RaboDirect Pro 12 fixture list aka the Magners league!

by Adam D Fri 22 Jul 2011, 2:02 pm

The Dragons face a daunting start to their RaboDirect PRO12 campaign, with a trip to reigning champions Munster awaiting them on the opening weekend of the newly-named competition.

They travel to Cork's Musgrave Park on the weekend of September 2-4, while the Ospreys play hosts to European champions Leinster at the Liberty Stadium.

The Blues are away to Edinburgh, who they are also grouped with in the Heineken Cup, with the Scarlets entertaining Italian outfit Aironi.

The RaboDirect PRO12 will continue through September and early October while the Rugby World Cup is being played in New Zealand, but there will be a two week break after Round 6, while the semi-finals and final of the global tournament are played.

Then it is back to business on the weekend of October 28, with the following week seeing two Welsh derbies, with the Dragons hosting the Blues at the re-built Rodney Parade and the Ospreys taking on the Scarlets in Swansea.

Round 1 (weekend of Friday, September 2)
Benetton Treviso v Connacht (Stadio Monigo)
Edinburgh Rugby v Cardiff Blues (Murrayfield)
Munster v Newport Gwent Dragons (Musgrave Park)
Ospreys v Leinster (Liberty Stadium)
Scarlets v Aironi Rugby (Parc y Scarlets)
Ulster v Glasgow Warriors (Ravenhill)

Round 2 (weekend of Friday, September 9)
Aironi Rugby v Ulster (Stadio Zaffanella)
Cardiff Blues v Benetton Treviso (Cardiff City Stadium)
Connacht v Scarlets (Sportsground)
Glasgow Warriors v Munster (Firhill Stadium)
Leinster v Newport Gwent Dragons (Royal Dublin Society)
Ospreys v Edinburgh Rugby (Liberty Stadium)

Round 3 (weekend of Friday, September 16)
Benetton Treviso v Ospreys (Stadio Monigo)
Edinburgh Rugby v Connacht (Murrayfield)
Leinster v Glasgow Warriors (Royal Dublin Society)
Munster v Scarlets (Musgrave Park)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Aironi Rugby (Rodney Parade)
Ulster v Cardiff Blues (Ravenhill)

Round 4 (weekend of Friday, September 23)
Aironi Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby (Stadio Zaffanella)
Cardiff Blues v Munster (Cardiff City Stadium)
Connacht v Newport Gwent Dragons (Sportsground)
Glasgow Warriors v Benetton Treviso (Firhill Stadium)
Ospreys v Ulster (Liberty Stadium)
Scarlets v Leinster (Parc y Scarlets)

Round 5 (weekend of Friday, September 30)
Benetton Treviso v Scarlets (Stadio Monigo)
Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors (Cardiff City Stadium)
Edinburgh Rugby v Munster (Murrayfield)
Leinster v Aironi Rugby (Royal Dublin Society)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Ulster (Rodney Parade)#~
Ospreys v Connacht (Liberty Stadium)

Round 6 (weekend of Friday, October 7)
Aironi Rugby v Cardiff Blues (Stadio Zaffanella)
Glasgow Warriors v Newport Gwent Dragons (Firhill Stadium)
Leinster v Connacht (Royal Dublin Society)
Munster v Ospreys (Thomond Park)
Scarlets v Edinburgh Rugby (Parc y Scarlets)
Ulster v Benetton Treviso (Ravenhill)

Round 7 (weekend of Friday, October 28)
Benetton Treviso v Newport Gwent Dragons (Stadio Monigo)
Connacht v Cardiff Blues (Sportsground)
Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster (Murrayfield)
Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys (Firhill Stadium)
Munster v Aironi Rugby (Musgrave Park)
Scarlets v Ulster (Parc y Scarlets)

Round 8 (weekend of Friday, November 4)
Aironi Rugby v Glasgow Warriors (Stadio Zaffanella)
Benetton Treviso v Edinburgh Rugby (Stadio Monigo)
Leinster v Munster (TBC)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Cardiff Blues (Rodney Parade)
Ospreys v Scarlets (Liberty Stadium)
Ulster v Connacht (Ravenhill)

Round 9 (weekend of Friday, November 25)
Benetton Treviso v Leinster (Stadio Monigo)
Cardiff Blues v Aironi Rugby (Cardiff City Stadium)
Connacht v Ospreys (Sportsground)
Glasgow Warriors v Ulster (Firhill Stadium)
Munster v Edinburgh Rugby (Thomond Park)
Scarlets v Newport Gwent Dragons (Parc y Scarlets)

Round 10 (weekend of Friday, December 2)
Connacht v Benetton Treviso (Sportsground)
Edinburgh Rugby v Aironi Rugby (Murrayfield)
Leinster v Cardiff Blues (Royal Dublin Society)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors (Rodney Parade)
Ospreys v Munster (Liberty Stadium)
Ulster v Scarlets (Ravenhill)

