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**dudeabides** · 04-14-2010, 08:36 PM

Previews of the upcoming weekends' matches, including the same Ospreys taking on a Leinster squad hoping to clinch the semifinals:

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The Magners League play-off picture should be a lot clearer after this weekend's action, with leaders Leinster on the verge of becoming the first side to guarantee themselves a top-four finish.

Michael Cheika's men solidified their position at the summit of the standings with a tight but thoroughly deserved victory over Munster at Thomond Park in round 16 a fortnight ago. Indeed, Leinster now enjoy a four-point advantage over their closest challenges, the Ospreys, having played one game less.

However, given their continued involvement in European competition, they will be keen to book their play-off ticket as quickly as possibly, not least because it would allow them to rest players ahead of their Heineken Cup showdown with Toulouse. Leinster's cause has not been aided, though, by the loss of some key personnel to injury, with star centre Brian O'Driscoll, Lions fullback Rob Kearney and first-choice fly-half Jonathan Sexton all having been ruled out.

Still, the province is squaring up to an Ospreys side that is sure to be feeling a tad jaded after a week in which they racked up plenty of air miles after travelling to San Sebastian, where they suffered a heartbreaking Heineken Cup exit at the hands of Biarritz, and then on to Belfast for a rescheduled Magners League meeting with Ulster, whom they defeated 38-27 in an exciting encounter.

Elsewhere, Munster will be feeling pretty good about themselves once more after putting the pain of that home reversal against Leinster behind them by progressing to the last four of the Heineken Cup with a fine victory over Northampton Saints last Saturday.

However, their opponents this weekend, Connacht, are hardly wanting for confidence at the moment after edging out Bourgoin in an absorbing European Challenge Cup quarter-final clash at the Sportsground last weekend. There is now a real sense of belief in Galway that the Westerners are poised to finally secure a place in the Heineken Cup, one way or another.

The Dragons are five points off a play-off berth but they have not yet given up on sneaking into the top four. However, if they are to do so they simply have to beat Edinburgh at Rodney Parade on Sunday. It will certainly be interesting to see how Edinburgh respond after blowing a glorious opportunity to edge closer to a home draw in the play-offs by succumbing to a late Miah Nikora penalty in their clash with Connacht last time out.

Glasgow are hoping that they can secure the play-off place that their vastly-improved form this season warrants and they will put themselves in a fine position to do just that if they can dispose of an Ulster side that will doubtless be somewhat battle-weary after Tuesday's defeat at home to the Ospreys. However, this is a massive match for the visitors in terms of Heineken Cup qualification as they are now just four points above provincial rivals Connacht, having played one game more than Michael Bradley's men.

Glasgow, though, have been buoyed by the return of openside flanker John Barclay, who has recovered from the stomach bug which forced him to pull out of the starting line-up for the game against the Dragons a fortnight ago.

Meanwhile, the Cardiff Blues are, mathematically at least, still in play-off contention and they looked mightily impressive in last weekend's European Challenge Cup rout of Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park. However, while they should have too much for the hapless Scarlets, who are now in very real danger of finishing bottom after seeing their advantage over basement boys Connacht reduced to just two points, Dai Young's men have probably already accepted that Europe now represents their only chance of lifting some silverware this term.

**dudeabides** · 04-16-2010, 04:35 PM

Leinster v Ospreys:

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Leinster were in danger of suffering their first home Magners League defeat since September 2008 before taking a stranglehold in the second half and running out narrow winners against the Ospreys.

This top-of-the-table clash fizzed along in the opening period with the Ospreys very much in the ascendancy.

An impressive display from fly-half Dan Biggar, who converted his own try and kicked three penalties, had the visitors 16-10 ahead at the interval.

But Leinster's canny knack of finishing on top in tight games helped them edge ahead in the second half, with centre Fergus McFadden converting Shaun Berne's try and grabbing the insurance points from a late penalty.

Both sides were much changed from their last outings and there were also late alterations as scrum-half Paul O'Donohoe came into the Leinster team and Gareth Owen replaced Lee Byrne at full-back for the Ospreys.

The visitors managed to dominate the first half in terms of possession and territory, with a decidedly flat Leinster side making only two visits to the Welsh region's 22.

Still, Leinster opened the scoring against the run of play in the 12th minute. Back rowers Filo Tiatia and Jerry Collins linked in midfield as the Ospreys rumbled into the home 22.

