News
British and Irish dress rehearsals
August 31 2008
All the Guinness Premiership and Magners League teams completed the last of their pre-season friendlies this weekend, with the serious work beginning next week.
Magners League champions Leinster notched a resounding 48-19 win over the touring Queensland Reds at a near sold-out Donnybrook on Saturday.
The Leinstermen notched eight tries to their visitors' three, and there were no injury foibles to worry about after.
Hooker Bernard Jackman, wing Shane Horgan, flanker Shane Jennings, prop Cian Healy, wing Rob Kearney, fly-half Felipe Contempomi, replacement Sean O'Brien and lock Malcolm O'Kelly scored for the Irishmen, with Digby Ioane, Aidan Toua, and Luafutu the Reds' scorers.
Leinster kick off their title defence at home to Cardiff Blues next weekend, and the Blues apear to be in equally impressive form, smashing Northampton Saints 43-13.
The Blues fielded a different team in each half, with the second half side considerably stronger than the first. They led 12-8 at the break, courtesy of tries from hooker Gareth Williams and one by centre Jamie Roberts, but in the second half they cut loose, with Tom Shanklin bagging a brace and Chris Czekaj, Ceri Sweeney and Leigh Halfpenny all scoring.
For the Saints, it was a chance to blood some academy players, of whom seven were on the pitch by the end, and forward Rob Milligan scored the second-half points for them.
Gloucester, whose pre-season started shakily with a 30-9 defeat in Bayonne, scored a 30-8 win over Glasgow at Kingsholm.
With neither side able to get much continuity going, it was Gloucester who managed to get some good old-fashioned domination up front and overturn a 0-8 deficit that included an early try from Lome Fa'atau.
Anthony Allen put the Cherry-and-Whites in front with a try after Ryan Lamb had landed two penalties, and late tries from Rory Lawson and Olly Morgan made the game safe.
Wasps were surprised 20-17 in High Wycombe by the Scarlets, who won the game with a last-minute penaly from Ceiron Thomas.
Both sides started at full strength and both used the boot to score, with only Eoin Reddan scoring a try for Wasps and Mark Jones scoring a try for the Scarlets. Otherwise it was left to Mark van Gisbergen for Wasps with four penalties, and Stephen Jones, and then Thomas, for the visitors in a keenly-contested affair.
Bath also lost at home, going down 8-19 to Andy Robinson's Edinburgh who are looking in fine form after beating Wasps last week.
An early try for Nick Abendanon and a Shaun Berne penalty gave Bath an early lead, but Edinburgh ground their way back into matters with three penalties from Chris Paterson giving them the lead and then tries from Simon Webster and Steven Turnbull making the game safe.
Bristol thumped the Dragons 56-12 at Rodney Parade, also playing a different team in each half, and with both proving equally as dominant.
Andrew Blowers, David Lemi, Junior Fatialofa with two, Joe El Abd, and Tom Arscott did the damage for the visitors in the first half, while Tongan full-back Vunga Lilo weighed in with a brace in the second.
Leicester Tigers are looking good for their opener against Gloucester next weekend, after thrashing the Western Force 48-7 at Welford Road.
What looked to be a full-strength Tigers team was always going to better and injury-hit and Wallaby-shorn Force, but the Tigers were ruthless, scoring tries from Aaron Mauger, Alesana Tuilagi, Tom Varndell, Tom Croft, Julien Dupuy, and young Matt Smith, who looks a real prospect.
The Force's reply came from young full-back James O'Connor.
Finally, Harlequins ran in ten tries in a 64-6 thrashing of Overmach Parma, with Ugo Monye claiming a hat-trick.