Rugby
URC: Munster vs Scarlets Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Date: February 15, 2025 Kickoff Time: 19:15 (SAST) Venue: Thomond Park While the focus is on the Six Nations, players from Irish club Munster and Welsh team Scarlets will be looking to put in a strong showing to attract the attention of the national team selectors. These teams play each other in a United Rugby Championship match at Thomond Park in Limerick on Saturday, 15 February 2025. Want the best rugby betting sites to wager with? SportsBoom gives you a special feature article delving into the stats, team form, and more.
Gavin Coombes of Munster//Getty Images
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The 2023 URC champions currently sit in 7th position on the table with 26 points from ten matches played which includes five wins and five defeats. Meanwhile, the Welsh team sit just one place above them in 6th place with 27 points from ten games played which includes five wins, one draw, and four losses.
Munster won the United Rugby Championship in 2023. The Irish team beat the Stormers 19-14 in the final at Cape Town Stadium.
Munster have won five matches in a row against the Scarlets. The home team smashed the Scarlets 42-7 in their most recent meeting. Munster outscored the Scarlets by six tries to two in this game. This fixture was played on the 16th of February 2024.
PRE-GAME ODDS AND WIN PROBABILITY
MUNSTER STRONG FAVOURITES
Home: 13/100 (1.13) - 88,5%
Draw: 34/1 (35) - 2,9%
Away: 31/5 (7.20) - 13,9%
*Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Last Five Games (URC)
16/02/24: Scarlets 7-42 Munster
03/03/23: Munster 49-42 Scarlets
10/10/21: Scarlets 13-43 Munster
12/03/21: Munster 28-10 Scarlets
03/10/20: Scarlets 27-30 Munster
MUNSTER: CURRENT FORM - WLWLW
Munster have won three out of their last five matches played. They slayed the Dragons 38-19 on the 25th of January. The Irish team narrowly lost 34-32 to Northampton Saints in a European Rugby Champions Cup match. They also beat Saracens 17-12, and were beaten 28-7 by Leinster.
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Gavin Coombes: The Irish number eight weighs 110 kilograms and stands tall at 6’6’’. He has incredible stats throughout the season which read: four tries scored, 106 carries, 15 offloads, and 135 tackles made.
- Tom Ahern: The athletic 116 kilogram lock has scored two tries for his team throughout the season. He has also gained 162 metres with ball in hand and made 54 tackles.
- Alex Kendellen: He is knocking on the door for national team selection with Ireland. The flanker has scored two tries for Munster throughout the season. He has also made 35 carries.
MUNSTER TEAM NEWS
Munster almost have a full team of injured players at the moment. SportsBoom has compiled a table showing you all the injured players and their injury status. Be sure to check out the table below for the latest Munster injury updates.
MUNSTER TEAM NEWS
| Player Name | Type of Injury | Injury Update |
| Mike Haley | Ankle | Undergoing rehab |
| Dave Kilcoyne | Thigh | Undergoing rehab |
| Alex Nankivell | Hamstring | Undergoing rehab |
| Thaakir Abrahams | Shoulder | Undergoing rehab |
| Craig Casey | Knee | Undergoing rehab |
| Jean Kleyn | Thigh | Undergoing rehab |
| Liam Coombes | Chest | Undergoing rehab |
| Sean O’Brien | Leg | Undergoing rehab |
| Jeremy Loughman | Hip | Undergoing rehab |
| Josh Wycherley | Neck | Undergoing rehab |
| Patrick Campbell | Shoulder | Undergoing rehab |
| Cian Hurley | Knee | Undergoing rehab |
| Edwin Edogbo | Achilles | Undergoing rehab |
| Roman Salanoa | Knee | Undergoing rehab |
As you can see from the table above, Munster currently have 14 players injured. This spells trouble for the club and the fans could soon be forced to kit up and run onto the field for their team if this injury crisis continues. Luckily, Munster do have depth and they have prepared for a situation like the one they currently find themselves in.
This injury crisis gives fringe players an opportunity to raise their hand and show that they are ready for the big stage! As we’ve previously mentioned in our betting guides, player injuries can impact the result of a game and affect the odds.
SCARLETS: CURRENT FORM - WWLWL
Scarlets have won three out of their last five matches played which includes two wins in a row. They beat Edinburgh 30-24 on the 25th of January. Scarlets also defeated the likes of Vannes 38-28 in a European Rugby Challenge Cup game and lost 31-7 to Gloucester.
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Josh Macleod: The Welsh flanker has scored five tries throughout the season. He has also made a big defensive contribution with 135 tackles.
- Blair Murray: The electric winger has scored four tries for the Scarlets throughout the season. He also made 372 metres with ball in hand.
- Macs Page: The attacking centre has scored three tries for his team throughout the season. He has made 34 carries and 226 metres gained with ball in hand.
SCARLETS TEAM NEWS
Sam Costelow is still recovering from a shoulder injury. He is only expected to return to action close to April or May.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS
Munster: 15 Ben O’Connor, 14 Shane Daly, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Diarmuid Kilgalen, 10 Billy Burns, 9 Ethan Coughlan, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 Alex Kendellen, 6 Jack O’Donoghue, 5 Tom Ahern, 4 Fineen Wycherley, 3 Oli Jager, 2 Diarmuid Barron, 1 Dian Bleuler.
Scarlets: 15 Ioan Nicholas, 14 Jac Davies, 13 Macs Page, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Steff Evans, 10 Ioan Lloyd, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Vaea Fifita, 7. Josh Macleod, 6 Max Douglas, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Alex Craig, 3 Archer Holz, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Alec Hepburn.
SUGGESTED BETS
Winning Margin - Munster by 15+: Munster have won three out of the last five matches played against Scarlets by a margin of 15+ points. They smashed the Welsh team by 35 points the last time these teams met. (22/25 with Betway) (22/25 with 1Win)
Odd/Even Points - Odd: The last two matches played between Munster and the Scarlets have ended with an odd amount of points scored. SportsBoom predicts that this will happen again in this match. (43/50 with Betway) (83/100 with 1Win)
VALUE BETS
Tom Farrell - Anytime Tryscorer: The explosive Munster centre has scored five tries throughout the URC this season. These stats show us that he is a good bet as an anytime tryscorer.
Shane Daly - Anytime Tryscorer: The powerful Irish centre has scored three tries for Munster throughout the season. He can run over an opponent. Shane Daly also has the ability to be creative and look for space out wide.
Gareth Davies - Anytime Tryscorer: The 77-time capped Welsh international and British & Irish Lion has scored four tries for the Scarlets throughout the season. He has also racked up 2783 kicking metres.
PREDICTION: MUNSTER TO WIN
SportsBoom believes that Munster are the better team on paper. Home advantage will also give Munster an extra boost in this match. We think that the home team will win a closely contested match.
Josh has over ten years of experience as a sports writer. He has worked for some of the biggest and most well known sports betting companies in the world. Josh is passionate about creating disruptive work. He is also great at creating brand stories that resonate with sports fans. Josh has a keen eye for detail, stats, analytics, and creativity. He also excels at breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand sentences.
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