Shaggy! Picture from http://bit.ly/h4FUIm
On Friday I caught the second half of the Connacht/Pinks match. And I don’t want to sound preachy or anything but I did warn Connacht not to make Bradley Davis cross. And did they listen? No, and of course, he got angry, hulked out and scored the try that sealed the match for the Pinks. The Blues came in to the second half behind, but they soon had Connacht on the back foot, indiscipline told and two yellow cards later the match was gone. The second was a bit unlucky though. One thing you have to say about Connacht is that they aren’t going to die wondering, they give it full tilt all the time, and their physicality is top notch. The Dragons/Ospreys match sounded pretty good – not a night to remember for the Ospreys. And Mike Phillips not playing because Rodney Parade was a ‘hostile place to go to’. Now I don’t know all the background, but when did ignorance ever stop you having a good opinion? My two cents worth is maybe that’s why the Ospreys don’t reach the heights they want to, they should stop feckin’ around and just play rugby. Hostile place? Please!
Saturday I watched a bit of the Munster match and I wasn’t blown away. Munster fielded pretty well an academy side, bolstered by a bit of crucial experience, and Scarlets, with 8 internationals on the pitch, at home, should have taken them. I could understand why Munster weren’t firing on all cylinders with such a young side, and for them it was a good win. What was Scarlet’s excuse though?
Then the big match of the weekend for me, the Leinster Ulster Derby. Ulster brought as strong a team as they could muster, while Leinster rested a few of their top stars, and introduced other from the bench. O’Malley and McFadden looked sharp in the centres, Shane Horgan is in amazing form, and Sexton, Strauss and Nacewa just get better and better. For Ulster, Craig Gilroy is a star in the making, and Rory Best is playing out of his skin at the moment. There was a fair dose of derby argy bargy, but what else would you expect? Good win for Leinster, and good to see Ulster never lying down, playing to the end, desperate to try and get even one point out of the match.
Can I be smug for the Irish teams, in one two and three?
Exiles
Sale had a record 15000 crowd to watch this match, who got to see a 5 point win by London Irish. Things are looking up for the Exiles, sitting in 5th place and looking to get in to the play offs. Steffon Armitage scored in the last minute to get the bonus point. Elsewhere Gloucester got a good draw against Leicester.
Super Rugby
The Sharks didn’t play this weekend, but the smell from the South African teams is not good. The Bulls look shagged – they all look shagged. Just in time for the World Cup.
The Magners League
Saturday , April 16
Benetton Treviso 19 - 16 Glasgow
Scarlets 6 - 13 Munster
Leinster 34 - 26 Ulster
Friday , April 15
Newport-Gwent D'gons 32 - 28 Ospreys
Connacht 12 - 26 Cardiff Blues
Edinburgh 32 - 15 Aironi Rugby
Super Rugby
Sunday , April 17
Brumbies 19 - 27 Western Force
Saturday , April 16
Blues 31 - 17 Waratahs
Reds 39 - 30 Bulls
Lions 19 - 33 Stormers
Cheetahs 47 - 50 Hurricanes
Friday , April 15
Chiefs 16 - 34 Crusaders
Melbourne Rebels 18 - 40 Highlanders
Aviva Premiership
Sunday , April 17
Wasps 51 Leeds Carnegie 18
Saturday , April 16
Bath 19 - 15 Harlequins
Leicester 41 - 41 Gloucester
Exeter 12 - 33 Saracens
Sale 20 - 34 London Irish
Friday , April 15
Newcastle 15 - 22 Northampton
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