Ulster A 37-14 Leinster A (80-word-review)

 

I’d have taken a 3-0 slog in the driving rain on this particular rugby weekend but these two played well above “A” standard for a quality 80 minutes at the Kingspan. Leinster had some good displays from skipper Jack Dunne and Jamie Osborne but too many interceptions under pressure were costly while Ulster prospects like Aaron Sexton, Cormac Izuchukwu and Callum Reid stood out, led by my PotM Bill Johnston. Some outstanding tries - a highlights package couldn’t do it justice.

Preview : Crusaders v Blues

"I'm itching...."  

"I'm gagging...." 

"I have a real goo..."

They all sound pretty nasty without context, yet they make perfect sense when you tack on the words "...to harp on actual rugby again" to each one.  For all the features we do here at Harpin Manor to keep the site going, the match previews and writeups are paramount.  It's the 80 minutes of rugby that our favourite teams play each weekend which keep us going, and we can't wait to have them back.

So what with the interpros not set to resume until the end of August, we've decided to get in some "pre-season training" of our own by adopting a team from Super Rugby Aotearoa and following their progress to the end of the competition.  And given we're big fans of one lot of boys in blue, what better team to select than the Blues from Auckland, and what better time to start than this coming weekend as they travel to face the 10-time champion Crusaders.

The Blues haven't won Super Rugby since 2003, and haven't so much as reached the final four since 2011.  But this year, they look like things are falling into place to make a serious run at some silverware.  Of course adding names like Beauden Barret and Dan Carter to your lineup won't hurt in that regard, but having watched all of their performances from their 100% start (see the 80-word reviews below), I can assure you that those two are but a small part of their success; in fact Carter hasn't even crossed the whitewash for them yet.

Make no mistake, this is a quality team from 1 to 15 whomever they have out there, and although the Crusaders have the championship-winning experience and even more points on the table from their  own perfect start to the campaign, Leon McDonald's men are more than a match for them at virtually every position.

Barrett himself is slotting in at full back and we all know the damage he can do straightening his line from deep; his head to head with David Havili will be fascinating.  But if you think for a second that this leaves the Blues vulnerable at outhalf, think again.  Otere Black has been excellent in every aspect of his game and I wouldn't bet against him outshining Richie Mo'unga on Saturday.

Then on the wing you have superstars squaring off on either side of the park; George Bridge v Mark Telea will be worth following but both Caleb Clarke and Sevu Reece provided devastating finishes against the Highlanders in rounds 3 and 4 respectively.  And there's another familiar All Black winger's name in the lineup, only Reiko Ioane now plays at 13 and looks very comfortable there.

It doesn't end when you get to the pack.  Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu has led by example in every way so far and I'm sure Sam Whitelock knows he'll be up against it.  But arguably the biggest string they have to their bow is at number 8.

On the off chance you haven't heard the name Hoskins Sotutu before now, prepare yourself because this guy seems to have what it takes to go far.  To date in this competition I've seen him show quality in carrying, tackling, jackling, finishing, physicality, even tactical kicking.  And it's not as though his fellow back rowers Akira Ioane and Dalton Papalii are too shabby either - the latter in particular has shown a knock for finding the tryline.

The bookies have the home side to win by 8, and that seems like a pretty good bet.  However, although the Highlanders ended up losing by 20 last week to the Saders, I think the Blues might want to borrow a leaf from their playbook.  IMO the scoreline didn't reflect the work put in by the Otago-based lads - they took a lot of risks at the breakdown and while they may have shipped 13 penalties which didn't help them on the scoreboard, I reckon Isa Nacewa's former club may have to run a similar gauntlet if they are to keep this one close.

And keeping the score close enough for a 4-1 split in points would definitely be a decent result for the Blues' point of view.  It's only the halfway point in the competition and if they can stay within touching distance between now and the final round when these sides meet again in Auckland on August 16, it could be a grandstand finish.

So when it comes to my own prediction, well since I'm now a "fan" I should be backing my boys to win, but I have to say I can't ignore the fact that the Crusaders have a lot more miles on the clock when it comes to games like this.  Plus they have some match-winning talent on the bench in Will Jordan - I doubt even Leinster would be able to resist starting someone like him (although we do have a quality young back three Jordan of our own).

I'm going to say the home side will prevail by 4-6pts.  If that's the case then it will probably have been a roller-coaster ride of a match to fit its champion v challenger billing.  Weekend mornings have been amazing over the past month or so since this tournament kicked off...this match could be even better still.  JLP

#COY(OTHER)BIB

Crusaders: 15 David Havili, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Braydon Ennor, 12 Jack Goodhue, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo'unga, 9 Bryn Hall, 1 Joe Moody, 2 Codie Taylor (c), 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 4 Sam Whitelock, 5 Mitchell Dunshea, 6 Tom Sanders, 7 Tom Christie, 8 Whetu Douglas.

Replacements: 16 Andrew Makalio, 17 George Bower, 18 Oliver Jager, 19 Quinten Strange, 20 Sione Havili, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 Fetuli Paea, 23 Will Jordan.

