Sunday, March 23, 2014

Connacht shone, and Ulster, Leinster and Munster didn't!


 (picture http://bit.ly/1islXAC)

Well, forget the sparkle, the Irish teams were mostly in dire, but winning form this weekend.
I didn’t see the Ulster match, as did hardly anybody because a technical broadcasting fault, but that was just as well, for a match with four penalties only scored. Ulster came out the right side of it, but it didn’t sound like thrilling stuff.

I started watching Leinster’s match, against lowly Zebre after half time, and spared myself the fumble fest that was the first half. Not that it got much better – Leinster had a purple patch of about 10 minutes  where they scored two tries, and squeezed one out at the end, but it was pretty ordinary stuff. I guess they haven’t been playing much , and the big guns are still out. I hope they play better next weekend! Luke Fitzgerald, Richardt Strauss and Jordi Murphy were the only highlights for me.

I watched most of the Munster match, for my sins, and it was not great. It was freezing, raining and they haven’t played together recently, but still.. they got two tries they would have been outraged to have awarded against them (although they surely should have had a penalty try), no bonus point…no doubt they’ll turn it around for next week, but they’ll need to! That was also the most limp, indecisive reffing I’ve ever seen. Felix Jones though, had a stormer, and was easily the best player on the field.

Finally, it was up to Connacht to spare Irelands blushes and turn in a rousing four try victory over the Dragons at Rodney Parade, not an easy place to go at all. They are finding some good form, the Galwegians, and have charged up to 7th in the table.

RaboDirect PRO12
Sunday , March 23
Newport Gwent D'gons 8 - 24 Connacht
Saturday , March 22
Glasgow 14 - 6 Scarlets 
Munster 14 - 3 Benetton Treviso 
Friday , March 21
Ospreys 34 - 9 Cardiff Blues 
Leinster 27 - 0 Zebre 
Edinburgh 3 - 9 Ulster 

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