Guinness Pro12 Round 5

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Think your ref is bad? Treviso lost lead due to what really looked like a knock on after a possible double movement. Joyously, there was no TMO at the game. Scarlets win but score really flattered them. Lots of line breaks from Treviso, Luke Maclean (who I don't rate) played really well but they kept messing up inside the Scarlets 22. In the morning I'll probably be happy given its only Crowley's fifth game.

Ospreys blew it. Magnificent defence all second half, seem to have weathered the storm, go on attack, two great try saving tackles from Ulster and a last minute pen for them to win it.

 

[Bluemoon]

Heaslip dives over off his feet, 'wins the ball'

 

[Thingimubob]

Past a joke now. Heaslip was off his feet scooping the ball back...

 

[Lé Ddanno]

[TABLE="width: 800"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]Friday[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Connacht[/TD]
[TD]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Edinburgh[/TD]
[TD][19:35][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dragons[/TD]
[TD]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Glasgow[/TD]
[TD][19:35][/TD]
[TD]BBC2 Wales[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Saturday[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Munster[/TD]
[TD]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Zebre[/TD]
[TD][17:00][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ulster[/TD]
[TD]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Ospreys[/TD]
[TD][18:30][/TD]
[TD]SkySports5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Blues[/TD]
[TD]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Leinster[/TD]
[TD][19:35][/TD]
[TD]S4C[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Treviso[/TD]
[TD]vs.[/TD]
[TD]Scarlets[/TD]
[TD][20:05][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]



Previews
Can Connacht get up and running? With the week Edinburgh have had, are they ever going to have a better chance? [Well... maybe Zebre away, but we all know how that was going!!]
Glasgow to bounce back from last week against the Dragons who went down in Treviso? Likely you'd imagine.
POM maybe on the comeback trail for Munster in front of an empty Thomond park with men everywhere watching the Mayo vs. Jackeen match and woofters watching the golf. Should easily see off a Zebre side that are looking at last in the league already - despite their improved showing last week.
Ulster - Ospreys, first of the two ties of the round. Ospreys brought back down to earth with more than a bump last weekend, they will be hurting and looking to bounce back. Can Ulster's great start continue? At home you'd think so.
The 2nd tie of the round. Blues going well until stuttering over the line last week, Leinster seemingly up and running with J10 back at the reins. The Blues have got a few hammerings at the RDS over the years, can they sneak a win? Despite their generally improved form and what seems like a bit more dog about them, I'd say its unlikely.
Treviso won last week - but Scarlets are a step up from the Dragons - a step I think Treviso can maybe make if they can dominate the forward battle and make it a 9 man game.

---

If anyone has TV info, please post in the thread - might be useful to someone.

I wish you'd start the AP threads.

 

[Bluemoon]

Embarrassing refereeing performance. Was he Irish by any chance lol?

 

[Amiga500]

I wish you'd start the AP threads.

McCafferty can't afford my rate

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I wish you'd start the AP threads.

Olyy pay no attention to this heathen.

Your use of HD logo is still the best.

 

[Thingimubob]

Well good to see the standard of refeering continues to make the Pro 12 a bit of a joke at times

Worst thing about it is, nothing will come of a performance like that, so it just never gets any better. Honestly hope I don't watch Dudley Phillips referee another game. Utter joke.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I wish you'd start the AP threads.

Feel free to start them yourself if you want, I'm under no obligation.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Feel free to start them yourself if you want, I'm under no obligation.

I don't have the imagination to preclude it with love, drama, sex n drugs n rock n roll and Hollyoaks-standard subplots like this one.

 

[dullonien]

Bit miffed after the Blues v Leinster game. Blues should feel very hard done by. A string of terrible decisions really hampered the Blues chances in this one, not least the perfectly good Lee Lo turnover which was penalised and led directly to Leinsters try!

Saying that, the Blues still had opportunities to win this game, but a lack of composure coupled with excellent Leinster defense meant they couldn't get over the line.

 

[Peat]

Didn't see the Ulster game and from what I'm reading, things will stay that way. All sounds a bit smash and grab. I'll take that though. 5 wins from the first 5 while rotating constantly is pretty good going.

 

[Amiga500]

All sounds a bit smash and grab. I'll take that though.

Wouldn't advise watching it - but wouldn't exactly call it smash and grab either.

