RaboDirect Pro12: Week 12 Review

Once again the Pro 12 league provided a weekend full of entertainment. Leinster held on to the top spot, while the Ospreys held on for a crucial win against Welsh rivals Cardiff Blues to retain second place, the atmosphere in the stadium in the final ten minutes was tense to say the least. After a draw last weekend Glasgow won the 1872 Cup as they saw off Edinburgh.

Ulster 33 - 17 Munster

Ulster scored four tries as they secured a bonus-point win over Irish rivals Munster. Johne Murphy made a late comeback for the visitors as he went over for a try in the 77th minute which Ian Keatley duly converted, but it was not enough for Munster who found themselves under pressure after giving away an early lead.

Luke O'Dea got the first try of the match but Ulster soon began to make their mark. Stefan Terblanche went over first as he made debut with Ulster, ten minutes later John Afoa also went over with Ian Humphreys adding the extras for both. It was Ulster who got the second half underway as Humphreys going over for a try and Ruan Pienaar following suit ten minutes later to seal the bonus point.

Newport Gwent Dragons 6 - 10 Scarlets

Aled Thomas kicked a decisive penalty against his former team as an understrength Scarlet's team overpowered their Welsh rivals Newport Gwent Dragons. The Dragons has dominated the match, but wayward kicking by replacement kicker Lewis Robling made the side suffer, he missed four penalties. Robling replaced Jason Tovey after he had to go off with a knee injury in the first half after kicking 6 points for the home side.

Scarlets got the first points on the board after Jonathan Edwards went over for a try which Daniel Newton duly converted. Tovey put the Dragons back within a point despite struggling with a knee injury and was substituted at the break.

Third-choice fly-half Thomas added the only points of the second half to secure the win.

Benetton Treviso 37 - 14 Aironi 

Kris Burton kicked Treviso to a comfortable bonus-point victory over Italian rivals Aironi. Burton's tally totaled 17 points as he kicked three penalties and four conversions. Aironi who recored their second win of the season against Treviso last weekend found themselves under pressure from their Italian rivals.

Burton and Luciano Orquera exchanged early penalties before Tobias Botes put the home side into the lead as he went over for a try and it was not long before the lead was extended even more as Alessandro Zanni went over. Treviso found themselves a man down after Tommaso Benvenuti was sinbinned, but Aironi didn't make them pay. Franco Sbaraglini went over for Treviso's third try before a penalty try in the 63rd minute sealed the game.

Connacht 13 - 15 Leinster

Isa Nacewa kicked five penalties to keep Leinster's scoreboard ticking over as they saw off over provincial rivals Connacht in Galway. Connacht's Matthew Jarvis put the home side in the lead before Nacewa added three penalties to Leinster's board to give them a 9-3 lead which took them into the break.

However a further two penalties from Nacewa kept Leinster on target for the victory while Connacht staged a second half comeback with tries from Tiernan O'Halloran and Ethienne Reynecke as they made Leinster pay for the sin-binning's of Isaac Boss and Leo Cullen. Miah Nikora failed to convert Reynecke's try as the home side trailed by two points and then in the dying seconds on the game a drop-goal fell short which mean Leinster hung on to victory.

Glasgow Warriors 17 - 12 Edinburgh

Moray Low scored the only try of the game as the Warriors retained the 1872 Cup following their draw last weekend. Duncan Weir kicked three penalties to Phil Godman's one of three in the first half to give Glasgow the early lead over their Scottish rivals.

In the second half the visitors were made to pay after Matt Scott was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle with Low going over for a try, Scott Wight missed the conversion but added three points a couple of minutes late with a penalty.  Godman gave Edinburgh a losing-point with a drop-goal in the dying seconds of the game.

The Warriors took the 1872 Cup 40-35 after a 23-23 draw on Boxing Day.

Ospreys 17 - 12 Cardiff Blues

Dan Biggar kicked two late penalties after replacing Matthew Morgan to give the Ospreys a win over Cardiff Blues at the Liberty Stadium in front of a 11,000 strong crowd. Ospreys found themselves with an early lead as Morgan knocked over two penalties in the first five minutes but missed one in the 19th minute. Leigh Halfpenny equalised for the visitors after the Ospreys gave away two penalties which he slotted over neatly.

Gavin Henson who was playing at the Liberty Stadium for the first time since leaving the club after a sabbatical from rugby made two clean breaks, although was booed by some of the Osprey's supporters. Both teams went into the break with 6 points on the board but Ospreys soon found themselves in the lead again after Tommy Bowe went over for a try, Morgan failed to add the extras and Biggar was bought on.

Halfpenny added another extra before substitute Dan Parks put Cardiff in the lead with a drop-goal. Their lead didn't last long as Biggar slotted over a penalty with eight minutes to go before securing victory with the final kick of the game.