Super Rugby Aotearoa - Round 5

Saturday, July 11, 2020

Kickoff 8am (Irish time)

Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch

Referee: Paul Williams

AR1: Ben O’Keeffe

AR2:James Doleman

TMO: Mike Fraser

Sky Sports Main Event

Sky Sports Action

Click here for a full list of rugby on Irish TV

PS : Here are some "8-0-Reviews" of the Blues' three matches so far in the Super Rugby Aotearoa, and as they had a bye in Round 4 I also did one for the Crusaders' match that weekend...

HIGHLANDERS 20-40 CRUSADERS : Round 4 - July 4, 2020

A match that “had everything”.  Two quality lineups. Outstanding individual performances. Much risk taking at the breakdown despite the new rules, some paying off, some not, some lucky not to see yellow. But most of all some scintillating finishes from Frizzell, Punivai, Reece, and especially Will Jordan when single-handedly notching his BP-clinching second towards the end.  Scoreline doesn’t do the Highlanders justice, nor does the current table, but still next Saturday’s Saders v Blues clash couldn’t be set up better.

BLUES 27-24 HIGHLANDERS : Round 3 - June 27, 2020

Early honours were even but eventually relentless grubbers to the corner paid off when Gibson’s attempted clearance was blocked and Papalii dotted down.  Strong running from Clarke then set up Reiko Ioane before the break.  The Highlanders came storming back with two quick tries to take the lead but Papalii’s second soon pinched it back.  A late decision not to force extra time was thwarted when Sotutu held up a maul close to his line preserving the Blues 100% record.

CHIEFS 12-24 BLUES : Round 2 - June 20, 2020

In horrible conditions the Chiefs had most of the first half possession and territory yet only 3 Mackenzie penalties to show for it.  Meanwhile one Blues trip into the 22 saw Sotutu dive under the posts giving them a 10-9 lead at the break.  Gatland’s men couldn’t even capitalise on a sinbin after HT and gradually the visitors pulled away thanks to a strong showing from their pack especially skipper Tuipulotu and ultimately a fine team score finished by Telea.

BLUES 30-20 HURRICANES : Round 1 - June 14, 2020

The Blues just edged a first half that swung back and forth in both tactical kicking and tries, with Caleb Clarke's strong finish the best, although Dane Coles' winger-esque score in the corner ran it close.  Tries were also even after the break but after Papalii stretched the Blues lead, 3 Otere Black penalties meant Booth's late score was mere consolation.  Home side was good for their victory with Black, Ioane and especially young No8 Hoskins Sotutu impressing the most. 

80-word reviews for weekend Mar 1-3

DRAGONS 15-28 ULSTER

Although a Josh Lewis penalty put the Dragons in front on 18m, Ulster always looked in control and once a Jordi Murphy try put them ahead there was no coming back. Other ex-Leinster men Moore and Cooney stretched the lead further and the final insult to the home side was towards the end when skipper Alan O'Connor secured the BP despite his side being two men short, both for deliberate knockons. McFarland's men still well in the playoff picture.

---

SCARLETS 10-6 MUNSTER

Munster may feel hard done by a TMO call that ruled out a second half try for them; it could've gone either way. But they should be more concerned about the umpteen other visits deep into the Scarlets' 22 from which they could only muster six measley points. Meanwhile the hosts made the most of their one chance down when an innovative offload from McNicholl put Nicholas over. A winning, warm West Walian welcome return to action for Leigh Halfpenny.

---

CONNACHT 46-5 OSPREYS

Connacht squeezed every drop of the first half advantage they had; vocal home crowd behind them, better crop of returnees from the Six Nations, but most of all, MotM 10 Godwin got great gain from the gale-force Galway gusts with monster territory kicks and 5/5 from the tee. With four tries already shipped and two men down early in the second half, there was no way back for the Ospreys. The victory moved the Westerners into the playoff places.

---

BENETTON 18-10 EDINBURGH

Defences held sway in the first half, the score was just 3-3 at the break. In the third quarter the teams exchanged tries with only an Ian McKinley conversion hitting the post proving the difference going into the closing stages. Though the former Leinster man did well overall, his replacement Antonio Rizzi delighted the home crowd with a late try, conversion and penalty to stretch Benetton's unbeaten run to eight and keep them in second place in Conference B.

---

CHIEFS 15-30 SUNWOLVES

Damian Mackenzie put the opening kickoff straight into touch; from the scrum, the Sunwolves showed confident front-foot rugby allowing Matsuhashi to score in the corner. That pattern continued throughout, with the visitors able to pounce on numerous errors from the 2-time champions to build a 20-point halftime lead, and although Nankivell and Nani-Seturo crossed after the break, Hayden Parker's 6/6 from the tee helped the Japanese franchise secure their first away win in Super Rugby.

80-word reviews from weekend of Feb 22-24

FRANCE 27-10 SCOTLAND

France deserved the win; there were some flashes of brilliance like a chip from Bastareaud that he caught himself and determined push for a late BP, but the Scots will be disappointed for taking 77m to turn one of their numerous chances into seven points. Though the likes of Kinghorn did well, there were clear Hogg- and Russell-shaped holes in their lineup. For the most part it didn't look like either team could finish higher than fourth this year.