More bludgeoned the Ospreys to death. We'd no big carriers sucking in the forwards and no pick-and-go game around the ruck to further thin the defensive line. Made it all very lateral and passive. Depth of runners was a major step back from the Scarlets game too.

Diack not a carrier. Roger done. Pienaar's exit already looking near fatal to the team, Piatau can't pass, Payne best 15 in the land by a distance and Ludik seriously under-rated.

Most of that we knew before the game, but if anyone was in any doubt...

5 wins from the first 5 while rotating constantly is pretty good going.

Thats the silver lining.

Got a win while having plenty to think about. Not a bad place to be in and I'd have bit your hand off for it before the season started. But we've been here before in the Cowboy's first season in charge only for it all to go horribly wrong after xmas.

 

[Amiga500]

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Connachtvs.Edinburgh[19:35]
Dragonsvs.Glasgow[19:35]BBC2 WalesSaturday



Munstervs.Zebre[17:00]
Ulstervs.Ospreys[18:30]SkySports5Bluesvs.Leinster[19:35]S4CTrevisovs.Scarlets[20:05]
</body>[TABLE="width: 800"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]Friday[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Connacht[/TD]
[TD]28[/TD]
[TD]Edinburgh[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Dragons[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[TD]Glasgow[/TD]
[TD]26[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Saturday[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Munster[/TD]
[TD]49[/TD]
[TD]Zebre[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ulster[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]Ospreys[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Blues[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[TD]Leinster[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Treviso[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]Scarlets[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]



Wrap-up

So Connacht finally on the board, given the shambles Edinburgh are right now, if they hadn't, along with the inevitable Mayo defeat on Saturday, there would have been a great depression out West. Well... to be honest there still probably is.

Glasgow did as most expected, beat out a fairly toothless Dragons side which continue to frustrate the Rodney Parade faithful with no real light at the end of this particular tunnel in sight.

Pashun, pride, bravery and faithfulness.... everything needed in an epic Munster performance, but none of which were required to beat Zebre. Much larger challenges await Rassie's rebuilding job.

After being hyped up in a big way by me on Friday, (and perhaps mentioned once or twice in passing by WHOOSH (sky), this game didn't deliver the expansive entertainment we'd hoped for. Well... I guess Ospreys had a very good opening 10-15 mins and a couple of nice breaks later in the game, and admirers of defence will have been entralled with the full 80. But, while it wasn't in your face entertainment, it was from this biased viewpoint, enthralling. Two good teams going at it full pelt - not sure if either have it to win the league though without reinforcements coming back from injury and making an impact. Ben Whitehouse had a big game to handle, and did a pretty good job. It can't be easy if the league are asking non-neutral officials to handle them, but I suppose it means he can never be accused of being a one-eyed Welsh bstart.... I guess that makes him a two-eyed Welsh bstart?

Oh dear Dudley. That would be my conclusion if I were to read only Blues' responses to the game. I'm sure the D4 band will be on to defend their man. Good win for Leinster regardless. The Blues have undoubtedly made a big step forward - question is - is it enough of a step to challenge at the top? Come the heavy pitches they've a big match winner in Nick Williams -- but at the back end of the season on dryer turf, he'll not have the same impact. Will be interesting to see over the course if they do take further steps, or if they stagnate. I fear the latter.

Ah, my personal disappointment of the round. I really hoped Treviso would step up and start to look like the team of 3 years ago. Maybe later in the season.

 

[MojoPin]

Dudley Phillips had a shocker. Blues could, and arguably should have won that game. He made bad calls on both sides and I don't like blaming refs but it's hard to argue with the anger over a Dublin-based ref making some pretty shocking calls in that match.

At the end of the day though, the Blues could have won that match if they hadn't been so determined to barge their way over the line with that last opportunity. If we'd gone wide I think we might well have got through with the quality in our backline. Oh well, a loss had to come eventually and there's no shame in losing a close match to Leinster.

 

[Groundhog]

Dudley Phillips is a crap ref. Really rubs me up the wrong way, but it's important to read the ref and get on his level even if he's having a howler. Play the ref as best you can and do what you think falls under his interpretation of the laws. Dudley has reffed enough games for teams to wise up to his pedantic breakdown interpretation and general guesswork at scrum time.