29-4-19 PRO 14 FINAL DAY
PRO 14 FINAL DAY
DRAGONS 34-32 SCARLETS
STYLISH SCREECH
Josh Lewis opened the scoring with two penalties before
Wales wing Hallam Amos, playing in his last Dragons game before joining Cardiff
Blues next season, was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on.
Scarlets took advantage of their numerical advantage with
two tries and 12 points while Amos was off the field.
Wing Nicholas first crossed despite a huge tackle from Ross
Moriarty on Josh Macleod in the build-up. Leigh Halfpenny converted to give
Scarlets the lead.
McNicholl finished expertly to score the second in the
right-hand corner after a flowing backline move as the Scarlets took advantage
of where Amos would have been positioned.
Scarlets led 17-6 at the interval Lewis' long-range penalty
hit the post, but after Leigh Halfpenny's long-range clearance kick was
collected by Moriarty, the Dragons counter-attacked and Aaron Wainwright set up
a try for Jack Dixon.
Scarlets' second-half capitulation continued as Lewis
intercepted a Dan Jones pass and sprinted away to score a converted try as
Dragons recorded 21 points in nine minutes.
It was Jones' last action of the game as he was replaced by
Wales fly-half Rhys Patchell who made an immediate impact. Bulbring also
returned as Dragons scored 14 points while Scarlets were down to 14 men.
Scarlets responded with an opportunist, bonus-point try from
Wales centre Jonathan Davies before McNicholl sprinted over for his second
score.
Halfpenny converted to give Scarlets the lead again before
adding a penalty to increase the advantage to five points.
A dramatic finale saw the Dragons throw everything at the
Scarlets with relentless attacking phase rugby and Screech crossed for his
second score.
The decision was only made after countless replays which
ruled out a knock-on in the build-up and also judged Screech had reached the
line.
MY
OPINION
A mad match that made me think
of the good quality that rugby can have and how it can be so attacking at times
but this was judgment day and the Dragons had the answers to all relevant questions
CHEETAS 61-25 KINGS
VENTNER VALLEY
Masixole Banda give the visitors an early lead in
Bloemfontein with a penalty as Kings started the brighter of the two sides.
Cheetahs responded almost immediately, though, as their
powerful forward pack started to pile pressure on Kings, with Nonkontwana
benefitting from a driving lineout maul.
A second try for Cheetahs followed on 17 minutes when the
Kings defence opened up to allow Steenkamp to burst through the hole and score
with his outstretched arm.
A yellow card for Meli Rokoua added to Kings’ troubles and
the hosts took advantage from their next attack, with Dweba the man pushed over
by the driving maul this time.
Schoeman continued his hot-streak from the kicking tee to
add a third conversion from three, before Kings showed their fight with their
second try through Klaasen to cut the deficit to 21-13.
Cheetahs continued to show their attacking prowess, however,
and bagged their bonus-point score with a wonderful move finished off by
Venter, with Schoeman kicking the extras again.
While the half-time break provided a brief respite for the
visitors, Cheetahs were soon hammering away at the Kings’ line again and scored
a fifth try through Fouche on 41 minutes.
But Kings refused to give in and Klaasen’s second try of the
game, along with a Basson’s score on 50 minutes, saw them close the deficit to
33-25 with just under half an hour to play.
Any hopes of a dramatic comeback were soon extinguished,
though, with Janse van Rensburg dotting down his side’s sixth of the afternoon
– Schoeman once again converting.
Venter went over for his second try moments later to make
the result safe, before Kings buckled in the final ten minutes – conceding
further tries to Jaer and Boan Venter.
MY
OPINION
I think that for both of these teams
this season has been a huge disappointment as everyone expected in the second season
that they would become more of a force than they are. Both teams are learning
that the pro 14 is just different but not in any way easier than the Super 15s
ZEBRE 11-25 TREVISO
BLUES 23-26 OSPREYS
SMITH TRY SECURE BUT
DAVIES BOOT WINS MATCH
Sam Davies opened the
scoring for the Ospreys, but Blues responded with a scintillating long-range
try from Anscombe after superb work from Owen Lane and Lloyd Williams.
