LV= CUP FINAL
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 30-24 GLOUCESTER
SIXWAYS - Sunday 21st March 2010
Attendance: 9,511
Referee: Alan Lewis (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Peter Huckle & Roger Baileff TMO: Ed Morrison
NORTHAMPTON Saints, who are in the hunt for Heineken Cup and Guinness Premiership glory this season became the first trophy-winners of the 2009/10 campaign at Sixways, where they consigned Gloucester to a second successive Anglo-Welsh cup final defeat.
Jim Mallinder’s side lead 20-14 at the interval, largely thanks to two tries in five minutes from Soane Tonga’uhia and Jon Downey just before the interval.
Gloucester played a full part in an enthralling final, bouncing back with a penalty try to add to Akapusi Qera’s first-half touchdown but, despite scrapping hard late on they were unable to overturn a 30-24 deficit in the closing minutes.
Nicky Robinson missed a chance to kick fast-starting Gloucester into an early lead, pulling a 35-metre penalty wide in the fourth minute but he made no mistake in the 11th minute from similar distance.
Opposite number Myler, however, made a good fist of his first two cracks at goal in the 15th and 17th minutes to give the Saints a 6-3 lead.
Robinson punished Saints for coming in from the side in the 18th minute to level it up and he was on target again in the 22nd minute to put Gloucester back in front.
The Cherries had the first try, albeit unconverted, on the board in the 29th minute, when Qera powered over to finish off a bout of sustained pressure from his fellow forwards.
Northampton’s response was immediate and a line break from Myler and good work from hooker Brett Sharman set up Soane Tonga’uiha to crash over with Myler converting to narrow Gloucester’s lead to a point.
And the Saints were firmly in the driving seat at half-time after centre Jon Downey sides-stepped through poor Gloucester tackling in the 37th minute to touch down with Myler again adding the extras to give Northampton a 20-14 lead.
Gloucester came out of the traps quickest at the start of the second half and they were rewarded in the 51st minute with a penalty try, converted by Robinson, when Saints collapsed a scrum on their own line, sending the Cherry and Whites into a 21-20 lead.
But, again, Gloucester’s lead did not last long as Saints hit back in the 54th minute with a Lee Dickson try and Myler’s third successful conversion to go back into a six-point lead.
Referee Alan Lewis went to the MO for a second time three minutes later when Fuimaono-Sapolu opened up the Saints defence and Robinson wriggled through only to be held up over the line by the Northampton defence.
The Saints broke out in the 73rd minute when Tonga’uiha picked off a pass inside his own side’s 22 and thundered 70 metres up field before he looked for support on the inside, but his hard work came to nothing.
Gloucester task got harder in the 67th minute when Myler extended Northampton’s lead to nine points with a well-struck penalty, but Robinson replied a minute later to keep his side in the hunt until the clock ran out on Gloucester’s attempts to overhaul Saints at the death.
Northampton Saints
T: Tonga’uiha, Downey. Dickson
C: Myler 3
P: Myler 3
Gloucester Rugby
T: Qera, Penalty
C: Robinson 2
P: Robinson 3
SEMI FINALS
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 31-20 SARACENS
FRANKLINS GARDENS – Sunday 14th March 2010
Attendance: 11,894
NORTHAMPTON Saints booked an LV=Cup Final date with Gloucester at the expense of Saracens with a comfortable four-try victory at Franklin’s Gardens which set Jim Mallinder’s side up for a crack at winning the first of three trophies which they are still in the hunt for this season.
Saracens made the early running with the boot of South African fly-half Derick Hougaard giving them a 9-0 lead before Saints hit back with a try from back-rower Roger Wilson, which went unconverted, and a Shane Geraghty penalty.
Saracens then went down to 14 men after skipper Ernst Joubert was sin-binned but Neil De Kock came close to grabbing a try with a clever chip-and-chase and when Hougaard hit the target with a drop-goal, Sarries had a cushion until Geraghty responded with a penalty to make it 12-8 at the break.
But the visitors then threw their lead away early in the second half when their discipline let them down and Geraghty clipped over a penalty to give Northampton the lead for the first time in the contest.
That soon a ten-point cushion thanks to Saints ability to turn the screw after Saracens hooker Schalk Brits limped out of the action and wing Chris Wyles had to go off with a leg injury.
First, prop Brian Mujati broke through a desperate last-ditch tackle to ground the ball in the right corner and then wing Paul Diggin finished off a sublime move sparked by Geraghty's off-load and Chris Ashton’s superb support running and well-weighted pass to his fellow wing.
Saracens, though, were still in the contest going into the last quarter, thanks to Geraghty’s conversion misses and a penalty which came back off the crossbar after Glen Jackson replaced Hougaard and clipped over his first penalty chance.
But Saints finally put the contest to bed with 10 minutes to go when Sarries replacement scrum-half Justin Marshall missed touch with a box kick. Reihana ran the ball back and released flanker Neil Best for a try which Geraghty converted.
Sarries back-rower Justin Melck then scored a late while both teams had a man – Saints’ Juandre Kruger and Sarries’ Mouritz Botha – in the bin, but Melck’s score proved scant consolation for a well-beaten Saracens side.
Northampton Saints
T: Dowson, Mujati, Diggin, Best
C: Geraghty
P: Geraghty 3
Saracens
T: Melck
P: Hougaard 4, Jackson
CARDIFF BLUES 18-29 GLOUCESTER
CARDIFF CITY STADIUM – Sunday 14th March 2010
Attendance: 11,500
FORGOTTEN man James Simpson-Daniel reminded Martin Johnson and England what they are missing out on with a stunning try hat-trick – his second of the season – to help Gloucester bury the memory of their embarrassment at the Anglo-Welsh Cup final at Twickenham a year ago at the hands of Cardiff Blues.
