Rabo Direct Pro 12 - Round 22 Wrap

Final match in Glasgow for Puma Federico Martín Aramburu

The final round of the regular season in the Celtic-Italian League was played over the weekend and has confirmed its top four with two Irish sides, a Welsh and a Scottish to compete in the Semi Finals next weekend. Top of the table Leinster will take on the Glasgow Warriors on Sunday while the Ospreys will host Munster one day earlier. The top three was already confirmed and all eyes were on Glasgow to see if the Warriors could claim the final spot or not. It ahs been a big season for Scottish rugby with both sides making the play-off´s of a major competition as Edinburgh were a Semi Finalist in the Heineken Cup. Glasgow´ place in the Semi Final´s raises questions, hoewver, as many teams have not taken the Rabo Direct Pro 12 all that seriously. Edinburgh´ great performance in the European tournament are testiment to this as the same team finished second from bottom in the Rabo Direct Pro 12. The team that eliminated Edinburgh, Ulster, was demolished by Munster, the same side who Ulster had defeated with a great win in Limerick in this seasons Heineken Cup Quarter Finals. Ulster fielded many second string players.

The competition lacks the same pressure as the English and French championships due in large part to the competition having no relegation. Many teams prioritize the Heineken Cup to the extent that the Rabo Direct Pro 12 has, at times, been used for nothing more than training. The competition organizers ought to do something to change this or the competition will never reach the levels that is should. The Semi Finals of the Pro 12 will be played at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea and the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin. Neither stadium has a notably large capacity. In contrast, the much larger Aviva Stadium hosted the Heineken Cup Semi Final between Ulster and Edinburgh last weekend. It attracted a strong crowd yet was an a away match for both sides.  

The competition will change next year with Aironi being replaced by another Italian side. The identity of the new team is yet to be confirmed but it has been speculated that it will be based in Rome. Airno will now be cease to exist. Perhaps a major shake up is needed to attract stronger crowds and for the competion to be the comercia, succes that it really should be. Otherwise either or both of Scottish and Welsh teams may well be better off joining the Aviva Premiership.

Edinburgh 44-21 Benetton Treviso

Treviso had three Argentine players with Ignacio Fernández Rouyet and Franco Sbaraglini startnig and Gonzalo Padro coming on from the bench. Canadian, Roberto Barbieri started in the backrow. Neither of the Scot´s Argentine players, Esteban Lozada and Ulises Gamboa featured. Both players are to now leave Scotland.

Munster 36-8 Ulster

The USA´s Callum Black was on the bench for Ulster. He played the final 25 minutes.  

Newport-Gwent Dragons 18-22 Leinster

No players from the Americas were involved.

Scarlets 29-20 Cardiff Blues

No players from the Americas were involved.

Glasgow Warriors 23-3 Connacht

Argentine winger Federico Martín Aramburu captained Glasgow, playing on the right wing. He is set to retire after this season. He was joiend by Canadian, DTH van der Merwe who played on the other wing and was a try scorer.

Aironi 11-18 Ospreys

Three Argentine players featured for the home team with Gabirel Pizarro and Matías Aguero starting while Luciano Orquera was a 63rd minute replacement. USA Junior international, Hanno Dirksen was a try scorer for the Welsh region. Canada´s Chauncey O´Toole did not feature for the Ospreys.

Final Standings
1 Leinster 81
2 Ospreys 71
3 Munster 67
4 Glasgow 65
5 Scarlets 62
6 Ulster 56
7 Cardiff 50
8 Connacht 37
9 Treviso 36
10 Dragons 36
11 Edinburgh 32
12 Aironi 22

