Stormers and Munster lead the way

Gavin Coombes. www.inpho.ie

There are now just two unbeaten teams in the United Rugby Championship – the DHL Stormers and Munster Rugby - and they lead the way at the top of the table having both won all five of their matches so far this season.

The Stormers from Cape Town completed their three-match tour of Europe by coming from behind to claim a 31-16 victory over Benetton Rugby in Treviso.

They trailed 16-8 at the break, with winger Louis Lynagh having scored a sixth league try of the campaign for the hosts.

But John Dobson’s team then took charge in the second half as try-scoring No 10 Jurie Mathee finished with a 21-point haul.

Meanwhile, Munster were pushed all the way in their Irish derby with Connacht Rugby at Limerick’s Thomond Park but came through 17-15 in the end.

Flanker Jack O’Donoghue was the man to claim the match-winning try 12 minutes from time in front of a crowd of 16 512.

“You can’t underestimate how tough that was,” said O’Donoghue.

“We started the game really well and probably fell into a bit of complacency.

“In fairness to Connacht, they threw everything at us but our defence was awesome.

“We came away with the four points, so absolutely we will take it. We are delighted.”

There are only two unbeaten sides in the league because Ulster Rugby went down to their first defeat of the season as they lost 49-31 to the Lions in a 12-try thriller in Johannesburg,

That was despite a hat-trick from winger Robert Baloucoune, who helped the fifth-placed visitors pick up the consolation a try bonus point.

Both Glasgow Warriors and Cardiff Rugby made it four wins from their first five URC matches with home victories over the Vodacom Bulls and Edinburgh Rugby, respectively, to lie level on 20 points in third and fourth.

Glasgow defeated the Bulls 21-12 in a titanic tussle at Scotstoun on Friday night. They trailed 12-7 going into the final quarter but fought back to claim the victory with a penalty try and a touchdown from replacement prop Nathan McBeth on his return from the sin bin.

Head coach Franco Smith said: “It must have been good to watch from the stands if you don’t want one team only to win!

“There was some good entertainment and it was very physical from both slides, with good intent and good intensity. It must have been something that the people out there enjoyed.

“We stuck to it, we were patient, and I was happy that we converted in the last 20 minutes against some big humans. That was very important. I would have taken the win any day.

“I feel we are getting momentum and the guys are understanding what we want.”

As for Cardiff, they beat Edinburgh 20-19 at the Arms Park thanks to a late long-range penalty from flyhalf Ioan Lloyd, while the Welsh derby between Dragons RFC and the Ospreys produced a 19-19 draw at Rodney Parade.

Elsewhere, champions Leinster Rugby claimed a 50-26 bonus point win at home to Zebre Parma, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks secured a first win of the season by beating the Scarlets 29-19 in Durban.

The league now takes a four-week break as the focus switches to the autumn internationals.

Cardiff made it a hat-trick of “ugly wins” to complete a “fantastic” first block of URC matches.

They followed up hard-fought victories over Connacht and the Dragons with another grafting triumph as they beat Edinburgh 20-19 at a wet and windy Arms Park.

Lloyd was the match-winning hero as he landed a decisive late penalty from just inside the opposition half on his first start of the season.

Interim head coach Corniel van Zyl said: “I am just so chuffed for the boys.

“They put in a great shift to end up on top. It’s very pleasing to see. The resilience of the squad is at a next level. That’s something from within. You can’t coach the fighting spirit of the boys.

“It was a big game and we knew it was going to be a tough battle. We have talked a lot about going into dark places and just enjoying it.

“I know it was tough. You could see the boys were really tired. They stuck in there, and they are just grinding it out. It’s probably our third ugly win in a row. You obviously take it.”

Second row Josh McNally added: “We’ve talked all year about turning this place into our fortress. It’s a tough place to come and play against us here at the Arms Park.

“I’m just extremely proud of everyone’s efforts. We’ve had a great, fantastic block and I am just so proud of the way we finished that and got the win there. It was excellent.

“We are sticking to the process and sticking to the things we are doing well and we fight to the end.”

The Player of the Match award went to flanker Taine Basham, a summer signing from the Dragons.

“I’m loving every single second of it here,” said the openside.

“The boys have welcomed me with open arms, even though I’ve come from a rival club.

“Coming down here and playing at a packed-out Arms Park, there’s nothing better.”

The game finished three tries apiece, with a sweeping Cardiff counter-attack finished off by wing Josh Adams being the pick of the bunch.

The Welsh derby between the Dragons and the Ospreys at Rodney Parade ended in a 19-19 draw, leaving both camps disappointed.

The hosts narrowly missed out on an elusive league victory for the second time in the opening block of matches, having also drawn with the Sharks in Round 2.

Having come from behind to level the scores, they had two late chances to claim a first URC win since they beat the same opponents on the opening day of last season but flyhalf Tinus de Beer was off target with a conversion and a penalty.

Their Wales back row star, Aaron Wainwright, who was named Player of the Match, said: “It’s very frustrating. It was pretty similar to the Sharks game a few weeks ago.

“We didn’t manage field position too well in the first half. We gave them a couple of easy ins into our 22 and a couple of breakaway tries.

“We came out in the second half and played a little bit more. We got a bit of momentum and a bit more territory and came away with a couple of maul tries.

“The frustrating thing is that we are almost there. I am just very disappointed. We needed a win, we didn’t quite get it, so there’s lots to work on.”

With head coach Filo Tiatia having gone back home to New Zealand for personal reasons, fellow Kiwi Dale MacLeod took the helm on the coaching front for the derby.

Giving his thoughts, he said: “We should have won but we didn’t quite get it done. We waited too long to get into our work. We had our opportunities, and on any other given day, we probably would have got that, so that’s the tough thing.

“It’s a little bit disappointing. It's fine margins and if you don’t nail it, it will punish you.

“But I was really proud of the performance in the second half. We showed what we can do when we play footy, so we have just got to do that for 80 minutes.”

He added: “What the crowd brought was massive. What they did at the end of the game, singing to the boys, was special.

“We have just got to keep working hard. It doesn’t come easy. We have probably been on the wrong end for a wee while. It’s just getting that belief. We have just got to keep fighting and I have no doubt it will come.”

Ospreys head coach Mark Jones - whose team led 19-7 early in the second half - said: “I think it was a really good performance up until about the 55-minute mark.

“We know how difficult a place this is to come but we had complete control.

“Then there was a 10-minute period where we gave away five penalties, and the momentum shifted. We have to be a little bit better around how we manage ourselves emotionally.

“We are really disappointed. We pulled defeat from the jaws of victory there, for sure.

“Fair play to the Dragons, they stuck to the task and we always know they are a very difficult team when they have momentum.”