Given the chance to exact revenge over the Welsh side in the Cardiff City Stadium, the Cherry and Whites had to survive a tough first-half examination by the home side, but Simpson-Daniel’s second-half hat-trick propelled Gloucester to 29-18 victory and into a final date with Northampton Saints.
Wales fly-half Nicky Robinson, playing against his old club, kicked Gloucester into a 3-0 lead in the 11th minute and then saw former clubmate Ben Blair cancel his effort out before Cardiff went close to grabbing the first try of the contest in the 21st minute when Tom James’ touchdown was ruled out by the TMO.
But Cardiff did get their noses in front when Casey Laulala broke through some weak Gloucester tackling, stepped Freddy Burns and dived over under the posts with Blair converting to give the Blues a 10-3 lead.
Just before half-time, Gloucester hit back from nowhere when Burns picked off a floated pass from Blues’ fly-half Ceri Sweeney in midfield and touched down under the posts making it easy for Robinson to convert and send the Cherries in all-square at the interval.
Shortly after the interval Cardiff open-side Ben White was sin-binned and Gloucester went for the jugular keeping the ball in hand until Mike Tindall slipped Simpson-Daniel away for the try, converted by Robinson, which gave the visitors a 17-10 lead with 56 minutes gone.
The Blues responded with a wave of attacks but they had to settle for a Blair penalty on the hour as Gloucester’s defence stood firm going into the last ten minutes, which saw the Cherries stitch the game up with two quick-fire tries.
After winning a key turnover, Qera ground and Tim Molenaar’s inside pass released Simpson-Daniel for his second score with Robinson converting and Simpson-Daniel sealed Gloucester’s win when he ran on to a perfectly-weighted chip from Burns to score in the corner.
That left just enough time for Sweeney to grab a consolation try for the beaten cup-holders, when he took advantage of a rare second-half Gloucester handling error.
Cardiff Blues
T: Sweeney, Laulala
C: Blair
P: Blair 2
Gloucester Rugby
T: Simpson-Daniel 3, Burns
C: Robinson 3
P: Robinson
ROUND 4
OSPREYS 21-17 LEEDS CARNEGIE
THE LIBERTY STADIUM – Thursday 4th February 2010
A LATE penalty try from Leeds was not enough to inflict an Anglo-Welsh Cup whitewash on the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium, where the Welsh side claimed a 21-17 win and both sides bowed out of the competition.
Ospreys seemed to be cruising to victory after tries from Hanno Dirksen, Steve Tandy and Jamie Nutbrown (pictured) helped them open up a 21-10 lead, but a late rally saw Leeds earn them a converted penalty try in injury time to make it a nervous finish for the home side.
Leeds opened the scoring after 11 minutes with a penalty goal from Joe Ford, but the Ospreys responded with tries from wing Hanno Dirksen and scrum-half Jamie Nutbrown, both converted by Tom Prydie, before flanker Erik Lund hit back with a try for Leeds to make it 14-10 at half-time.
Prydie missed two penalties in the space of three minutes just after the break before Nutbrown dashed over by the posts for the Ospreys’ third converted try, but Leeds snaffled a penalty try and late Ford penalty to make the score-line look respectable.
Ospreys
T: Dirksen, Tandy, Nutbrown
C: Prydie 3
Leeds Carnegie
T: Lund Penalty
C: Ford
P: Ford 2
BATH RUGBY 40-7 SALE SHARKS
THE REC – Saturday 6th February 2010
BUTCH James burst back into action at The Rec after a nine-month injury lay-off and the South African World Cup-winner sparked Bath to their biggest win of the season so far – a six-try, 40-7 LV=Cup rout of Sale Sharks, although neither side could progress beyond the pool stages.
Wing Michael Stephenson, who notched a hat-trick, crossed for the first try in the first minute with inside centre Ryan Davis, who was to go on and kick five conversions, adding the extras.
Centre Matt Carraro added the second Bath try in the 10th minute and hooker Pieter Dixon capitalised on a powerful rolling maul from the home pack to dive over for try number three with only 17 minutes gone.
Sale cut Bath’s massive lead in the 23rd minute when number eight Kristian Ormsby went over for a try with Mark Atkinson making his starting debut for the Sharks, adding the extras.
But any potential Sale fight-back was nipped firmly in the bud when Stephenson bagged his second try and Davis converted to give Bath a 28-7 half-time lead.
The second half saw Stephenson secured his hat-trick with another try converted by Davis and even when young open-side Guy Mercer was sent to the sin bin with 15 minutes to go, Bath barely broke stride.
Indeed, full-back Jack Cuthbert merely rubbed salt in Sale’s wounds with a sixth Bath try just before full time.
Bath Rugby
T: Stephenson 3, Carraro, Dixon, Cuthbert
C: Davis 5
Sale Sharks
T: Ormsby
C: Atkinson
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 23-11 LEICESTER TIGERS
FRANKLINS GARDENS – Saturday 6th February 2010
NORTHAMPTON Saints romped into the semi-finals of the LV=Cup as the top team in Pool 4 after a convincing 23-11 win over last season’s beaten semi-finalists Leicester Tigers at Franklin's Gardens, booking a home clash with Saracens on Sunday 14th March.
Saints got off to the better start in front of their home fans with Paul Diggin scoring the opening try in the second minute with fly-half Stephen Myler adding the extras.
The stubborn Tigers pulled three points back in the 16th minute when Billy Twelvetrees slotted a penalty, but Saints scrum-half Alan Dickens grabbed a second try for the home side in the 19th minute with Myler again converting.
Twelvetrees scored the Tigers lone try in the 26th minute but Sam Vesty missed the conversion to leave the half-time score at 14-8.
