FRIDAY
EDINBURGH 32-13 DRAGONS
HIDALGO CLYNE DOUBLE
GIVES EDINBURGH BONUS POINT WIN
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne slotted a penalty to secure the home
side's first points but Dorian Jones soon levelled for the Dragons.
Edinburgh restored their lead with impressive tight-head Nel
burrowing through the Dragons defence from close range.
Hidalgo-Clyne successfully converted before adding a further
penalty as the home side monopolised territory and possession.
Dragons kept in touch with fly-half Jones cutting
Edinburgh's advantage to seven points with his second penalty.
Edinburgh started the second half in the same vein, enjoying
typical supremacy in the scrummage - Nel saw two looseheads, Boris Stankovich
and Phil Price, yellow-carded after too many infringements, resulting in
uncontested scrums.
Despite being down to 13 men, Dragons withstood home pressure
but their defensive resistance was broken by Dickinson as Edinburgh showed a
somewhat novel offloading abandon and verve in the wider channels.
Hidalgo-Clyne added the conversion and Dragons were dealt a
further blow when fly-half Jones was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle in
the build-up to the try.
Stankovich returned to the action with his side still under
pressure and as Jones returned to the field, Cudd became the fourth player to
be sin-binned.
The 14 men defended doggedly but Edinburgh scored a third
try when Brown drove over from close range, although Hidalgo-Clyne failed to
convert.
The game opened up during the final five minutes and
although Will Helu was bundled into touch just short of the line, Edinburgh's
fourth try of the game secured a bonus point.
Scott's try was converted by replacement Blair Kinghorn but
Dragons had the final word with Cudd crossing, converted by Jones
Edinburgh seemed to be on a different level on Friday night
with this big win and seem to have that International advantage going forward.
GLASGOW 13-6 TREVISO
ASHE TRY GIVES
GLASGOW WIN
A late Adam Ashe try snatched victory for Glasgow Warriors
on Friday night against an impressive Benetton Treviso.
The Italian visitors are winless this season and lie bottom
of the Pro12.
But they had led for much of this match through two Jayden
Hayward penalties.
The Warriors could not break Treviso's resistance, until
number eight Ashe's 72nd minute effort from a five-metre scrum, with
replacement pivot Duncan Weir adding a conversion and a late penalty to seal
the win.
This is the team who won the pro 12 last year you would not
think it but there does seem to ne a difference between Scottish and Glasgow
rugby going forward. I think that Glasgow will definitely improve as the season
goes on .
LEINSTER 8-3 ULSTER
CRONAN TRY GIVES
LEINSTER BIG WIN
Ulster failed to break Leinster's firm defence and slipped
to a disappointing Pro12 derby defeat at the RDS.
Sean Cronin's 37th-minute try was the difference between the
teams in a dour game dominated by defences.
Jonny Sexton and Paddy Jackson traded penalties with
Leinster leading 8-3 at the interval, and neither side scored in a slow-paced
second half.
Ulster seem to be in a few problems this year but we have
now seen the first glimpse of Leinster being the best in Europe and I hop they
get back to that level but this was a poor game with no score in the entire
second half
SATURDAY
MUNSTER 12-18 CONNACHT
CONNACHT WIN TOP 2
MATCH AS O HALARAN IS THE HERO OF THE NIGHT
Pro12 leaders Connacht clinched a first competitive win at
Thomond Park since 1986 with victory in the top-two clash.
Tiernan O'Halloran's opportunist try helped Connacht move
10-0 ahead but the deficit was halved by the break thanks to a maul try from
Niall Scannell.
Connacht centre Craig Ronaldson fired over a penalty before
a converted penalty try saw the hosts close to within a point.
Bundee Aki's late try sealed a win to take Connacht four
clear at the top.
In rugby terms Connacht are normally the punching bags of
Irish rugby but this season they are showing that they have a team that can do
well. This was a big match for Connacht and I think that this is a game that
will change Connacht rugby as people noticed it
OSPREYS 13-6 BLUES
JONES TRY WINS WELSH
DERBY
The home team trailed 6-0 to two Jarrod Evans penalties
after an hour, but Alun Wyn Jones' try turned the tide.
Fly-half Sam Davies converted, kicked two penalties and gave
a superb display of tactical kicking after replacing the injured Dan Biggar at
half-time
Blues lost Wales captain Sam Warburton, who limped off with
an ankle injury during the first half.
SUNDAY
SCARLEETS 20-12 ZEBRE
DAVIES TRY GIVES
SCARLETS BIG WIN
Scarlets survived a spirited second-half comeback by Zebre
to claim a hard-earned 20-12 home win in the Pro12.
The Welsh region scored tries through Hadleigh Parkes and
Aled Davies in the opening 12 minutes and led 17-0 at half-time.
But two touchdowns by number eight Andries Van Schalkwyk
brought Zebre back to within a score with 20 minutes remaining in atrocious
weather
Steven Shingler's late penalty finally sealed the win for
the Scarlets