---

WALES 21-13 ENGLAND

Old school blood and thunder test rugby at its bruising best. The Welsh blinked first when an unguarded pillar allowed Curry to dart over the line but stayed in touch with a series of penalties (most by Sinckler) before a 34-phase goal-line siege ended with Cory Hill going over and an amazing feat of late ball-handling by Adams denied England a losing BP. Liam Williams was a well-deserved MotM and this throws the Championship wide open.

---

GLASGOW WARRIORS 43-17 CONNACHT

There were just 45 seconds on the clock when Glasgow 9 George Horne finished off an amazing move straight from the kickoff. Connacht tried to stay with them but were missing their numerous test absentees more than their hosts. They did scatter three tries throughout the match but young Conor Fitzgerald struggled from the tee and the Warriors were too strong particularly with their back three of Matawalu, Steyn and Jackson. Thankfully the Westerners remain well in the playoff hunt. 

---

OSPREYS 13-19 MUNSTER

Although the Ospreys got a losing BP, this was as comfortable a win as most teams would hope for at the Liberty Stadium. Munster took an early lead through Sweetnam and while they later added a penalty try and a final quarter score from Haley after 31 gruelling phases, most of the match was played in midfield with the likes of Beirne and Cloete dominating the breakdown area. Munster lead Conference A by 1 from Glasgow with five games left.

---

ULSTER 54-7 ZEBRE

It seems everyone at Ulster gets a go at 10 these days; this time Peter Nelson capped a comfortable victory with their 8th try. The Italians held them for 15m before a James Brown yellow had the Kingspan crowd 'feeling good' as the floodgates opened. They simply couldn't handle the Ulster short lineout maul giving Herring an easy hat-trick while Marc Lyttle impressed from the tee with seven from eight. Handy 5pts and points difference boost in their playoff hunt. 

80-word reviews from weekend Feb 15-17

OSPREYS 0-8 ULSTER

In the cosy confines of Bridgend RFC both sides suffered from white line fever for 48m until a strong run and offload from MotM Stu McCloskey set up a chance which he ended up finishing himself. From there it was all about the stingy Ulster defence as they completely shut down the home side before a John Cooney penalty at the death denied them the losing BP. Young Michael Lowry looked useful at 10 until an HIA ended his evening.

---

MUNSTER 43-0 SOUTHERN KINGS

On a wet windy Friday night in Cork the South Africans actually had a decent amount of early possession and territory but only the home side could make the most of their chances. They spaced their first four tries evenly and didn't earn the BP until Holland crossed on 60m. A pair of late Kings yellows opened the floodgates and Rory Scannell got number 7 at the death. Biggest concern for Munster (and Ireland) was Chris Farrell's early injury withdrawal.

---

CONNACHT 25-17 CHEETAHS

An enthralling contest that defied the conditions and vindicated both the addition of SA teams and the conference format. The Cheetahs led for long periods with tries from Maxwane, Fouche and Venter but Connacht also managed three thanks to Farrell, McCartney and skipper Butler towards the end; the superior wisdom with the wild Western winds of Carty's boot proved the difference and denied the visitors a losing BP they probably deserved. A big boost for Connacht's playoff and Euro qualification hopes.

---

BENETTON 25-19 SCARLETS

Benetton deserve credit for backing themselves as home team and playoff contenders, spurning 3-point penalty chances during their first half superiority but they only had a Halafihi try to show for it while Hardy and McNichol impressively converted rare Scarlet breaks down the other end. Things got better after the break and with McKinley pulling the strings they forged ahead with tries from Sperandino and Ruzza before a Marc Jones yellow and last-gasp lineout steal sealed the win.

---

RACING 92 29-34 TOULOUSE

Ironic for a high-scoring contest to be played in 'La Defense Arena' but the four-all final try tally very much flattered Racing. Mesmerizing contributions from Kolbe and outstanding finishes from Bonneval, Guitone and Tauzin meant this was over before the break. The Parisians came back to earn a BP at the death but if they are to prevail in the March Euro rerun they'll probably need emergency signing Dan Carter, especially with Finn Russell crying off injured early.

---

CHIEFS 27-30 HIGHLANDERS

The Highlanders dominated early possession and territory but couldn't score until 15m through Parkinson. Once their hosts got going, thanks to leadership from Leinart-Brown and Retallick they got four tries of their own and a comfortable BP win looked certain. However the Otago-based franchise stayed in touch and despite a clumsy tackle from Tomkinson that saw red on 67m, a super cameo from Aaron Smith was capped by his late sniping try that nudged them ahead for good.

---

BLUES 22-24 CRUSADERS

Definitely a match that justifies use of the word 'Super' for this type of rugby, and not just because the lead kept changing hands.  Non-stop intensity and self-belief by both sides from start to finish, and while the reigning champion Crusaders probably just about deserved the win, the home side will feel they could have had an extra man when a late knockon probably should have been deemed deliberate, plus the young Plummer missed a last minute penalty.

80-word reviews for weekend of Jan 25-27

ULSTER 17-17 BENETTON

Ulster started both halves brightly with Ludik going over in the first and Herring in the second, but both times the Italians were able to regroup and respond in kind. Getting the most out of their powerful wingers Benetton levelled the try count at two with Ian McKinley's placekicking giving them a lead going into the closing stages. Their stubborn D nearly held out until a Ross pilfer led to a penalty try from a collapsed maul for the draw. 