But, off the ensuing ruck, Biggar's looping pass was too ambitious, Isa Nacewa plucked it out of the air and the Auckland-born winger had the pace to run over unopposed from 80 metres.

McFadden tapped over the conversion but discipline and restarts - two areas Leinster coach Michael Cheika singled out for additional work after last weekend's Heineken Cup quarter-final win - let the hosts down again.

The Ospreys attacked with vigour off the restart, and Biggar traded penalties with McFadden before the men in white bossed the remainder of the opening half.

The talented number 10 hit a monster penalty from just inside the Leinster half to close the gap to 10-6 and Shane Williams was bundled into touch in the right corner as the Ospreys continued to press out wide.

They adjusted coming up to half-time, finding more space through the middle of the Leinster defence.

Biggar, having missed an earlier drop goal, redeemed himself by waltzing through for a 31st-minute try, shrugging off Mike Ross' challenge after the Ospreys had profited from an Ian Gough lineout steal.

Full-back Owen produced a solid tackle on Nacewa to win turnover ball and an eventual penalty which Biggar dispatched through the uprights with aplomb.

Gordon D'Arcy and Jamie Heaslip tried to inject some pace into Leinster's attacks coming up to the break, but the Ospreys stood firm for a 16-10 half-time lead.

However, it was a different story after the interval as Leinster took the intensity up a notch or two and the Ospreys' effort waned, which was understandable in their third game in six days.

James Hook, the two-try hero against Ulster on Tuesday, could not exert the same influence on proceedings and Australian Berne saw more ball behind an advancing Leinster pack.

McFadden missed an early penalty chance, but Berne settled the league leaders' nerves by breaking the first line of defence, off quick lineout ball, to canter in under the posts on a diagonal run. McFadden converted for a 17-16 lead.

There was a long listless period before McFadden missed the target from a 66th-minute penalty and Berne also had a drop-goal ruled out.

But, despite ending the match on the defensive, Leinster sealed the points with five minutes to go.

Their grip on the game was tightened when Ospreys lock Gough was sin-binned for blocking Berne in midfield as he chased his own chip.

McFadden pulled out all the stops to nail his most difficult kick of the night, driving Leinster to their 14th straight league win at the RDS and putting them within touching distance of the semi-finals.

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**dudeabides** · 04-16-2010, 08:17 PM

Glasgow v Ulster:

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Glasgow maintained their push for the Magners League play-offs with a 25-18 victory over Ulster at the Firhill Arena.

Glasgow fly-half Dan Parks scored 20 points including four vital second-half drop-goals as the Warriors blasted back from a poor first half to sink their Irish rivals. Paul Marshall's fine breakaway try put Ulster ahead but Parks reduced the deficit to 5-3 with a 13th-minute penalty and that is the way it remained until the interval. Ian Humphreys' boot matched Parks and helped Ulster re-establish their five-point cushion at 11-6 but a Graeme Morrison try and three further drop-goals from Parks put the hosts in control. Jamie Smith crossed for a late consolation try for the visitors but it was not enough to prevent a fourth consecutive loss.

Both sides desperately needed the points - Ulster to ensure a Heineken Cup place next season above Connacht, and Glasgow to stay in the running for a Magners League play-off spot. Kevin Tkachuk and John Beattie put Glasgow within sniffing distance of the Ulster line in the opening minutes, but it was the visitors who put the first points on the board.

Ulster scrum-half Marshall spotted the ball on the fringe of a ruck and his three hacks took the ball 80 yards before he touched down. It took Glasgow 10 minutes to get their heads back up but finally a 50-metre break by Max Evans gave them their first threatening position and, when Ulster offended, Parks slotted the penalty.

That should have lifted Glasgow but they were getting nowhere against an Ulster defence which took full advantage of referee Peter Allan's lenient interpretation of the offside law. After a Fergus Thomson break, another spilled ball saw Ulster hack again to the Glasgow line and only desperate cover kept the home line intact. Parks had a chance to put the home team ahead but his penalty drifted wide and, with Chris Henry and David Pollock keeping Glasgow quiet round the fringes, the game limped to half-time with Ulster two points up.

Glasgow's frustration manifested itself in a bust-up between Al Kellock and Chris Henry at the start of the second half before the Scottish side found a more positive direction in which to channel their energies. Colin Shaw and Bernie Stortoni got Glasgow into the red zone and Parks put them ahead with his first drop-goal.

