PRO14 Rainbow Cup: Leinster, Bulls , Munster victorious

Hugo Keenan scored a hat-trick as Leinster destroyed Connacht in Saturday’s PRO14 Rainbow Cup

Recap all of Saturday and Friday’s PRO14 Rainbow Cup action from both hemispheres, as Leinster, Scarlets, Bulls, Sharks, Munster and Glasgow post big wins…

Connacht 21-50 Leinster

Hugo Keenan scored a hat-trick of tries as Leinster came from 16 points down to claim their opening PRO14 Rainbow Cup win with a 50-21 victory over provincial rivals Connacht at the Sportsground.

Stung into action by Connacht’s strong start, Leo Cullen team’s reeled off tries from Keenan (2), James Tracy, Ross Molony and Cian Kelleher to lead 33-16 at half-time.

With last week’s European exit still raw, 2021 British and Irish Lion Andrew Porter, Scott Fardy and player-of-the-match Keenan took their side’s haul to eight tries, while Peter Sullivan added to Caolin Blade’s earlier touch down for Connacht.

Another of Leinster’s Lions picks, No 8 Jack Conan went off injured during the first half but it looked a precautionary withdrawal.

Scarlets 22-6 Ospreys

Scarlets recorded their first victory of the Rainbow Cup with a 22-6 win over Ospreys in atrocious conditions in Llanelli.

A first-half try from tight-head prop Alex Jeffries along with a 17-point haul from Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny was enough to get the Scarlets over the line.

All Ospreys could muster was six points from the boot of Luke Price.

Sharks 34-26 Lions

The Sharks made it two wins from two in the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA with a 34-26 success against the Lions.

Jeremy Ward scored the Sharks’ first try in only the third minute, with PJ Botha responding for the Lions as both teams’ mauls caused problems.

Grant Williams and Thomas du Toit profited from sharper play by the Sharks with further tries and it was 24-12 at half-time after Andre Warner crossed for the Lions just before the break.

The Sharks were down to 13 men for a period after half-time when Du Toit and Fezokuhle Mbatha were both yellow-carded for offences at the ruck but the Lions failed to capitalise on their advantage.

Francke Horn did finally cross for another try but Kerron van Vuuren added a score for the Sharks to maintain a healthy lead. Vincent Tshituka ensured the Lions at least finished with a bonus-point try, with the kicking of Curwin Bosch proving a major advantage for the Sharks.

Stormers 16-20 Bulls

Madosh Tambwe scored two tries as the Bulls made it back-to-back wins in the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA by beating the Stormers 20-16.

The Bulls, who overcame the Lions 24-9 last week, opened the scoring when Tambwe ran from his own half and evaded two tackles to score, with Morne Steyn converting.

Evan Roos replied for the Stormers, with Damian Willemse adding the extras, before an Abner van Reenen penalty put the home side in front.

The Stormers then had captain Steven Kitshoff shown a yellow card for leading with the forearm and the Bulls capitalised as Tambwe ran in unchallenged after the hooter had sound and Steyn converted.

After the break, Steyn and Van Reenan traded penalties before Chris Smith made it 20-13 to the Bulls with another penalty. Van Reenan reduced the deficit to four points but, despite the Bulls having Nizaam Carr yellow-carded with nine minutes left for a high tackle, the Stormers were unable to take advantage.

Friday’s PRO14

Munster 38-10 Ulster

Conor Murray celebrated his British and Irish Lions selection with a try in Munster’s 38-10 Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup thumping of Ulster at Thomond Park.

Rory Scannell and Mike Haley also touched down to make it 19-3 at half-time, the latter score coming after Ulster’s Will Addison was sent off for a high tackle.

Ulster captain Iain Henderson snapped back with an early second-half score, but a dominant Munster made it back-to-back victories as Scannell, JJ Hanrahan and Andrew Conway made it a six-try success.

Glasgow Warriors 29-19 Edinburgh

Glasgow edged a seven-try thriller as they wrestled possession of the 1872 Cup back from Edinburgh.

Richard Cockerill’s team had held the inter-city silverware for the last three years but tries from Cole Forbes, Fotu Lokotui, Fraser Brown and Kyle Steyn handed Warriors a 29-19 win.

Edinburgh’s forward power saw Dave Cherry, Pierre Schoeman and Stuart McInally crash over but their late charge fell flat at Scotstoun.

In a bad-tempered affair, both teams made use of the new captain’s challenge rule being trialled in the PRO14 Rainbow Cup to successfully alert referee Adam Jones to red card offences, with Edinburgh’s Mark Bennett and Warriors prop Oli Kebble sent off.

Zebre 20-25 Benetton

Benetton followed up their shock win over Glasgow by claiming a 25-20 victory at Italian rivals Zebre in the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup.

The Treviso side’s triumph against the Warriors last month came after they failed to win a single game during the regular PRO14 season, in which they lost twice to Zebre.

However, they now have two wins from two in the Rainbow Cup following a hard-fought derby in Parma.