URC Round 10 Review

Change At The Top As Unbeaten Run Ends

There are new leaders in the BKT URC with Glasgow Warriors having capitalised on the DHL Stormers suffering their first league defeat of the season.

Franco Smith’s team went top thanks to a 26-21 bonus point victory away to Zebre Parma with hooker Gregor Hiddlestone scoring two of their four tries. It was a game that saw four yellow cards, three of them handed out to the home side.

Glasgow skipper Kyle Steyn said: “It was a tough match. I said to the boys in the back line we owe the forwards a few beers for that one.

“Credit to our pack for the way they just stuck in it - the mauls, the defence was awesome. That won us the game.”

Head coach Smith added: “It’s always excellent to win here.

“It wasn’t pretty. Everyone always feels the team winning must do more, but Zebre put up a big fight.
“They never went away. They just stayed in it. So compliments to them and their coaching group. I think there’s something special happening there.”

Earlier in the day, the Stormers’ unbeaten league run came to an end as they suffered a 30-19 home defeat to the Hollywoodbets Sharks in front of a 52,087 Cape Town crowd.

Sharks full-back Aphelele Fassi was named Player of the Match with powerful centre Andre Esterhuizen sealing the bonus point by going over for his team’s fourth try seven minutes from time.

Leinster Rugby are now up to third in the table having made it ten wins in a row in all competitions by beating Connacht Rugby 34-23 in Galway.

It was a big occasion at the Dexcom Stadium with a record 12,481 sell-out crowd turning out to mark the opening of the new Clan Stand.

But the visitors spoiled the party as they claimed maximum points with centre Charlie Tector capping a Player of the Match display with one of their four tries.

Cardiff Rugby are level on points with Leinster in fourth spot having secured a hard-fought 17-8 victory over play-off rivals Benetton Rugby at the Arms Park.

Saturday’s other game saw the Scarlets record a dramatic 27-22 victory over Ulster Rugby with winger Ellis Mee scoring the match-winning try in the final play.

Friday night’s three matches were all tight affairs amid the wind and rain of Storm Ingrid.

At the Hive Stadium, the Vodacom Bulls came from 17-6 down at half-time to beat Edinburgh Rugby 19-17 with replacement Marco van Staden claiming the decisive try.

Bulls coach Johan Ackermann said: “We are very pleased with the character of the players.

“The first 40 wasn’t pretty, but everybody played really well in the second half. It’s a massive positive.”

Full-back Willie le Roux added: “It was tough conditions to play in. Going back home now, it’s a 35 degree difference. You want to run the ball around a bit in Loftus, but coming here you have to play a bit of a different ball game.”

It was a similar story in wet and windy Cork as Munster Rugby turned around a 20-7 deficit to beat Dragons RFC 22-20, a result that puts them fifth in the table.

Gavin Coombes was their super-sub hero, with the prolific No 8 twice forcing his way over from close range ahead of fly-half Tony Butler landing the match winning penalty five minutes from time.

The Player of the Match award went to debutant flanker Sean Edogbo, providing further cause for family celebration in the wake of his brother Edwin being named in the Ireland Six Nations squad.

“It’s been a very special week,” said Sean.

“There was good news for Eddie and then me making my debut here in Cork. I am just really proud.

“The crowd is always special here. They really get behind us and I’m glad we could give them something to cheer about.”

Munster skipper Diarmuid Barron said: “The weather wasn’t easy. It was difficult from minute one and we ground it out and that’s a huge mark to the lads.”

The hooker added: “That’s a good Dragons side. I wouldn’t be underestimating what they are going to do this season. They are going to take a lot of scalps.”

The visitors looked odds on to secure their first away league win since April 2022 when they led by 13 points following tries from hooker Brodie Coghlan and wing David Richards.

But, in the end, it wasn’t to be as Munster just edged home with the elements in their favour after the break.

Dragons coach Filo Tiatia said: “It was a game of two halves - you’ve got the wind and you don’t have the wind.

“I thought our boys played really well. I am really proud of the effort.”

Meanwhile, it finished honours even in the wind and rain at Bridgend’s Brewery Field with the Ospreys and the Lions scoring four tries apiece as they drew 24-24 to both pick up three points.