Myler added to the Saints' score just after the break when he kicked a penalty in the 44th minute and he was on target again eight minutes later to stretch Northampton into a 20-8 lead.
Twelvetrees slotted a penalty in the 60th minute to make it 20-11, but veteran Barry Everitt added another penalty for the Saints on the stroke of full-time.
Northampton Saints
T: Diggin, Dickens
P: Myler 2, Everitt
C: Myler 2
Leicester Tigers
T: Twelvetrees
P: Twelvetrees 2
SCARLETS 23-38 CARDIFF BLUES
PARC Y SCARLETS – Saturday 6th February 2010
LV=CUP holders Cardiff Blues beat Welsh rivals the Scarlets 38-23 in the Parc y Scarlets, coming from behind in a tight All-Welsh derby to top Pool 3 and book a home date with Pool 2 winners Gloucester on Sunday 14th March.
The Welsh encounter took a while to warm up and the first points came on the half-hour when fly-half Rees Priestland scored and converted his own try for the home side to break the deadlock.
The Blues levelled in the 34th minute when Tom Shanklin touched down with Ben Blair converting but Lee Williams crossed for Scarlets minutes later, although Priestland missed the conversion, making it 12-7.
David Lyons added another try for the home side on the stroke of half-time, but Priestland again missed the conversion sending the Scarlets in 17-7 ahead at the break.
Cardiff came out strongly in the second half with Casey Laulala scoring his side's second try in the 44th minute and Blair made no mistake with the conversion to reduce the deficit to three points.
The Blues then took the lead for the first time in the 50th minute when Laulala scored his second try with Blair converting to give Cardiff a 21-17 lead.
And when Blues prop Taufa'ao Filise added his name to the score-sheet with a 56th minute try converted by Blair, the writing was on the wall for the Scarlets.
Priestland reduced the gap to five points with two penalties with 68 minutes gone but Cardiff wrapped up their win in the 78th minute when Paul Tito added yet another try with Blair converting and then adding a late penalty to add insult to injury for the Scarlets.
Scarlets
T: Priestland, Williams, Lyons
P: Priestland 2
C: Priestland
Cardiff Blues
T: Shanklin, Laulala 2, Filise, Tito
P: Blair
C: Blair 5
WORCESTER WARRIORS 19-9 LONDON IRISH
SIXWAYS – Saturday 6th February 2010
WORCESTER Warriors secured a hard-fought 19-9 win over London Irish in a dead LV=Cup qualifying rubber at Sixways, which saw the home side come up with the only try of the contest.
The Warriors started well with wing Chris Pennell scoring the game's only try in the sixth minute and fly-half Willie Walker made sure the conversion went over to give the home side an early 7-0 lead.
The Exiles got on the scoreboard in the 18th minute when Ryan Lamb kicked a penalty but Walker responded on the half-hour to make it 10-3 to Worcester.
Lamb kept the Exiles within striking distance when he slotted another penalty in the 32nd minute but, again, Walker countered to make it 13-6 after 40 minutes.
The Warriors added to their tally in the 46th minute with another Walker penalty to extend the gap to 10 points and another Walker three-pointer in the 52nd minute effectively took the game away from Irish.
Peter Hewat clipped over al penalty for the Exiles in the 57th minute but the visitors were successfully kept at arm’s length after that by the Warriors hardworking defence.
Worcester Warriors
T: Pennell
P: Walker 4
C: Walker
London Irish
P: Lamb 2, Hewat
SARACENS 22-23 NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS
VICARAGE ROAD – Sunday 7th February 2010
SARACENS suffered a tight 23-22 defeat to Newport-Gwent Dragons in their final LV=Cup qualifying match at Vicarage Road but they earned a losing bonus point to win Pool 1, booking a semi-final date with Pool 4 winners Northampton Saints at Franklins Gardens on Sunday 14th March.
Glen Jackson stuck Sarries ahead with a pair of penalties in the first 10 minutes of play but the Dragons came back to go a point ahead after Will Harries scored a try which Jason Tovey converted.
Jackson and Tovey then sent over another penalty each before the former kicked his fourth to put the hosts ahead in the 28th minute but Tovey slotted his second on the stroke of half time to give Newport-Gwent a 13-12 lead at the break.
Eight minutes into the second half the visitors extended their lead with another Harries try that Tovey made no mistake in converting.
Saracens made sure the large lead was short lived when Derick Hougaard slotted a drop goal before a Chris Wyles try and a Hougaard conversion put them two points ahead on 22.
But Tovey was having none of it as he responded with a drop goal of his own in the 60th minute to again give the Dragons a single-point advantage, which they held onto to claim the win.
Saracens
T: Wyles
C: Hougaard
P: Jackson 4
DG: Hougaard
Newport Gwent Dragons
T: Harries 2
C: Tovey 2
P: Tovey 2
DG: Tovey
NEWCASTLE FALCONS 3-9 LONDON WASPS
KINGSTON PARK – Sunday 7th February 2010
WASPS claimed a 9-3 victory over Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park but it was not enough to book the Londoners a semi-final place from Pool 3, where they finished third behind semi-finalists Cardiff and Harlequins.
Newcastle, playing in Pool 2, were already out of the competition ahead of a clash dominated by defences with points hard to come by in a dour first half struggle which finished all-square at 3-3.
Falcons fly-half Rob Miller slotted the first points of the match with a penalty in the 14th minute for Newcastle, before the scores were level again on the stroke of half-time thanks to Dave Walder's three-pointer.
After the break Wasps took the lead for the first time when Walder kicked his second penalty of the match in the 57th minute.
But neither side could break down the other’s defence and the game finished try-less with Walder slotting another penalty in the 77th minute to secure the win for the visitors.
