Impressive Conor Murray (picture from http://bit.ly/hr20dk )
Munster 21 79
Leinster 21 65
Ulster 21 63
Blues 20 60
Ospreys 21 59
Scarlets 21 57
It all went fairly according to plan , Ulster, the Blues, Scarlets and Leinster all won, it was the Ospreys, the new bad boys (as in not good) of Welsh rugby, who have to hang their heads in shame. Losing to Munster is no disgrace, but at home, with what was as at stake in the match, was a tiny bit of a disgrace. Jerry Collins was the villain, who gave away the penalty, that lead to the line out, that lead to the maul, that lead to the offside, that lead to the penalty, that lead to the loss.
Pretty gut wrenching for the Ospreys, but can I go wading in again will ill informed judgment, but if Hook wouldn’t stay there for a million pounds, they are not happy campers at the moment. They need players who wouldn’t move for a million pounds. The Osprey pack had a few stand out performances, Alwyn Jones looked good, but not too much was happening behind them. For Munster, Connor Murray is growing with each game and shows the home grown production line is still functioning and Felix Jones shows the Leinster academy works well too!
I saw the Ulster Connacht match too, and it was a fair result in the end. Ulster had to work for it though, they have an irritating habit of switching off at key moments in a match – just after they’ve scored for instance. Their own Cave man made the game safe in the last few minutes, and with the Ospreys losing, their future in making the playoffs is in their own hands.
Leinster’s match at Airoldi was a bit of a squad work out, but they have pretty awesome strength in depth now. A bonus point would have been nice, but a win is a win.
Aviva
Leicester Tigers 21 73
Saracens 21 72
Gloucester 21 62
Northampton 21 61
London Irish 21 54
Bath 20 53
Exiles are knackered at this stage, they fell off the pace earlier in the season and have never really come back from that. The Saints were more than they could handle, even at home. Elsewhere, Saracens got a bonus point win out of Gloucester, and Bath thumped Wasps. If my maths is right, Bath are still in contention, although they’re looking for Leeds to do them a massive favour.
Shark Bite
Sweet! Four try bonus point over the Canes! Even though I flippantly predicted it, I never really saw it coming. The Bulls sucked again, the Lions always suck, and the Cheetahs and Storemers weren’t playing so they couldn’t suck this week. And nice one by the Highlanders, beating the Crusaders! The Crusaders and the AB’s are not the same team without their DC10.
The Magners League
Saturday , April 23
Aironi Rugby 8 - 20 Leinster
Ospreys 20 - 22 Munster
Friday , April 22
Ulster 27 - 16 Connacht
Edinburgh 27 - 15 Newport-Gwent D'gons
Glasgow 29 - 37 Scarlets
Thursday , April 21
Cardiff Blues 29 - 9 Benetton Treviso
Aviva Premiership
Sunday , April 24
Saracens 35 - 12 Gloucester
Leeds Carnegie 3 - 38 Harlequins
Saturday , April 23
London Irish 20 - 26 Northampton
Wasps 10 - 43 Bath
Friday , April 22
Sale 24 - 30 Exeter
Newcastle 13 - 24 Leicester
Super Rugby
Saturday , April 23
Crusaders 18 - 26 Highlanders
Reds 19 - 15 Waratahs
Western Force 26 - 21 Bulls
Lions 30 - 34 Chiefs
Sharks 40 - 24 Hurricanes
Friday , April 22
Blues 40 - 23 Melbourne Rebels
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