Tag: Rugby

There are three games scheduled in the PRO14 on Saturday with Munster hosting Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park the pick of the action.

Benetton v Leinster

Benetton Rugby will return to Stadio Comunale di Monigo in Treviso to host the defending champions, Leinster.

Jayden Hayward starts at full-back for the homeside alongside Ratuva Tavuyara and Monty Ioane, who are the wings. Ignacio Brex and captain Alberto Sgarbi will be outside and inside centre respectively.

The half backs are Dewaldt Duvenage at scrum-half and Antonio Rizzi at fly-half.

The front-row will consist of Derrick Appiah and Marco Riccioni, who are two props while Hame Faiva starts at hooker.

Irné Herbst and Federico Ruzza will pack down in the second-row. Finally, the back-row sees Giovanni Pettinelli, Michele Lamaro starting on the flanks and Marco Barbini is at number eight, completing the XV chosen by head coach Kieran Crowley.

Meanwhile Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has named a strong matchday squad for this fixture.

Rob Kearney comes in at full-back having recovered from the tightness in his quad that forced him to miss last weekend’s Champions Cup trip to Toulouse.

Adam Byrne comes on to the right wing having played for the Leinster ‘A’ team last weekend in the final of the Celtic Cup. With Byrne coming on to the right wing, Joe Tomane moves across to the left wing.

Robbie Henshaw and Rory O’Loughlin are in the centre with Jamison Gibson-Park and Ross Byrne in the half backs.

Jack McGrath, James Tracy and Tadhg Furlong are in the front-row, with Scott Fardy and James Ryan behind them in the engine room.

Seán O’Brien captains the side for the first time this season from blindside flanker, with Dan Leavy back from a calf injury at openside and Max Deegan completing the pack at number eight.

On the bench, Academy player Conor O’Brien is due to make his first senior appearance of the season. The Westmeath man has three caps already to his name in the PRO14.

The teams:

Benetton: 15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Ratuva Tavuyara, 13 Ignacio Brex, 12 Alberto Sgarbi (c), 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Antonio Rizzi, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Marco Barbini, 7 Michele Lamaro, 6 Giovanni Pettinelli, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Irné Herbst, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Hame Faiva, 1 Derrick Appiah
Replacements: 16 Tomas Baravalle, 17 Alberto De Marchi, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Alessandro Zanni, 20 Marco Lazzaroni, 21 Tito Tebaldi, 22 Tommaso Iannone, 23 Angelo Esposito

Leinster: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Adam Byrne, 13 Rory O’Loughlin, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Max Deegan, 7 Dan Leavy, 6 Seán O’Brien (c), 5 James Ryan, 4 Scott Fardy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 James Tracy, 1 Jack McGrath
Replacements: 16 Bryan Byrne, 17 Ed Byrne, 18 Andrew Porter, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Rhys Ruddock, 21 Hugh O’Sullivan, 22 Noel Reid, 23 Conor O’Brien

Date: Saturday, October 27
Venue: Stadio Monigo
Kick-off: 15:00 local (14:00 GMT)
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant referees: TBC
TMO: TBC

Munster v Glasgow

Nine of the 11 Munster players called up to the Ireland squad earlier this week are included in the Munster matchday 23 to face Gloucester at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Peter O’Mahony captains the team and Keith Earls, fresh from signing a contract extension, returns as one of seven changes to the side that secured a bonus-point win against Gloucester in the Champions Cup last week.

Sammy Arnold is included having been named in an Ireland squad for the first time this week with Alby Mathewson and JJ Hanrahan also coming in to form a new half-back partnership.

The three final changes are in the pack with hooker Niall Scannell returning from a knock as Billy Holland and Chris Cloete are also included.

Mike Haley starts at full-back with Andrew Conway and Earls on either flank.

Rory Scannell and Arnold pair up in the centre with Mathewson and Hanrahan at scrum-half and out-half respectively.

James Cronin and John Ryan pack down on either side of Niall Scannell with Jean Kleyn and Holland resuming their partnership in the engine room.

Meanwhile, Chris Fusaro will play is 150th game for Glasgow Warriors when he comes off the bench.

The 29-year-old is in his ninth season with the Warriors and will become just the ninth player to reach that milestone in the club’s history.

Rob Harley, Graeme Morrison, Pat MacArthur, Al Kellock, Jonny Petrie, Dougie Hall, John Barclay and Moray Low are the only players to have played more games for Glasgow than Fusaro.

In the starting XV, five of the sixteen players named in Scotland’s 2018 Autumn International squad return, notably at half-back where brothers George and Pete Horne start beside each other.

Sam Johnson returns from St. Andrews to start at inside centre, while in the pack Rob Harley and Matt Fagerson are both included.

Nick Grigg partners Johnson in midfield and behind them Rory Hughes, DTH van der Merwe and Ruaridh Jackson make up the back three.