Newcastle Falcons
P: Miller
HARLEQUINS 29-31 GLOUCESTER RUGBY
THE STOOP – Sunday 7th February 2010
GLOUCESTER came from 20 points behind to beat Harlequins 31-29 at The Stoop in a non-stop thriller to top Pool 2, booking a return date with their conquerors in last season’s final, Pool 3 winners Cardiff Blues in the semi-finals on Sunday 14th March.
The hosts stormed into an early lead when Quins fly-half Nick Evans slotted a penalty before James Percival opened the try-scoring in the ninth minute to give Quins a 10-0 advantage and when Evans crashed over for their second and third tries, the game was running away from Gloucester with just 12 minutes gone.
But the Cherry and Whites finally found their feet after a disappointing opening half-hour when James Simpson-Daniel grabbed their opening try with fly-half Tim Taylor adding the extras.
Gloucester then reduced the leeway to six points shortly before the break when Taylor converted his own 37th minute try.
Evans eased Quins back into a 12-point lead after the break with two penalties but Gloucester responded with a second Simpson-Daniel touchdown to make it 26-19 with 18 minutes left.
An Evans penalty kept Quins in front but Tim Molenaar halved the home side’s 10-point cushion with four minutes to go and Gloucester snatched victory when Taylor converted a last-minute try from Tom Voyce which tied the game up at 29-29.
Harlequins
T: Evans 2, Percival
P: Evans 4
C: Evans
Gloucester Rugby
T: Simpson-Daniel 2, Taylor, Molenaar, Voyce
C: Taylor 3
SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP
Saturday 14th March 2010
Northampton Saints v Saracens
Franklin Gardens 12.15pm
Cardiff Blues v Gloucester
Cardiff City Stadium 4.25pm
ROUND 3
SALE SHARKS 14-20 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
EDGELEY PARK – Friday 29th January 2010
Attendance: 6,506
NORTHAMTPON Saints have one foot in the LV=Cup semi-finals after a stubborn second-half defensive display sealed a clinical victory over Pool 1 hosts Sale Sharks at Edgeley Park and sent Jim Mallinder’s side four points clear at the top of Pool 4.
Saints quickly went were 10-0 up thanks to a try from centre Chris Mayor and a conversion and penalty from fly-half Stephen Myler.
Wing Paul Diggin extended that lead at the start of the second half and Myler added a second penalty, before Charlie Hodgson and Sisa Koyamaibole went over for the hosts, with Hodgson converting both touchdowns, as the Sharks launched a spirited, but ultimately vain, late fight-back.
Sale Sharks
T: Hodgson, Koyamaibole
C: Hodgson 2
Northampton Saints
T: Mayor, Diggin
C: Myler 2
P: Myler 2
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS 40-19 OSPREYS
RODNEY PARADE – Friday 29th January 2010
Attendance: 4,500
THE Ospreys crashed to a hefty defeat by Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade which all but killed off their chances of reaching the LV=Cup’s knockout stages.
First-half tries by lock Adam Jones and skipper Ashley Smith set the tone for the hosts while fly-half Jason Tovey booted a club record 25 points, overhauling Percy Montgomery’s record of 23 points in a competitive match, with seven penalties and two conversions before wing Aled Brew claimed a late touchdown.
Tovey's immaculate kicking return helped to batter the lacklustre Ospreys into submission, although they notched tries from teenage Wales squad member Tom Prydie, fly-half Gareth Owen and a penalty try with Prydie kicking two conversions.
Newport Gwent Dragons
T: Jones, Smith, Brew
C: Tovey 2
P: Tovey 7
Ospreys
T: Prydie, Owen, Penalty
C: Prydie 2
P: Prydie
LEEDS CARNEGIE 5-28 SARACENS
HEADINGLEY – Friday 29th January 2010
Attendance: 1,781
FORMER All Black Justin Marshall touched down against his former club Leeds to help Saracens coasted to a 28-5 bonus-point victory which kept their hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the LV=Cup alive.
Sarries had a 14-0 lead midway through the first half after clocking up well-executed tries from number eight Ernst Joubert and hooker Schalk Brits.
Their third try came just after the half-hour mark when centre Adam Powell finished off another fine move but the real sickener for home fans came in the 50th minute when Marshall finished off a delightful sweeping move with Saracens' fourth try.
Leeds, overpowered and outplayed virtually from start to finish, notched a consolation try from full-back Lee Blackett.
Leeds Carnegie
T: Blackett
Saracens
T: Joubert, Brits, Powell, Marshall
C: Hougaard 3, Jackson
LEICESTER TIGERS 27-11 BATH RUGBY
WELFORD ROAD – Friday 29th January 2010
Attendance: 19,722
CENTRE Billy Twelvetrees was the toast of Welford Road after he scored two tries to lever Bath out of the LV=Cup and keep the Tigers, who went to the top of Pool 1,, on course for a semi-final berth.
Twelvetrees, the hero of Leicester's thrilling Heineken Cup draw with the Ospreys in October, scored the try that broke Bath's resistance late in the first half and he then jinked through for his second touchdown to seal the home side’s win.
Bath led 3-0 early on but Twelvetrees' first try sent them in 8-3 at the interval and Leicester turned on the pack power to claim a penalty try on the hour which finally broke a young Bath side’s spirited resistance.
In a rousing finish, Samoan flanker Jonny Faamatuainu snaffled an interception try for Bath but Alesana Tuilagi replied for Leicester in stoppage time to earn the Tigers a potentially crucial bonus point.
Leicester Tigers
T: Twelvetrees 2, Penalty, Tuilagi
C: Vesty 2
P: Vesty
Bath Rugby
T: Faamatuainu
P: Davis 2
GLOUCESTER 17-5 WORCESTER WARRIORS
KINGSHOLM – Saturday 30th January 2010
Attendance: 7,192
TRY machine Akapusi Qera kept Gloucester’s hopes of an LV= Cup semi-final place just about alive with his fourth try in two matches - a second-half touchdown which sealed a 17-5 win over Worcester Warriors at Kingsholm.