DRAGONS 7-8 MUNSTER

On a dreary drizzly day in Newport this was a battle of territory kicking and the home side had enough edge in accuracy and organization to lead 7-3 at HT thanks to a Fairbrother try. After the break Munster finally had a purple patch that led to a rake of penalties, a yellow for Screech and eventually a Kleyn try. While Dragon 10 Lewis impressed throughout, his missed penalty proved costly and the visitors brought the slender lead home. 

CARDIFF BLUES 8-7 CONNACHT

Cardiff had so much benefit from both home and strong wind advantage that they managed the game's first try (despite having TWO in the sinbin) courtesy of a fine finish in the corner by Lane.  But despite having the second half wind behind them, a series of errors meant Connacht had to wait until a 75m Boyle try to break their duck.  Conor Fitzgerald impressed off the bench but they probably should've come away with more than a losing BP.

GLASGOW WARRIORS 9-3 OSPREYS

On a Burns night of almost unplayable Glasgow gusts the Ospreys, who have relied on a territory kicking game all season, could only manage a 3-0 HT lead before their hosts pulled ahead with three 2nd half penalties.  A late Matawalu yellow gifted the visitors some space but during phases on the Warriors line, a very obviously illegal clearout from Olly Cracknell wasted the opportunity and the Scots were able to stay in touch with Conference A leaders Munster.

SOUTHERN KINGS 25-21 EDINBURGH

The first 78m had multiple errors, some scores, 1-1 in yellows despite way more Kings penalties though Edinburgh can't blame the ref without looking at themselves more.  I've saved my words for the incredible match-winning try by the home side.  Running from deep, sub Meli Rokua had the ball in one hand before offloading in mid-air while being tackled to Yaw Penxe who sprinted the rest of the way to score while somehow staying in play.  Outstanding.

80-word reviews from weekend of Jan 19-21

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP

EDINBURGH 19-10 MONTPELLIER

When you get over the fact that the lineups made it look more like a Springbok trial than a Champions Cup pool decider, this was an amazing night for Scottish rugby.  Richard Cockerill's men did more than enough to stay ahead of their illustrious opposition to not only top their pool and secure a home quarterfinal, but also to ensure Glasgow join them in the last eight.  WP Nel got MotM, vd Walt their placekicks and Graham their lone try.

LEICESTER 13-14 ULSTER

I was out and about watching this on my tablet - the score was 13-0 to Leicester thanks to a Toomua try before the break plus a couple of penalties and Ulster struggling to press home any advantage. Then my stream failed for a short while and when it returned, it was 13-14 - Cooney's introduction had inspired tries from Moore and Baloucoune and with strong defence to bring home the slender lead the Ulstermen returned to the Euro knockouts.

MUNSTER 9-7 EXETER CHIEFS

Don't let the low scoreline or even the multiple errors from both sides fool you; this was blood and thunder cup rugby at its absorbing best.  Requiring an 8-point win at Thomond Park is among the most difficult tasks in Europe yet Exeter showed no fear and it looked possible when Armand crashed over for an early score.  But Munster dug deep with some brilliant 5m lineout defence in particular and a composed second half Carbery penalty sealed victory.

SARACENS  38-19  GLASGOW

An early Spencer try made it look like an easy outing for the two-time champions, but tries from Seymour, Price and Wilson had Glasgow ahead by 20m although Billy Vunipola grabbed the lead back before the break.  The Sarries defence tightened up in the second half and the Scots weren't to score again, while late Itoje and Skelton tries widened the final margin.  A few shamozzles may be remembered when the sides return to the Allianz in the quarterfinals.

GUINNESS PRO 14

SOUTHERN KINGS 17-24 CHEETAHS

It took some creativity from Tian Schoeman and Max Banda to get their respective teams' opening tries but from there it was mostly an error-fest at midfield until a late Kings penalty try made it 17-all setting up an exciting finish.  Despite being a man down and spurning a kickable penalty to win as the clock went red, the Cheetahs still managed to crash over for a just-about deserved win courtesy of de Bruin after 85 minutes.

80-word reviews for weekend of Dec 14-16

TOULOUSE 42-27 WASPS

At the risk of sounding patronising, Wasps have done well since their opening night pasting at the RDS, and worked some nice broken play combinations to stay within 5 points of their hosts after 60m. But eventually the class of Huget, Dupont, Tekori, Kaino, Guitoune and especially Kolbe proved too much and they could even afford to save the likes of Maximes Médard and Mermoz for the bench. Sets up a mouth-watering Pool 1 deciding January date with Leinster. 

ULSTER 30-15 SCARLETS

Much more comfortable win for Ulster than the scoreline suggests against a poor Scarlets side that seems resigned to concentrating on the Pro14. It took a while for them to take charge but eventually Henderson crossed and added a second later with Stockdale and Cooney getting the others. The Welsh had just a lucky interception and a late try as consolation. McFarland's men are now looking very competitive in this pool with Racing still to visit the Kingspan in January.