Fosroc Scottish Rugby Academy Hooker Grant Stewart starts for the Warriors for this first time. Oli Kebble and D’Arcy Rae pack down either side of him.

Scott Cummings starts in the engine room alongside Harley and captain Callum Gibbins and Adam Ashe complete the pack.

Fusaro is one of six internationals on the bench. Kevin Bryce, Jamie Bhatti, Greg Peterson, Nick Frisby and Niko Matawalu will also look to bring their experience to the game when called upon.

The teams:

Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Sammy Arnold, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Keith Earls, 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Chris Cloete, 6 Peter O’Mahony (c), 5 Billy Holland, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 John Ryan, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 James Cronin
Replacements: 16 Kevin O’Byrne, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Fineen Wycherley, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Neil Cronin, 22 Ian Keatley, 23 Darren Sweetnam

Glasgow: 15 Ruaridh Jackson, 14 DTH van der Merwe, 13 Nick Grigg, 12 Sam Johnson, 11 Rory Hughes, 10 Pete Horne, 9 George Horne, 8 Matt Fagerson, 7 Callum Gibbins (c), 6 Adam Ashe, 5 Scott Cummings, 4 Rob Harley, 3 D’Arcy Rae, 2 Grant Stewart, 1 Oli Kebble
Replacements: 16 Kevin Bryce, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Petrus du Plessis, 19 Greg Peterson, 20 Chris Fusaro, 21 Nick Frisby, 22 Brandon Thomson, 23 Niko Matawalu

Date: Saturday, October 27
Venue: Thomond Park
Kick-off: 17:15 local (16:15 GMT)
Referee: Dan Jones (Wales)
Assistant referees: Chris Busby (Ireland), TBC
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)

Cheetahs v Cardiff Blues

William Small-Smith will earn his 50th cap for the Cheetahs on Saturday. Rhyno Smith, Reinach Venter and Sintu Manjezi will be making their PRO14 debuts when they set foot to the field.

Injuries and international duties have forced some changes but Cardiff Blues head coach John Mulvihill has picked a mobile side to combat the South African outfit’s running threat.

In the pack, Brad Thyer, Ethan Lewis and Scott Andrews form a new-look front-row, Rory Thornton comes into the second-row and Seb Davies makes his long-awaited return to action at number eight.

Steve Shingler makes his first appearance of the season, partnering Lloyd Williams at scrum-half, while Garyn Smith and Matthew Morgan return to the starting line-up.

Liam Belcher, who returned to Cardiff Blues in the summer following a season-long stint at the Dragons, Lewis Jones and Dan Fish are all in line for their first appearances of the campaign from the bench.

The teams:

Cheetahs: 15 Malcolm Jaer, 14 Rhyno Smith, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 William Small-Smith, 11 Rabz Maxwane, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Shaun Venter (c), 8 Neil Jordaan, 7 Junior Pokamela, 6 Gerhard Olivier, 5 JP du Preez, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Reinach Venter, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Erich de Jager, 19 Sinthu Manjezi, 20 Abongile Nonkontwana, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Louis Fouche, 23 Nico Lee

Cardiff Blues: 15 Matthew Morgan, 14 Jason Harries, 13 Garyn Smith, 12 Rey Lee-Lo, 11 Aled Summerhill, 10 Steve Shingler, 9 Lloyd Williams (c), 8 Seb Davies, 7 Olly Robinson, 6 Josh Turnbull, 5 Rory Thornton, 4 George Earle, 3 Scott Andrews, 2 Ethan Lewis, 1 Brad Thyer
Replacements: 16 Liam Belcher, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Samu Manoa, 20 Nick Williams, 21 Lewis Jones, 22 Dan Fish, 23 Willis Halaholo

Date: Saturday, October 27
Venue: Free State Stadium
Kick-off: 18:15 local (17:15 GMT)
Referee: Lloyd Linton (Scotland)
Assistant referees: TBC
TMO: TBC

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A 42 man Ireland squad, including three uncapped players, has been named for the November Tests against Argentina, New Zealand, USA and Italy.

Will Addison, Sammy Arnold and Ross Byrne are the three uncapped players in the squad, but Conor Murray misses out due to injury.

Byrne, who was an uncapped member of the Ireland Summer Tour squad to Australia, is one of three uncapped players in the squad.

Munster’s Arnold, who trained with the squad during the Six Nations, and Ulster’s Addison have also been included.

First up for Ireland is a return to Soldier Field on November 3 to face Conor O’Shea’s Italy in Chicago.

The Guinness Series 2018 kicks off at the Aviva Stadium with the visit of Argentina on Saturday, November 10. The Pumas, under the direction of Mario Ledesma, have recently recorded victories over Australia (23-19) and South Africa (32-19) in the Rugby Championship.