Ulster hit back immediately with a Humphreys penalty and stretched their lead to five points after Moray Low was punished for illegal handling. Stortoni again got in among the Ulster defence and won the penalty for Parks to pull the margin back to two points and again it was the full-back who surged into the heart of the Ulster defence to set up Parks for drop-goal number two.

John Beattie and Dougie Hall then combined to put Morrison away and the big centre burst through two tackles to go over and give Parks the simplest of conversions. Ulster were now tiring, their second match in four days clearly taking its toll. It was all they could do to keep Glasgow at bay but they could not prevent Parks dropping two more goals.

They produced a late push which saw Simon Danielli put Smith over for a final try, with Humphreys' conversion salvaging a vital bonus point for Ulster.

**dudeabides** · 04-17-2010, 04:47 PM

Scarlets v Cardiff:

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Jamie Roberts bagged a brace as the Cardiff Blues produced five tries to beat the Scarlets 39-16 in Saturday evening's Welsh derby at Pairc y Scarlets.

Dai Young's side now have given themselves an outside chance of securing a play-off place with the away win, as Stephen Jones' decision to sign a new contract failing to lift the struggling Llanelli side.

Regan King got them off to a dream start, scoring an 11th minute penalty which Jones converted. Ben Blair kicked a penalty, before Roberts crossed for his first try at the end of the opening quarter, converted by the former All Black. A penalty and drop-goal from Jones edged the Scarlets ahead, but Deiniol Jones scored a try to put the Blues back in front.

Jones kicked an injury time penalty as the hosts led at the break, but they couldn't contain the Blues after the break as they failed to score. Tongan prop Tau Filise was first to score a try, before Roberts secured the bonus point and Richie Rees completed the job with a try.

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**dudeabides** · 04-18-2010, 04:14 PM

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

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.

**dudeabides** · 04-21-2010, 07:51 PM

A rescheduled (weather) Magners League match saw Leinster travel to Galway to play a very in form Connacht:

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Last-placed Connacht stunned Magners League leaders Leinster 27-13 to move off the bottom of the table and boost their chances of qualifying for the Heineken Cup for the first time on Wednesday.

The Sportsground erupted at the final whistle as tries from Brian Tuohy, Michael Swift and Troy Nathan helped Connacht to only their second win over Leinster since 2004 in their rearranged fixture from December's cold snap.

They won this equivalent fixture last year needing the boot of Ian Keatley to see them home at 19-18, but this result shows just how far Michael Bradley's men have progressed even since then.

Connacht are now level on 26 points with Ulster, the side they are challenging for Ireland's final qualification spot in the Heineken Cup. This match seemed set up for Leinster to win and guarantee themselves a home semi-final, especially with Brian O'Driscoll returning from a knee injury in a strong starting line-up.

But Connacht, bouncing back from Sunday's loss to Munster, rose heroically to the occasion with captain John Muldoon and full-back Gavin Duffy simply immense. Connacht weathered an early Leinster storm before a side-stepping break from Duffy had Leinster scrambling back and had Nathan's pass out of the tackle found Tuohy in support on the right, the winger looked set to score.

Connacht had been outmuscled by Munster in the forward exchanges on Sunday, but they were much quicker and sharper at the breakdown in this clash, frustrating Leinster time and again. Big South African CJ van der Linde had the measure of Ronan Loughney in the early scrums, but Connacht avoided a penalty try and secured two priceless turnovers in their 22, the second after Kyle Tonetti had broken the defensive line.

As O'Driscoll and Shaun Berne probed off Eoin Reddan's feeds, Leinster continued to batter away at Connacht's stubborn resistance. Some more committed defence saw prop Stan Wright held up over the try-line. A quick turnover and kick downfield lifted the siege and from the following lineout, Connacht struck from the opening try.

The ball was swept out to the left where Aidan Wynne, Conor O'Loughlin and Sean Cronin all made yardage before Fionn Carr hurdled a close-in ruck and offloaded for Tuohy to nip in under the posts. Miah Nikora added the conversion but was off target with a long range penalty into a slight wind as the first half ended at 7-0.

Leinster introduced Jamie Heaslip and Cian Healy for the second half and with O'Driscoll heavily involved, the eager visitors won an early penalty which Berne nudged over.