The Fijian back-rower powered over the Warrior’s line in the 61st minute for his seventh try of the season to take the home side into a 17-0 lead which proved enough to see Worcester off.
Gloucester led 10-0 at the interval thanks to an opening try from full-back Freddie Burns, who dived over after Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu and Tim Molenaar combined to bring the youngster into the line five metres out.
Nicky Robinson added the conversion to an eight-minute penalty to leave the Warriors ruing two missed try-scoring chances in the opening quarter but Qera crashed over for the home side‘s second in the 61st minute with Robinson converting to put the Cherry and Whites firmly in the driving seat.
But the Warriors had the last word when Chris Pannell snatched a consolation try for Worcester in the 74th minute.
Gloucester
T: Burns, Qera
C: Robinson 2
P; Robinson
LONDON WASPS 18-13 SCARLETS
ADAMS PARK – Saturday 30th January 2010
Attendance: 8,070
SIX penalties from Rhys Priestland were enough to see the Scarlets chalk up a third successive win in the LV=Cup at hosts London Wasps’ expense at Adams Park, sending them to the top of Pool 2.
The fly-half missed just once in seven attempts at goal in a game short of try-scoring chances.
Wasps managed the only touchdowns of the game, which both came from wing Tom Varndell but a poor kicking display from Dave Walder ultimately cost Wasps any chance of a win.
He landed just one of his five efforts at the posts, including two penalty attempts in a second half which Wasps totally dominated.
London Wasps
T: Varndell 2
P: Walder
CARDIFF BLUES 45-24 NEWCASTLE FALCONS
CARDIFF CITY STADIUM – Sunday 31st January 2010
Attendance: 9,130
CARDIFF Blues handed Newcastle Falcons a six-try, 45-24 hiding in the Cardiff City Stadium to move to the top of Pool 3 in the LV=Cup and stay on course for a place in the semi-finals of the competition which they won last season.
Blues fly-half Sam Norton-Knight ran in two tries and Ma'ama Molitika, Richard Mustoe, Ceri Sweeney and Ben White ran in a touchdown apiece in an expansive and entertaining game played at a brisk pace.
Falcons hooker Alex Walker grabbed a hat-trick of scores for the visitors with replacement Rob Vickers adding a fourth to make sure Newcastle left Cardiff with a losing bonus-point.
Cardiff Blues
T: Norton-Knight 2, Molitika, Mustoe, Sweeney, White
Newcastle Falcons
T: Walker 3, Vickers
C: Miller 2
LONDON IRISH 13-16 HARLEQUINS
MADEJSKI STADIUM – Sunday 31st January 2010
Attendance: 10,030
Teenage winger Sam Smith made it two tries from two senior starts as Harlequins ended their six-match losing run with a 16-13 Anglo-Welsh Cup win at London Irish on Sunday.
Stand-ff Nick Evans kicked 11 points as Quins, who led 16-3 at half-time put themselves back into the mix for a semi-final spot.
Smith, who marked his senior debut with a try against Newcastle earlier in the competition, grabbed an interception try late in the first half swinging the game firmly his side’s way.
Irish burst into life after the break and another teenager, Jonathan Joseph, notched the first of his two tries in the 55th minute and his second score, after Lamb had converted both, set up a rousing finish which saw Harlequins hang on for a valuable away victory.
London Irish
T: Joseph
P: Lamb
Harlequins
T: Smith
C: Evans
P: Evans 3
ROUND 2
SALE SHARKS 27 – 3 LEEDS CARNEGIE
EDGELEY PARK – Friday, 13th November 2009
Attendance: 5,536
SALE Sharks picked up a vital bonus-point victory over Leeds Carnegie at Edgeley Park to keep their hopes of making the quarter-finals of the LV=Cup from Pool 1 alive.
The home side had to come from behind after Leeds fly-half Joe Ford kicked the visitors into an early 3-0 lead, but Leeds were not able to put any more points once Sale got into their stride.
By the 13th minute, Sale were in front after full-back Marika Vakacegu ran in an unconverted try and they were 10-3 up when Spaniard Oriol Ripol touched down with fly-half Charlie Hodgson again unable to add the conversion.
Rob O'Donnell crashed over for Sale's third try with Hodgson converting and by half-time, Sale had the win and the bonus point in the bank after flanker David Seymour ran in their fourth touchdown.
Leeds fought hard all the way through a scoreless second half and Sale were unable to put any more points on the board after the break.
Sale Sharks
T: Vakacegu, Ripol, O'Donnell, Seymour
C: Hodgson (2)
P: Hodgson
Leeds Carnegie
P: Ford
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 19 – 3 SARACENS
FRANKLINS GARDENS – Saturday 14th November 2009
Attendance: 12,037
NORTHAMPTON Saints handed high-flying Saracens their first defeat of the season in any competition at Franklin’s Gardens to maintain their bid for an Anglo-Welsh Cup quarter-final place.
The visitors opened the scoring through Alex Goode's 20th minute penalty, but Saints wing Chris Ashton grabbed a try four minutes later to give Northampton a lead they never relinquished.
Sarries made life tough for themselves just before the break when Tom Mercey was sent to the sin-bin and Saints took full advantage with fly-half Stephen Myler stroking over the resulting penalty.
Myler added his second penalty shortly after the start of the second half and when former All Black Bruce Reihana touched on the hour the ties was done and dusted with Myler’s third penalty in the 77th minute merely underlining the home side’s dominance.
