Brave Dragons slay giants Leinster

 

The visitors saw two of their players sent to the sin bin in the first half, but a try from Pat Leach and 11 points from the boot of Tom Prydie were enough to secure a famous 16-14 win for the Welsh region.

 

Jimmy Gopperth landed three penalties and man-of-the-match Dave Kearney crossed the whitewash for Leinster as they suffered a setback in their bid to break into the PRO12's top three.

 

The game was less than a minute old when Dragons No.8 Nick Crosswell was shown a yellow card following a lengthy discussion between the referee and his touch judges, but that early setback didn't seem to affect the visitors.

 

Leach was making his first PRO12 appearance of the season after sustaining a knee injury in pre-season, and the centre celebrated the return by scoring the game's opening try after ten minutes.

 

Prydie was on target with the conversion, and the visitors had taken a surprise 7-0 lead.

 

Leinster were looking to secure a third consecutive victory in the league to maintain their push for the top positions, and Gopperth struck a 16th minute penalty from just outside the Dragons' ten-metre line to reduce the arrears, before Rhys Thomas became the second visiting player to receive a yellow card.

 

Gopperth was on target with his second penalty of the afternoon to bring Leinster to within a point as the half ticked on, but Prydie had the last laugh before the break, stroking the ball through the posts to make the score 10-6 at half time.

 

Matt O'Connor's men knew the importance of a win given the congested nature of the PRO12 table, and they started the second half with real intent.

 

Luke McGrath dived in just short of the line from a scrum, before Luke Fitzgerald knocked on before he could score following a powerful Ben Te'o break.

 

Leinster grabbed the first points of the half after 53 minutes, Gopperth slotting a penalty earned from a powerful drive in the scrum.

 

Another three points from the boot of Prydie continued to frustrate the hosts' ambitions, before Kearney crossed for his side's first try.

 

Te'o again cut through the Newport defence and his offload found replacement scrumhalf John Cooney, whose kick through was gathered by Kearney to finish.

 

That score gave Leinster the lead for the first time in the contest, but the Dragons, who had won just three of their opening 13 PRO12 games this season, remained unfazed, and Prydie knocked over another penalty to help his side move back in front with ten minutes remaining.

 

The hosts pushed for a late score that would see them home, but stoic Newport defence ensured that Leinster suffered their first RDS defeat since March 2013.

 

 

Try: Kearney

Pens: Gopperth

 

Try: Leach

Con: Prydie

Pens: Prydie

 

 

Leinster: 15 Dave Kearney, 14 Fergus McFadden, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Noel Reid, 11 Darragh Fanning, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Luke McGrath, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Shane Jennings (captain), 6 Dominic Ryan, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Tom Denton, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Richardt Strauss, 1 Michael Bent.

Replacements: 16 Aaron Dundon, 17 Peter Dooley, 18 Jamie Hagan, 19 Mike McCarthy, 20 Josh Van Der Flier, 21 John Cooney, 22 Cathal Marsh, 23 Luke Fitzgerald.

 

Newport Gwent Dragons: 15 Jason Tovey, 14 Tom Prydie, 13 Pat Leach, 12 Jack Dixon, 11 Hallam Amos, 10 Dorian Jones, 9 Jonathan Evans, 8 Nick Crosswell, 7 Nic Cudd, 6 James Thomas, 5 Rynard Landman (captain), 4 Andrew Coombs, 3 Brok Harris, 2 T. Rhys Thomas, 1 Owen Evans.

Replacements: 16 Rhys Buckley, 17 Boris Stankovich, 18 Dan Way, 19 Ian Gough, 20 James Benjamin, 21 Richie Rees, 22 Ashley Smith, 23 Matthew Pewtner.

 

Referee: Ben Whitehouse

Assistant referees: Stuart Gaffikin, Oisin Quinn

 

 

Regan King's classy first-half display helped Scarlets to a dominant 32-14 win over Connacht to further their bid for a top-six finish in the PRO12.

 

The centre set up tries for Michael Tagicakibau and Harry Robinson, with Jordan Williams also crossing as Wayne Pivac's side held a comfortable lead at the break.

 

James Davies sealed the bonus point early in the second-half as the home side pulled level with Connacht on 33 points with eight games of the season remaining, Niyi Adeolokun's try scant consolation for the Irish province.

 

Both sides started at breakneck speed, looking to play fast, expansive rugby under sunny Welsh skies, and the visitors struck first when flyhalf Jack Carty kicked a fifth minute penalty.

 

Shortly afterwards clumsy footwork from Scarlets fullback Williams gave Connacht a five-metre line-out from which No.8 John Barclay was sin-binned after collapsing a maul.

 

Scarlets survived the ensuing lineout but the 14 men looked to have fallen further behind when wing Matt Healy showed eye-catching speed to score from the halfway line, the try disallowed for a needless block in the midfield.

 

The hosts built their way back into the game with two penalties kicked by flyhalf Steve Shingler to be leading when Barclay returned.

 

And they soon scored the game's first try, sumptuous play from King, drawing two men before offloading in the tackle, giving Tagicakibau an easy finish in the left corner, Shingler's missed conversion leaving it 11-3 after 25 minutes.

 

The visitors were struggling to get a foothold in the game and soon fell further behind after overthrowing a line-out only ten metres from their own line.

 

Scarlets patiently worked it through several phases before once again King's sublime hands unlocked the defence and allowed wing Robinson to cross, Shingler adding the extras.

 

And things got worse for the visitors, Danie Poolman's speculative pass intercepted by Williams who raced under the posts from 90 metres for seven more points.

 

Carty kicked a long-range penalty with the last play of the half to leave the score 25-6 at the break.

