Round 3 of the BKT United Rugby Championship is upon us, and what have we learned through the opening two rounds? Well, the league is about as predictable as an off-leash Labrador in an open prairie.

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Just as people begin to believe they know what is up and what is down, the league throws out arguably one of the biggest upsets in professional rugby of the past decade, as Zebre turned over past champion Munster Rugby in comprehensive fashion. 

For Graham Rowntree’s side, this loss is about as bad as it gets, but, in an almost perverse way, it feels exactly like the fuel the burly former prop will use to spurn his side.

Away from this fixture, the reigning champion Glasgow Warriors opened their account in Round 1 with a dramatic overtime loss to a rebuilding Ulster in the first shock of the season. 

To their credit, Franco Smith’s men showed plenty of gumption to rebound in a big way a week later by booting Benetton out of Scotsoun Stadium in unceremonious fashion. 

Concluding the big upsets were the losses of South African powerhouses the DHL Stormers and the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the hands of the Ospreys and Connacht, respectively. 

For the Stormers, they would’ve fancied their chances against an admittedly ascending Ospreys, but in truth, they rarely looked like winning. While in Galway, the Sharks somehow squandered a 20-point lead to fall to an impressive Connacht side.

At this point, you probably are thinking, well, what is the point of me reading any further, if the league is essentially a crapshoot? Well, not so fast! 

Although our crystal ball is somewhat foggy when it comes to the outcomes of this weekend, you can’t hate us for trying. 

While we will steer clear of offering match predictions (for now), here are three of the biggest storylines that will define this weekend’s action:

Ireland (Sorry Leinster) To Obliterate Benetton

Cast your mind back to PE, and all of the best athletes in your grade have opted to clump together for the class, leaving the dregs and drags to form a doomed alliance. 

Well, you now see what Benetton is facing this weekend following Leinster’s team announcement. 

Naming what is pretty bloody close to the Irish national team with double World Cup-winning Springbok RG Snyman sprinkled in for good measure, head coach Leo Cullen has shown that there will be no mercy this season from his team. 

Unfortunately for Benetton, this weekend feels like a reenactment of the 2007 film ‘Into The Wild,’ where they feel destined to go on an adventure of self-realization that there are, in fact, levels to this game. 

Coming into the weekend on the back of a disappointing opening-round loss, which was followed by a tonking at the hands of the Warriors, the going certainly does not get easier for Benetton this weekend.

Zebre To Remain On A Heater

In stark contrast to their more favored countrymen, Zebre looks to have taken a right toward progression, rather than the dreaded left down disappointment lane. 

Pulling off the biggest shock in league history a week ago, Zebre shook up the rugby world with its comprehensive dismantling of Munster. 

Facing a similar challenge this week against the Season 1 champions, the DHL Stormers, Zebre feels poised to pull off a rare back-to-back. 

When we say rarely, we must put this in the context that the Italian side, which historically has been used as a developmental team, had won just two matches in three seasons heading into last weekend. Yet, when playing against a Stormers team devoid of identity, the opportunity to capitalize once again this weekend is right there for them to clinch.

Champions Heading Into The Witching Hour

Each losing a match already in this young season, the league’s three previous champions, the Stormers, Munster and Glasgow, all enter Round 3 in different states. 

For the Stormers and Munster, Round 2 has sent them both into a spiral of soul searching, while, for the Warriors, their rebound in Round 2 has steadied the ship. 

Yet, one thing remains pertinent for this trio: the potential of a loss this weekend is very real, and this outcome would quickly have them staring into the abyss of a long season. 

While in reality, all three are in a strong position to secure wins, they are each facing teams buoyed by confidence from recent success. 

Starting with the Warriors, who travel to Cardiff on Friday to face a team that has started the season hot with back-to-back wins. 

Head coach Franco Smith has opted to rotate his team for this encounter in what feels like a punchy move against a team that will be determined to show its early success is not simply a flash in the pan. 

If the Glaswegians fall behind early, they will be at the mercy of a raucous home crow that will holler at them every more – good or bad. 

Staying in Wales, Munster traveled to take on an Ospreys side, which came close to taking them down twice last season, but ultimately lacked the composure and firepower to do so. 

This season, with fly-half Dan Edwards in red-hot form, and their senior Welsh leadership players Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan in flying form, the Ospreys should be tipped as favorites to take down a Munster team that lacked cohesion in Parma last week. 

Brutally exposed around the ruck, there is no doubt Munster will have shored up several of its defensive issues, but a growing injury list could see them remain a tick or two off their best. 

Finally, for the Stormers, long gone are the days of them simply turning up and shredding opponents, especially with several of their top Springboks players still unavailable. 

If there is one player who drags his team forward, it is fullback Damian Willemse, who has hit the ground running on his return from injury. The youngest double World Cup winner in history is a top-5 player in the world when in form, and this will be at the front of Zebre’s mind. 

Working against John Dobson’s side this weekend is a seeming aversion to defense, with damn near 40 points to the Ospreys in Round 2. 

In summation, all three former champions face pertinent tests this weekend; should they come out unscathed, then they will be back on track. Lose, and the temperature will be turned up as the seasons begin to change and the challenges get bigger.

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