Edinburgh vs Leinster Predictions - Edinburgh to come close on home soil

We could also see a scrappy game so early in the season. My best bet is for the hosts to get within the eight-point handicap.

These two met in November last year, a match Leinster won 36-27 at home.

Edinburgh come into this 2024/25 URC season with hopes of producing far better than they did last season. They were in the hunt for a playoff spot for the majority of the season but fell one point short in the end.

Over the course of the season, Edinburgh won 11 of their 18 matches along with seven defeats. They also reached the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup but lost away to eventual champions, the Sharks.

This season, the Scottish outfit will certainly be targeting a quarter-final spot in the United Rugby Championship as a bare minimum. They have a squad more than capable of producing those results.

Edinburgh have some early injury concerns with Robin Hislop, Jamie Stewart, Harry Paterson, James Lang and Nathan Sweeney all ruled out for this opener. However, they have a good squad and can comfortably cover those absentees.

Leinster have gone into the URC as favourites for the last three seasons but have failed to win it on each occasion. Last season, they finished third on the table with 65 points, three off the top spot.

Many of Leinster’s troubles can be put down to their willingness to rest key players for big games to keep them fresh for the European Champions Cup. That worked to an extent last season, but again, Leinster came up short in the final for the third year running.

In the URC, Leinster were knocked out in the quarter-final against the Bulls in Pretoria. The URC will almost certainly be a massive priority this season, despite the Champions Cup still alluding them.

Leinster have a squad littered with Irish internationals as well as internationals from around the globe. On paper, they have the strongest squad in the competition, but whether that can translate onto the field remains to be seen.