Ireland and Argentina have met 17 times at test match level with Ireland winning 11 of those, the most recent a 28 – 19 win in last season’s Guinness Series.

Rugby Championship winners New Zealand return to Dublin a week later for the first time since claiming a hard fought win in 2016.

The final game of the series sees Ireland host USA for the first time in Aviva Stadium. The teams last met in June 2017 as part of the summer tour.

Speaking about the squad Head Coach Joe Schmidt said, “As always there have been a number of close calls in selection, meaning that some very good players have missed out in this particular window.

“The upcoming Guinness Series offers an exciting opportunity for the squad but will also be very challenging. We are certainly looking forward to getting back to a packed Aviva Stadium with the fantastic support that we get there.”

Ireland:

Forwards (24): Rory Best (c), Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Dave Kilcoyne, Dan Leavy, Jack McGrath, Jordi Murphy, Sean O’Brien, Peter O’Mahony, Andrew Porter, Quinn Roux, Rhys Ruddock, James Ryan, John Ryan, Niall Scannell, CJ Stander, Devin Toner, Josh van der Flier

Backs (18): Will Addison, Bundee Aki, Sam Arnold, Ross Byrne, Joey Carbery, Andrew Conway, John Cooney, Keith Earls, Robbie Henshaw, Rob Kearney, Jordan Larmour, Kieran Marmion, Stuart McCloskey, Luke McGrath, Garry Ringrose, Jonathan Sexton, Jacob Stockdale, Darren Sweetnam

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This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with seasons, patience (not patients) and the more farcical element of rugby…

All happiness… for now

So there we have it. Rugby is now officially all but a 12-month sport. Stuff seasons, stuff families, stuff the traditions of winter and summer sports, we now have a season that officially runs from September’s onset to June’s climax, with July Tests tacked on for good measure.

There are many good individual things in the new agreement, particularly the reduction of full game equivalents for all players to 30 per season which seems about right for a top-level player, giving him nearly half a year not playing. A challenge it may be for many a Director of Rugby through the season regarding rotation, but the intention is absolutely correct in light of the current attrition rate for top flight players.

The 12-week break between Premiership Final and Premiership start is another good feature, although we’re not quite sure how the planned in-season breaks, European rugby and internationals tally up into this – unless European rugby is set to settle into a new slot in the season.

Nor are we quite sure how happy the Premiership owners and clubs will be about the restrictions on England players, including 10 weeks off, extra mandatory weeks off in season for serial internationalists and trying to fit all these internationals and European rugby in with a potential 24-game Premiership campaign.

Which is where this schedule announcement and all the PR-fed quotes professing harmony and love between Premiership, RFU, B&I Lions and players’ unions seems to become a little murky. There are lots of good features and plenty of time well spent, but as soon as you wonder how it all fits together, you hit a wall. Could it be that a new storm is brewing between English clubs and European Rugby, for example, as it really isn’t clear where European rugby fits in here?

In fact, it really isn’t clear how any of it fits together. The only shreds of off-season up to 2022 look to be the Augusts of 2020 and 2022. Aside from those, England’s best will, notionally, be training or playing rugby in a calendar loaded with fixtures for every single month of the year.

Progressive aspects this agreement may have, but it hasn’t addressed the real problem, which is that the European calendar especially is still overstuffed. It’s going to take more than internal harmony in England to solve that one – an expanded domestic calendar being introduced right at the moment the sport faces up to a mounting injury crisis does not feel like a solution.

Grand finales

It would be a shame if the future of European rugby was threatened in any way though, as it still serves up some special moments.

Where this season once looked like being a road to Newcastle from Saracens and Dublin respectively, several performances over the opening fortnight have served to remind us that this might be a more open tournament than many expected.

And we should not forget the special memories European rugby can give. Munster’s bonus point try at Sale, Ronan O’Gara’s drop goal against Northampton after 36 phases, Clement Poitrenaud’s last-gasp error against Wasps, Shane Williams’ try for the Ospreys to beat Sale… and now Callum Chick’s effort for Newcastle to help them to a last-minute victory over Montpellier.

40 phases the Falcons took, bettering the Munster mark and helping the Premiership’s bottom team become one of Europe’s most elite-positioned, making it two from two against celebrated – if vulnerable – French opposition. It was a fantastic finale and a reminder that Europe conjures up once-off moments between clubs across borders that the Premiership can’t quite match.

Talking of once-off moments

All well and good for Newcastle, but the ludicrous clash – or rather, non-clash – of colours between Glasgow and Cardiff Blues on Sunday was a very succinct reminder that rugby’s professional status remains still young and occasionally naïve.

It wasn’t the fact that the teams had clashing kits particularly, as in these days of designer merchandise and marketing and such, it’s often that you simply don’t know who’s going to wear what for any given game.

