequins open proceedings on Friday looking to improve their play-off prospects. Both teams may well start the weekend in the bottom half of the Premiership, but one of the sides could end it in the top-four with just one point separating third from eighth. Elsewhere, Leicester Tigers will hope to ease their relegation fears against Bristol, but another defeat will encourage Saracens, who take on Worcester Warriors at Allianz Park.

Meanwhile, in the PRO14, the South African sides return to action following their Christmas break and the Cheetahs have an opportunity to cement their place in the play-offs when they take on Zebre. Should the Bloemfontein-based outfit lose, however, then that will open the door for Glasgow Warriors to move into the top three in Conference A. No one will catch Leinster, though, who are looking to make it a perfect 10. Having won their opening nine games in the PRO14, Connacht appear set to be their next victims when the two go head-to-head at the RDS Arena.

Bath