Only two teams remain in this year’s United Rugby Championship as Leinster host the Vodacom Bulls in Dublin on Saturday evening. With both sides aiming to lift the URC trophy for the first time, a thrilling contest is expected. In this preview, we’ll take a look at the match from a betting perspective and suggest a few potential plays.
Leinster v Vodacom Bulls – Click here to bet
Leinster head into the final in strong form, having won their last four matches on the bounce. They hosted the Scarlets in the quarter-finals and secured a 33–21 victory, before delivering an impressive performance in the semi-finals to beat Glasgow 37–19. Leinster also topped the regular season standings and they have traded as favourites all season.
Leinster starting lineup
15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 James Lowe, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Thomas Clarkson, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Rónan Kelleher, 17 Jack Boyle, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Max Deegan, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Jamie Osborne
The Bulls enter the final in red-hot form, having won six matches in a row. They hosted Edinburgh in the quarter-finals and came out on top in a high-scoring encounter, winning 42–33. In the semi-finals, they produced a composed performance to defeat the Sharks 25–13 in Pretoria. The Bulls have also been impressive on the road, winning four of their last five away fixtures — although it’s worth noting they haven’t played away from home in over a month. They finished second on the overall log without threatening Leinster at the top of the table.
Bulls starting lineup
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sebastian de Klerk, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Marcell Coetzee, 7 Ruan Nortje (captain), 6 Marco van Staden, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-hendrik Wessels.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Jannes Kirsten, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Keagan Johannes, 23 Devon Williams.
Head-to-Head
Since 2022, the Bulls have had the upper hand in this rivalry, winning four of the last five encounters between the two sides. Three of those victories came in Pretoria, where the altitude and home support worked in their favour. The most recent clash was earlier this year, with the Bulls edging a tight 21–20 win at Loftus. However, the last time the sides met in Dublin, it was a different story — Leinster dominated and ran out convincing 47–14 winners.
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Betting and Verdict
Leinster are favourites to win the match and are trading at 1.22 while the Bulls are trading at 5.50 for the win. The draw is currently at 31.00.
Handicap: Leinster [-11.5]
Leinster have named an exceptionally strong side for the final, and I do believe they have what it takes to get the job done on home soil. That said, the Bulls are in excellent form and won’t go down without a fight. I’m expecting a tightly contested match, with Leinster edging it — but not by much.
BET: Winning Margin, Leinster by under 12.5 points at 2.50
The last time these two sides met, just 41 points were scored in what was a tightly contested group stage encounter. Given that both teams boast some of the best defensive records in the competition, I expect this year’s URC final to follow a similar pattern — a low-scoring, hard-fought battle where every point will be hard-earned.
BET: Total points under 46.5 at 1.91
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