But heavens above, even in real amateur leagues, referees email or whatsapp coaches and team management and check about colours. And home teams, surely, surely, have sets of spare kit around that should serve to help the viewers in the event of the worst happening.

Not, evidently in Cardiff. Evidently, Cardiff’s alternative was a staggering 15 miles away at their training base.

15 miles? That’s it? Ok, we might have had a delayed kick-off, but surely it would have been worth the wait not to have stared, utterly bemused, at the TV screen trying to work out the difference between an offside line and a support line in the absence of distinctive colours. Was there not one person in a van who could have charged off, fetched the kit and helped the viewing public enjoy their afternoon better?

“I do not know whose decision it was but [they have] to face consequences for it. It’s a joke and the organisers need to put their hands up,” said Gareth Anscombe. And he was right.

Loose Pass compiled by Lawrence Nolan

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Saracens have announced that they have been granted planning permission and secured funding in partnership with Barnet Council to renovate the West Stand at Allianz Park.

The current West Stand in the multi-purpose north London stadium will be transformed into a modern, fit for purpose event facility and community hub for education, sporting and outreach activities.

The £23 million redevelopment project will include:

– A fully accessible, weatherproof facility for 3000 spectators
– First-class hospitality experience
– A centre of excellence for Middlesex University’s London Sport Institute and Health Faculty that includes a purpose built simulation suite
– A dedicated education centre operated by the award-winning Saracens Sport Foundation
– Improved training, medical and competition facilities for all users including athletics, rugby and community sport
– The creation of a community garden designed by local school children
– A new media facility

Saracens chief executive officer, Mitesh Velani, said: “We have been working closely with Barnet Council and our community partners developing plans for the West Stand that we can all be proud of. I am delighted we have made positive strides forward.

“The West Stand redevelopment project demonstrates our continued commitment to providing the best environment for our teams to thrive, a modern home where our fans create memories together and extending community initiatives that improve the lives of people in North London.”

James Kennedy, Middlesex University’s Chief Financial Officer, commented: “Middlesex University has been working with Saracens on this project for several years. Together we have developed an exciting proposal for the West Stand and we are very pleased that London Borough of Barnet have been able to support us. The three organisations working together offer an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to Copthall and the Borough.”

The Leader of Barnet Council, Ccouncillor Richard Cornelius, said: “We should never underestimate the huge contribution both Saracens and Middlesex University have already made to the local community in Barnet. Saracens have transformed Allianz Park into a thriving community sports and education facility, hosting a huge range of events for schools, older people and those with learning disabilities. They have also recently opened the new Saracens High School.

“This is a positive development for communities in Barnet. We are therefore delighted to support Saracens and Middlesex University in their plans to improve and build for the future.”

Gordon Banks, Chief Community Officer at Saracens, commented: “Allianz Park has become a thriving community hub with thousands of residents enjoying the high-quality facilities available at the stadium. The new West Stand will build on this success and through the Saracens Sport Foundation and our partnership with Middlesex University we can help improve the lives of even more local people.”

The club aims to start the construction phase at the end of the current rugby season (summer of 2019) with completion anticipated in 2020. Matches will continue to be played at Allianz Park during this period and the club will keep supporters updated throughout the process.

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Ulster have confirmed that South African loose forward Jean Deysel has retired from all forms of professional rugby with immediate effect.

Deysel enjoyed an excellent career that saw him win four caps for the Springboks. In addition to representing Ulster, the 33-year-old had stints with the Lions and the Sharks in his homeland, as well as short spells with Toyota Verblitz and Munster.

Commenting on the announcement, Deysel said: “Looking back over the last 15 years, there were some highs, some lows, a good couple of laughs, and a few tears as well, but the thing that made the journey worthwhile is the people I met along the way.

“2018 will be the end of my rugby career, but also the start of a new journey off the field.

“I would like to firstly thank the Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me with the ability to play and then secondly my family and close friends, the Lions and Sharks franchises, teammates and coaches over the past 15 years for their support, encouragement and motivation.

“We really enjoyed our time in Belfast and it will always be our home away from home. I want to thank Ulster Rugby for giving me the opportunity to represent this proud Province. I am taking back many memories to cherish and will definitely miss the support and friendliness of the fans since our arrival in Belfast.”

Ulster’s Operations Director, Bryn Cunningham, added: “It is always sad when a player retires and this time is no different. Jean is someone who is not only hugely respected by the players and staff here at Ulster Rugby, but more widely across the rugby world.

“He can rightly be proud of what he’s achieved in a memorable career, during which he played at the highest level. Jean’s abrasive style of play was great to watch and he will be remembered as being a warrior on the pitch.

“Off the pitch, Jean has remained humble and respectful of others, key characteristics we hold in such high regard within the Ulster Rugby culture, and has been a pleasure to work with. He is a very popular member of the squad and his presence will definitely be missed.