Round 11 (weekend of Friday, December 23)
Aironi Rugby v Benetton Treviso (Stadio Zaffanella)
Cardiff Blues v Newport Gwent Dragons (Cardiff City Stadium)
Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors (Murrayfield)
Leinster v Ulster (Royal Dublin Society)
Munster v Connacht (Thomond Park)
Scarlets v Ospreys (Parc y Scarlets)

Round 12 (weekend of Friday, December 30)
Benetton Treviso v Aironi Rugby (Stadio Monigo)
Connacht v Leinster (Sportsground)
Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby (Firhill Stadium)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Scarlets (Rodney Parade)
Ospreys v Cardiff Blues (Liberty Stadium)
Ulster v Munster (Ravenhill)

Round 13 (weekend of Friday, January 6)
Aironi Rugby v Connacht (Stadio Zaffanella)
Cardiff Blues v Leinster (Cardiff City Stadium)
Edinburgh Rugby v Ulster (Murrayfield)
Munster v Benetton Treviso (Thomond Park)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Ospreys (Rodney Parade)
Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors(Parc y Scarlets)

Round 14 (weekend of Friday, February 10)
Aironi Rugby v Munster (Stadio Zaffanella)
Cardiff Blues v Connacht (Cardiff City Stadium)
Edinburgh Rugby v Ospreys (Murrayfield)
Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets (Firhill Stadium)
Leinster v Benetton Treviso (Royal Dublin Society)
Ulster v Newport Gwent Dragons (Ravenhill)

Round 15 (weekend of Friday, February 17)
Benetton Treviso v Munster (Stadio Monigo)
Cardiff Blues v Ulster (Cardiff City Stadium)
Connacht v Glasgow Warriors (Sportsground)
Leinster v Scarlets (Royal Dublin Society)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh Rugby (Rodney Parade)
Ospreys v Aironi Rugby (Liberty Stadium)

Round 16 (weekend of Friday, February 24)
Aironi Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons (Stadio Zaffanella)
Connacht v Edinburgh Rugby (Sportsground)
Glasgow Warriors v Leinster (Firhill Stadium)
Munster v Cardiff Blues (Thomond Park)
Scarlets v Benetton Treviso (Parc y Scarlets)
Ulster v Ospreys (Ravenhill)

Round 17 (weekend of Friday, March 2)
Aironi Rugby v Leinster (Stadio Zaffanella)
Benetton Treviso v Cardiff Blues (Stadio Monigo)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Munster (Rodney Parade)
Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors (Liberty Stadium)
Scarlets v Connacht (Parc y Scarlets)
Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby (Ravenhill)

Round 18 (weekend of Friday, March 23)
Benetton Treviso v Ulster (Stadio Monigo)
Cardiff Blues v Scarlets (Cardiff City Stadium)
Connacht v Munster (Sportsground)
Edinburgh Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons (Murrayfield)
Glasgow Warriors v Aironi Rugby (Firhill Stadium)
Leinster v Ospreys (Royal Dublin Society)

Round 19 (weekend of Friday, March 20)
Edinburgh Rugby v Scarlets (Murrayfield)
Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Blues (Firhill Stadium)
Munster v Leinster (Thomond Park)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Connacht (Rodney Parade)
Ospreys v Benetton Treviso (Liberty Stadium)
Ulster v Aironi Rugby (Ravenhill)

Round 20 (weekend of Friday, April 13)
Aironi Rugby v Scarlets (Stadio Zaffanella)
Cardiff Blues v Ospreys (Cardiff City Stadium)
Connacht v Ulster (Sportsground)
Leinster v Edinburgh Rugby (Royal Dublin Society)
Munster v Glasgow Warriors (Musgrave Park)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Benetton Treviso (Rodney Parade)

Round 21 (weekend of Friday, April 20)
Benetton Treviso v Glasgow Warriors (Stadio Monigo)
Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh Rugby (Cardiff City Stadium)
Connacht v Aironi Rugby (Sportsground)
Ospreys v Newport Gwent Dragons (Liberty Stadium)
Scarlets v Munster (Parc y Scarlets)
Ulster v Leinster (Ravenhill)

Round 22 (weekend of Friday, May 4)
Aironi Rugby v Ospreys (Stadio Zaffanella)
Edinburgh Rugby v Benetton Treviso (Murrayfield)
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht (Firhill Stadium)
Munster v Ulster (Thomond Park)
Newport Gwent Dragons v Leinster (Rodney Parade)
Scarlets v Cardiff Blues (Parc y Scarlets)

Play-offs (weekend of Friday, May 11)

Final (Saturay, May 26)

Thanks to http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-rugby/2011/07/22/rabodirect-pro12-fixtures-91466-29102353/ for the source!

by ScarletSpiderman Fri 22 Jul 2011, 2:06 pm

Is the last weekend the same as last season (this season depending on your view point)? I remember the Scarlets played the Blues at home, and the Ospreys played Aironi away, but can't remember the other sides.

