Bulls fly SA flag in round three of URC
RECAP: The Bulls recorded the first win in Europe by a South African franchise in the United Rugby Championship last weekend, moving them up to third spot on the log.
They were the only away team to secure victory over the weekend while the other South African teams continued their struggles on tour.
The Stormers, despite a good start, succumbed to Glasgow 9-20, the Sharks only managed one try in their 5-19 loss to Ospreys and the Lions’ woes continued on tour as well as they went down 10-15 to Benetton.
Top of the log Connacht rallied for a remarkable comeback win over Ulster to make it three wins from three and climb to the top of the URC table.
Just hours earlier Munster had briefly hit the summit after a comfortable win over Dragons, while the Vodacom Bulls showed their attacking flair in an impressive win over Zebre Parma.
Six teams are level on 10 points in a tightly-packed table, with Ospreys winning in London against the Sharks, Leinster edging past Edinburgh and Benetton leaving it late to claim victory over Lions.
Here, we take a closer look at all the action from Round 3.
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Glasgow Warriors 20-9 Stormers
Glasgow Warriors scored three first-half tries to defeat Stormers at Scotstoun.
A Sione Tuipulotu score and then two from Johnny Matthews gave Franco Smith’s side a 20-9 half-time lead, their situation helped by Stormers having two men sin-binned in quick succession.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu sent over three first-half penalties for the visitors.
The South Africans poured on the pressure once restored to full strength but could not break down a resolute Glasgow defence that held firm to claim a statement victory against the team that reached the last two URC finals.
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Glasgow coach Franco Smith said: "The Stormers are a class outfit.
"They’ve played in the final the first two years they’ve been involved. They were leading the table with two victories and a lot of points scored so we always knew it was going to be a tough one and it was important to get the victory.
"From a coaching perspective you always want a little bit more. I think we were good enough and created enough opportunities so that is a regret, but it is something that will motivate us going into this week."
Stormers coach John Dobson said: "We had no ball possession in the first half, and ended it with 13 players, we produced an energised and physical performance but it was poor discipline and set piece work.
"Energy-wise we were there. I told the team afterwards I cannot fault their energy. But I'm a little bit frustrated around the set piece issues."
Ospreys 19-5 Sharks
Ospreys celebrated their first URC excursion to London with a win over Sharks at the Twickenham Stoop.
A crowd of 7,183 at Twickenham Stoop saw Ospreys record a deserved victory as Sharks fell to their third consecutive defeat as a result of a number of unforced errors.
Jack Walsh, Max Nagy and Keiran Williams scored Ospreys’ tries with Walsh adding two conversions.
A try from Phepsi Buthelezi gave Sharks a third-minute lead after the home defence was exploited in the wide channels, but that was as good as it got for the Durban side.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth said: "We’re a side that will never go away. We might not have as much quality at times in different competitions, but we’ve always prided ourselves on having a team that always works hard for themselves.
"As a result, we can get into a contest and sometimes you can shock people if they are not quite up to it, and today you have seen that they can claw their way back into a game."
Sharks head coach John Plumtree said: "It is very frustrating. We started well by scoring a good try, and then our discipline let us down and we had to defend for long periods in our 22, and they scored.
"Then poor decision-making gifted them an intercept try, and suddenly we were 19-5 and chasing the game. We are good enough to build pressure, but not good enough to turn it into points.
"Discipline is a worry, and we have to look at ourselves. As much as the Ospreys deserved that win, I don’t think they were better than us – and we should be doing a lot better."
Zebre Parma 29-54 Bulls
Zebre Parma's search for a URC victory goes on after they went down to Bulls at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.
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Zebre's losing run stretched to 28 as centre David Kriel went in for a hat-trick of tries, with Akker van der Merwe and Devon Williams crossing for two apiece. Sergeal Petersen also touched down and Johan Goosen booted six conversions and Chris Smith one.
The Italians did secure a try bonus point, though, thanks to scores from Jacopo Bianchi, Geronimo Prisciantelli, Scott Gregory and Lorenzo Pani. Prisciantelli added nine points with the boot.
Bulls coach Jake White said: "After last week when you don’t win a game, you start to doubt, so this will do our confidence a lot of good.
"I think people come here and underestimate Zebre at their peril. Zebre are not as poor as everyone thinks they are. When they attack, they ask good questions of your defence, and you’ve got to make good reads.
"When you play as much as we did, you will make mistakes as well. What I am really happy about is that we could have gone into defensive mode when we had the bonus point and felt we just had to hang on.
"I liked the fact that we carried on playing and scored more tries, which is also good for our psyche."
Leinster 36-27 Edinburgh
Leinster ended Edinburgh’s winning start to the season with a well-judged bonus-point victory at the Arena.
Running out five-try winners at home for the second week running, Leo Cullen’s young side led 21-6 at half-time thanks to converted scores from Lee Barron, Max Deegan and Ciaran Frawley.
Edinburgh lock Glen Young’s yellow card saw their first-half deficit increase from four points to 15, despite Ben Healy responding with his second penalty.
Tommy O'Brien and James Culhane also went over for the home side after the break.