“On behalf of everyone at Ulster Rugby, I’d like to wish Jean, Cindi and Zanru all the best for the future.”

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The All Blacks’ dominance over the Wallabies continued when they claimed a 37-20 win over their trans-Tasman rivals in Yokohama on Saturday.

Although Australia were aiming to repeat last year’s Bledisloe Cup dead rubber win, New Zealand had other ideas and delivered a dominant display in which they outscored the Wallabies by five tries to two with Beauden Barrett leading the way with a 17-point haul courtesy of a try, three conversions and two penalties.

Australia made a bright start and took the ball through several phases from the kick off with only a desperate tackle from Scott Barrett on Dane Haylett-Petty – which took him into touch at the corner flag – preventing the Wallabies from opening the scoring in the second minute.

Despite that early attack from their opponents, the All Blacks were soon in control of proceedings and 10 minutes later Liam Squire crossed for the opening try after gathering a pass from Sonny Bill Williams inside the Wallabies’ 22.

Beauden Barrett succeeded with the conversion before Kurtley Beale opened Australia’s account in the 21st minute with a penalty from 46 metres out after Williams was blown up for offside play on defence.

Five minutes later, The All Blacks restored their seven-point lead when Barrett added a penalty after the Wallabies’ front-row were penalised for illegal scrummaging.

New Zealand continued to dominate and in the 36th minute Kieran Read scored their second try after selling Will Genia a dummy off the back of a scrum on Australia’s five-metre line.

Barrett’s conversion meant the world champions held a 17-3 lead but on the stroke of half-time Sefa Naivalu collected a pass from Marika Koroibete before crashing over in the left-hand corner for a deserved try.

Foley added the extras and the Wallabies were back in the game with the All Blacks holding a seven-point lead at the interval.

Just like the first half, Australia were fastest out of the blocks after the break and, after taking the ball through 11 phases, Rob Simmons crossed the whitewash, although his effort was disallowed as television replays revealed he failed to ground the ball after Beauden Barrett did brilliantly on defence.

However, the All Blacks strayed offside in the build-up to that effort and Foley slotted the resulting penalty which meant New Zealand were now leading 17-13 after 48 minutes.

Five minutes later, Barrett restored his side’s seven-point lead when he added another penalty after Scott Sio infringed at a ruck.

The All Blacks were slowly gaining the upper hand and extended that buffer on the hour-mark courtesy of a brilliant try from Beauden Barrett.

This, after the All Blacks launched an attack from a scrum close to their 10-metre line, with Read and TJ Perenara attacking on the openside before Barrett changed the direction of play towards the blindside when he passed to Rieko Ioane. The wing was soon inside the Wallabies’ half and did well to draw in a couple of defenders before offloading to Barrett, who outpaced the cover defence to dot down.

That try was a major setback for Australia and their cause wasn’t helped when Tolu Latu was yellow carded in the 67th minute for an open-handed shove in the face of Codie Taylor.

With a man in the sin bin, the Wallabies were always going to struggle against the world champions and things went from bad to worse for them when Ben Smith intercepted a wayward Israel Folau pass before racing away to score his side’s fourth try.

To their credit, the Wallabies did not surrender and in the 76th minute, Samu Kerevi got a pass out to Folau inside the All Blacks’ 22 and he did well to step past a couple of defenders before crossing the whitewash.

The All Blacks were not done, however, and two minutes later Richie Mo’unga started an attack which tore the Wallabies’ defence apart. The world champions were soon inside Australia’s 22 and a brilliant a through-the-legs pass from Barrett to Ioane was rounded off by the wing which sealed his side’s win.

The scorers:

For New Zealand:
Tries: Squire, Read, B Barrett, B Smith, Ioane
Cons: B Barrett 3
Pens: B Barrett 2

For Australia:
Tries: Naivalu, Folau
Cons: Foley 2
Pens: Beale, Foley
Yellow Card: Latu

New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Liam Squire, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Joe Moody
Replacements: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Brodie Retallick, 20 Matt Todd, 21 Aaron Smith, 22 Richie Mo’unga, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown

Australia: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Sefa Naivalu, 13 Israel Folau, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 David Pocock, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Folau Faingaa, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Taniela Tupou, 19 Rory Arnold, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Samu Kerevi, 23 Tom Banks

Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
Television match official: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

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It was a thriller in the early PRO14 game as the Scarlets defeated the Southern Kings, while there were also wins for Zebre, Ulster and Ospreys.

Southern Kings 34-41 Scarlets
Madibaz Stadium

Scarlets scored three late tries to come from behind and snatch a narrow triumph over the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth.

The South Africans were impressive in the opening 20 minutes and took a 17-3 advantage via Masixole Banda and Yaw Penxe tries, but the Welsh region responded impressively. Dafydd Hughes’ effort got them back in the contest before Will Boyde also touched down to leave them just 20-15 in arrears at the break.