Anyway as a Scarlets fan I am quite please with the first few fixtures (bar Connacht) as Aironi, Munster and Leinster should all be missing key players during the RWC, so it should be a good time to play them. I appreciate that we too will be missing players, but hopefully not too many and we seem to be getting some long term injury players back.

by Guest Fri 22 Jul 2011, 2:12 pm

No SS, Dragons played Ulster.

by ScarletSpiderman Fri 22 Jul 2011, 2:15 pm

Risca - Cheers for clearing that up.

by Smirnoffpriest Fri 22 Jul 2011, 3:17 pm

Yeah looks quite good - though Munster will still be very difficult, would have been nice to have one of the Scottish sides (particularly Glasgow a bit sooner), but still hope we can get a good start and squeeze a win against Munster - but I still think the best we can hope for is 4/5

by Guest Fri 22 Jul 2011, 3:23 pm

Dragons have a nightmare start (Italians at RP aside). Could quite easily have a lot of ground to make up on the other regions before October has even started.

by Smirnoffpriest Fri 22 Jul 2011, 3:46 pm

That is a very hard first 5 rounds for the Dragons, I comiserate, and I think you're going to miss your Welsh int more than the Scarlets -though I think we'll struggle at 10 while you're lucky that someone as good as Tovey hasn't been called up (which he should have been)

by Guest Fri 22 Jul 2011, 4:07 pm

It's a big loss to lose two of our backrow. They're pretty key to us. I'm glad we should have Tovey though, so you're right to mention that. Suppose we get three of our toughest trips out of the way early.

One of the first two games are our fault anyway, because we asked to play the first two away to make sure our ground is ready. Bit rubbish that the first game for our new stand is Aironi. I guess the Blues game will be the first time it's packed to capacity (round 8).

by Smirnoffpriest Fri 22 Jul 2011, 4:11 pm

Yeah I can't wait to see it when the Scarlets play there - though I might pop down when the Blues play as I do like the Dave - I've heard the Scarlets have sold more Season tickets this year so hopefully the atmosphere will continue to improve at PYS

by wales606 Fri 22 Jul 2011, 6:58 pm

Wow, Blues have an easy start to the season - it really goes downhill at Christmas though :/ could be a depressing or inspiring end to the year.

by Gaelic-Warrior Fri 22 Jul 2011, 7:14 pm

Fixtured not particularly kind on the Warriors- within the first 7 rounds we play the three toughest Irish provinces back to back, the blues and the Ospreys.

by **Notch** Fri 22 Jul 2011, 7:42 pm

Aw man! Two interprovincial derbies for Ulster in the last two games of the season. That's going to be MASSIVE if all the teams are still in the running for the playoffs.

by Totallybiasedscarlet Sat 23 Jul 2011, 2:07 pm

Looks like a tough season for the Scarlets to me. Despite catching the Irish during the RWC they'll still be strong as heck and if we're depleted by int. call-ups it'll be a hard start for us.

by bedfordwelsh Sat 23 Jul 2011, 9:41 pm

7 of our (Dragons) first 12 games away thats hard start, Munster then Leinster first two up ouch.

by Smirnoffpriest Mon 25 Jul 2011, 1:22 pm

Yup I agree TBS - I am worried about the Dragons and the Scarlets if they can get the momentum going straight away and start this season like they ended the last.

I'm hopeful as we were very competitive against the Irish sides last year, my only worry is at 10 whether Newton will be able to perform well enough to cover for the loss of Jones/Priestland.

Ohh and plus the injuries - I hope we won't get hit as badly as we have the last 2 seasons...

by thebandwagonsociety Mon 25 Jul 2011, 2:40 pm

I like the way we will all travel back in time after round 18 to play round 19 3 days before hand.

I see Leinster/Munster continue to line up their games before the crunch rounds 3-4 of the HC group and also just before the knockout rounds. You would think that any pair from Ospreys/Blues/Scarlets would figure out that a full intensity game at those rounds is highly beneficial to get a team into top gear before important HC games. Mind you, Leinster/Munster isn't even being alternated.... yet again Leinster at home to Munster to sell out lansdowne prior to christmas to get some money in at a quiet time for the irfu and Munster host the post 6Ns clash when a trip to dublin might be pushing the purse strings a bit much.

by Kingshu Mon 25 Jul 2011, 2:49 pm

NOTCH
It's worse than that, 3 inter pro's in last 3 games, it's a very tough finish for Ulster

by **Notch** Mon 25 Jul 2011, 3:28 pm

Yeah, big time. Very hard indeed!

by Impossible Standards Tue 26 Jul 2011, 11:49 am

From a Dragons point of view it may be advantageous for us to play Munster and Leinster whilst players are away at the WC. Hopefully we can get some losing BP out of the fixtures!

by Smirnoffpriest Tue 26 Jul 2011, 1:12 pm

I think you may be able to get a win against at least 1 or 2 of the Irish sides during the first half of the season. I know that they are all very good and have excellent squads that can more than cope with the absence of the ints. but Last season the Scarlets could and should have won a number of games agains the top 3 irish sides - and as i recall the dragons came close to beating Munster towards the end of the season. So it can be done and you shouldn't aim too low

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RaboDirect Pro 12 fixture list aka the Magners league!

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