Rugby -The Irish provinces ride out like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Apocalypse Now for London Irish, and take a bow the Sharks

The Irish provinces rode out this weekend like the Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse - Conquest, War, Pixie Dancer and Death. (Famine was on holiday so his brother stood in) Leinster preserved their unbeaten home record this season with a tidy win over the Scarlets. A big crowd at the RDS watched Johnny Sexton kick 16 points, with the win taking Leinster up to 2nd, until the Ospreys hammered Glasgow the next time. It’s impressive to see how the young guns in the backline step up when they need to. It was Ireland 2 Italy nil as Ulster accounted for Aironi without any problems, although they’ll feel like they let the bonus point get away, and Connacht overcame Treviso at the Sportsground. Munster then put the cherry on top the next day with a 5 point win over the Dragons. Try machine Doug Howlett ran in another couple, and Johne Murhpy had a good game, with Paul Warwick adding his customary cultured boot to proceedings. That cemented their position on the top of the Magners League.


Exiles

I might have very slightly overestimated London Irish’s potential this weekend (cough). I was wondering – would they get the bonus point win? Yes,no? Never mind the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, this was Apocalypse Now – the horror, the horror! Leeds, marooned at the bottom of the league, rose up to smite the Exiles. Tough times for Irish. Weekend of upsets in the Premiership, as Saracens, Newcastle and Exeter beat more fancied opposition.

 

Willem Alberts Picture from: http://bit.ly/dXwwl8

Shark Bite

The Sharks made it three from three in Super Rugby with a 5 point win over the Force. The Force had 14 men on the pitch most of the match after a red card, and 13 at the end. Patrick Lambie is growing with each game, Willem Alberts is rumbling along nicely, Stefan Terblanche gets better with age, their scrum is sensational and their backline looks potent. Is this the Sharks season?

Magners League

Edinburgh 11 - 16 Cardiff Blues

Leinster 26 - 15 Scarlets

Ulster 23 - 10 Aironi Rugby

Ospreys 37 - 6 Glasgow

Munster 38 - 17 Newport-Gwent D'gons

Super Rugby

Lions 32 - 41 Blues

Crusaders 33 - 18 Waratahs

Chiefs 38 - 10 Melbourne Rebels

Stormers 21 - 15 Cheetahs

Brumbies 25 - 31 Reds

Bulls 28 - 35 Highlanders

Western Force 12 - 39 Sharks

Aviva Premiership

Newcastle 33 - 18 Harlequins

Gloucester 34 - 22 Bath

Leicester 14 - 15 Saracens

Leeds Carnegie 27 - 19 London Irish

Wasps 33 - 26 Sale

Exeter 30 - 9 Northampton