Northampton Saints
T: Ashton, Reihana
P: Myler 3
Saracens
P: Goode
BATH RUGBY 21 – 11 OSPREYS
THE RECREATION GROUND – Saturday 14th November 2009
Attendance: 10,789
STAR summer signing Luke Watson marked his Bath debut off the bench with a second-half try to help Bath chalk up only their second win of the season and their first on home soil this term at the expense of the Ospreys.
The visitors, short of some 32 first-team squad members due to international call-ups and injuries, were first on the scoreboard when full-back Barry Davies slotted home a penalty, but Bath bounced back with reply from fly-half Ryan Davis.
The battling Ospreys were back in front just before half-time after fly-half Gareth Owen clipped over a penalty, but by the interval Bath were 9-6 up thanks to two penalties from Davis.
Bath began to take control after the break and controversial South African back-rower Watson finished off a powerful drive from the Bath pack, but the Ospreys responded with an unconverted try of their own from Justin Tipuric.
But Bath finished with a flourish and replacement back-rower Daniel Brown put the seal on their win with an 80th minute try converted by Davis.
Bath Rugby
T: Watson, Brown
C: Davis
P: Davis 3
Ospreys
T: Tipuric
P: Davies, Owen
LLANELLI SCARLETS 32 – 17 WORCESTER WARRIORS
PARC Y SCARLETS – Saturday 14th November 2009
Attendance: 5,560
LLANELLI Scarlets handed Worcester Warriors a four-try, bonus-point 32-17 hiding at the Parc y Scarlets, where up-and-coming fly-half Rees Priestland emerged as the home side’s star turn.
Priestland kicked the Scarlet’s into an early lead with a seventh minute penalty and he added the conversion when Darren Daniel notched the home side’s first try in the 23rd minute to put his side in the driving seat.
The Warriors got on the scoreboard on the half-hour when George Crook kicked a penalty, but former Wallaby David Lyons scored the second Scarlets try just a minute later with Priestland again converting to send the Scarlets in 20-3 up at half-time.
It got worse for Worcester when lock Graham Kitchener was sin-binned five minutes into the second half and while he was off the Scarlets made hay with tries from Daniel Evans and Priestland, who converted both touchdowns to put the match out of the Warriors’ reach.
The visitors did hit back on the hour when Matthew Cox scored their first try with dull-back Calum MacRae converting to make it 32-10, sparking a late Worcester fight-back.
But the best they could come up with was a 79th minute try from Kitchener with MacRae again converting to make sure they ended the contest on a positive note.
Llanelli Scarlets
T: Daniel, Lyons, Evans, Priestland
C: Priestland 3
P: Priestland 2
Worcester Warriors
T: Cox, Kitchener
C: MacRae 2
P: Crook
LEICESTER TIGERS 29 – 20 NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS
WELFORD ROAD – Sunday 15th November 2009
Attendance: 16,297
FORMER Wallaby Lote Tuquiri made a low-key Welford Road debut for Leicester Tigers in a 29-20 win over spirited Newport Gwent Dragons in a match which ended with England fly-half Toby Flood back in action from the Leicester bench after a lengthy injury lay-off.
The Tigers led early on after starting stand-off Jeremy Staunton kicked two penalties inside the first 16 minutes and an unconverted try from number eight Jordan Crane.
But the Dragons cut that cushion to four points when Jason Tovey touched down four minutes later with fly-half Shaun Connor converted and they 12-11 at the interval after wing Aled Brew grabbed their second try.
A minute into the second half, inside centre Anthony Allen grabbed an unconverted try to get Leicester back in front and a 53rd minute penalty try with Staunton adding the extras looked to have taken the match out of the Welsh side’s reach.
Five minutes later, though, Connor clipped over a penalty and Rhodri Gomer-Davies set up a nervy finish for the home side with a third Dragon’s try to make it 23-20 with 20 minutes to go.
But the Tigers turned to Flood and he responded with two penalties in the 64th and 70th minutes to ease the home side to their first win in the competition this season.
Leicester Tigers
T: Crane, Allen, Pen
C: Staunton
P: Staunton 2, Flood 2
Newport Gwent Dragons
T: Tovey, Brew, Gomer-Davies
C: Connor
P: Connor
LONDON WASPS 21 – 14 GLOUCESTER RUGBY
ADAMS PARK – Sunday 15th November 2009
Attendance: 7,475
WASPS made it two Anglo Welsh Cup wins on the bounce at Adams Park but they had to come from 14-3 down after seeing Gloucester’s young fly-half Freddie Burns grab two tries and convert both to make it look as though a setback was on the cards.
An early penalty from Eoghan Hickey saw Wasps claim first blood in the sixth minute, but battling Gloucester responded with Burns’ first try and the youngster coolly converted his own touchdown to send the Cherry and Whites in 7-3 up at the interval.
Burns then added a second try just two minutes into the second half and added the extras again to give Gloucester an 11-point cushion.
But Wasps’ fight-back started when Tom Varndell pulled an unconverted try back and they eased in front in the 58th minute when scrum-half Joe Simpson touched with Dave Walder converting.
Walder kicked a penalty with ten minutes to go to give Wasps a four-point lead and his second successful pot at goal proved enough to make sure the home side came out on top.
London Wasps
T: Varndell, Simpson
C: Walder
P: Hickey, Walder 2
Gloucester Rugby
T: Burns 2
C: Burns 2
NEWCASTLE FALCONS 8 – 19 HARLEQUINS
KINGSTON PARK – Sunday 15th November 2009
Attendance: 4,650
UP-AND-COMING young fly-half Rory Clegg underlined his growing reputation as a cool customer with the kicking tee to steer Harlequins to a valuable 19-8 away win over Newcastle at Kingston Park.