CASTRES 13-12 MUNSTER

Steady rain at the Stade Pierre-Fabre made for  several mistakes, physicality and hot tempers so the margins were always fine.  Castres had one try-scoring chance and Fa'anunu just about disturbed a blade of grass with the ball.  Munster had two but the most they got out of each were Castres yellows.  Also Carbery was out-booted by Spedding from the hand and Urdipaletta from the tee.  BP not much consolation for Munster while their hosts should expect some citings.

GLASGOW WARRIORS 21-10 LYON

Glasgow's back three of Seymour, Matawalu and Hogg jumps off the team sheet screaming a try fest especially against an out of contention travelling French outfit, and when they combined for two first half tries from the Fijian the BP looked a certainty. But a perfect storm of events (pun intended) including the cold wet windy weather, a Gibbins sinbinning and Lyon electing to have a go made for an error-strewn low-scoring very tough to watch second half.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 8-21 EDINBURGH

These two teams are close geographically and in recent success so the margins were always going to be tight at Kingston Park. The Falcons had the edge in the first half with Goneva crossing but they were also forced to make several changes to their back line. Embra took advantage after the break posting 15 unanswered points including  Johnstone and van der Merwe tries to earn their first away win of any kind in ages to remain pool leaders. 

80-word reviews from weekend Dec 7-9

WASPS 16-24 TOULOUSE

A shame to see clubs with six stars between them play before a too empty Ricoh Arena. The scoring followed a pattern...Wasps would huff and puff for a score at one end only for ST to respond with equal or better it with seemingly minimal effort. MotM Kobe and Guitoune broke free of poor tackling for the visitors' tries while Wasps needed an extra man for Rowlands to score. A late Madaule stamp was lucky to only see yellow.

SCARLETS 24-25 ULSTER

Playing into a strong Llanelli wind the Ulstermen made the most of first half chances to lead 13-10 at the break with tries from Stockdale and Speight with Steff Evans dotting down in between.  After they exchanged converted tries in an error-strewn third quarter, the visitors continued to be more clinical in the 22 and a Coetzee finish in the corner secured both victory and BP. A late Scarlet try made it close but Ulster deserved the win.

MUNSTER 30-5 CASTRES

The late withdrawal of internationals Carbery and Farrell made the expected bonus point win more difficult for Munster and despite the big winning margin they were only able to manage three second half tries. It was an extremely scrappy contest with several bouts of handbags to bring forward to next week's rematch.  Rory Scannell, Stander & Hanrahan crossed for Munster and Laveau replied at the end. JJH won MotM though I'd have gone for Beirne who was his usual pilfering self.

RACING 92 36-26 LEICESTER TIGERS

It looks like the conditions at the ultra-modern Defense Arena are well-suited to Racing's open offloading rugby. During an early bout of it Tuilagi was binned for deliberate knockon and while he was gone Vakatawa and Imhoff crossed. Holmes quickly struck back but a superb Russell/Zebo combination restored the lead and Schuster had the BP sewn up by 34m. Leicester tried to bring their own flair and got a try BP but couldn't quite get within seven. 

80-word reviews from the weekend of Nov 30-Dec 2

All of this week's reviews feature teams

Leinster will face before the end of January

LEINSTER'S NEXT OPPONENTS

(BATH)

BATH 7-7 SALE SHARKS

No points scored, muddy conditions, missed placekicks, multiple turnovers and errors...the first half was possibly the most boring 40m of pro rugby ever played.  Finally a short range lineout paid off as No8 Jean-Luc du Preez crashed over for Sale and his brother Rob added the conversion.  Bath only breached the tough-tackling Sharks D on 71m when a kick through from Vuna was finished by Rokoduguni.  As the evening rain got heavier the game mercifully fizzled out. 

LEINSTER'S OTHER EURO OPPONENTS

(WASPS, TOULOUSE)

SARACENS 29-6 WASPS

Wasps began like they've worked on their D since the Leinster humiliation. Sarries dominated scrums, territory & possession from the start but thanks to stubborn tackling and two long range Daly placekics it was only 12-6 all the way to the 59th minute.  Eventually the pressure forced a breakthrough as MotM Jamie George crashed over.  As Andy Goode played a confident 10, with 10m left a Daly pass in his own 22 went straight to Iziekwe who got their second. 

TOULOUSE 49-20 STADE FRANCAIS

All things considered SF would've been happy to be "only" 8pts down on 50m. ST threw the kitchen sink at them in the first half but despite several penalties and yellows  couldn't pull away until Huget crashed over for his second try.  Parisian indiscipline continued and during their fourth sinbinning Toulouse earned the bonus point with a pair of tries, even adding one near the end when a man down themselves. Comprehensive pre-Europe win for les rouges at noirs.

OTHER IRISH PROVINCES

ULSTER 16-12 CARDIFF BLUES

Ulster's chance to capitalise on Edinburgh's Friday defeat didn't start well when Morgan and Dacey crossed after sustained Cardiff pressure though Treadwell pinched one in between. But despite losing both skipper O'Connor and outhalf Burns to injury before the break, McFarland's men were able to introduce the likes of Best and Stockdale after it, and pulled ahead with a pair of John Cooney penalties in a second half slugfest, though a senseless Seb Davies yellow helped.  Four handy match points.