* Semi Finalists

Dragons vs Leinster

Heineken Cup - Quarter Finals Wrap

Edinburgh 19-14 Toulouse

Patricio Albacete

A record breaking crowd and an unlikely victory at Murrayfield as the favorites, Toulouse were unable to play any rugby due, in large part, to the selection of Lionel Beauxis in the pivotal position of flyhalf. The former Stade Français flyhalf made a mess of things while being the leading number 10 for the Parisians and since he left the club it has been playing a significantly better brand of rugby and winning much more matches with Felipe Contepomi replacing him in the position. France´s recent Six Nations performances were hardly impressive with Beauxis unable to create opportunities for the backline after he was selected at flyhalf over François Trinh-Duc. Edinburgh have been struggling to win a match in the Rabo Direct Pro 12 and if the competition was the same as the Top 14 Orange then the Scottish team would have no chance of playing in the 2012-2013 Heineken Cup. The team which defeated Toulouse, nonetheless, was packed with stars and was close to being the Scottish international team with the likes of Ross Rennie, David Denton, Ross Ford, Geoff Cross, Allan Jacobson, Mike Blair, Greig Laidlaw, Nick de Luca and Lee Jones all in the team. Tim Visser was in the team too with the Dutch winger certain to debut for Scotland this June with the Scot´s touring Australia, Fiji and Samoa. Edinburgh´s Argentine players did not feature while Patricio Albacete played the full 80 minutes in Toulouse´s secondrow. Edinburgh will play a Semi Final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Leinster 34-3 Cardiff Blues

The second Quarter Final was over by the 30 minute mark as Leinster dealt with Welsh region, the Cardiff Blues easily in front of a near fullhouse at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Despite being known as the Blues the side was in fact playing in a pink strip. The teams downfall was its lack of response time to Leinster´s counterattack and the lack of creation with Scottish international Dan Parks kicking away too much ball. His opposite, Jonny Sexton had a solid match in creating opportunities for his backs. The return of Brian O´Driscoll to Heineken Cup rugby was a success and he scored one of Leinster´s four tries. Leinster´s reward for winning is a Heineken Cup Semi Final match in France. Cardiff are set to lose a number of players who are to take up offers from other clubs. As such the teams chances of playing in the Quarter Finals next season are remote. 

Munster 16-22 Ulster

USA Born Ronan O´Gara

History was made in Limerick as for the first time in history Munster lost a Quarter Finals match at Thomond Park. Ulster´s victory was set up from the get go as the Northern Irish province went to a 19-0 lead after only 31 minutes. From there it was just a case of playing out the remainder of the match and this is, indeed, what Ulster did. When Munster finally started to play rugby it was too late. The USA born Irish international flyhalf Ronan O´Gara played at 10 for the hosts while fellow USA born player, Callum Black was left out of the team for Ulster. Having both provinces plus Leinster in the Heineken Cup Quarter Finals appears to suggest that Irish rugby is strong at the moment and that the recent Six Nations performances will not be repeated. The worrying thing for Ireland, however, is that Munster has dropped away from where it was several years ago and Ulster´s return to the Heineken Cup knock-out stages comes due in no small part to its imported players, particularly South Africans. Munster also fielded its share of imports in the loss vs Ulster.

Saracens 3-22 Clermont Auvergne

Canadian Jamie Cudmore

The contribution of the Americas to the global game featured in the final quarter final with Canada´s Jamie Cudmore starting in the secondrow for the French side. USA Eagles fullback, Chris Wyles started for Saracens on the left wing and the teams Argentine-Italian prop, Carlos Nieto was on the bench. Cudmore played 58 minutes, Nieto entered for the final 12 minutes and Wyles played the fullmatch. The Clermont hero was Australian Brock James who contributed 17 points with the games only try being scored by Wales´ Lee Byrne for the central French side. James had not been in the starting lineup but replaced former French international, David Skrela in only the 3rd minute of play. The result is a kick in the face to the tournamewnt organizers who have arranged for Twickenham to host the Heineken Cup Final but there will be no English teams even in the Semi Finals. Clermont will have the luxury of playing its Semi Final in France but it will not be a home encounter, ratrher the match will take place in Bordeaux. It will be Clermont vs Leinster.

Edinburgh vs Toulouse (Toulouse Try)

Leinster vs Cardiff Blues


Munster vs Ulster


Saracens vs Clermont