POL
06-11-2006, 12:06 PM
James Gill
Monday November 6, 2006
The Guardian
Llanelli kept up their early Magners League title challenge with a bonus-point victory over Munster at Stradey Park. The wings Dafydd James and Darren Daniel, prop Deacon Manu and full-back Barry Davies all crossed for tries as two virtual second-string sides battled out a poor contest.
The Scarlets used a slight advantage in the line-out to eke out a 10-9 half-time lead. But it was only in the final minutes that the Scarlets got away. In what was a dour affair, Daniel capped victory with a 50-metre dash down the right touchline to give the Scarlets their third try. A bonus point was assured with an injury-time try for Davies.
Worcester's coach Anthony Eddy issued a rallying cry after the Warriors slipped five points adrift in the Guinness Premiership basement with their sixth successive league defeat. Harlequins' victory over Northampton left Worcester marooned, with just two losing bonus points collected after Leicester condemned them to a 40-21 reversal at Welford Road on Saturday.
Worcester, promoted to the Premiership in 2004, are favourites for relegation, but Eddy said: "We are not a team that loses heart or faith. It was a disappointing day at Leicester but there is a long, long way to go in the season."
Leicester, despite the loss of five forwards to England duty, ran in six tries as they moved level on points with fourth-placed Wasps and seven clear of London Irish in fifth.
"We keep talking about the depth of this club and this is the time of the season that shows it," said the Tigers' head coach Pat Howard after his team's 29th home league game unbeaten.
"Leo Cullen has stepped into the captain's role and dealt with it well, and other players have stood up to be counted."
Bath's acting head coach Steve Meehan felt his players gave their all in Saturday's 21-17 defeat at home to London Irish in the Guinness Premiership.
"The guys are absolutely shattered," he said. "They put their hearts and souls into it and have done everything they were criticised for not doing last week. That's a positive, that they really put the effort in - I can't think that the supporters will be unhappy about that aspect." Two late tries ended their five-match losing run, with Irish snatching victory despite having three players sin-binned.
The first half was poor fare for a full house of 10,600, punctuated by penalties conceded at the rate of one every two minutes. Sadly the only time the players stirred themselves into action was when a mass brawl broke out in the 17th minute. The blue touch paper was lit by a spear tackle by David Paice on the Bath No8 Zak Feau'nati. The Irish hooker was fortunate to escape with a yellow card and was joined in the sin-bin by his team-mate Neal Hatley and Bath's Peter Short for their part in the fighting.
Monday November 6, 2006
The Guardian
Llanelli kept up their early Magners League title challenge with a bonus-point victory over Munster at Stradey Park. The wings Dafydd James and Darren Daniel, prop Deacon Manu and full-back Barry Davies all crossed for tries as two virtual second-string sides battled out a poor contest.
The Scarlets used a slight advantage in the line-out to eke out a 10-9 half-time lead. But it was only in the final minutes that the Scarlets got away. In what was a dour affair, Daniel capped victory with a 50-metre dash down the right touchline to give the Scarlets their third try. A bonus point was assured with an injury-time try for Davies.
Worcester's coach Anthony Eddy issued a rallying cry after the Warriors slipped five points adrift in the Guinness Premiership basement with their sixth successive league defeat. Harlequins' victory over Northampton left Worcester marooned, with just two losing bonus points collected after Leicester condemned them to a 40-21 reversal at Welford Road on Saturday.
Worcester, promoted to the Premiership in 2004, are favourites for relegation, but Eddy said: "We are not a team that loses heart or faith. It was a disappointing day at Leicester but there is a long, long way to go in the season."
Leicester, despite the loss of five forwards to England duty, ran in six tries as they moved level on points with fourth-placed Wasps and seven clear of London Irish in fifth.
"We keep talking about the depth of this club and this is the time of the season that shows it," said the Tigers' head coach Pat Howard after his team's 29th home league game unbeaten.
"Leo Cullen has stepped into the captain's role and dealt with it well, and other players have stood up to be counted."
Bath's acting head coach Steve Meehan felt his players gave their all in Saturday's 21-17 defeat at home to London Irish in the Guinness Premiership.
"The guys are absolutely shattered," he said. "They put their hearts and souls into it and have done everything they were criticised for not doing last week. That's a positive, that they really put the effort in - I can't think that the supporters will be unhappy about that aspect." Two late tries ended their five-match losing run, with Irish snatching victory despite having three players sin-binned.
The first half was poor fare for a full house of 10,600, punctuated by penalties conceded at the rate of one every two minutes. Sadly the only time the players stirred themselves into action was when a mass brawl broke out in the 17th minute. The blue touch paper was lit by a spear tackle by David Paice on the Bath No8 Zak Feau'nati. The Irish hooker was fortunate to escape with a yellow card and was joined in the sin-bin by his team-mate Neal Hatley and Bath's Peter Short for their part in the fighting.