Glasgow overtake Stormers at the top

SATURDAY WRAP: Franco Smith’s Glasgow Warriors moved to the top of the United Rugby Championship standings after a hard-fought 26-21 victory over Zebre at the Stadio Lanfranchi.

Gregor Hiddleston grabbed a brace of tries as the Warriors secured a crucial away win in Italy.

The result lifts the Scottish side to the summit of the URC table following the Stormers’ first defeat of the season, a loss to the Sharks at Cape Town Stadium.

Smith’s men now sit on 39 log points, three clear of the Stormers, who remain second with 36 but have a game in hand.

*Leinster extended their winning streak to 10 games in all competitions with a 34-23 victory over Connacht in the United Rugby Championship Round 10 showdown.

Leinster opened the scoring eight minutes into the contest when Fintan Gunne sneaked over following a period of pressure on the tryline, with Harry Byrne kicking the extras.

Dylan Tierney-Martin quickly replied for Connacht after powering over the line, with Sam Gilbert converting, and Gilbert and Byrne both kicked two penalties each within 10 minutes of each other to level the score 13-13 at half-time.

Connacht took the lead after the break when a team move switched play to the left flank and Finn Treacy made a sharp offload to Harry West, who cut in to ground before Gilbert added the conversion.

Springbok lock RG Snyman and Charlie Tector suddenly scored two tries in quick succession, with Byrne converting both, to put Leinster in front before Gilbert closed the gap with a penalty kick.

However, Ciaran Frawley touched down in the corner to score Leinster’s fourth try of the match, and Byrne converted to secure a seventh URC win of the campaign so far.

There was concern for Leinster and Ireland when loosehead Jack Boyle was forced off in the 19th minute after appearing to suffer a serious injury in a collapsed scrum.

The 23-year-old required lengthy treatment before leaving the field, adding to the growing worries in the Irish loosehead department with Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy already sidelined. With the Six Nations fast approaching, Boyle’s exit could scarcely have come at a worse time for Andy Farrell as Ireland’s options at No.1 continue to thin.

*Winger Ellis Mee’s spectacular late try handed Scarlets just a third win of their United Rugby Championship campaign as Ulster slipped to a 27-22 defeat in Llanelli.

An early penalty from flyhalf Sam Costelow set the hosts on their way, and they were 10-0 ahead in short order following fullback Blair Murray’s 10th-minute touchdown, which was converted by Costelow.

Ulster hooker Tom Stewart dragged the visitors back into it with a 20th-minute effort, although scrum-half Nathan Doak missed the conversion, and they were ahead within seven minutes when, after number eight Bryn Ward had gone over, Doak obliged with the kick.

However, flanker Josh Macleod’s try and two more points from Costelow’s boot sent the hosts in at the break with a 17-12 lead.

The Welsh side were up against it when back row Taine Plumtree was given a 66th-minute yellow card and the visitors swiftly took advantage, replacement Scott Wilson going over and Doak made it 19-17 in their favour.

Costelow and Doak traded penalties, but it was the home side who snatched the win with the clock in the red when, after winger Werner Kok had been sent to the sin bin, Mee raced 50m to score the game’s sixth and final try, and Doak extended the gap to a decisive five points.

Worryingly for both Ulster and Ireland, winger Robert Baloucoune was replaced just after the break by Jude Postlethwaite. Baloucoune – whose Ireland career has been curtailed by frequent injuries – was this week named as part of Andy Farrell’s Six Nations squad.

The nature or the severity of the injury is not yet clear.

*Cardiff brushed aside talk of an impending takeover by the Ospreys owners as they defeated Benetton to rise to fourth in the United Rugby Championship (URC) table.

See below for Saturday’s scores and scorers!

Scarlets 27-22 Ulster

The scorers:

For Scarlets:
Tries: Murray, Macleod, Lee
Cons: Costelow 3
Pens: Costelow 2

For Ulster:
Tries: Stewart, Ward, Irvine, Wilson
Cons: Doak 2

Teams:

Scarlets: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Eddie James, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Ellis Mee, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Archie Hughes, 8 Fletcher Anderson, 7 Josh Macleod (captain), 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Harvey Cuckson, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Archer Holz, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Kemsley Mathias.
Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Josh Morse, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Jac Price, 20 Jarrod Taylor, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Johnny Williams, 23 Macs Page.

Ulster: 15 Michael Lowry, 14 Robert Baloucoune, 13 James Hume, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Werner Kok, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Bryn Ward, 7 Nick Timoney, 6 David McCann, 5 Charlie Irvine, 4 Iain Henderson (captain), 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Tom Stewart, 1 Angus Bell.
Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Eric O’Sullivan, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Harry Sheridan, 20 Matthew Dalton, 21 Conor McKee, 22 Jake Flannery, 23 Jude Postlethwaite.

