URC Round 3 Review

Edinburgh Beat Bogey Side To Go Top

Edinburgh Rugby are in uncharted waters at the top of the BKT URC having won their opening three league matches for the first time in more than a decade.

You have to go back to 2015 and the days of the old PRO12 for the last time the Scottish side kicked off with three successive victories.

Moreover, they are the only team in the competition to have won all of their matches so far this season.

They continued their dream start by claiming a 29-12 bonus point victory over their bogey side Zebre Parma out in Italy to back up triumphs over Ulster Rugby and the DHL Stormers.

The maximum haul was secured in the final minute of the game at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi as hooker Ewan Ashman went over for try number four.

Coach Sean Everitt said: “It was very tough indeed. Zebre seem to be up for these games when we come to Parma.

“They’ve been our bogey side. We’ve only beaten them once in four outings, so we are very happy with the result.

“I’m just happy we were able to get a win and, on top of that, a bonus point.”

Edinburgh’s skipper Matt Currie, who opened the scoring from the centre, added: “It’s always really tough coming to Zebre.

“We’ve not had too much success here the past few seasons, so it was really important for us that we came out and played the game we wanted to play.

“It worked in the end, but we were definitely under pressure right to the 80th minute.

“Zebre are a team that keep coming, they never give up and we definitely felt that. We had to fight right to the very end to get that win.”

The Player of the Match award went to try-scoring No 8.

Magnus Bradbury who said: “We had a real long chat in the week about how we were going to play it.

“We’ve come here in the last couple of years and beaten Zebre one out of four times. So all we talked about was playing our DNA.

“We went off script and started doing our own thing and that’s when we put ourselves under pressure. But we doubled down on who we are and it paid off.”

It’s a Scottish one-two at the business end of the log with last season’s table toppers Glasgow Warriors now up to second place.

They made amends for drawing at home to Ulster Rugby in Round 2 by claiming a 36-19 bonus point win over Connacht Rugby at a wet and windy Scotstoun.

Skipper Sione Tuipulotu said: “We addressed the mood during the week.

“We were really disappointed after that Ulster game. We are not used to drawing or losing on this field and, to be honest, that draw really felt like a loss.

“I am happy about the way the boys bounced back, particularly the pack. Four maul tries really set the tone for the game. In weather like this, we need to rely on our pack and they did a massive job for us.”

The Vodacom Bulls have shot up to third after consigning the 10Bet Lions to a first defeat of the season, running in nine tries in a convincing 57-15 bonus point win at Pretoria’s Loftus Verfeld with No 8 Cameron Hanekom touching down twice.

Then come the DHL Stormers who won the other South African derby by beating the early season pacesetters, the Hollywoodbets Sharks, 39-22 in front of a crowd of 42,368 in Cape Town.

They touched down six times against the only team to have picked up maximum points from the first two rounds, with No 8 Hacjivah Dayimani grabbing a brace.

There was also a bumper crowd in Dublin with a 20,600 sell out at the Laya Arena for Leinster Rugby’s first BKT URC game at their newly redeveloped €52m RDS home.

The champions marked the occasion by claiming their opening win of the season, collecting maximum points in beating Cardiff Rugby 29-5 with fly-half Sam Prendergast named Player of the Match.

Elsewhere, the Ospreys beat the Dragons 38-31 in Friday night’s Welsh derby at Rodney Parade, while the Scarlets came from 21-7 down at half-time to beat Benetton Rugby 27-26.

Ulster Rugby also staged a revival after the break to draw for the second week in a row. Trailing 26-5 to Munster Rugby at the interval in Belfast, they ended up tying 26-26 with a Stuart McCloskey converted try bringing the sides level three minutes from time.

Super Sacha’s Derby Delight

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was a “very happy” man after taking a starring role in the DHL Stormers’ revenge win over the Hollywoodbets Sharks.

The Stormers suffered back-to-back BKT URC defeats at the hands of their coastal derby rivals in January, which Director of Rugby John Dobson called the low point of last season.

But they made amends in convincing fashion as they defeated the previously unbeaten Sharks 39-22 in Cape Town, with No 8 Hacjivah Dayimani scoring two of their six tries.

The Player of the Match award went to Springboks fly-half Feinberg-Mngomezulu who pulled the strings expertly and slotted four shots at goal on his first outing of the campaign.

“That was good. They gave us a tough time last season,” said the 24-year-old.

“We had 45,000 odd here. It’s a special home ground that we have got here and I am very happy that we got the result.

“I just play for my team. There is endless motivation. People outside of our circles, the Springboks and Stormers, will always have an opinion and we enjoy that. But it’s just about staying low for me.

“It’s special to be back in Cape Town. The fans stay loud throughout the game.

“We last played here before the BKT URC semis and I forgot a bit what it is like, because it was a while ago. So it was great.”

Director of Rugby Dobson said: “It was a great atmosphere and a pretty compelling performance by us.

“I never felt we were in trouble. I thought we stood up physically and defensively. Then when we got into their half we played some pretty nice rugby.

“It was a very pleasing performance.”

Cool Costelow Clinches “Massive” Win

Match winner Sam Costelow has hailed the Scarlets’ dramatic 27-26 win over Benetton as a massive boost after a tough start to the season.

The Wales No 10 contender held his nerve to slot the decisive penalty two minutes from time and claim a first BKT URC victory of the campaign after derby defeats to Cardiff and the Dragons.

