Sunday, December 18, 2016

Wins this weekend for #Connacht and #Leinster!

 
 Ross Byrne

Munster faced a Leicester Tigers team hurting from the absolute battering they got last weekend, and couldn't quite bring the same intensity. The Tigers were much better, in particular at the ruck where Connor Murray didn't have the armchair ride his forwards gave him last weekend. Having said that, Munster only lost in the last minute, they are made of stern stuff these days, and still nearly impregnable at home you'd think.

Connacht and Wasps played out a real humdinger in Galway, despite the difference in sizes between the clubs. That a relative minnow like Connacht can compete on an equal footing with a giant club like Wasps is testament to the work Pat Lam has put into the province. Connacht just managed to snatch in the last minute, first a penalty with 10 seconds to go, the try, then Jack Carty with cohones of steel slotting the conversion to give them the win. Bundee Aki dropping the F-bomb in the man of the match interview. Fantastic stuff all round!

Leinster knocked the stuffing out of Northampton, a try for everybody in the audience! No doubt, the Saints weren't at full strength...and should have been, but Leinster still had to keep the focus to score 9 tries, with two each for Isa Nacewa, and qualified biomachinical engineer Adam Byrne! Sean Cronin immediately talked about the Munster match in the post match interview, so I don't think that they are carried away by that result. Pretty handy performance by Leinster's fourth choice fly half,  Ross Byrne.

Finally, Clermont just had too much  for Ulster, turning in some champagne rugby to get the bonus point win.

 Friday 16th December
European Rugby Champions Cup
Glasgow Warriors 23 7 Racing 92
Saturday 17th December
European Rugby Champions Cup
Bordeaux-Begles 12 20 Exeter FT
Leicester Tigers 18 16 Munster FT
Toulouse 54 15 Zebre FT
Connacht 20 18 Wasps FT
Leinster 60 13 Northampton
Sunday 18th December
European Rugby Champions Cup
Castres 29 23 Montpellier FT
Scarlets 22 21 Toulon FT
Clermont Auvergne 38 19 Ulster FT
Sale Sharks 10 26 Saracens