Ulster Slip Up

Ulster slip off the top of the Celtic League table following their 32-30 defeat by Leinster Lions in Donnybrook, with Llanelli Scarlets the new leaders by virtue of their 28-15 victory in Stadey Park over the Neath-Swansea Ospreys.

Mike Ruddock’s Gwent Dragons move into third place after winning 38-15 against The Borders in Neterdale.

Munster climbed above Connacht after winning 3-0 in Dubarry Park and Alan Gaffney’s side can further improve their position when they face The Borders in the next round when the League resumes in February.

Leinster Lions led 22-16 at half time of their game against Ulster in front of a packed Donnybrook crowd. That opening half produced a first try for Felipe Contepomi with the boot of Brian O’Meara accounting for the rest of Leinster’s scores. Against a home side shorn of three internationals in the hours prior to kick-off, Ulster were unable to produce enough cohesion to threaten an upset.
Things got even worse for the northern visitors when Victor Costello barged over in the 68th minute for a second Leinster try and O’Meara duly added the points.
Sixteen points clear and finally it seeped through to the Ulster players that there was a gamer on. On the stoke of full time Paul Steinmetz scored his second try, David Humphreys converted, and in the eight minute of the time added by referee Nigel Owens, Humphreys scored his side’s third try and the conversion to salvage a bonus point and even perhaps a little pride.

In deplorable conditions in Dubarry Park Munster showed once again their willingness to dog it out when required. In the end they won by a single score, 3-0, a penalty from Ronan O’Gara in the 67th minute. It might just as easily been 30 because you had the feeling that if Munster could manage to score just one try they’d score a hat-full. That they didn’t owed more to the resilience of the Connacht defence as it did to the conditions.
It lashed rain for almost the entire match, the rain and wind blowing into Munster faces in an opening half that saw Connacht out-half Eric Elwood miss two shots at goal. They were the only chances they had the whole night and only the truly partisan could quibble with the merit of Munster’s win.

Next weekend it’s European rugby fare. Connacht take on Pau in Galway, Munster are away to Gloucester (Kingsholm), Leinster Lions face Sale Sharks in Lansdowne Road while Ulster take on the mighty Leicester Tigers at Ravenhill.