But Connacht floored the European champions with a tremendous scoring burst. First, Nikora dinked over a well-taken drop goal and then a thrilling counter attack, sparked by Duffy and continued by a flurry of offloads, ended with lock Swift, the province's most-capped player, racing down the left touchline to score in the corner.

Nikora's conversion added to Connacht's momentum at 17-3 and though Berne clawed back three points, another scintillating run by Duffy set the westerners up for their third try, cheekily scored by Nathan off a ruck in front of the posts.

Replacement Ian Keatley's conversion took Connacht's tally to 24. Leinster needed a break and they got it when Johnny O'Connor, also on as a replacement, was sin-binned for playing the ball on the ground. That was quickly followed by a penalty try - as the home front row gave way - and Berne's drop-kicked conversion closed the gap to 24-13.

But the tireless Muldoon stoked the fires for Connacht once again and when Cian Healy was pinged for not rolling away seven minutes from the end, his old school-mate Keatley converted the penalty to put Bradley's side out of sight.

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**dudeabides** · 04-22-2010, 01:27 PM

Previews of this weekends' matches:

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The Magners League play-off picture is set to become a little clearer this weekend with the penultimate round of the regular season.

Leaders Leinster kick things off on Friday night against fourth-placed Glasgow and need to collect the points after failing to book their home semi-final against basement side Connacht in midweek. But while the Irish province are guaranteed passage into the post-season their Scottish rivals remain on the brink with Edinburgh, Dragons and Cardiff Blues still in the mix.

Leinster have named a young side for the game, with coach Michael Cheika hoping that his fringe player deliver. Paul O'Donohoe and Chris Keane are the halfback combination while hooker Bernard Jackman takes the captain's armband. Scrum-half Chris Cusiter returns to lead the Warriors and Hefin O'Hare replaces DTH van der Merwe on the wing as the Canadian international has a dead leg.

Elsewhere, second plays third with Ospreys facing a daunting trip to Thomond Park to tackle Munster. The Welsh side will be licking their wounds having had their wings clipped by Leinster last time out while Munster's impressive victory over Connacht at the Sportsground leaves them well-placed to push for a priceless home draw in the final four.

Fifth-placed Edinburgh will look to pounce on any slip-ups among the top four as they tackle strugglers Ulster at Murrayfield on Sunday. Defeat at the hands of the Dragons dented the Scottish side's hopes and will need to bounce back to winning ways if they are to reclaim a place in the play-off places. Ulster's hopes of a play-off place have long gone but they will be keen to prevent Connacht beating them to Ireland's third Heineken Cup spot.

Openside Roddy Grant will skipper Edinburgh as Mike Blair has been dropped to the bench, with Greig Laidlaw handed the No.9 jersey. Scotland centre Nick de Luca makes his return in midfield and Ben Cairns shifts to fullback in a backline reshuffle.

Connacht will be looking to bounce back from a midweek mauling at the hands of Leinster with victory over fellow strugglers Scarlets

In the weekend's other game, the Dragons entertain Cardiff Blues at Rodney Parade on Friday night with both sides facing a win-or-bust scenario in their bid to extend their respective seasons. The Blues have handed Sam Warburton the No.7 jersey and Andy Powell switches from blindside to No.8. In the absence of Gethin Jenkins John Yapp starts at loosehead and Paul Tito skippers the side from the second-row.

The Dragons have been dealt several injury blows in the build-up to the game, with promising fly-half Jason Tovey and Wales international Luke Charteris both ruled out. James Arlidge steps in for Tovey, while Hoani MacDonald partners Rob Sidoli at lock in the absence of Charteris.

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**dudeabides** · 04-23-2010, 06:52 PM

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.

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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**dudeabides** · 04-24-2010, 03:42 PM

Munster v Ospreys:

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The Ospreys moved into second place in the Magners League table by edging out Munster 15-11 in a fiercely competitive encounter in Limerick on Saturday evening.

The Welsh region had never won at Thomond Park before but they were good value for a victory which leaves them with an excellent chance of securing a home draw in the end-of-season play-offs. Ronan O'Gara scored the only try of the game, in the closing stages, but the Ireland fly-half was outshone in the goal-kicking stakes by his opposite number Dan Biggar, who didn't miss a single strike on goal.

In the end the difference between the sides was not the accuracy of the their respective fly-halves but hunger. Only in the final quarter when they realised that the game was slipping away from them did Munster, perhaps distracted by next week's Heineken Cup showdown with Biarritz, look like their usual determined selves. The Ospreys, by contrast, were bullish and belligerent from the off.