Clegg, just 19, hit the target twice with penalties to give Quins a 6-0 lead inside 22 minutes before Falcons counterpart Rob Miller got his own team on the scoreboard with a penalty.
Quins’ Sam Smith then notched the only try of the contest on the half-hour with Clegg converting to send the visitors in 11-3 up at the interval.
After the break, Clegg began to dominate play with the boot, the 19-year-old adding two more penalties to stretch Quins into a 16-point lead.
The Falcons did get through the Harlequins’ defence once late on, when Michael Tait notched an unconverted try but it was too little, too late for the home side.
Newcastle Falcons
T: Tait
P: Miller
Harlequins
T: Smith
C: Clegg
P: Clegg 4
CARDIFF BLUES 11 – 12 LONDON IRISH
CARDIFF CITY STADIUM – Sunday 15th November 2009
Attendance: 7,778
LONDON Irish handed Anglo-Welsh cup-holders Cardiff Blues a setback in their defence of the trophy with a narrow 12-11 win in an error-ridden contest in the Cardiff City Stadium which was dominated by the boot.
Exiles full-back Tom Homer opened the scoring for the visitors with a ninth minute penalty, which Blues fly-half Ceri Sweeney cancelled out with a penalty of his own in the 18th minute.
With both sides struggling for continuity and handling errors the norm, Peter Hewat kicked Irish into a 6-3 half-time lead with a 38th minute penalty and he stretched their lead to 9-3 a minute after the break before Sweeney responded in the 50th minute with his second successful pot at goal.
Cardiff then mustered the only try of a dour contest when scrum-half Richie Rees nipped over in the 52nd minute with Sweeney unable to nail the conversion.
Irish conjured up another penalty, this time from replacement fly-half Ryan Lamb in the 71st minute and they held out for a valuable away win after Sweeney missed an ambitious 50-metre penalty kick in the closing seconds.
Cardiff Blues
T: Rees
P: Sweeney 2
London Irish
P: Homer, Hewat 2, Lamb
ROUND 1
OSPREYS 17 – 19 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
THE LIBERTY STADIUM – Thursday 5th November
Attendance: 4,322
NORTHAMPTON held off a superb fight-back from a severely-depleted Ospreys side to open their Anglo-Welsh Cup campaign with victory at a sparsely-populated Liberty Stadium.
Saints, despite losing stand-in tight head prop Dan Vickers to a first-half sin-binning, held a 13-0 lead following a try from lock James Cannon plus two penalties and a conversion from fly-half Stephen Myler.
But tries from hooker Richard Hibbard and replacement Jonathan Spratt, plus seven points from the boot of stand-off Gareth Owen, brought the Welsh side back to take a 17-16 advantage.
Myler then knocked over another penalty 10 minutes from time to seal Saints’ win over an Ospreys side selected from a squad short of 29 players due to international call-ups and injuries.
Ospreys
T: Hibbard, Spratt
C: Owen 2
P: Owen
Northampton Saints
T: Cannon
C: Myler
P: Myler 4
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS 20 – 9 SALE SHARKS
RODNEY PARADE – Friday, November 6
Attendance: 4,332
SALE Sharks face un uphill qualification battle after a below-par performance at Rodney Parade saw a near full-strength side go down to a hefty defeat by the Dragons, who have now gone 12 months unbeaten at home in all competitions.
It took just 90 seconds for Dragons fly-half and stand-in skipper Shaun Cooper to slice through a static Sale backline to notch the game’s opening try and convert his own score for a 7-0 lead.
Charlie Hodgson clipped three points off that in the third minute and by half-time another Hodgson penalty and a reply from Connor had the home side leading 10-6, although they should have been further ahead.
Connor extended the Dragons’ lead with a penalty four minutes into the second half, but, with fatigue setting in, the Dragons showed signs of fallibility as the visitors briefly threatened a fight back.
But that threat disappeared when scrum-half Danny Lee killed Sale off with 13 minutes to go, nipping over under the posts with replacement outside-half Adam Greendale adding the conversion before he underlined the Dragons’ all-round superiority with a late penalty.
Newport Gwent Dragons
T: Connor, Lee
C: Connor, Greendale
P: Connor, Greendale
Sale Sharks
P: Hodgson 3
WORCESTER WARRIORS 32 – 6 NEWCASTLE FALCONS
SIXWAYS – Saturday 7th November 2009
Attendance: 6,704
WORCESTER Warriors kicked off their qualifying campaign in fine fettle by handing Newcastle Falcons a four-try hiding at Sixways with Miles Benjamin and Tom Wood and youngsters Ollie Frost and Jake Abbott all notching touchdowns in a convincing victory.
Home fly-half Willie Walker cancelled out the first of two Rob Miller penalties and from then on it was one-way traffic with Benjamin punishing Falcons flanker Mark Wilson’s trip to the bin with the opening try to give the Warriors an 8-6 half-time lead.
After the break, Walker clipped over a drop-goal and he added the conversions to tries from flanker Wood, replacement Frost while Newcastle hooker Rob Vickers was in the sin bin and Abbott to wrap the game for the home up in the 76th minute.
Worcester Warriors
T: Benjamin, Wood Frost, Abbott
C: Walker 3
P: Walker
DG: Walker
Newcastle Falcons
P: Miller 2
HARLEQUINS 15 – 15 SCARLETS
THE STOOP – Sunday 8th November
Attendance: 9,653
HARLEQUINS and the Scarlets finished all-square at The Stoop after the Welsh regional side came from behind to grab a potentially valuable draw on the road at the end of a nip-and-tuck clash.
England wing David Strettle took just four minutes to notch Quins first try with youngster Rory Clegg converting, but a penalty from Scarlets fly-half Rhys Priestland kept the visitors in the hunt early on.
