Cardiff Blues 19-23 Leinster
A magnificent first half showing from Leinster laid the foundation for the significant scalp of Cardiff Blues in Wales this evening.
All the goys were in flying form in the first period, with tries from Tullow Tank Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney and a penalty from Jonathan Sexton catapulting them into a formidable 17-9 half-time lead.
Sexton added another three-pointer after the break before withdrawing through injury and Cardiff got themselves back into it with a Gethin Jenkins try and five points from the boot of Leigh Halfpenny.
Halfpenny missed two penalties later in the half and with Sexton on the sideline, Fergus McFadden stepped up to kick a penalty and give Joe Schmidt’s men a four-point advantage with just over ten minutes on the clock.
The hosts huffed and puffed in the final stages, but they couldn’t blow the Leinster house down and the Heineken Cup Champions stretched their formidable lead at the top of the table to 12 points.
Aironi 20-6 Connacht
Connacht can’t seem to buy a win at the moment and in Italy this afternoon, the Westerners were a long way off ending a miserable run of defeats that stretches back to September.
Eric Elwood’s men didn’t register a score until a Matthew Jarvis penalty after 50 minutes but by that stage the game was already up after the hosts had raced into a 17-0 lead.
Niall O’Connor added another penalty later on, but it turned out to be another chastening defeat for Connacht, who now lie only three points above today’s opponents at the foot of the table.
