Munster slip as Leinster go top with just three weeks to Thomond Park clash
With just one league match left before the much anticipated derby clash at Thomond Park, Munster failed to do enough to amass the Newport Gwent Dragons in Wales last Saturday. And all while Leinster took a the scalp of Cardiff on Sunday. Both Munster and Leinster have to wait until the completion of the Six Nations Championship for their international stars to return to their respective camps ahead of the Good Friday battle.
So, it’s neck and neck at the top of the Magners League with just one point difference covering all four teams currently in the Play-Off Zone, while Munster sit three adrift of the crucial top four. The tone for the weekend was set on Friday night with Glasgow Warriors 19-all draw at Connacht opening up the way for a new leader.
Munster were perhaps the biggest losers of the round, their defeat by Newport Gwent Dragons dropping them out of a top four spot, and seeing the gap increase between themselves and the leaders, whilst Ulster also slipped a place following their reversal at the hands of Scarlets.
Leinster duly returned to the top of the table for the fist time since the completion of round 7 following their 29-20 victory over Cardiff Blues on Sunday, The European Champions have now remained in the Play-Off Zone for 12 consecutive rounds, and with 2 games in hand over their nearest rivals, are in a strong position.
Edinburgh came back into Play-Off contention after their 33-17 bonus point win over Ospreys also on Sunday, a result that dropped the Welsh Region into third place. Tim Visser’s second half hat-trick of tries, completed in just 5 minutes, is the fastest ever scored in the Magners League- taking Rhys Williams record set whilst playing for Cardiff Blues in 2007.
Should the Play-Offs take place at the moment it would be Leinster v Glasgow Warriors (1st v 4th) and Edinburgh v Ospreys (2nd v 3rd)
MAGNERS LEAGUE ROUND 13 RESULTS
Friday 5 March 2010 at Sportsground
Connacht (3) 19: Gavin Duffy(T) Ian Keatley(C/4P)
Glasgow Warriors (6) 19: DTH van der Merwe(T) James Eddie(T) Ruaridh Jackson(3P)
Attendance: 1412
Friday 5 March 2010 at Parc y Scarlets
Scarlets (15) 25: Tavis Knoyle(T) Andrew Fenby(T) Rhys Priestland(T/2C/2P)
Ulster (3) 8: Ian Humphreys(P) Paddy Wallace(T)
Attendance: 6266
Saturday 6 March 2010 at Rodney Parade
Newport Gwent Dragons (13) 31: Will Harries(T) Jason Tovey(2C/4P) Aled Brew(T) Martyn Thomas(T)
Munster (7) 22: Tony Buckley(T) Ronan O’Gara(2C/P) Tommy O’Donnell(T) Penalty Try(T)
Attendance: 0
Sunday 7 March 2010 at Murrayfield
Edinburgh Rugby (7) 33: David Blair(C) Ben Cairns(T) Phil Godman(3C) Mark Robertson(T) Tim Visser(3T)
Ospreys (0) 17: Dan Biggar(C) Jerry Collins(T) Sonny Parker(T) Nikki Walker(T)
Attendance: 2329
Sunday 7 March 2010 at Cardiff City Stadium
Cardiff Blues (12) 20: Ben Blair(C) Chris Czekaj(T) Gary Powell(T) Ceri Sweeney(P) Sam Warburton(T)
Leinster (16) 29: Bernard Jackman(T) Shaun Berne(D) Fergus McFadden(T/2C/4P)
Attendance: 9384