Scarlets hit the front for the first time when Gareth Maule scored their first try of the match and Priestland’s conversion have them a 10-7 lead before Quins flanker Tom Guest was sent to the sin bin late in the first half.
Five minutes into the second half, Andrew Fenby’s unconverted try extended the Scarlets’ lead to eight points, but Clegg cut that with a penalty and lock George Robson set up a tense final quarter with a try which tied the contest at 15-15.
But Quins’ chance of snatching a late victory evaporated when Clegg missed the target with a 75th minute penalty.
Harlequins
T: Strettle, Robson
C: Clegg
P: Clegg
Scarlets
T: Maule, Fenby
C: Priestland
P: Priestland
GLOUCESTER 25 – 26 CARDIFF BLUES
KINGSHOLM – Sunday 8th November 2009
Attendance: 6,099
A LATE Ceri Sweeney penalty helped Cardiff Blues pick up a valuable on the-road win over Gloucester at Kingsholm Stadium, where the Welsh regional side edged an entertaining contest by just one point.
An early penalty from Sweeney gave the Blues a three-point lead before Nicky Robinson replied against his old club, sparking Gloucester into life to the extent that they grabbed unconverted tries from Adam Eustace and Gareth Delve to romp into a 13-3 lead.
Cardiff responded with a try from former All Black Xavier Rush, but Gloucester still had their noses in front after youngster Freddie Burns and Sweeney kicked a penalty apiece before the break which arrived with the home side’s Scottish international flanker Alasdair Strokosch cooling his heels in the sin bin.
Trailing 19-16 at half-time, Cardiff hit back with a try from fly-half Sam Norton-Knight and Sweeney’s conversion gave them a four-point lead.
But Carlos Spencer clipped over two penalties to give Gloucester a 25-23 lead before Sweeney snatched Cardiff’s win in dramatic style in the final minute.
Gloucester
T: Eustace, Delve
P: Robinson, Burns 2, Spencer 2
Cardiff Blues
T: Rush, Norton-Knight
C: Sweeney 2
P: Sweeney 4
LEEDS CARNEGIE 28 – 17 LEICESTER TIGERS
HEADINGLEY – Sunday 8th November 2009
Attendance: TBC
LEEDS Carnegie pulled off the LV=Cup’s big Round 1 shock with a surprise home win over Leicester Tigers – a morale-boosting triumph which was pulled off despite former England and Leicester back-rower Neil Back electing to name 13 academy players to face his old club in a 23-man squad.
The match was given added spice with Joe Ford, named at fly-half for Leeds, up against his brother George, who wore the Tigers’ number 10 shirt in a contest where both played significant roles.
Both notched first-half penalties before Joe, who then kicked Leeds into a 6-3 lead, touched down Leeds’ first try for an 11-3 lead and when Scott Armstrong grabbed a second try for the home side, Leeds were 18-3 up.
By half-time, a try from scrum-half Scott Mathie and Joe Ford’s conversion had Leeds 25-3 up before the Tigers staged a second-half fight-back.
That saw Joe Armes capitalise on Leeds prop Alex Moreno’s trip to the sin bin but a Joe Ford penalty gave Leeds a 28-10 lead until Will Hurrell grabbed the Tigers’ second try with George Ford converting ten minutes from time.
Leeds Carnegie
T: Joe Ford, Mathie, Armstrong
C: Joe Ford 3
P: Joe Ford 2
Leicester
T: Armes, Hurrell
C: George Ford
P: George Ford 2
LONDON IRISH 20 – 24 LONDON WASPS
MADEJSKI STADIUM – Sunday 8th November 2008
Attendance: TBC
LONDON Irish slipped up in their opening LV=Cup qualifying game, going down 24-20 at home to a determined London Wasps line-up in a fiercely competitive contest in the Madesjki Stadium.
Samoan flier David Lemi got the visitors off to a flier with a second-minute try but the Exiles hit back five minutes later with a try from Australian fullback Peter Hewat, who added the conversion.
Dave Walder slotted a penalty and Hewat hit back to have the home side 10-8 ahead until Wasps grabbed a second try when Mark van Gisbergen touched down before half-time.
Fifteen minutes into the second period, Hewat grabbed his second try of the match with Jamie Lennard, who had taken over kicking duties, adding the conversion to keep the home side in the game.
Walder and Lennard traded penalties and Wasps led 20-21 going into the last five minutes before Lemi slotted over the drop-goal to make it 20-24 and the visitors then held out to win with lock Simon Shaw and scrum-half Joe Simpson in the sin bin.
London Irish
T: Hewat 2
C: Hewat, Lennard
P: Hewat, Lennard
London Wasps
T: Lemi, van Gisbergen
C: Walder
P: Walder 3
D: Lemi
SARACENS 30 – 22 BATH RUGBY
VICARAGE ROAD – Sunday, 8th November 2009
Attendance: TBC
SIX Glen Jackson penalties helped Saracens chalk up back-to-back wins over Bath Rugby with their eight-point Vicarage Road win in the LV=Cup maintaining their 100% start to the season in all competitions.
But they were made to work for their victory by a Bath side which outscored them three tries to two, grabbing the first touchdown when number eight Jonny Faamatuainu nipped won the blind side in the 10th minute.
A second try from lock Scott Hobson, converted by Nicky Little, kept Bath on the boil but a try from back-rower Justin Melck and three Jackson penalties had Sarries 15-14 ahead at the break.
A try from Richard Haughton and Jackson’s conversion extended the home side’s lead early in the second half before Bath came roaring back with a second touchdown from Faamatuainu, but Jackson wrapped up the win for Saracens with two more penalties before the final whistle.
Saracens
T: Melck, Haughton
C: Jackson
P: Jackson 6
Bath Rugby
T: Faamatuainu 2, Hobson
C: Davis, Little
P: Little
