Domestic Round Up Week 21
By Paul
January 31 2005
Mike Ruddock will be relieved that all his squad members came through this weekends' matches unscathed. A full review of all this weeks games featuring Welsh players at home and abroad.
John Yapp was
impressive in a an appalling Cardiff Blues team, that were easily beaten by a far stronger Edinburgh side at the Arms Park. Nicky Robinson
made his return after an hour, but clearly looked like a player who had not played any rugby for six months. Also being given a run-out,
Robert Sidoli played the final ten minutes. The Blues still have a glimmer of hope with regards to Heineken cup qualification after picking up
a bonus point, whereas Connacht could not in defeating Borders.
Llanelli Scarlets put
in their best display for some time, comfortably beating a full strength Munster team at Stradey Park, 32-17. There was a level of intensity
rarely witnessed in the Celtic League, a fine advertisement of the benefits of having a fully committed
competition next season, in contrast to the dross served up on Friday night.
Robin McBryde managed
to get a full eighty minutes of rugby under his belt and will now surely be in contention along with Mefin Davies who played in Gloucesters'
28-16 win over Worcester, for the starting hooker berth on Saturday.
Munsters' slip handed
the Ospreys a golden chance to extend their lead at the top, but an improving Glasgow outfit provided
difficult opposition, and only just scraped a 27 all draw. A severely weakened Newport Gwent were painfully out muscled 55-3 by a full
strength Leinster side at Lansdowne road.
In France Gareth Thomas
played fifty five minutes before being brought off in Toulouse's 46-10 defeat of Beziers. Stephen Jones kicked sixteen points for Clermont-Auvergne
against Bayonne. Gareth Llewellyn was however released by Narbonne. Warren Fury included in Wales's Autumn squad last year made a rare start
for Wasps' as they were out muscled 9-12 by Bath in Wycombe.
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