Referee: Griffin Colby (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse (Wales), Carwyn Sion (Wales)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

Connacht 23-34 Leinster

The scorers:

For Connacht:
Tries: Tierney-Martin, West
Cons: Gilbert 2
Pens: Gilbert 3

For Leinster:
Tries: Gunne, Snyman, Tector, Frawley
Cons: Byrne 4
Pens: Byrne 2

Connacht: 15 Sam Gilbert, 14 Shane Jennings, 13 Harry West, 12 Cathal Forde, 11 Finn Treacy, 10 Josh Ioane, 9 Caolin Blade, 8 Sean Jansen, 7 Paul Boyle, 6 Cian Prendergast (captain), 5 Darragh Murray, 4 Josh Murphy, 3 Sam Illo, 2 Dylan Tierney-Martin, 1 Billy Bohan.
Replacements: 16 Eoin de Buitléar, 17 Denis Buckley, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Joe Joyce, 20 Sean O’Brien, 21 Ben Murphy, 22 Jack Carty, 23 Bundee Aki.

Leinster: 15 Ciarán Frawley, 14 Joshua Kenny, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Charlie Tector, 11 James Lowe, 10 Harry Byrne, 9 Fintan Gunne, 8 Caelan Doris (captain), 7 Will Connors, 6 Alex Soroka, 5 James Ryan, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Niall Smyth, 2 Gus McCarthy, 1 Jack Boyle.
Replacements: 16 Rónan Kelleher, 17 Jerry Cahir, 18 Andrew Sparrow, 19 Brian Deeny, 20 Diarmuid Mangan, 21 Scott Penny, 22 Luke McGrath, 23 Ruben Moloney.

Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland), Tomás O’Sullivan (Ireland)
TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)

Zebra 21-26 Glasgow Warriors

The scorers:

For Zebre:
Tries: Carrera, Bertaccini, Pani
Cons: Farias 2, Montemauri

For Glasgow Warriors:
Tries: Hiddleston 2, Hastings, Penalty try
Cons: Horne 2

Yellow cards: Davide Odiase (Zebre, 19), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors, 45), Franco Carrera (Zebre, 52), Leonardo Krumov (Zebre, 64)

Teams:

Zebre Parma: 15 Lorenzo Pani, 14 Mirko Belloni, 13 Giulio Bertaccini, 12 Damiano Mazza, 11 Albert Batista, 10 Martin Roger Farias, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 David Odiase, 7 Iacopo Bianchi, 6 Bautista Stavile, 5 Leonard Krumov (captain), 4 Franco Carrera, 3 Enrique Pieretto, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Juan Pitinari.
Replacements: 16 Giovanni Quattrini, 17 Luca Franceschetto, 18 Hasa, 19 Alessandro Ortombina, 20 Davide Ruggeri, 21 Gonzalo Garcia, 22 Giovanni Montemauri, 23 Luca Morisi.

Glasgow Warriors: 15 Kyle Rowe, 14 Kyle Steyn (captain), 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Ollie Smith, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Rory Darge, 6 Gregor Brown, 5 Max Williamson, 4 Alex Craig, 3 Murphy Walker, 2 Gregor Hiddleston, 1 Jamie Bhatti.
Replacements: 16 Seb Stephen, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Euan Ferrie, 21 Matt Fagerson, 22 Stafford McDowall, 23 Ben Afshar.

Referee: Robbie Jenkinson (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Alberto Favaro (Ireland), Lorenzo Negro (Ireland)
TMO: Colin Stanley (Ireland)

Cardiff 17-8 Benetton

The scorers:

For Cardiff:
Try: McNally
Pens: Sheedy 2, I Lloyd 2

For Benetton:
Try: Ruzza
Pen: R Smith

Teams:

Cardiff: 15 Jacob Beetham, 14 Josh Adams, 13 Harri Millard, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Iwan Stephens, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Aled Davies, 8 Alun Lawrence, 7 James Botham, 6 Alex Mann, 5 George Nott, 4 Josh McNally, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Liam Belcher (captain), 1 Rhys Barratt.
Replacements: 16 Evan Lloyd, 17 Corey Domachowski, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Rory Thornton, 20 Dan Thomas, 21 Johan Mulder, 22 Ioan Lloyd, 23 Mason Grady.

Benetton: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Ignacio Mendy, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Paolo Odogwu, 10 Nicolas Roger Farias, 9 Andy Uren (captain), 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Riccardo Favretto, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Giulio Marini, 3 Tiziano Pasquali, 2 Siua Maile, 1 Destiny Aminu.
Replacements: 16 Bautista Bernasconi, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Marcos Gallorini, 19 Scott Scrafton, 20 So’otala Fa’aso’o, 21 Jadin Kingi, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Filippo Drago.

Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Ben Connor (Wales), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Colin Brett (Scotland)

*Additional source: Rugbypass