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Irish Provinces Review after Week 19 of Guinness Pro 12

Week 19 of Guinness Pro 12 saw Munster win in Edinburgh. Ulster won the Irish derby against Connacht and Leinster lost away against the Dragons.

Week 19 of Guinness Pro 12 saw Munster win away in Edinburgh. Ulster won their Irish derby at the Sportsground against Connacht and Leinster surprisingly lost away from home against the Dragons. Here is the review of the Irish Provinces after Week 19 of Guinness Pro 12.

Munster:

Anthony Foley’s Munster side moved to second place in the table after a stunning second half performance against Edinburgh at Murrayfield. The Red Army scored five tries with Simon Zebo, CJ Stander, Conor Murray and Keith Earls adding to the Duncan Casey’s first half try.

Munster led by seven points at the break but the second half was a lot easier as Edinburgh had no answer to the visitors work at the breakdown. CJ Stander and Tommy O’Donnell in particular causing problems for the home side.

Next up for Munster is a home game against Treviso in two weeks’ time. They will expect another five points in this encounter. With the top of the table being so close, every point will be vital and maximum points are a must if Munster want a home semi-final.

Ulster:

Ulster kept up their home semi-final hopes alive with a fantastic win over near neighbours Connacht. Tommy Bowe’s two tries were key to the win but Rory Best and Iain Henderson were outstanding in the seven point victory.

Louis Ludik, Craig Gilroy and Rory Best also crossed over for tries as Ulster also secured the maximum five points. This was a superb performance by Neil Doak’s side who have really hit form at the right time of the season.

The next three games are vital to Ulster’s Pro 12 season. The welcome Leinster and Munster to the Kingspan Stadium in their next two games and then face a daunting trip to Glasgow. Two wins from the three games could be enough to secure a home semi – final.

Connacht:

Connacht managed to get a bonus point in defeat against Ulster to keep their hopes of sixth place in the Pro 12 table well and truly alive. They were second best to Ulster for most of the game but showed massive courage and fight to come back from a 17 point half time deficit.

Pat Lam’s side had outstanding performances from Aly Muldowney, Matt Healy and Eoghan Masterson but could not claw back their half time arrears. The loss is a big blow for Connacht in their quest for European rugby next season.

They are currently level with the Scarlets and only one point ahead of Edinburgh. It doesn’t get any easier for Connacht as they welcome table toppers Glasgow Warriors to the Sportsground in their next Pro 12 game.

Leinster:

Leinster suffered a shock defeat at Rodney Parade as the Dragons beat them thanks to a superb comeback. James Benjamin’s two tries secured the Welsh region’s first Pro 12 season double over the current champions.

When Ben Te’o scored his second try just after half time it looked like Leinster had built up an unassailable 14 point lead but that did not turn out to be the case. Everything went south for Matt O’Connor’s side when Te’o was harshly sin binned.

Qualification for the top four is now out of Leinster’s hands. They must win the rest of their Pro 12 games to have any hope of a top four finish. This weekend they play Toulon in the Champions Cup semi – final in a game they must win to effectively keep their season alive.

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