Newcastle Falcons are in joint top spot in EDF Energy Cup pool A with Gloucester in this closest of all groups, which produced two drawn games last weekend.
The Falcons are unbeaten in their last three EDF Energy Cup matches since losing 5-28 at Sale in September 2006; beating them in their own backyard has proved tricky for England’s finest but it is a task the Dragons must undertake.
Defeat for the Dragons, who tied with London Wasps last weekend, would leave them a long way behind the Falcons and make it unlikely that they will qualify.
The Dragons, though, are undefeated since Munster beat them 26-16 in the Magners League at Rodney Parade on September 28th. However, Paul Turner’s troops have never won an away game in the EDF Energy Cup.
The two sides have met on two previous occasions in the 2004-2005 European Cup with Newcastle winning both encounters: 10-6 at Rodney Parade and 25-17 at Kingston Park.
The Blues could put an end to the Tigers’ hopes of retaining the EDF Energy Cup with a win this weekend. The Tigers face elimination from this season’s competition if they lose this match.
Leicester have won all three previous matches they have played at Welford Road in this competition, whilst the last Welsh side to beat Leicester at Welford Road was Swansea on November 20th 1998.
Cardiff Blues have won seven of their last eight matches in all competitions and have not lost a pool game in this competition since a 23-27 reversal at London Irish on December 4th 2005. The two sides met twice last season in the European Cup with the Tigers winning both matches: 21-17 at Millennium Stadium and 34-0 at Welford Road.
After suffering defeat to Bristol in Round 1, the Scarlets need a win to keep themselves in with a shot at semi-final qualification.
The west Walians have lost just twice at Stradey Park in any competition since January 2006. The Scarlets region have only ever suffered one defeat in competition matches against English opposition at the famous old ground: 20-22 to Northampton in the European Cup in January 2005.
Leeds Carnegie have won only one game so far this season: 26-21 over Worcester in the Premiership on October 12th. Leeds are yet to win in four previous matches in this competition.
Current Scarlets Coach Phil Davies was of course Head Coach at Leeds for 302 matches for exactly a decade between 1996-2006, and was in charge at Leeds on the only previous occasion that the two teams have met: a 28-7 win for the Scarlets at Headingley in this competition in October 2005.
Over in west Wales and the Ospreys have a Sunday meeting with London Irish. And the home side will be brimming with confidence having lost just once in any competition at Liberty Stadium since May 2006, a 9-14 to Llanelli Scarlets in the Magners League on September 11th, 2007. The Ospreys only defeat in their last seven encounters in the EDF Energy Cup was in last season’s final at Twickenham.
London Irish have not won a game in the EDF Energy Cup since a 36-24 victory at home to Saracens on September 30th 2006, whilst their last away win in any competition was 12-7 at Bristol in the Premiership on March 10th, 2007. The two sides have not met before in a competitive match.
