Magners League: Round 7 Review
Leinster returned to the top of the table after their ‘Halloween Thriller’ 23-6 victory over the Cardiff Blues at the RDS. They are three points clear at the top, but then just two league points separate the chasing pack of seven teams.
If the league element of the season was to finish now, Leinster, Edinburgh. Glasgow Warriors and Ulster would occupy the play-off zone, with an all-Irish (Leinster v Ulster) semi-final and an all-Scottish (Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors) one.
Despite their loss to Munster, Ulster remain in the top four, and a losing bonus point on Sunday helped Edinburgh maintain their top four place for the sixth successive week.
Fans at the Liberty Stadium witnessed the first drawn game in the Magners League since September 2008, when the Ospreys and Glasgow Warriors shared the honours at 9-9.
Notably, on average, the Magners League is currently providing more tries per game than either the Guinness Premiership or the French Top 14.
Matthew Watkins (Dragons) and John Muldoon (Connacht) have now played in 99 Magners League games, while Leinster winger Shane Horgan has scored 30 tries.
Glasgow Warriors out-half Dan Parks is also just 25 points short of becoming the first player to score 1000 points in Magners League games.
2009/10 MAGNERS LEAGUE – AFTER ROUND 7:
TOP TRY SCORERS –
4 – Fionn Carr (Connacht)
3 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Jerry Collins (Ospreys), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Nick Williams (Munster), Thom Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Tim Visser (Edinburgh)
2 – Andrew Turnbull (Edinburgh), Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow Warriors), Aled Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons), Ben Cairns (Edinburgh), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Denis Hurley (Munster), Shane Horgan (Leinster), Ian Humphreys (Ulster), Alan MacDonald (Edinburgh), Timoci Nagusa (Ulster), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh), Mark Robertson (Edinburgh), Ashley Smith (Newport Gwent Dragons), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Nikki Walker (Ospreys), David Wallace (Munster)
TOP POINTS SCORERS –
86 – Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors) (7 conversions, 22 penalty goals and 2 drop goals)
73 – Chris Paterson (Edinburgh) (2 tries, 12 conversions and 13 penalty goals)
71 – Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) (7 conversions, 18 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)
70 – Ian Humphreys (Ulster) (2 tries, 9 conversions and 14 penalty goals)
62 – Ben Blair (Cardiff Blues) (1 try, 6 conversions and 15 penalty goals)
58 – Ian Keatley (Connacht) (2 conversions, 17 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)
47 – James Arlidge (Newport Gwent Dragons) (1 try, 3 conversions, 11 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)
42 – Rhys Priestland (Scarlets) (3 conversions and 12 penalty goals)
40 – Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (8 conversions, 6 penalty goals and 2 drop goals)
30 – Jeremy Manning (Munster) (3 conversions and 8 penalty goals)
20 – Fionn Carr (Connacht) (4 tries)
18 – Fergus McFadden (Leinster) (6 penalty goals)
BEST PLACE-KICKERS –
89.29% – Chris Paterson (Edinburgh) (25 successful kicks from 28 attempts)
83.33% – Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) (25/30)
75% – Ben Blair (Cardiff Blues) (21/28)
70.73% – Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors) (29/41)
70% – Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (14/20)
65.52% – Ian Keatley (Connacht) (19/29)
63.64% – James Arlidge (Newport Gwent Dragons) (14/22)
62.50% – Rhys Priestland (Scarlets) (15/24)
61.11% – Jeremy Manning (Munster) (11/18)
60.53% – Ian Humphreys (Ulster) (23/38)
45.45% – James Hook (Ospreys) (5/11)
30% – Ronan O’Gara (Munster) (4/13)
Qual: 10 place-kicks at goal
RESULTS ROUND-UP –
Friday, October 30, 2009 at the Sportsground
Connacht (13) 16: Mike McComish(T), Ian Keatley(C/3P)
Scarlets (0) 10: Lee Williams(T), Daniel Newton(C), Rhys Priestland(P)
Attendance: 1,756
Connacht v Scarlets Match Report
Johnny O’Connor Post-Match Interview; Michael Bradley Post-Match Interview
Friday, October 30, 2009 at the Liberty Stadium
Ospreys (6) 9: Gareth Owen(3P)
Glasgow Warriors (3) 9: Dan Parks(3P)
Attendance: 6,661
Saturday, October 31, 2009 at Thomond Park Stadium
Munster (14) 24: Jean de Villiers(T), David Wallace(T), Keith Earls(T), Paul Warwick(T), Ronan O’Gara(2C)
Ulster (10) 10: Ian Humphreys(T/C/P)
Attendance: 16,700
Paul O’Connell Post-Match Interview; Tony McGahan Post-Match Interview
Saturday, October 31, 2009 at the RDS
Leinster (13) 23: Shane Horgan(T), Stephen Keogh(T), Jonathan Sexton(2C/3P)
Cardiff Blues (6) 6: Ben Blair(2P)
Attendance: 15,910
Leinster v Cardiff Blues Match Report
Cian Healy Post-Match Interview; Michael Cheika Post-Match Interview
Sunday, November 1, 2009 at Murrayfield
Edinburgh (0) 8: Andrew Turnbull(T), Phil Godman(P)
Newport Gwent Dragons (9) 9: James Arlidge(3P)
Attendance: 2,066