“It’s massive,” he said. “We knew we weren’t good enough the first two games and it’s nice to see a smile on the fans’ faces.

“They are with us thick and thin. They are out in their thousands and it’s brilliant to see. It’s awesome.”

Things looked grim for the Scarlets when they trailed 21-7 at half-time, but they then rallied to take the lead with winger Ellis Mee scoring a brace of tries.

“Our kicking game probably didn’t help us in the first half. We put ourselves under pressure,” admitted Costelow.

“But I thought our back three put us in great positions in the second half. They excited us and brought us into the game.”

Having staged a stirring comeback to go in front, the Scarlets then found themselves trailing again when winger Louis Lynagh crossed late on for Benetton.

But up stepped fly-half Costelow to secure a bonus point victory to the delight of the home fans.

“It was a pretty tough kick in fairness after missing the previous two,” he said.

“But our forwards had worked so hard, so I thought I would save them the legs in the driving maul and slot one over!”

Giving his thoughts on Costelow’s winning penalty, try-scoring Player of the Match Blair Murray said: “It was never in doubt.

“I see him practice those all through the week. He’s a class kicker, a class player. I never had a doubt.”

Reflecting on the comeback win, full-back Murray said: “It’s unbelievable.

“We had a bit of a slow start in the first half. Our own mistakes made it hard for ourselves.

“Coming out at half-time, we knew if we kept hold of the ball and cut out those mistakes we would have a good run.

“I am just so proud of the boys’ efforts. They stepped up when we needed them and helped us get the win.

“We knew we had to stick in there and how important it would be to get a win. It was awesome.”

Skipper Josh Macleod added: “We’ve had a tough start to the season. We have had some honest conversations.

“We took a lot of ownership as players and I think that definitely showed on the pitch.”

Stockdale’s Special Night

Jacob Stockdale reflected on an "amazing" night he will never forget after marking his 150th appearance for Ulster with a try double.

The Irish international winger touched down in either half in Belfast as Ulster turned around a 26-5 interval deficit to draw 26-26 with Munster.

Stockdale, who made his debut for the province a decade ago, came out onto the field with his two young daughters ahead of the game and it was clearly an emotional occasion for him.

“They are everything to me. They are the biggest thing in my world,” said the 30-year-old.

“So just to get to experience that with them and with my wife in the tunnel, it was amazing.

“It’s something that I’m never going to forget.

“I’ll hopefully get to do it at least once more, at 200, but we’ll see.”

Commenting on a second successive draw for Ulster, he said: “We are an unbelievably potent team when we get it right, but we can’t keep giving teams that much of an advantage to then try and claw it back.”

The Player of the Match award went to Munster’s South African hooker Marnus van der Merwe.

He said: “We should have controlled it better. But, credit to Ulster, they came out banging in the second half.

“We just need to improve and look at our mistakes. There were a few penalties that cost us.”

Rogers Relishing Preferred Position

Tom Rogers arrived at the Ospreys wanting to play in his preferred position of full-back and he has provided immediate evidence of just what he can do there.

Making his first start in the role following his move from the Scarlets, he produced an outstanding Player of the Match display in the 38-31 bonus point victory over the Dragons at Rodney Parade.

The 27-year-old was a major threat with his counter-attacking from deep, making more metres than anyone else on the pitch and beating the most defenders.

He also crucially pounced on a loose ball to hack ahead and set up the situation which resulted in the decisive score from two-try No 8 Morgan Morris.

After scoring a memorable hat-trick for Wales against New Zealand from the wing last November, Rogers didn’t then start any of the next nine Test matches, with his only outing coming in the non-cap game against the Barbarians.

But with the squad for the Nations Championship being named in ten days time, he looks to be running into form right on cue.

Rogers, who spent nine years with the Scarlets, has played the bulk of his senior rugby on the wing, including the first two league games of this season.

But he feels full-back is his best position and clearly relished the opportunity to play a key role from there in the Rodney Parade victory.

“It was a tough game,” he said. “We knew the Dragons were going to be a tough opposition, but we stuck to our process and I am so proud of the boys.”

Praising Rogers’ performance at No 15, Ospreys coach Mark Jones said: “He has made a great start in the position.

“He staked a good claim around his qualities. I thought he did a great job. I’m proud of him.

“I really love the way he beat the first man nearly every time and got us on the front foot.

“He did a great job around bringing back loose kicks and getting us into their half.

“I thought his decision making of when to bring it back and when to kick it was spot on and I loved the way he worked in the back field, around filling space.

“I’m just pleased for him. He’s come to a new club. It’s always difficult to settle in, but the boys love him.”

Commenting on his team’s first victory of the season, two-try Ospreys skipper Sam Parry said: “It was a proper traditional derby, back and fore, but we were very happy to come away with the win.

“Obviously the Dragons are on a high and everyone is happy with the progress they are making, so we knew we had to come here with a point to prove and put in a big performance, which I’m glad we did.”

Parry’s opposite number Elliot Dee also claimed a try double, with the two hookers delivering four of the game’s six touchdowns off driving lineouts.

Reflecting on a fluctuating contest which the Dragons led four times, Dee said: “The boys are really gutted. It’s sickening. I think that was a game we could have won.

“There were chances for both teams to pull away and, fair play to the Ospreys, that’s what they did.”

Welsh international Dee is now the leading try scorer in the BKT URC this season with five - all of them coming from lineout mauls.