Ospreys coach Mark Jones was full of praise for the efforts from his players.

“It was an awesome performance,” said Jones.

“After what the guys have been through, to go out there and do what they did was class from them.

“It’s three important points.

“You wouldn’t have known the ball was wet the way we held it, the bravery we showed in trying to offload under pressure and trying to keep the ball alive.

“I thought some of the rugby we put on display was class and deserved more.”

It’s a result which sees the Lions and the Ospreys occupying the final two spots in the play-offs as the table currently stands.

Davies’ Delight At Scarlets Stunner

Scarlets boss Nigel Davies has paid tribute to the bravery of his team in the wake of their dramatic last-gasp victory over in-form Ulster.

Having gone into the game lying bottom of the table, the west Wales region defied the odds by triumphing 27-22 thanks to a superb match-winning try from wing Ellis Mee in the 83rd minute.

They had led 17-12 at the break but came under sustained pressure in the second half while playing into the wind and it looked as though they were going to lose out when Nathan Doak put Ulster in front with a penalty five minutes from time.

But then, in the final play deep into stoppage time, they struck as the excellent Sam Costelow sent out a long pass to fellow Wales squad member Mee who sliced between two defenders to score and spark scenes of wild celebrations.

Director of Rugby Davies said: “We have asked the boys to be brave and relentless and that’s what they were. They were brave and they have given hope to west Wales.

“We had a tough second half, we couldn’t really get out of the territory, but they kept on going.

“We defended fantastically for long periods in that second half and we knew these guys are capable. When they get half a chance, half an opportunity, they can score tries like that. To take that try there, what a finish from Ellis.

“One of my key themes is understanding our DNA as a rugby team and we are at our best when we are moving the ball, we are keeping it alive and we are moving it quickly around the park.

“I have said if we are going to go down, we will go down fighting and we’ve got to be brave. We have got to be clever and smart as well.

“We have got a young back line and sometimes you will have your head in your hands, but there’s no other way that Scarlets can play and be successful.

“What this team was missing was a big win and that’s a big win against an excellent Ulster side.”

Giving the reaction from the losing camp, Player of the Match Doak said: “It’s unbelievably gutting. It’s very frustrating. We should have won that game.

“We have got to have a look at ourselves and use this as a way to get better.”

There was another Welsh success on Saturday as Cardiff claimed a hard-fought 17-8 victory over Benetton at a rainswept Arms Park.

It’s a win that puts them fourth in the table, with Ioan Lloyd landing a penalty from the touchline with the final kick of the game to deny their Italian play-off rivals a losing bonus point.

Between them, Lloyd and Callum Sheedy slotted four shots at goal to add to a try from second row Josh McNally.

Delivering his verdict, fly-half Sheedy said: “It was definitely one for the purist.

“We speak a lot about fight and enjoyment. It’s not always going to be pretty, but come the end of the season no-one is really going to care what that game looked like. It’s four points, that’s the important thing.”

Adding some words on try-scorer McNally, who picked up the Player of the Match award, Sheedy said: “That was a Josh McNally game. He was loving it. I thought he was outstanding.

“There’s a lot of the unseen work that we see as players, just being niggly in mauls, the way he stays in contacts, the way he fights and he’s obviously been round the block and is a great leader.

“Having players like that in the environment is massive. When the game goes into a lull, he will pick you up. He’s a very energetic man for 42, 43, whatever he is!”

What’s Coming Next?

There’s another full programme of matches next weekend before the league takes a break as the Guinness Six Nations gets underway.

Round 11 sees new leaders Glasgow hosting fifth-placed Munster, while the DHL Stormers will be seeking revenge as they face a return clash with the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban.

That’s one of two all-South African affairs, with the Lions taking on the Bulls in Johannesburg, while there’s also a Welsh derby with the Ospreys entertaining the Dragons at Bridgend’s Brewery Field.

Elsewhere, there’s a top six clash between Ulster and Cardiff in Belfast, with the other fixtures being Benetton v Scarlets, Zebre v Connacht and Leinster v Edinburgh.