Anscombe converted and added a penalty after some more
fluent Blues play. Davies responded with his second penalty.
Ospreys regained the lead with a well-worked try for Allen
from an attacking scrum.
Anscombe's penalty levelled the scores, but Davies' boot
ensured Ospreys led 16-13 at the interval.
Wales prop Nicky Smith, who the Blues say they would like to
sign for next season, burrowed over for a try which Davies converted to open up
a 10-point lead.
Ospreys were reduced to 14 men after Allen was yellow-carded
for a deliberate knock on.
Blues immediately capitalised with a try after Josh Turnbull
took advantage of a defensive mix-up between Aled Davies and George North to
score, Anscombe again converting.
MY
OPINION
This was a very important tie to
win in the all wales final day match and I think that momentum can be a
critical win in the end of the season and how it can stand. I think that this
was a big away win but can they learn from it
ULSTER 14-13 LEINSTER
MARCUS REA MAKES IT
The deadlock was eventually broken on 30 minutes as Ross
Byrne's long pass set up O'Brien to score in the left corner.
After Byrne, skipper Leinster for the first time, missed the
conversion, Ulster hit back within two minutes as scrum-half Shanahan, barged
his way over, helped by a little muscle from team-mates John Andrew and Clive
Ross.
McPhillips' conversion put Ulster 7-5 up but Leinster
regrouped to produce a series of attacking thrusts which eventually a Byrne
penalty and McFadden's try in first-half injury-time.
Rea's try and Nelson's resultant conversion proved the only
scores of the second half as Ulster finally punished Murphy's sin-binning
before closing out the match with a couple of turnovers as Leinster attempted a
response.
MY
OPINION
This was interesting how both
coaches knowing their fates already put up second string sides and it seemed
like Ulster might have a team ready to go in the next few years. The question
to Ulster has always been in the last number of years why they hadn’t won a
trophy
GLASGOW 34-10 EDINBURGH
PERFECT PRICE
Warriors sought a win to finish top of Conference A and
crossed in the first half through Sam Johnson and Ali Price.
Niko Matawalu and Tommy Seymour went over in the second
period and Adam Hastings kicked a total of 14 points.
Duhan van der Merwe got Edinburgh's only try and Simon
Hickey's boot amassed five points.
MY
OPINION
Glasgow have shown in this match
that they definitely will be a force going into the semi-finals but you do wonder
whether or not the weeks break will help them or not and I am not that sure
about how well they would do as they have shown in Europe
MUNSTER 27-14 CONNACHT
HAPPY HALEY
After struggling to find territory early on, Connacht surged
into Munster's 22 midway through the first half with Kieran Marmion
orchestrating the attack from scrum-half.
Bealham charged over from close range before Munster
appeared to have found a near instant response when Andrew Conway intercepted
Tiernan O'Halloran's pass and jogged over the line, only for Stephen Fitzgerald
to dislodge the ball from the Ireland international's hands before he had
dotted down.
However the hosts did soon have their try through Beirne,
who ran a strong line before stepping inside wing Niyi Adeolokun to finish.
Conway went some way to atoning for his earlier error when
he helped to increase Munster's lead, linking up with Peter O'Mahony to send
Haley scampering between the posts.
For 30 second-half minutes Tyler Bleyendaal's penalty was
the only score as the game was broken up by several confrontations between the
sides.
Replacement prop Jeremy Loughman was shown a yellow card for
an infringement at the scrum and Connacht wasted little time in making the most
of their numerical advantage as McKeon bundled over to make it a one score
game.
However Hanranhan's try five minutes from time ended things
MY
OPINION
It was so important for Munster
to get the win but not getting the bonus point could have made such a difference
here as they hoped that Glasgow lost in
the other match as for Connacht they knew what they were playing for and there
was little on the match itself for them except pride
PLAY
OFFS QUARTER FINALS SAT
Munster v Treviso 3pm
Ulster v Connacht 5.35
SEMIS
Glasgow v 17th may 7.35
Leinster v 18th may 6.30
PLAY
OFFS
Ospreys v Scarlets 17/18th
may
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