The results from round 15 of the Magners League had an unexpected effect on the table – at the completion of the round not one team has changed position from the previous weekend.
However, gaps are now opening up between the leaders and the chasing pack, with just one point separating the second to fourth placed teams, and a four-point difference between the top and bottom half of the table.
Leinster’s narrow victory at Thomond Park, their first at the Limerick ground since 1995, saw them pull seven points clear of second-placed Munster, with a game in hand over their closest rivals, Munster, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors.
The Newport Gwent Dragons’ loss to Glasgow Warriors on Sunday has left the Welsh region five points adrift of a play-off spot, with only three games left.
The Scarlets’ derby defeat to the Ospreys means that the Llanelli-based outfit can no longer mathematically make the play-offs, their focus must now be on trying to secure one of the three Welsh qualifying places for the Heineken Cup next season. As well as progression in Europe.
With the lead changing hands eight times in the Ospreys’ game against Scarlets on Friday night, the Ospreys have now been involved in the two most changeable Magners League matches of all time, the other being the 22-21 win against Ulster at St. Helen’s in January 2005.
Were the play-offs to take place now, the semi-finalists would be 1st v 4th – Leinster v Glasgow Warriors, and
2nd v 3rd – Munster v Edinburgh.
The Magners League takes a break this weekend as the focus turns once more to Europe, with six Celtic teams in action in the knockout stages of the ERC competitions – Leinster, Munster and the Ospreys in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals, and the Cardiff Blues, Connacht and the Scarlets in the last-eight of the Amlin Challenge Cup.
2009/10 MAGNERS LEAGUE – AFTER ROUND 15:
TOP TRY SCORERS –
8 – Tim Visser (Edinburgh)
7 – Fionn Carr (Connacht)
6 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Aled Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons)
5 – Simon Danielli (Ulster), Jean de Villiers (Munster), Tom James (Cardiff Blues), Nikki Walker (Ospreys)
4 – Jerry Collins (Ospreys), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Nick Williams (Munster), Mark Robertson (Edinburgh), Thom Evans (Glasgow Warriors)
3 – Ben Cairns (Edinburgh), Denis Hurley (Munster), Will Harries (Newport Gwent Dragons), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Rob Kearney (Leinster), Roddy Grant (Edinburgh), DTH van der Merwe (Glasgow Warriors)
TOP POINTS SCORERS –
164 – Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors) (10 conversions, 44 penalty goals and 4 drop goals)
121 – Ben Blair (Cardiff Blues) (1 try, 16 conversions and 28 penalty goals), Ian Keatley (Connacht) (1 try, 4 conversions, 34 penalty goals and 2 drop goals)
117 – Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (1 try, 14 conversions, 22 penalty goals and 6 drop goals)
115 – Chris Paterson (Edinburgh) (2 tries, 15 conversions and 25 penalty goals)
113 – Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) (1 try, 9 conversions, 28 penalty goals and 2 drop goals)
105 – Rhys Priestland (Scarlets) (3 tries, 6 conversions and 26 penalty goals)
100 – Ian Humphreys (Ulster) (2 tries, 12 conversions and 22 penalty goals)
82 – Jason Tovey (Newport Gwent Dragons) (1 try, 7 conversions, 19 penalty goals and 2 drop goals)
64 – James Arlidge (Newport Gwent Dragons) (2 tries, 6 conversions, 13 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)
63 – Fergus McFadden (Leinster) (2 tries, 4 conversions and 15 penalty goals)
62 – Ronan O’Gara (Munster) (10 conversions and 14 penalty goals)
BEST PLACE-KICKERS –
88.89% – Chris Paterson (Edinburgh) (40 successful kicks from 45 attempts)
81.25% – Jason Tovey (Newport Gwent Dragons) (26/232
75.51% – Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) (37/49)
75% – Paul Warwick (Munster) (9/12)
73.08% – Fergus McFadden (Leinster) (19/26)
72.08% – Niall O’Connor (Ulster) (8/11)
72% – Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors) (54/75)
71.43% – Stephen Jones (Scarlets) (15/21)
69.09% – Ian Keatley (Connacht) (38/55)
68.75% – Ben Blair (Cardiff Blues) (44/64)
68.42% – Phil Godman (Edinburgh) (13/19)
64% – Rhys Priestland (Scarlets) (32/50)
61.11% – Jeremy Manning (Munster) (11/18)
60.71% – Ian Humphreys (Ulster) (34/56)
60% – Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (36/60)
59.38% – James Arlidge (Newport Gwent Dragons) (19/32)
57.14% – Ronan O’Gara (Munster) (24/42)
54.55% – Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues) (6/11)
50% – James Hook (Ospreys) (6/12)
40% – Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) (4/10)
Qual: 10 place-kicks at goal
RESULTS ROUND-UP –
Friday, April 2, 2010 at Thomond Park
Munster (12) 15: Ronan O’Gara(5P)
Leinster (13) 16: Rob Kearney(T), Jonathan Sexton(C/2P), Fergus McFadden(P)
Attendance: 26,043
Munster v Leinster Match Report
Friday, April 2, 2010 at the Sportsground
Connacht (11) 22: Brian Tuohy(T), Ian Keatley(T)/2P/D), Miah Nikora(P)
Edinburgh (14) 21: Tim Visser(T), Mark Robertson(T), Roddy Grant(T), Phil Godman(3C)
Attendance: 1,460
Connacht v Edinburgh Match Report
Friday, April 2, 2010 at the Liberty Stadium
Ospreys (14) 27: Tommy Bowe(2T), Dan Biggar(C/3P/2D)
Scarlets (13) 19: Jonathan Davies(T), Stephen Jones(C/4P)
Attendance: 13,913
Saturday, April 3, 2010 at Ravenhill
Ulster (9) 24: Stephen Ferris(T), Chris Henry(T), Niall O’Connor(4P), Ian Humphreys(C)
Cardiff Blues (23) 33: Casey Laulala(T), Xavier Rush(T), Dafydd Hewitt(T), Ceri Sweeney(2C), Leigh Halfpenny(C/4P)
Attendance: 7,334
Ulster v Cardiff Blues Match Report
Sunday, April 4, 2010 at Firhill Stadium
Glasgow Warriors (16) 27: Bernardo Stortoni(T), DTH van der Merwe(T), Colin Shaw(T), Dan Parks(4P)
Newport Gwent Dragons (9) 19: Will Harries(T), Jason Tovey(4P), James Arlidge(C)
Attendance: 2,621
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