Zebre vs Munster
These teams come into this match with contrasting fortunes with Zebre having lost all their games in the Pro14 Rainbow Cup. Munster are chasing a place in the finals and will be desperate for a bonus point victory and will hope Benetton lose against Ospreys in their final match. Munster’s shock home defeat to Connacht earlier in the competition is really hurting them now. The Munster team has had strange disruptions this week with four players getting burnt in weird circumstances. The management team won’t be happy as these are key players and they still not sure if they will be fit to play. The Munster team for all the star international players that they possess has not fired in the Rainbow Cup since the first round when they beat Leinster. Zebre will be desperate to end their losing streak and this will be the perfect opportunity at home. They played well in their last game but poor discipline cost them that game. Munster will look to the like of Joey Carbery and Conor Murray for inspiration as all their attacking moves stem from this exciting halfback partnership. The Italian side has Carlo Canna as the player that is most likely going to spark an attack but they also have a strong forward pack. Their big weapon is their driving maul and will hope they can gain some ground with the maul as Munster have a very strong defence.
TIP: The Munster goal of trying to reach the final will no doubt create the greater desire to win but the Italians are always difficult to beat on their home patch. The battle between the forwards will decide this match and this should make for a keen contest. The Italians are strong in the scrum and will match Munster but the away side’s loose trio is world class and will have a huge advantage in this area. The need for tries and the bonus point will make Munster very dangerous and this could cause them to play away from their traditional forwards dominated game plan. The bookies have Munster as heavy favourites and rightly so. These are the best odds on the outright Munster victory: Worldsportsbetting 1.11, Playabets 1.05 and Gbets 1.07
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Zebre vs Munster
- Munster have won the last seven meetings between the sides.
- Zebre have never beaten Munster at home.
Latest results for both teams
Zebre lost their last match against Cardiff Blues 37-12 while Munster won their last match against the Cardiff Blues 31-27.
PREDICTION
The Italians will look to give their newly returned fans something to cheer about as they play the last round match at home. They unfortunately lack the quality especially when they face the top teams like Munster. The young players looked good in times against Cardiff but they inexperience counted against them at crucial times. I hope the more experienced players return for their final game. Munster know what needs to be done and will come out firing against the Italians and will want to score the four try bonus point as early as possible. The home side will try and make it difficult for them and I feel they will not easily roll over. The Munster team will be too strong but I don’t expect a landslide victory for them. I predict a Munster victory by 12 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Zebre
15 Michelangelo Biondelli, 14 Pierre Bruno, 13 Federico Mori, 12 Enrico Lucchin, 11 Giovanni D’Onofrio, 10 Carlo Canna, 9 Guglielmo Palazzani, 8 Renato Giammarioli, 7 Iacopo Bianchi, 6 Maxime Mbandà, 5 Leonard Krumov, 4 Samuele Ortis, 3 Eduardo Bello, 2 Oliviero Fabiani, 1 Daniele Rimpelli.
Munster
15 Mike Haley; 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Damian de Allende, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Shane Daly; 10 Joey Carbery, 9 Connor Murray; 8 CJ Stander (captain), 7 Tommy O’Donnell, 6 Jack O’Donoghue, 5 Fineen Wycherley; 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Stephen Archer; 2 Niall Scannell, 1 James Cronin,
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Munster victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.11
Playabets 1.05
Gbets 1.07
Odds comparison on the Zebre handicap:
The complete odds on the Zebre handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+18.5) 1.90
Playabets (+18.5) 1.83
Gbets (+17.5) 1.85
Predictions and Odds in details
The Rainbow Cup was hastily arranged therefore any team suffering even one loss will find it very difficult to make the finals as Munster have found out. The Zebre team after losing their first two matches have started experimenting for next year by fielding a lot of young inexperienced players but I’m sure in their final match at home they will field their strongest team. I feel this could catch Munster out and if they try to be too expansive in chasing the bonus point it could backfire. The Munster team have also been guilty of changing their teams and this has hampered continuity in the team even when they won games it was not very convincing performances. The bookies have priced Munster as such favourites that there is no money for the punter on the Munster outright victory. I suggest the generous odds on the Zebre handicap. The best odds on the Zebre handicap are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+18.5) 1.90, Playabets (+18.5) 1.83 and Gbets (+17.5) 1.85
Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.