RUGBY OPINION
Pro12 problems for Leinster
By Daire Walsh
WITH so much attention being afforded to the international teams in recent weeks, it is easy to forget that all four rugby provinces in Ireland continue to work away in the background. The Guinness Pro12 will enjoy a prolonged break when the RBS Six Nations resumes on Saturday, but the past weekend proved to be one to forget for the Irish sides, as they were all on the receiving end of defeats in their respective fixtures.
Matt O’Connor’s Leinster made the trip to Wales on Saturday evening to face the Scarlets, who are currently Connacht’s main competitors for the much-desired sixth position in the league table. Since losing several players to the Irish camp, Leinster’s form has been decidedly mixed, but courtesy of Ben Te’o’s first-ever try for the Blue Army, Scarlets were trailing 10-8 at the mid-way point.
Yet, a Jimmy Gopperth penalty was all that the visitors could muster after the restart, and with the Scarlets registering eye-catching tries from Jordan Williams and Rory Pitman, they were on the wrong end of a 23-13 scoreline.
This was another set-back in what is becoming a frustrating Pro12 campaign for Leinster, and as the table stands, they find themselves outside of the play-off places with just five games remaining. The return of their international stars will provide a much-needed boost, but their league form will need to improve if they have designs on a third successive Pro12 title.
On the domestic front, it was another memorable weekend for Naas, who brought Old Wesley’s 100% record in Division 2A of the Ulster Bank League to an end in Forenaughts on Saturday. With 12 wins from 12 heading into the game, the Donnybrook side were formidable opponents for the south Kildare men.
However, thanks to a Johnny Delaney try, as well as eight points from the dependable Peter Osborne, Naas held a surprise 13-6 lead at the interval. The hosts looked set to come up short when Wesley produced two converted scores upon the resumption, but Henry Bryce came to the rescue with a decisive five-pointer three minutes from time.
This outstanding 21-20 win was ninth-place Naas’ fifth win in just six outings, and keeps them within one point of rivals NUIM Barnhall, who recorded their first win since January 28 away to Dungannon.
There was also plenty of excitement in the Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup last week, as Clongowes Wood College and Newbridge College competed in a brace of breathtaking semi-finals. Clongowes seemed to be heading for a heavy defeat at the hands of Belvedere on Tuesday, only for converted tries by Rowan Osborne, John Molony and James Lappin to reduce the deficit to a minimum (27-26).
The Clane school ultimately came up short, but it was an even tighter affair on Wednesday, when Newbridge renewed acquaintances with familiar foes Cistercian College Roscrea. Scores from Jake Howlett (try) and Colm Doyle (penalty) were cancelled out by Roscrea’s Keith Kavanagh and Tim Foley, but by the time of reading this, yesterday’s replay should have produced a second finalist for the March 17 decider.