 

Pat Lam's side began the second half sharply, Healy again showing his blistering pace to earn his team the territory from which Carty kicked another penalty.

 

But Scarlets soon claimed the bonus-point score, Davies twisting his way over from close range and Shingler converting.

 

The visitors lost captain John Muldoon to the bin for stamping but on his return his side grabbed a consolation try, wing Adeolokun crossing after a good break from Poolman, the touchline conversion drifting wide.

 

With the result certain the game became ragged, sloppy errors from both sides characterising the final quarter as the hosts sealed their first victory over Irish opposition this season.

 

 

Tries: Tagicakibau, Robinson, Williams, Davies

Cons: S Shingler 3

Pens: Shingler 2

 

Try: Adeolokun

Pens: Carty 3

 

 

Scarlets: 15 Jordan Williams, 14 Harry Robinson, 13 Regan King, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Michael Tagicakibau, 10 Steven Shingler, 9 Aled Davies, 8 John Barclay, 7 James Davies, 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Johan Snyman, 4 Lewis Rawlins, 3 Peter Edwards, 2 Ken Owens (captain), 1 Phil John.

Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Ben Leung, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 George Earle, 20 Rob McCusker, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Adam Warren, 23 Kristian Phillips.

 

Connacht: 15 Darragh Leader, 14 Niyi Adeolokun, 13 Danie Poolman, 12 Dave McSharry, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Kieran Marmion, 8 George Naoupu, 7 Jake Heenan, 6 John Muldoon (captain), 5 Aly Muldowney, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Nathan White, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Denis Buckley.

Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 JP Cooney, 18 Rodney Ah You, 19 Ultan Dillane, 20 Eoghan Masterson, 21 Ian Porter, 22 Shane O'Leary, 23 Tiernan O'Halloran.

 

Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)

Assistant Referees: Wayne Davies (Wales), Martyn Lewis (Wales)

TMO: Tim Hayes (Wales)

 

 

Peter Horne scored 20 points as Glasgow Warriors moved to the top of the PRO12 table after thrashing Zebre 54-10 at the newly re-named Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

 

The Scottish side had the bonus point wrapped up by half-time courtesy of two Horne tries as well as efforts from DTH van der Merwe, Peter Murchie and Tim Swinson.

 

Glasgow added further tries through debutant Fraser Lyle, Murchie and Will Bordill with the only black marks on their performance in the shape of yellow cards for Alex Allan and Niko Matawalu, while Giulio Toniolatti was yellow carded for the Italians. 

 

Zebre were the masters of their own downfall as they fell to their eighth defeat in their last nine and were often guilty of being too expansive, but did get consolation points through a Luciano Orquera penalty and a Filippo Cristiano try.

 

Glasgow opened the scoring after three minutes when Matawalu's quick penalty caught the Italian defence napping allowing Horne to score, he converted his own try to make it 7-0.

 

Zebre got on the scoreboard through an Orquera penalty but their determination to play expansive rugby cost them again after quarter of an hour van der Merwe made an easy interception to burst through and score, Horne again converted.

 

Zebre captain Cristiano got his side within four when he charged down a Horne kick and pounced on the loose ball but the Italians defence failed them again just two minutes later when fullback Murchie was allowed to run straight though and make the score 21-10 after 19 minutes.

 

Glasgow were well on top but were guilty of looking casual at times emphasised when Alan was sent to the sin-bin for repeatedly coming in from the side just before the half hour mark.

 

This set-back didn't seem to trouble Glasgow as they added two more converted tries before half time.

 

Horne went over for his second try on 37 minutes after Zebre repeatedly failed to clear their lines and Swinson made it five tries for the half and take the sides in at 33-10.

 

The second half was a much scrappier affair and Glasgow received their second yellow card on 52 minutes when scrumhalf Matawalu was penalised for not retreating ten yards.

 

It took until the 64th minute for Glasgow to score again when Lyle applied the finish after van der Merwe was tackled a few yards short of the line.

 

With the game drifting towards its conclusion Toniolatti was sin-binned for use of feet allowing Murchie and Bordill to score further tries, Connor Braid converted both to complete the scoring.

 

 

Try: Cristiano

Con: Orquera

Pen: Orquera

 

Tries: Horne 2, Van der Merwe, Murchie 2, Swinson, Lyle, Bordill

Cons: Horne 5, Braid 2

 

 

Zebre: 15 Hendrik Daniller, 14 Dion Berryman, 13 Tommaso Iannone, 12 Mirco Bergamasco, 11 Giulio Toniolatti, 10 Luciano Orquera, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Jacopo Sarto, 7 Filippo Cristiano (captain), 6 Valerio Bernabò, 5 Augustin Cavalieri, 4 Andrei Mahu, 3 Luca Redolfini, 2 Oliviero Fabiani, 1 Andrea Lovotti.

Replacements: 16 Luigi Ferraro, 17 Andrea De Marchi, 18 Luciano Leibson, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Ruben Riccioli, 21 Alberto Chillon, 22 Matteo Pratichetti, 23 Edoardo Padovani.

 

Glasgow Warriors: 15 Peter Murchie, 14 Lee Jones, 13 Richie Vernon, 12 Fraser Lyle, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 10 Peter Horne, 9 Niko Matawalu, 8 Leone Nakarawa, 7 Tyrone Holmes, 6 James Eddie, 5 Al Kellock (captain), 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Mike Cusack, 2 Pat MacArthur, 1 Alex Allan.

Replacements: 16 Kevin Bryce, 17 Jerry Yanuyanutawa, 18 Rossouw de Klerk, 19 Josh Strauss, 20 Will Bordill, 21 Ali Price, 22 Connor Braid, 23 Rory Hughes.

 

Referee: Leo Colgan

Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini, Stefano Roscini

TMO: Stefano Penne