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Our Personal Rugby Adventures
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RaboDirect is Ready to Go 8 views 0 Images
30 August 2012 by Englandfan
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The first round of the RaboDirect Pro12 competition gets underway shortly and there are some mouth-watering fixtures in prospect in the opening round of matches.
For the sixth time in seven years, Ulster start their campaign with a home game and will be looking for a repeat of their 28-14 opening-round victory over Glasgow when they face the Warriors again in round one this time around.
The Ulstermen were disappointing in the latter stages of last season and finished their RaboDirect Pro12 campaign with three defeats, all of which coming against rival Irish provinces.
But the break from action, coupled with a stronger showing in the Heineken Cup last season, should encourage the side, and hopes at Underhill will be high that the team can get off to a flyer when the action resumes on Friday evening.
And they will take further confidence from the fact that they have won five of their last six matches against Scottish teams.
Defending RaboDirect Pro12 champions Ospreys are also in action this Friday, and they begin their defence with the long and often difficult trip to Italy to take on Benetton Treviso.
The Welsh outfit were unbeaten against Italian opponents last season and will be fancied by most to get their year off to a strong start on the continent, at the expense of their ambitious hosts.
Newcomers Zebre, who have filled the spot vacated by Aironi at the end of last season, will be out to prove that they are not just here to make up the numbers when they travel to take on the Newport Gwent Dragons.
It’s a tricky opening tie for the newly-established club, who would undoubtedly have preferred to kick things off with a home tie.
But a strong start to the campaign could be exactly what the new outfit need to instil confidence in the players, their supporters and the rest of the competition, following the failed attempt to develop Aironi into a respectable force.
The rest of the opening round matches take place a day later, but there is plenty to focus on, for fans who like to watch rugby online.
We have the defending champions out to show they’re capable of doing it all again, a couple of pretenders to the crown eager to demonstrate their potential to challenge for honours and a total unknown quantity competing in their first ever match.
There’s plenty to get excited about and remember, opening rounds in any competition often produce shocks, so don’t be too surprised if this latest batch of fixtures throws up one or two big headlines.
Take the opportunity to gamble on the RaboDirect Pro12 with the rugby betting page on Bet365.
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