04-18-2010, 03:14 PM
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#15 (permalink)
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Pensacola, FL
Posts: 588
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Dragons v Edinburgh:
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Elsewhere on Sunday, wing Will Harries grabbed a hat-trick as the Dragonsproduced a top-drawer second-half display to beat play-off chasing Edinburgh49-28 at Rodney Parade. The Welshmen went over seven times in total to keep their own slight chances of the title alive. The seventh-placed Dragons can still make the play-offs themselves after this triumph but have been buoyed by the Cardiff Blues win over the Scarlets on Saturday that ensured them Heineken Cup rugby next season. Dragons scrum-half Wayne Evans crossed for the first try of the game but that lead did not last long as, almost straight from the re-start, Edinburgh's Scotland international outside-half Phil Godman picked up on a loose ball and fed flanker Alan MacDonald to go over under the posts. Godman's conversion put Edinburgh 7-5 ahead but a blast through the middle from 25 metres out by centre Ashley Smith restored the Dragons' lead. Evans converted as regular kicker Jason Tovey was being treated for an injury that ended his game Dragons loose-head prop Hugh Gustafson was sin-binned for dropping the scrum on his own line midway through the half which, moments later, led to referee James Jones awarding a penalty try that gave Edinburgh a 14-12 lead. Tovey's replacement, James Arlidge, restored the home advantage with a penalty and Harries increased it with a good try right on half-time. And it just got even better for the Dragons in the next 40 minutes as Edinburgh missed tackles and created little in the way of attack. Arlidge added another penalty after the break and Harries the other two tries before the hour to complete his hat-trick. With some renewed vigour in the final quarter, Edinburgh gave themselves a slender hope as centre Ben Cairns went under the posts, with Godman's conversion meaning they could draw with two more converted tries. However, any revival was killed off completely when wing Richard Fussell grabbed a sixth touchdown and fullback Martyn Thomas scored a spectacular 60-metre effort. To their credit, Edinburgh fought to gets
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Connacht v Munster:
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Munsterkept their play-off hopes alive with an 18-12 victory over in-form Connachtat the Sportsgrounds. Fielding a back line that included three debutants, Munster led 11-7 at half-time having played with the wind advantage, and a converted try shortly after the break from fullback Scott Deasy proved the decisive score. No.8 George Naoupu, who had another excellent game for Connacht, worked his way over for a try on the hour mark, but despite ending the game in the Munster 22, Michael Bradley's men could not break down the red defensive wall. The victory moved Munster up to third in the league table, but Connacht, who host Leinster in a rearranged match on Wednesday, will feel this was a missed opportunity. A ruck infringement from Connacht cpatain John Muldoon after four minutes in was punished by a well-struck opening penalty from Paul Warwick who doubled his side's lead a few minutes later. But Connacht's first visit to the Munster 22, sparked by an Ian Keatley break, saw Johnny O'Connor power over in the corner with Keatley's pinpoint conversion made it 7-6. Connacht continued to see plenty of ball but Munster's big forwards were winning the collisions, as evidenced by Nick Williams' hand-off on Naoupu in the lead-up to Niall Ronan's 31st-minute score. The visitors increased their lead just two minutes after the break, as Williams sent Simon Zebo through a gap and the debutant winger popped a one-handed pass for Deasy to go over for a try which Warwick did brilliantly to convert. A deliberate knock on saw Zebo sin-binned and just a minute later, Naoupu used quick ruck ball to score in the left corner, although replacement Miah Nikora was off target with the conversion attempt. And Munster had enough in reserve to see out their first away win in the league since September.
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