FRIDAY
PRO 12 SEMIS FINAL
LEINSTER 30-18ULSTER
CRONIN ABLE TO JUST
OUTPLAY ULSTER
Leo Cullen's men had all the early pressure in Dublin,
ominously building a 13-0 advantage inside 16 minutes with captain Nacewa
touching down and Sexton kicking the other points.
But resilient Ulster turned things around in the second
quarter, Paddy Jackson firing over two penalties and supplying the final pass
for Gilroy's try just before half-time.
Trailing 13-11, the Ulstermen's momentum was broken by
number eight Heaslip's 47th-minute try, though.
Replacement Sean Cronin's effort past the hour mark, coupled
with Sexton's unerring boot, had Leinster seemingly out of reach at 30-11.
Ulster has to back to square 1 at the start of this season
and they will improve under Les Kiss but this is their first year for Ulster.
As for Leinster a massive tie happens for them in Scotland next week when they
should be able to show their class.
SATURDAY
CONNACHT 16-11 GLASGOW
ADEOLOKUN TRY PUTS
CONNACHT IN THE LAD WHERE YOU DREAM
An absorbing night had a thunderclap beginning. After less
than a minute, Glasgow lost two men in a collision, their pivot Russell and
tight-head Fagerson.
As soon as the game restarted after a long delay, Connacht
took control. They ate into Glasgow's line-out, forced the visitors into
conceding a mountain of penalties and broke the defensive line time and again.
Connacht were relentless. Men on a mission willed on by
their passionate home support. Midway through the half it looked like all their
pressure had paid off when Eoin McKeon went over in the corner after terrific
work from Bundee Aki, Ultan Dillane and Tiernan O'Halloran.
After a visit to the TMO, though, the try was ruled out for
a slight knock-on early in the move from Aki.
When Glasgow conceded yet another penalty, MacGinty opened
the scoring, a kick that was quickly cancelled out by Duncan Weir, who had come
on for Russell.
Connacht's dominance carried on and eventually they got the
try their pressure warranted. It came just before the break and had its origins
in a delicate grubber kick up the right from Aki.
Adeolokun ran on to the bouncing ball, gathered and then
spun and wriggled away from Stuart Hogg, Henry Pyrgos and Weir. It was
beautiful footwork from Adeolokun but Glasgow's defence was calamitous
Glasgow stirred at the beginning of the second half.
Nakarawa got on the ball as the visitors started to go through the phases and
ask questions of the home defence.
Mark Bennett cut through a gap on the angle past four
defenders and Connacht were in trouble. They survived in the beginning but the
waves kept crashing over them. Nakarawa soon thundered over.
The intensity kept cranking up, Connacht having the lion's
share of possession and territory. MacGinty put them 13-8 ahead only for Weir
to bang over a penalty of his own to make it 13-11.
Connacht had the champions under the cosh. They were camped
in the Glasgow 22, winning penalty after penalty, kicking them to touch and
driving their line-out maul into Glasgow's heart.
Connect made it an all-Ireland final in this close semi-final
win over the best of the rest in Glasgow. I really hope that a result like this
can help this side develop into a real team but I do think that there will be
still a bit of growing in this team and if they do grow the right way it can do
so much for Irish rugby.
SATURDAY
ENGLAND PREMIERSHIP
SEMI FINAL
EXETER 34-23 WASPS
EWERS SECURS FINAL
SPOT FOR EXETER
Chiefs started and ended the first period strongly. Wasps
failed to have any touch of note in the first 12 minutes as Gareth Steenson sent
over two Exeter penalties.
But with their first real attack of the game, Italy
international hooker Festuccia was forced over by the visiting pack, with the
Television Match Official giving the try the nod.
Exeter had a try ruled out three minutes later when Jack
Nowell stepped into touch, but did not have to wait long for their score as
Whitten went over after a quick break from the England winger.
But Wasps hit back again as Robson darted through the Exeter
defence from five metres out.
Sustained pressure led to referee Greg Garner awarding the
Chiefs a penalty try.
Despite being down to 14 men it was Wasps who started
brighter after the break as Jimmy Gopperth kicked a penalty.
But Exeter got back into their rhythm two minutes later as
Ewers picked up from a ruck two metres out and went over for what proved to be
the decisive try.
It was the Chiefs who forced a score to put the result
beyond doubt when Garner awarded them a second penalty try in the final minute
after more pressure.
Exeter are a team that are definitely improving season on
season and will hope for many more days like Saturday to come but I think that
this was a lot more comfortable than it should be as Exeter are not that much
better than wasps and I was surprised that they were able to go to the levels
that they did.
SARACENS 44-17 LEISTER
WYLES AND ASTON
DOUBLE PUT SARACES ABOVE THE REST
Leicester centre Tuilagi raced in under the posts after only
40 seconds. But, after consultation with the Television Match Official, referee
JP Doyle ruled it out for Barrow playing the ball on the floor and Saracens
never looked back.
Flanker Fraser capitalised on some excellent offloading from
Schalk Brits and George Kruis to crash over, before Wyles pounced on Leicester
fly-half Owen Williams' attempted grubber kick to run the ball in unopposed
Ashton then went over in the corner for Sarries' third try
in the opening 25 minutes, before Wyles intercepted England scrum-half Ben
Youngs' pass in the dying seconds of the first half to cross from his own 22.
To their credit, Leicester mounted a credible challenge
early in the second half, as Veainu raced in and Barrow forced his way over
while Saracens had Fraser in the sin-bin, closing to within 14 points of the
hosts.
But the Saracens pack battled their way back into the
contest and a Charlie Hodgson penalty and Ashton's second try settled any
nerves
I was disappointed that Leister could not put up the same
type of fight that they had done all season and Saracens showed why they are
the best team in England at the moment. Leister have got a lot of things
needing improving but Saracens are one of the best in the world.