In saying that, Munster had had the better of what was a desperately underwhelming opening 40 minutes. O'Gara opened the scoring 11 minutes in after Adam Jones had been pinged for not binding in the scrum and the hosts produced the best break of the half when David Wallace burst through the middle only to see the move ultimately peter out after the Scott Deasy, who impressed every time he got his hands on the ball, was swallowed up by the scrambling Ospreys defence after being forced inside.

However, the visitors were in no mood to capitulate as in years gone by and after O'Gara had squandered what looked like a relatively easy three-point, Biggar restored parity with a penalty on 23 minutes after Marcus Horan had been guilty of not releasing.

O'Gara missed another straightforward kick on goal moments later and Biggar showed him how it was done once more when he converted from 35 metres out after Quinlan had infringed at the breakdown.

That proved the final score of a half blighted by unforced handling errors. In fairness to the players, the slippery conditions were certainly a factor in that regard, but there was no doubting the fact that both sides were playing well below their best.

Happily, the quality improved after the restart. The Ospreys certainly upped their intensity after the restart and were rewarded with three more penalties from the boot of Biggar which helped them into a commanding 15-3 advantage. The third of those scores came just seconds after James Coughlan had been yellow carded for hands in the ruck. Munster appeared there for the taking but, as they have done so often in the past, the two-time Heineken Cup champions rallied superbly and actually managed to reduce their arrears whilst down to 14 men, O'Gara splitting the sticks after Holah had been somewhat harshly penalised for not releasing.

O'Gara should have cut Munster's deficit to just six points just after the hour but he inexplicably hit the post from 20 metres out and just to the right of the posts. However, the British & Irish Lion made amends on 71 minutes when he jinked his way over after a sweeping passing Munster move featuring sumptuous passes from Lifeimi Mafi and Tom Gleeson had taken Deasy to within five metres of the Ospreys line.

Crucially, though, O'Gara failed to add the extras and that meant that Munster had to go for a try in the remaining nine minutes. They came desperately close to attaining one but some terrific Ospreys defensive work, most notably crunching tackles from Tommy Bowe and Ryan Bevington on Jean de Villiers and Mick O'Driscoll, ultimately saw them home.

**dudeabides** · 04-25-2010, 03:11 PM

On Sunday, Ulster win and Connacht lose:

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Ulster secured Heineken Cup rugby for next season with a 37-25 bonus point victory over play-off chasing Edinburgh at Murrayfield.

For sorry Edinburgh it was a sad day. A poor performance means their hopes of qualifying for the Magners League play-off are hanging by a thread.Tries by Jamie Smith for Ulster and Tim Visser for Edinburgh with Niall O'Connor and Phil Godman each kicking the conversion and a penalty meant the sides started the second half tied at 10-10.

However a much more slick Ulster secured a good win with second-half tries from Simon Danielli, Ian Whitten, Ian Humphreys and Stephen Ferris while Humphreys added two conversions and a penalty. Edinburgh's tries by Visser and Andy Turnbull were no consolation as Godman converted one and kicked a conversion.

The Scarlets enjoyed a Sunday afternoon stroll against an under-strength Connacht at Parc y Scarlets, securing their biggest ever Magners League win with a 58-10 rout.

With nothing more than pride to play for, the Scarlets attacked their task with fervour, racing into a 24-0 lead after just over 20 minutes. Tight-head Rhys Thomas powered through three tackles for the opening try and after Andy Fenby had gone close, flanker Rob McCusker showed an impressive turn of pace to notch the home side's second.

The playmaking brilliance of Regan King laid on the third as the one-time All Black carved up the Connacht defence to put his centre partner Jonathan Davies on a run to the line. Thomas' second, and the Scarlets' fourth, arrived before the break as the prop acrobatically rounded off a crossfield kick in the corner.

King continued his excellent game by profiting from a Sean Lamont break for the Scarlets' fifth, but Connacht struck back immediately with a well-taken five-pointer from young centre Eoin Griffin. However, a slick loop move between King and Rhys Priestland unlocked the visitors' defence once again, with Davies put in to bag his second, and openside Josh Turnbull added a seventh with a simple run in. King racked up the half century by waltzing through some awful defence before Lamont completed the scoring with the simplest of finished in the corner.