Leinster vs Sharks Prediction: Leinster expected to dominate this week 2

After suffering defeats in the initial round of the 2023–24 season, both Leinster and the Sharks will be looking to get back on track in the next round of competition. However, Leinster are heavy favorites to win this match, and the Sharks will be hoping that they are able to close the gap in the score. Let's take a look at the preview, and while we're at it, let's make some predictions that everyone can pick from.

The 2023–24 URC season began with Leinster suffering a defeat at the hands of the Glasgow Warriors by a score of 43–25. According to the BBC, Glasgow named seven players who participated in the World Cup to their squad for the first game of the competition, which put the Irish team at a disadvantage going into the game. The Glasgow Warriors took a 24-13 advantage into halftime thanks to scores from Josh McKay, Sebastian Cancelliere, Huw Jones, and Angus Fraser, all of which were scored in the first half. In the second half, Leinster made things more interesting by reducing their deficit to only four points. Lee Barron and Tommy O'Brien both scored tries, which cut the margin in half. Johnny Matthews's try and a late penalty gave the Warriors the victory after they had already taken the lead. Having met the Sharks in the quarterfinals of the URC during the previous season, Leinster came out on top with a convincing victory by a score of 35-5.

At Thomond Park on the first day of the new season, the Sharks were defeated by the defending URC champions, Munster, by a score of 34-21. At the halftime break, the score was 21-7 in favor of Munster, with tries scored by Edwin Edogbo, Diarmuid Barron, and Antoine Frisch. After being put in position by Curwin Bosch, Werner Kok scored the sole try scored by the Sharks during that time to keep the visitors within striking distance. When Rohan Janse van Rensburg scored his team's second try early in the second half, he gave the Sharks new hope by bringing the score to within 10 points of the opposition. That was the closest they came to catching up to Munster, whose Andrew Conway and Ethan Coughlan tries clinched the deal and gave them the victory. By scoring a late consolation try for the Sharks, Aphelele Fassie helped bring the score closer to being respectable. Aphiwe Dyanti, a former winger for both the Springboks and the Lions, might make his long-awaited return to competitive rugby for the Sharks when they take on Leinster. However, the Sharks' second-row issues have become more pressing as a result of a shoulder injury sustained by lock Reniel Hugo during their match against Munster.

After a lackluster showing in week one against Glasgow Warriors, I think it will be easy for Leinster to get back on the winning track here. In addition to this, the home team Sharks are not yet at their peak performance, and I do not foresee the away team pulling off an upset victory against a home team that is much favored to win this matchup. Without a shadow of a doubt, it ought to be a win and some sort of spread cover for this Leinster side.