04-23-2010, 05:52 PM
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#18 (permalink)
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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Leinster are away to Glasgow without their usual XV:
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Glasgow closed in on a home semi-final in this season's Magners League play-offs wih a 30-6 victory over leaders Leinster at Firhill Arena.
Three Glasgow tries came courtesy of Bernardo Stortoni and Rob Dewey (2), while Dan Parks kicked three conversions and three penalties on what could be his final appearance at Firhill. Glasgow were looking to complete a clean sweep of the Irish sides at Firhill this season, while Leinster were seeking their first win in Glasgow since May 2006.
With a top-four finish already guaranteed and a Heineken Cup semi-final in eight days' time to prepare for, Leinster fielded a largely second-string XV, and inexperience cost the visitors with Rhys Ruddock, Trevor Hoggan, Dom Ryan and Mike Ross all spending time in the sin-bin.
The contest did not look like a mis-match in the early stages, however, with Glasgow out of sorts and making some poor decisions, with experienced scrum half Chris Cusiter a notable sinner. Leinster were unable to take advantage, however, missing two penalties inside 12 minutes through fullback Ian Madigan. Glasgow broke the deadlock after 23 minutes when Stortoni crossed the line for a try which was converted by Parks to bring his career points total for Glasgow to 1500.
The young Leinster team were not about to go down without a fight, though, and two penalties inside two minutes from Madigan cut the lead to 7-6. Glasgow finished the half strongly, though, with two penalties from Parks - the second of those from a foul which saw Ryan sin-binned - extending their lead to 13-6 at the interval.
Four minutes after the re-start Leinster found themselves down to 13 when Hogan was sin-binned for a high tackle on Cusiter. Parks missed the subsequent kick but atoned when he struck his third penalty of the contest through the posts six minutes later. When Cusiter's darting run was crudely ended by Ruddock on 54 minutes Leinster saw another player spend time in the sin-bin, while the referee also handed out a fourth yellow card to Ross after 71 minutes.
With Leinster short-handed for much of the second period, Glasgow set up camp inside their opponents' 22, but the hosts could only profit to the tune of two tries by Dewey. The first of those arrived on 63 minutes when Dewey dashed over following a line out, while the substitute wrapped up a victory that takes Glasgow second in the standings with another effort at the death after latching onto a kick from Parks.
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Cardiff v Dragons:
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Elsewhere on Friday, Cardiff Blues kept their feint Magners League play-off hopes alive with a 20-14 victory over the Dragons at Rodney Parade. The Blues are just outside the top four play-off places. They could get through if the Ospreys beat Munster on Saturday and then they beat the Irishmen at Cardiff City Stadium in a fortnight. The result almost certainly ends the Dragons' chances of reaching those play-offs unless they benefit from a mathematical miracle.
Both sides were hit by injuries and unavailability ahead of the match. Significantly, the Blues lost Wales international loose-head prop Gethin Jenkins with a foot injury plus flanker Martyn Williams and All Blacks centre Casey Laulala. The Dragons lost five players from the squad that beat Edinburgh on Sunday, including talismanic outside-half Jason Tovey, who has concussion, and Wales international lock Luke Charteris.
And with a lot on the line for both teams including a play-off place and, most importantly, local bragging rights, neither side wanted to give an inch in the opening moments. But, after Wales wing Leigh Halfpenny missed a long-range penalty in the opening minute, the Dragons went ahead when outside-half James Arlidge booted a penalty. They then went 8-0 up when a move begun by skipper Tom Willis' drive ended with flanker Gavin Thomas feeding prop Ben Castle for an unconverted corner touchdown.
The match reached the interval as an average if intensely-fought affair. Blues centre Jamie Roberts helped with the move that gave his side their first points when the Dragons infringed on their 22 for full-back Ben Blair to easily boot a penalty. However, the Cardiff team lost an important component of their side when big number eight Andy Powell was led off the pitch with a calf injury, and that could be a worry for the Blues' Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final against London Wasps next Saturday.
The Dragons nearly got a second try when a surge into the Blues' 22 saw number eight Toby Faletau pick-up from a ruck and feed wing Will Harries for a corner touchdown but referee Alain Rolland ruled it out for a forward pass. Head coach Dai Young must have given the Blues a stern word at half-time because they came out with more purpose after the break and forced the home region into mistakes. From these, Blair had two kickable penalties but pushed both wide of the posts before taking his third opportunity from 20 metres when the Dragons strayed offside.
And finally the Blues had their say with two tries in the space of a few minutes on the hour mark that put distance between them and the Dragons. It was former Dragons outside-half Ceri Sweeney who grab the first of those two when he booted a high kick into the home 22 only for full-back Martyn Thomas to slip and allow Sweeney to re-capture the ball and score. Then an excellent move down the right saw Halfpenny set up replacement Gavin Evans for a run-in.
Blair converted both to give his side a 20-8 lead going into the final quarter. The Dragons suffered another big blow, with a clash against the Ospreys looming next week, when Thomas was stretchered off with a badly damaged ankle that saw him taken straight to hospital. Another Arlidge penalty got the Dragons within sight of a losing bonus point and, deep into injury time, they achieved it with another penalty by the Kiwi.
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