Ioan Nicholas then took the Scarlets ahead early in the second period, but the Kings regained their advantage via Harlon Klaasen and Bjorn Basson. They were 12 points clear heading into the final quarter but tries from Werner Kruger, Kieran Hardy and Taylor Davies secured a narrow win for the away team.

Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac was forced to make a number of changes due to the absence of their internationals and the hosts immediately took advantage. Although the visitors could call on plenty of experience, there was a lack of continuity and Banda scythed through their defence to open the scoring.

The full-back then added a penalty before Dan Jones hit back with a three-pointer of his own as Pivac’s charges began to cause problems for the home side.

They started to create opportunities and took play into the opposition 22 but, when Andisa Ntsila crucially stole the ball on the five-metre line, the Kings produced an incisive counter-attack. Good hands from the forwards sent Banda free and his grubber through was collected by Penxe, who touched down under the posts.

Down 14 points, last season’s runners-up decided to go back to basics, scoring twice via powerful mauls as Hughes and Boyde went over.

Banda’s second penalty was sandwiched in between those tries but the tide had seemingly turned and the Welsh side took the lead for the first time when Nicholas crossed the whitewash after good work from Boyde and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne.

However, to the South Africans’ immense credit, they responded well to that setback and went back in front through Klaasen before Basson followed minutes later.

The Scarlets were not done there, though, and made it a nervous final few minutes when Kruger barrelled over from close range. Going into the latter stages, the hosts were still 34-29 in front but they yielded under pressure as Hardy and Davies touched down to snatch the win.

The scorers:

For Kings:
Tries: Banda, Penxe, H Klaasen, Basson
Cons: Banda 4
Pens: Banda 2
Yellow Card: Mguca

For Scarlets:
Tries: Hughes, Boyde, Nicholas, Kruger, Hardy, Davies
Cons: Jones 4
Pen: Jones

Kings: 15 Masixole Banda , 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Harlon Klaasen, 12 Berton Klaasen , 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Martin du Toit, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Ruaan Lerm, 7 Andisa Ntsila, 6 Stephan de Wit, 5 JC Astle (c), 4 Schalk Oelofse, 3 Luvuyo Pupuma, 2 Alandre van Rooyen, 1 Schalk Ferreira
Replacements: 16 Tango Balekile, 17 Justin Forwood, 18 Luphumlo Mguca, 19 Stephan Greeff, 20 Martinus Burger, 21 Rudi van Rooyen, 22 Tertius Kruger, 23 Meli Rokoua

Scarlets: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Johnny McNicholl, 13 Paul Asquith, 12 Steff Hughes (c), 11 Ioan Nicholas, 10 Dan Jones, 9 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 8 Uzair Cassiem, 7 Josh Macleod, 6 Will Boyde, 5 David Bulbring, 4 Steve Cummins, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Dafydd Hughes, 1 Phil Price
Replacements: 16 Taylor Davies, 17 Dylan Evans, 18 Simon Gardiner, 19 Tom Price, 20 Josh Helps, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Morgan Williams, 23 Ed Kennedy

Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry (South Africa), Paul Mente (South Africa)
TMO: Sean Veldsman (South Africa)

Zebre 34-16 Edinburgh
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi

Zebre fought back from a 10-point half-time deficit to down Edinburgh at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi on Friday.

Edinburgh looked well in control during a rugged first half and slowly built up what looked to be a comfortable lead.

An early penalty from Simon Hickey put them ahead and Darcy Graham’s 20th-minute try, converted by Hickey, gave the visitors a deserved 10-0 lead.

Hickey extended the lead to 13 just before the half hour and the fly-half could have extended it further but sent an easy-looking kick wide of the mark.

Zebre finally got on the board with a Carlo Canna penalty just before half-time, but the game changed completely after the break.

It took the hosts just moments to get back into the game properly after lock David Sisi crashed over and Canna converted.

Canna and Hickey traded shots at goal as the clock ticked towards 50 minutes and then it was wing Gabriele di Giulio who scored the crucial try for Zebre, with Canna once again adding the extras for a 20-16 lead, during a frantic third quarter of the match.

Canna then set the seal on the win with a try of his own, converting it as well, to give Zebre their match-winning 27-16 lead with 10 to go, and the bonus-point was sealed by Tommaso Castello with the final play, converted again by the impeccable Canna.

