RaboDirect PRO12: Round 10 Review
Leinster were the big winners in the RaboDirect PRO12 round 10 games played over the weekend in more ways than one – their 52-9 victory over the Cardiff Blues brought with it the bonus point that took them clear at the top of the table.
The Ospreys, despite beating reigning champions Munster 19-13 on Saturday, slipped to second place after five rounds as leaders.
Munster and Glasgow Warriors maintained their positions, while Edinburgh and Benetton Treviso both moved up one place in the standings, meaning the same four teams remain in the play-off spots for the third round running.
Meanwhile, in mid-table there are now four sides within four points of each other.
Tim Visser’s hat-trick in Edinburgh’s 50-10 win over Aironi was his second in the history of the league (first v Ospreys in March 2010).
Only three other players have claimed two hat-tricks in their league careers – Gary Brown of Leinster, Craig Morgan for Cardiff and the Blues, and Nikki Walker at the Ospreys. No one has achieved three.
2011/12 RABODIRECT PRO12 – AFTER ROUND 10:
TOP TRY SCORERS –
8 – Tim Visser (Edinburgh)
5 – Nick Williams (Aironi Rugby)
4 – Danny Barnes (Munster), Ian Madigan (Leinster), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Brendan Williams (Benetton Treviso)
3 – Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Leo Auva’a (Leinster), Darren Cave (Ulster), Gavin Duffy (Connacht), Dafydd Hewitt (Cardiff Blues), Tom James (Cardiff Blues), Casey Laulala (Cardiff Blues), Ludovico Nitoglia (Benetton Treviso), Rhys Thomas (Scarlets), Tom Riley (Newport Gwent Dragons), Adam Warren (Scarlets)
TOP POINTS SCORERS –
128 – Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) (1 try, 6 conversions, 35 penalty goals and 2 drop goals)
105 – Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh) (1 try, 14 conversions and 24 penalty goals)
104 – Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (10 conversions, 26 penalty goals and 2 drop goals)
92 – Ian Keatley (Munster) (13 conversions and 22 penalty goals)
88 – Kris Burton (Benetton Treviso) (1 try, 10 conversions, 17 penalty goals and 4 drop goals)
81 – Jason Tovey (Newport Gwent Dragons) (1 try, 8 conversions and 20 penalty goals)
79 – Ian Humphreys (Ulster) (1 try, 10 conversions and 18 penalty goals)
70 – Isa Nacewa (Leinster) (1 try, 7 conversions and 17 penalty goals)
62 – Ceri Sweeney (Cardiff Blues) (10 conversions and 14 penalty goals)
59 – Naas Olivier (Aironi Rugby) (1 try, 3 conversions, 15 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)
50 – Niall O’Connor (Connacht) (1 try, 6 conversions, 10 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)
48 – Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) (3 conversions, 13 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)
47 – Dan Newton (Scarlets) (4 conversions and 13 penalty goals)
BEST PLACE-KICKERS –
100% – Fergus McFadden (Leinster) (13 successful kicks from 13 attempts)
85.71% – Ronan O’Gara (Munster) (12/14)
84.85% – Jason Tovey (Newport Gwent Dragons) (28/33)
84.44% – Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh) (38/45)
84.21% – Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) (16/19)
82% – Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) (41/50)
80% – Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (36/45), Willem de Waal (Benetton Treviso) (8/10)
77.14% – Kris Burton (Benetton Treviso) (27/35)
76.09% – Ian Keatley (Munster) (35/46)
75% – Isa Nacewa (Leinster) (24/32), Ceri Sweeney (Cardiff Blues) (24/32)
73.91% – Dan Newton (Scarlets) (17/23)
73.33% – Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues) (11/15)
71.43% – Stephen Jones (Scarlets) (10/14)
69.57% – Niall O’Connor (Connacht) (16/23)
66.67% – Harry Leonard (Edinburgh) (8/12)
64.71% – Matthew Morgan (Ospreys) (11/17)
60% – Aled Thomas (Scarlets) (9/15), Tobie Botes (Benetton Treviso) (6/10)
58.33% – Ian Humphreys (Ulster) (28/48)
52.94% – Naas Olivier (Aironi Rugby) (18/34)
44.44% – Matthew Jarvis (Connacht) (8/18)
Qual: 10 place-kicks at goal
RESULTS ROUND-UP –
Friday, December 2, 2011 at Ravenhill
Ulster (8) 24: Stephen Ferris(2T), Ian Humphreys(C/4P)
Scarlets (10) 17: Sean Lamont(T), Viliame Iongi(T), Kieran Murphy(T), Stephen Jones(C)
Attendance: 8.117
Ulster v Scarlets Match Report
Friday, December 2, 2011 at the Sportsground
Connacht (7) 13: David McSharry(T), Niall O’Connor(C/2P)
Benetton Treviso (15) 15: Brendan Williams(T), Tommaso Iannone(T), Willem de Waal(C/P)
Attendance: 3,614
Connacht v Benetton Treviso Match Report
Friday, December 2, 2011 at Murrayfield
Edinburgh (31) 50: David Denton(T), Tim Visser(3T), Nick de Luca(T), Lee Jones(T), Chris Leck(T), Greig Laidlaw(5C/P), Phil Godman(C)
Aironi Rugby (5) 10: George Fabio Biagi(T), Filippo Ferrarini(T)
Attendance: 4,403
Friday, December 2, 2011 at the RDS
Leinster (13) 52: Isaac Boss(T), Nathan White(T), Ian Madigan(T), David Kearney(2T), Leo Auva’a(T), Fergus McFadden(3C/3P/D), Jonathan Sexton(2C)
Cardiff Blues (9) 9: Ceri Sweeney(3P)
Attendance: 16,347
Leinster v Cardiff Blues Match Report
Saturday, December 3, 2011 at the Liberty Stadium
Ospreys (6) 19: Richard Fussell(T), Rhys Webb(T), Matthew Morgan(3P)
Munster (10) 13: Doug Howlett(T), Ian Keatley(C/P), Ronan O’Gara(P)
Attendance: 5,783
Ospreys v Munster Match Report
Sunday, December 4, 2011 at Rodney Parade
Newport Gwent Dragons (0) 14: Tom Riley(T), Jason Tovey(2P), Steffan Jones(P)
Glasgow Warriors (3) 14: Scott Wight(T), Ruaridh Jackson(3P)
Attendance: 5,273