Pro14 Round 2 Round-Up
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Round 2 of the Pro 14 turned out one major surprise with Cardiff convincingly pulling one over Connacht. Other victories were attained for Dragons, Leinster, Ulster and Munster with Glasgow and Scarlets still to battle it out.
Dragons vs Zebre:
Jamie Roberts scooped a man-of-the-match performance as Dragons downed Zebre 26-18 at Rodney Parade in the first game of the round. What looked like a big score turned into quite a close game as Zebre worked hard to push Dragons until the end. Dragons did enough to pick up a bonus point, however, and held Zebre out through hard work from the pack and hard running by Roberts and fullback Jordan Williams.
Benetton vs Leinster:
Although Leinster were expected to take home the victory, they were made to work hard by a gutsy Benetton outfit at Stadio Comunale Di Monigo. The final whistle sounded with the score at 37-25. The Irishmen dug deep, however, and crashed over for a late second-half try to put the game out of the Italians’ reach.
Ospreys vs Ulster:
Ospreys suffered a home loss to a quality Ulster outfit, 24-12. Marcell Coetzee put in a brilliant shift from the back-row, earning him the man-of-the-match award. Ulster scored four tries to Ospreys’ zero, the latter’s score coming from penalties only. Ian Henderson was shown a red card after 75 minutes but his side had done enough to secure victory already.
Munster vs Edinburgh:
Munster, after their last-gasp victory in Round 1, eked out a two-point win against Edinburgh at Thomond Park. The scoreboard showed 25-23 in favour of the Irishmen at full-time in a game that they stole at the death with a try in the 78th minute from Ben Healy. Srumhalf Craig Casey’s live-wire efforts earned him the man-of-the match title with an outstanding performance.
Cardiff vs Connacht:
Cardiff pulled off a noteworthy upset as they downed Connacht 29-7 at Rodney Parade in the penultimate game of the round. Cardiff’s determination on both attack and defence could not be undone by the Irishmen who were plagued particularly by the significant talents of Josh Adams.
Glasgow vs Scarlets:
Still to play.