The scorers:

For Zebre:
Tries: Sisi, Di Giulio, Canna, Castello
Cons: Canna 4
Pens: Canna 2

For Edinburgh:
Try: Graham
Con: Hickey
Pens: Hickey 3

Zebre: 15 Francois Brummer, 14 Mattia Bellini, 13 Giulio Bisegni, 12 Tommaso Castello (c), 11 Gabriele Di Giulio, 10 Carlo Canna, 9 Guglielmo Palazzani, 8 Renato Giammarioli, 7 Johan Meyer, 6 Jacopo Bianchi, 5 George Biagi, 4 David Sisi, 3 Dario Chistolini, 2 Oliviero Fabiani, 1 Andrea Lovotti
Replacements: 16 Luhandre Luus, 17 Daniele Rimpelli, 18 Giosué Zilocchi, 19 Leonard Krumov, 20 Apisai Tauyavuca, 21 Riccardo Raffaele, 22 Tommaso Boni, 23 Paula Balekana

Edinburgh: 15 Dougie Fife, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 James Johnstone, 12 Chris Dean, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Simon Hickey, 9 Henry Pyrgos (c), 8 Bill Mata, 7 Luke Crosbie, 6 Luke Hamilton, 5 Callum Hunter-Hill, 4 Jamie Hodgson, 3 Simon Berghan, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 David Cherry, 17 Rory Sutherland, 18 Pietro Ceccarelli, 19 Callum Atkinson, 20 Mungo Mason, 21 Sean Kennedy, 22 Jason Baggott, 23 Juan Pablo Socino

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Sean Gallagher (Ireland), Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (Italy)

Ulster 36-18 Dragons
Kingspan Stadium

Ulster put a wretched run of recent form behind them with a convincing 36-18 win over the Dragons at Kingspan Stadium on Friday.

The hosts had the bonus-point wrapped up just after the break when centre Stuart McCloskey powered over, a score which put Ulster 29-13 ahead and effectively ended the game as a contest.

Henry Speight, fresh back from injury, wasted no time in making up for his enforced absence with the opening try of the game after 10 minutes and Jonny McPhillips’ conversion – added to his early penalty – put Ulster 10-0 up.

Jason Tovey, handed his first start since re-signing for the visitors this week, hit back with a penalty of his own, but Ulster scrum-half Dave Shanahan put healthy daylight between the teams with a try, McPhillips again converting.

Tovey converted Huw Taylor’s try and added another penalty as the visitors fought gamely, but the pace of Ulster’s attack was too much, with full-back Michael Lowry scoring on half-time, and McPhillips converting, to put Ulster 24-13 ahead at the break.

McCloskey’s effort killed the game off, although a late try by Jarryd Sage ensured Ulster didn’t switch off too much. McCloskey doubled his tally late on to put the game out of sight and keep Ulster in touch in Conference B.

The scorers:

For Ulster:
Tries: Speight, Shanahan, Lowry, McCloskey 2
Cons: McPhillips 4
Pen: McPhillips

For Dragons:
Tries: Taylor, Sage
Con: Tovey
Pens: Tovey 2

Ulster: 15 Michael Lowry, 14 Robert Baloucoune, 13 Will Addison, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Henry Speight, 10 Johnny McPhillips, 9 Dave Shanahan, 8 Marcell Coetzee, 7 Jordi Murphy, 6 Sean Reidy, 5 Kieran Treadwell, 4 Iain Henderson, 3 Marty Moore, 2 Rory Best (c), 1 Eric O’Sullivan,
Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Andrew Warwick, 18 Tom O’Toole, 19 Alan O’Connor, 20 Greg Jones, 21 Jonny Stewart, 22 Angus Kernohan, 23 Peter Nelson

Dragons: 15 Jordan Williams, 14 Dafydd Howells, 13 Adam Warren, 12 Jarryd Sage, 11 Will Talbot-Davies, 10 Jason Tovey, 9 Rhodri Williams, 8 Harrison Keddie, 7 Nic Cudd, 6 Huw Taylor, 5 Lewis Evans, 4 Matthew Screech, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 2 Richard Hibbard (c), 1 Brok Harris
Replacements: 16 Rhys Lawrence, 17 Aaron Jarvis, 18 Ryan Bevington, 19 Joe Davies, 20 Taine Basham, 21 Tavis Knoyle, 22 Jack Dixon, 23 Zane Kirchner

Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant referees: John Carvill (Ireland), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)

Ospreys 22-17 Connacht
Brewery Field

The Ospreys got off to a blistering start but spent much of the rest of the match trying to find the same rhythm as they eked out a 22-17 bonus-point win over Connacht on Friday.

Keelan Giles scored a brace of tries in the first 10 minutes as the hosts threatened to run riot, but a Jack Carty drop goal settled the visitors down and it remained 10-3 until the break.

With Rob McCusker sent to the bin, the Ospreys were having their patience tested but Harri Morgan finally made their superiority count even while they were still down to 14 men and Sam Davies nailed the conversion this time.

At 17-3 the Ospreys ought to have been done and dusted but they were still looking slightly disjointed and a trademark Bundee Aki surge, with Carty converting, brought Connacht back into the game with 17 to go.