The wind-backed Scots rallied with replacements James Lang, Connor Boyle and Boan Venter all crossing, but Leinster made sure to stay out of reach.
Leinster coach Leo Cullen said: "I thought it was a bit patchy. We still have a long way to go. You are up against a team with a pretty experienced pack and that front-row was at the World Cup.
"That’s the level they have been operating at, but from our point of view there was a lot within our control and that’s where the learning is.
"The positive piece is you are growing depth and guys are accumulating experience at this time of year and some guys within that are putting their hands up for bigger games down the line.
"But at the time it’s about winning the games and we managed to do that. Parts of today were a step up and parts were a step back but that’s to be expected."
Scarlets 31-25 Cardiff
Scarlets claimed their first victory of the season with a nail-biting win over Cardiff.
Wales World Cup scrumhalf Gareth Davies, who was leading his home region for the first time in his illustrious career, was the star of the game as he scored one try and made another in a second-half performance from the home side that turned the game on its head.
Alex Craig, Johnny McNicholl and Vaea Fifita also crossed for Scarlets as they secured a bonus point and Ioan Lloyd booted four conversions and a penalty.
Ellis Bevan, Rhys Carre and Theo Cabango scored tries for the visitors with Tinus De Beer kicking 10 points.
Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt said: "I'm very realistic with it. I don't get too emotive after we beat the Dragons and I don't feel too disheartened today or after Benetton. We’ve had three games and we've been right in the game in the last two or three minutes three times.
"Today, there’s a penalty, another knock on five metres out and Gareth Davies has a moment of brilliance and passes to Fifita. That's just the game. Sometimes you finish on the right side of those, sometimes you finish on the other side.
"In these tight games, experience can get you over the line, and I thought their more experienced players in terms of Gareth Davies, McNicholl, Steff Evans, Fifita - they've been in these situations before, so that's what got them over the line."
Munster 45-14 Dragons
Ireland Under-20 star Brian Gleeson scored his first senior try during Munster’s win over Dragons at Musgrave Park.
The Tipperary teenager came off the bench to cross with Rory Scannell, Gavin Coombes, player-of-the-match Calvin Nash (2), Tom Ahern and Craig Casey also going over.
Graham Rowntree’s side had three tries on the board to lead 17-7 at half-time, with Academy fly-half Tony Butler converting the first of them from Scannell.
Teenage flank Ryan Woodman scored on his first start for Dragons who also saw Aki Seiuli cross from a maul, but once Ahern took care of the bonus point, Munster eased their way to a seven-try triumph.
Munster head coach Rowntree said: "It was challenging and we have got to get more accurate in what we are doing but it’s great the way the young men are driving things.
"We are a long way off being a perfect version of ourselves. But it was important we came through that game, 17-7 at half-time and it was a bit sticky.
"But then we powered away in that third quarter - the young guys, particularly those coming off the bench, performed really well."
Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan said: "It’s tough initially to find positives in it.
"I thought our maul was good and for some of the youngsters, Luke Yendle and Ryan Woodman, it was a big step forward in their development.
“But I am just disappointed in our accuracy, if I am being honest. The effort is always through the roof, but we need to be more accurate under pressure than we are.
"We can learn lessons from this, but we have got to be much better."
Connacht 22-20 Ulster
Cool-headed Connacht came from 17 points down to beat Ulster and avoid their first defeat at the Sportsground since last December.
Captain Jack Carty put a penalty miss behind him to send Diarmuid Kilgallen over for the decisive 73rd-minute try, as the westerners completed a hat-trick of early season home wins.
Carty’s opposite number Jake Flannery was emerging as the hero of the hour, tagging two penalties onto his snappily-taken 33rd-minute try as Ulster led 13-3 at half-time.
His halfback partner Dave Shanahan scored to make it 20-3, but centres Cathal Forde and Tom Farrell both crossed during a crucial five-minute spell for Pete Wilkins’ men.
Injury-hit Ulster came under further pressure and despite Carty missing a chance to go level, he soon picked out winger Kilgallen to complete a memorable comeback.
Ulster flyhalf Flannery said: "It’s disappointment, it’s frustration. Like every game there are positives but ultimately, it’s the result that counts. We thought we were good enough to win and when you don’t get that, it’s gutting.
"There was some good stuff but ultimately you want to win, and we didn’t do that.
"We’re really disappointed, we felt there were moments there we didn’t win and we could have won. There were loads of moments in the game where if we got it right, I feel we could have come away with the win."
Benetton 15-10 Lions
Benetton maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought home victory over the Lions.
Tries from Malakai Fekitoa - the first for the former New Zealand and current Tonga international in Benetton colours - and Ignacio Mendy saw the Italians edge home at the Stadio Monigo.
Jordan Hendrikse kicked a penalty and Sanele Nohamba converted replacement prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye's second-half try to level the scores at 10-10 in the final quarter.
But Jacob Umaga's floated pass allowed Mendy to make the corner nine minutes from time, allowing Benetton to build on their opening-day win at Cardiff and draw with Munster.
Photo credits: @BlueBullsRugby & @THESTORMERS