MUNSTER 44-14 EDINBURGH

Injuries + mandated rest for internationals + 5-day turnaround + away from home + big Euro matches ahead + strong Munster lineup = 6 first half tries shipped by Edinburgh.  That said, Munster turned on the style for their 5-pointers with Earls helping himself to a hat-trick, although Hanrahan struggled from the tee.  The southerners understandably dropped a few gears after the break but from the 63rd minute the tries returned courtesy of Bleyendaal & MotM Farrell. A comfortable conquest of Cockerill in Cork. 

CHEETAHS 17-21 CONNACHT

In a fast-paced first half Connacht forged ahead 15-0 including tries from ex-Leinster academy men Farrell and Thornbury but the margin was pegged back to five before the break.  The second period was more low key (much like the attendance) with the Cheetahs getting the only try but two Horowitz penalties and mostly strong defence kept the visitors ahead giving them a handy 9pts from 10 in South Africa moving them into the Conference A playoff picture. 

OTHER PRO14 CONFERENCE B

GLASGOW WARRIORS 29-20 SCARLETS

What was always going to be a competitive physical contest was well poised at 3-3 on 18m when Glasgow prop Alex Allen saw red for a shoulder/elbow to the head of Jake Ball. Then the Scarlets showed sympathy by shipping a penalty, yellow and a try before the break. The Scarlets woes continued when a Jonathan Davies fumble was punished by Grigg. The Welshmen pulled back tries but further poor discipline meant they improbably left Scotstoun with nothing.

80-word reviews from the weekend of Nov 23-25

LEINSTER'S NEXT OPPONENTS
(DRAGONS)

DRAGONS 18-12 EDINBURGH

Cagey contest throughout where it took both teams long spells of possession to score and it was Edinburgh who ran out of time at the end despite an energy-sapping 25 phases in the Dragons 22.  Ollie Griffiths impressed most at no8 for the home side though both of their tries came from FB Jordan Williams putting through winger Jared Rosser.   Fife and Graham dotted down for the visitors but the 4-1 split of match points was about right.

IRISH PROVINCES

SCARLETS 29-12 ULSTER

In this meeting of Leinster's biggest Conference B rivals, Ulster struck first with a good passing combination getting Shanahan over. But the Scarlets quickly started to get reward for their positive approach and had three tries in by HT. Their dominance continued though Ulster's tough tackling meant they had to wait until 60m mark for the BP courtesy of Prydie in the corner. They took their foot off the pedal allowing a couple allowing a pair of late Ulster tries.

SOUTHERN KINGS 14-31 CONNACHT

Few teams could be better prepared for the windy Madibaz Stadium than one used to the Galway gusts.  Despite playing into it in the first half, Connacht kept a fast pace going bringing strong finishes on either wing from Kelleher and Healy, while the pack owned both maus and scrums earning a penalty try before the break and Carty's placekicking was masterful.  The Kings put together a couple of nice team tries themselves but sub Boyle clinched a deserved BP.

ZEBRE 7-32 MUNSTER

At kickoff the headlines were about Murray on the bench and Hanrahan's late withdrawal, yet by the break the actual starting halfbacks Cronin and Johnston impressed to help Munster to a 17-0 lead with tries from Wycherly and O'Byrne.  Zebre had just one try to show for a 2nd half purple patch and as they struggled in their own muddy 22 in the final 10 minutes, O'Mahony & Scannell tries pinched a handy BP.  Chris Farrell also returned to action.

IRELAND'S NEXT OPPONENTS

(ENGLAND)

ENGLAND 37-18 AUSTRALIA

Why doesn't Owen Farrell do Christmas presents? Because he knows nothing about wrapping. 😉 Peyper's no-arms non-call was wrong, but the penalty try and yellow card wouldn't have helped these below-par Wallabies.  England took charge literally from the kickoff and it should've taken more than a scintillating Folau line for a 13-13 HT score.  A similar Daly line quickly restored the lead however, with Cokasigna and ironically Farrell completing the rout, and tight-head Kyle Sinckler named MotM.

80-word reviews from the weekend of Nov 16-18

SCOTLAND 20-26 SOUTH AFRICA

Two tries each at Murrayfield, all of them before HT with both teams showing impressive open play offloading and Hamish Watson finishing off an innovative lineout move.   They were level at 20-20 in the 2nd half when an extremely harsh yellow for Willie le Roux seemed to give the Scots a great chance yet it was actually the Springboks who nudged ahead when shorthanded and a late Jantjies penalty sealed the win.  Hogg's early withdrawal will be a concern.

FRANCE 28-13 ARGENTINA

Worst possible start for France with Médard forced off, Moyano scoring a try and the restart out on the full, all in the opening minutes. But the home side grew into the game and their backs led by Bastereaud and Fickou combined well for Fall to finish tries either side of HT. Then a couple of bad Puma errors in the closing stages allowed France to stretch the winning margin further. Les Blues deservedly avoided 6th loss on the bounce.

WALES 74-24 TONGA

If a team wearing all black had to score 70+ on this particular day, Irish fans are happy it was Wales. An early penalty try and yellow card was a good start and by 20m it was 24-3. But then somehow by 43m the Tongans had managed to claw back three tries and 24-all before the likes of MotM Biggar and Liam Williams reimposed their domination to bring the home side's try total to ten at full time.