With 10 to go, storming back-row Jarrad Butler crashed over, with Carty again converting, to tie things up at 17-all. But Ospreys full-back Dan Evans finished off a rare moment of flow from the home side to notch both the win and the bonus-point with seconds left on the clock.

The scorers:

For Ospreys:
Tries: Giles 2, Morgan, Evans
Con: Davies
Yellow Card: McCusker

For Connacht:
Tries: Aki, Butler
Cons: Carty 2
Drop goal: Carty

Ospreys: 15 Dan Evans, 14 Hanno Dirksen, 13 Cory Allen, 12 Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, 11 Keelan Giles, 10 Sam Davies, 9 Harri Morgan, 8 Rob McCusker, 7 Olly Cracknell (c), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 James King, 4 Lloyd Ashley, 3 Tom Botha, 2 Scott Otten, 1 Rhodri Jones
Replacements: 16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Alex Jeffries, 19 James Ratti, 20 Guido Volpi, 21 Matthew Aubrey, 22 James Hook, 23 Tom Williams

Connacht: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 Niyi Adeolokun, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Cian Kelleher, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Kieran Marmion, 8 Paul Boyle, 7 Jarrad Butler (c), 6 Sean O’Brien, 5 Quinn Roux, 4 Ultan Dillane, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Denis Buckley
Replacements: 16 Shane Delahunt, 17 Conan O’Donnell, 18 Conor Carey, 19 James Cannon, 20 Colby Fainga’a, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Conor Fitzgerald, 23 Kyle Godwin

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Sam Grove-White (Scotland), Mike English (Wales)
TMO: Neil Paterson (Scotland)

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Newcastle Falcons have announced the signing of flanker John Hardie, who joins with immediate effect as cover for injured captain Will Welch.

Welch will be sidelined for the next couple of months due to the ankle injury suffered in the Premiership game at Sale Sharks on October 6.

Hardie has 16 Scotland caps to his name, the most recent coming against Fiji in June of last year.

Born and raised in New Zealand, he played his National Provincial Championship Rugby with Southland and won the Super Rugby title during his time with the Highlanders, for whom he played on more than 50 occasions.

Joining Edinburgh in 2015, Hardie played 22 Pro 14 games and a further seven in Europe before leaving at the end of last season, spending the summer training with French giants Clermont.

Newcastle Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards said: “John is a proven performer at a very high level, and it’s great to be able to call upon all of his experience and ability.

“It’s no secret that injuries and international call-ups have depleted our back-row stocks, and it’s great that we are able to welcome John to the club.”

Hardie said: “It’s fantastic to be here in Newcastle and to have this opportunity.

“I’ve been watching their recent games and it seems to be a positive environment, so I’m just looking forward to getting started.

“It’s a fresh start for me, I’m determined get back on the rugby field and to begin this new chapter.”

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The Blue Bulls have confirmed that they have acquired the services of Springbok number eight Duane Vermeulen for the 2019 Super Rugby season.

The big ball carrying loose forward, who is currently plying his trade in Japan, will arrive in Pretoria in February 2019, and will spend the duration of the season with the Bulls.

Vermeulen has donned the green and gold of the Springboks on 42 occasions, and boasts an illustrious career with a number of top class teams including: Pumas, Cheetahs, Stormers, Toulon and the Kubota Spears.

Blue Bulls high performance manager, Xander Janse van Rensburg, expressed his excitement on the acquisition: “Duane is an amazing rugby player, and is well respected around the world.

“We firmly believe that his abrasive style of play and experience will add immense value to our Super Rugby campaign next year. At the age of 32, he is a seasoned veteran, that just gets better with every season.”

Vermeulen is also a strong crowd favorite among all South Africans, and he will no doubt be welcomed with open arms by the Loftus faithful.

“2019 is going to be a massive year for us,” said Vermeulen.

“And I’m keen on starting it with an impact at Loftus. The Bulls have always been a team that I have respected and I’m looking forward to joining the family.”

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Courtney Lawes has been forced to leave the England training camp and is a major doubt for the November international opener against South Africa.

Northampton Saints lock Lawes first complained of a back injury on October 6 and then missed two weeks of action, returning in last weekend’s victory over Dragons.

And now England forwards coach Steve Borthwick has confirmed that Lawes will return home from the national side’s training camp in Portugal to undergo ‘specialist treatment’ on the same back injury.

“Courtney Lawes will return to England today for specialist treatment on a pre-existing back injury,” Borthwick told Sky Sports on Saturday. “He is expected to return to Portugal early next week. He has taken part in modified training this week.”

England head coach Eddie Jones is already without the services of Joe Launchbury, with one of George Kruis, Charlie Ewels or Elliot Stooke set to partner Maro Itoje in the second row.

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