ITALY 7-26 AUSTRALIA

Cheika tinkered with his backline again with Toomua at 10 and Foley 12, but it was 0-0 for half an hour despite both sides having chances, including a Tebaldi interception curiously ruled offside. A Koroibete brace ended the stalemate. More controversy at the start of the second half as Pocock seemed to block for "Tongan Thor" yet the prop's try stood. A prolonged Italian purple patch only earned a Bellini try and Genia got Australia's 4th at the death.

ENGLAND 35-15 JAPAN

A good start for a mostly second-string England as they pounced on a poor kick to run it back for an early Danny Care try, but then Japan with energetic, enterprising & efficient rugby dominated territory & possession and should have led by more than 15-10 at HT. Owen Farrell was unleashed for the 2nd half yet the Brave Blossoms' lead lasted to the 58th minute when first Wilson, then the dangerous Cokasinga and finally xxx sealed the home win. 

80-word reviews from the weekend of Nov 9-11

ENGLAND 15-16 NEW ZEALAND

Dream start for England in nightmare conditions as early AB errors led to an Ashton try and Farrell DG; then a massive maul hauled Hartley over for 15-0.  A full house of AB scores (McKenzie try, Barrett Con, pen & DG) got them within two and a further pen nudged them ahead with 20m left. MotM Rettalick pinched key lineouts and a Lawes block that put Underhill over was judged offside. England impressed in an enthralling test but fell short. 

WALES 9-6 AUSTRALIA

Lydiate. Tipuric. Hooper. Pocock. With such a plethora of possession poaching power on the park, it's no surprise that tries were hard to come by for both teams.  The Wallabies might say they probably should have taken three-point penalty chances in the third quarter.  The Welsh might say they could have won by more after a pair of uncharacteristic first half Halfpenny misses, though they're more likely to be happy about finally overcoming this particular opposition after several attempts.

FRANCE 26-29 SOUTH AFRICA

France came for high tempo rugby, South Africa to slow them down.  They were locked at 9-9 until tries either side of HT from Guirado and Bastareaud pushed them ahead.  Then Vahaamahina spilled the restart allowing Nkosi to start the comeback.   Serin and Pollard, both on fire from the tee, kicked some penalties leaving the margin at four.  An enthralling finish saw penalties bring SA the length of the pitch for Mbonami to snatch victory in the 85th minute.

SCOTLAND 54-17 FIJI

Structured rugby can often take time to get results against the unpredictable Fijians yet with Finn Russell pulling the strings,  the Scots forged a 14-3 lead. Mata and Radradra struck back to put the visitors ahead but poor discipline then brought penalties, yellows and 2 Maitland tries either side of HT. They cracked on from there to reach 8 tries by the end including a Tommy Seymour hat-trick and look ready for next week's visit by the Springboks. 

ITALY 28-17 GEORGIA

In a perfect test of their "ready to join 6 Nations" credentials, the Lelos crossed first but a strong Campagnaro finish pegged them back.  Then a needless yellow gave the Italians time to wear down the defence and with the pack led by Dean Budd in control, they ran in three more tries before the end of the third quarter.  A penalty try got Georgia closer but they couldn't capitalise on the yellow that went with it. Handy home win.

80-word reviews from weekend of Nov 2-4

"Just the four" matches for review

this week what with both

Leinster & Ireland in action

LEINSTER'S NEXT OPPONENTS

(OSPREYS)

OSPREYS 20-29 GLASGOW

Cracknell and Dirksen got the first and last tries of the match for the home side, but in between, led by Sam Davies their one-dimensional approach was stalling against Glasgow's dogged defence.  Meanwhile the Scots were efficiently making the most of chances down the other end with four tries including a hat trick from Matawalu and the BP score from MotM Nick Grigg, each of which involved its own special creation.  The Ospreys clearly missed their test players more.

OTHER IRISH PROVINCES

BENETTON 10-15 ULSTER

Posting just 3 points against Leinster the previous week clearly inspired Benetton to throw everything at Ulster from the start and Faiva went over early.  But despite continuing to dominate territory & possession for the rest of the half they couldn't add to their lead.  Ulster led by McCloskey's strong carries came out strongly in the second half and nudged ahead with tries from Reidy & Herring and from there the teams cancelled each other out giving Ulster a handy away win.

CHEETAHS 26-30 MUNSTER

With Bill Johnston playing a solid 10, Munster built a 22-5 lead including tries either side of the break despite a Kloete yellow.  But the Pro14's South African sides seem to have a knack for purple patches and three converted tries put the Cheetahs ahead but van Graan's men, resplendent in their (blue-ish?) away kit came roaring back and Healey crashed over to secure a 5-2 split of MPs just like Southern Kings v Leinster earlier.

OTHER PRO 14 CONFERENCE B

EDINBURGH 31-21 SCARLETS

Despite dominating the first half and powering to three tries, Edinburgh went in to the break only three points ahead as their visitors made the most of just two chances.  The Scarlets then owned the "championship minutes" and when Simon Hickey saw yellow they forced agead through McNichol, but Cockerill's men regrouped well and still with 14 men Schoeman restored the lead and then MotM Bill Mata leapt over a try line ruck for a fifth.  Great result for Leinster!

80-word reviews from weekend Oct 26-28

LEINSTER'S NEXT OPPONENTS

(KINGS)

SOUTHERN KINGS 34-41 SCARLETS

Quite a task for the Kings, hosting last season's finalists in successive weeks, but they made a really good go of part one.  Multiple YouTube-friendly tries from broken play thanks to the likes of Maxisole Banda kept pushing them ahead but often poor discipline let the second-string Scarlets to peg them back until they took the lead for good although the home side salvaged two MPs and probably deserved more.  Plenty of lessons for Leinster to work on. 

OTHER IRISH PROVINCES

ULSTER 36-18 DRAGONS

Ulster didn't have things their own way by any stretch and with properly functioning set pieces (four lineouts lost) could have gotten the fiftyburger. Still their impressive backline mix of power from McCloskey and Addison, plus pace from Lowry and Baloucoune was enough to wrap up the bonus point early. The Dragons showed some decent movement at times and might have pinched a try bonus but too many system errors leave Berch's men empty handed on their travels yet again. 

MUNSTER 25-24 GLASGOW

Munster struck early through Cronin after strong contributions from O'Mahony and Earls but by halftime Glasgow had crept ahead after some fine open play led to two from George Horne.  The dominance continued until his brother Peter got the bonus point on 60m but some missed placekicks came back to haunt him as tries from Wooton & Mathewson set up Rory Scannell to pinch it with a long-range wind-assisted penalty at the death.  A rare 4-2 split of match points.  

OSPREYS 22-17 CONNACHT

In the rare regional rugby surroundings  of Bridgend RFC, two early Connacht errors led to pacy Osprey winger Giles stealing in for tries.  Carty pulled back a DG but the teams cancelled each other out for 40m until Morgan dotted down with McCusker on the naughty step.  The Westies pulled level with tries from Aki and Butler but when Carty kicked out on the full, it allowed Allen to set up Evans for a TMO-checked winner at the death.

MORE PRO 14 CONFERENCE B

ZEBRE 34-16 EDINBURGH

Hard to fault Cockerill for making 10 changes against Zebre after thrashing 3-time Euro champs the week before, and it looked to be paying off when they led 13-3 at HT.  But Michael Bradley had the better team talk and while his side were defending like a brick wall after the break, they were taking advantagesof concentration lapses to creep ahead and clinch a BP at the death.  Much ground lost by Embra on Conference B rivals. 

BLEDISLOE TEST

AUSTRALIA 20-37 NEW ZEALAND

For neutrals in the Yokohama crowd this did much to whet the appetite for RWC2019.  But for Michael Cheika it was proof that no matter how he shuffled his backline, they won't match these All Blacks.  In fairness Folau is a decent 13 and they played to their strengths but too many errors and penalties plus Beauden Barrett being 'in the zone' meant the margin never got less than four.  NZL certainly look ready to conquer Europe again in November.

Click here for our full Benetton v Leinster writeup

80-word reviews from weekend Oct 19-21

LEINSTER'S NEXT EURO OPPONENTS

(BATH)

WASPS 35-35 BATH

A draw with ten converted tries sounds like a classic though I doubt defensive coaches would agree. Bath took an early 14pt lead but a senseless Louw yellow let the hosts pull back. Pick of the bunch were team tries finished by Wasps' Johnson and Young, but the lead changed so often it was like neither wanted to win. Davies on his Bath debut missed a late penalty; not sure if 3 match points was much good to either side.

OTHER IRISH PROVINCES

MUNSTER 36-22 GLOUCESTER

Another big BP win for Munster over Gloucester, but unlike their famous 2003 meeting, it was the English who nearly provided the "miracle". Cipriani's red card for a dangerous tackle meant his side played an hour with 14 men yet after Haley, Marshall, MotM Carbery, Arnold & Conway tries sealed the win, Munster's own discipline crumbled in the closing stages and one more Glaws score could've pinched not one but two BPs. Still, 7 points from 2 matches a satisfying start.

RACING 92 44-12 ULSTER

Ulster played better than the final score suggests and they actually led 12-3 after 27m thanks to well-worked tries by Shanahan and Stockdale. But defensive cracks started showing and they were 12-17 down by 33m and couldn't score again as their hosts pushed on in the second half to wrap up the BP. Zebo got the 5th and had to apologize to Lowry for over-celebrating. Overall Racing look set to go deep in the competition again.

OTHER CHAMPIONS CUP

LEICESTER TIGERS 46-27 SCARLETS

Absorbing contest from start to finish unless defensive concentration is your thing. Both teams seemed keen to tee up their opposition to play to their attacking strengths; Leicester with their strong carries from MotM Manu & his mates, the Scarlets with quick passing through the hands. Three times and with four tries the home side built double digit leads…the Welsh managed two comebacks but didn't have the time nor the disciplíne for a third and couldn't even salvage a BP.

NEWCASTLE 23-20 MONTPELLIER

The Falcons built a 10 point lead with Hodgson pulling the strings as well as their defence withstanding a 28-phase onslaught before halftime.  Montpellier then forged ahead by 4 with Pienaar placekicks and a mauled try but as they tried to close out against 14 men, a couple of penalties the other way got Newcastle to 5m out where they bravely trundled 39 phases back and forth in the 22 until Callum Chick got it over in minute 89.