Edinburgh lost without any BP to Zebre . So it's clearly between us, Scarlets, and Cardiff (more easy calendar to come for them). 3 teams for 1 and a half european spots...

I don't know about Cardiff.

I was in the security queue last night in Edinburgh Airport among the Cardiff squad on their way home. I thought they had won, given the laughing & joking. I even noticed some of the backroom staff having pints in the bar, again, not a care in the world.
Maybe it's me, but if I had lost my 6th match in the league, (and) to Edinburgh, I would expect a more somber atmosphere, but I got the feeling no one gave a crap. Roy Keane wouldn't approve.

Something wrong there!

Fourdogs wrote: I know we are not even half way through the season, but the table is starting to divide up. Seven teams chasing the 6 automatic places
Ospreys, Ulster, Munster, Glasgow, Leinster, Connacht and Scarlets

I think the next two Pro 12 games up to Christmas are vital to us securing a possible qualifiction spot.

Leinster in 6th with 24 points. They play Ospreys and then ourselves.
Connacht in 7th with 23 points. We play Scarlets and Leinster
Scarlets in 8th with 22 points. They play ourselves and Cardiff

If there is a big fat man, dressed in Red, then my wish would be, + 2 LBP's points for Leinster, + 8 (2 w) for Connacht and + 4 (1w) for Scarlets but he might be too busy to listen to me.

Its true the league is starting to divide up as it unfortunately has tended to do over recent seasons.

A win over Scarlets would be huge but a defeat against Scarlets could see Edinburgh and Cardiff pulling up behind us very quickly.

You'd have to expect the top 5 to remain the top 5 and open a bit of a gap over the rest.

I'd be reluctant to write off Edinburgh (particularly) or Cardiff as latching on to the group with Connacht and Scarlets as they have a lot of winnable games coming up. We'll have a much better idea I feel after the league finishes up for a month in early January with 13 rounds played.

I know we are not even half way through the season, but the table is starting to divide up. Seven teams chasing the 6 automatic places
Ospreys, Ulster, Munster, Glasgow, Leinster, Connacht and Scarlets

I think the next two Pro 12 games up to Christmas are vital to us securing a possible qualifiction spot.

Leinster in 6th with 24 points. They play Ospreys and then ourselves.
Connacht in 7th with 23 points. We play Scarlets and Leinster
Scarlets in 8th with 22 points. They play ourselves and Cardiff

If there is a big fat man, dressed in Red, then my wish would be, + 2 LBP's points for Leinster, + 8 (2 w) for Connacht and + 4 (1w) for Scarlets but he might be too busy to listen to me.

Week 8 Round Up

In week 8, Ospreys fell to their first defeat of the season at Ravenhill. Darren Cave returning from Irish duty the week previously scored two tries in a man of the match display. Ospreys looked like they would leave Belfast with something to show for their efforts when they pulled an 18-3 half time deficit back to 18-16 through a try from Martin Roberts and the kicking of Sam Davies but Ulster sealed the win with a late converted try to deny Ospreys a losing bonus point and move the northerners level on points with Ospreys at the top of the table.

Missing a number of regulars Glasgow fell to their 2nd league defeat of the season, losing 19-9 at Scarlets. Scarlets who weren't as heavily affected by international callups led 9-3 at the break and still led 12-9 late on. A late try from Rory Pitman secured the win and ensured Scarlets maintained their unbeaten home record and that Glasgow would return home empty handed.

Munster made the big move of the weekend with a 38-12 win away to Dragons. Trailing 9-7 at the break it looked like it'd be a tight second half but 4 second half tries and 13 points from the boot of man of the match Ian Keatley ensured Munster moved up to 3rd place in the table now just two points off the top.

Leinster missed the opportunity to close the gap on the league leaders as they had to settle for a draw at bottom of the table Treviso. Despite scoring four tries (including two from Darragh Fanning) Leinster had to rely on missed kicks from Jayden Hayward late on to ensure they left with three points for their efforts. The result ended a run of 12 successive defeats for the home side but they still haven't won a competitive game since April 12th. The result does move them within 1 point of Zebre in the race for European Cup rugby with a crucial derby double header looming over Christmas and the new year.

Connacht cemented their position in the Top 6 with a bonus point win over an understrength Zebre. Mils Muliaina and Tom McCartney made their Connacht debuts in a 5 try win. Connacht turned around with a 17-3 advantage and secured the bonus point when Zebre paid the price for their indiscipline with 2 yellow cards in quick succession.

Edinburgh recorded their 3rd league win of the season by defeating Cardiff at Murrayfield on Sunday. Tom Heathcote kicked 13 points in a man of the match display. Cardiff have now failed to win in their last seven league games since beating Zebre in the opening game.

Round 8 Results
Dragons 12-38 Munster
Connacht 43-3 Zebre
Scarlets 19-9 Glasgow
Ulster 25-16 Ospreys
Treviso 24-24 Leinster
Edinburgh 28-13 Cardiff

Table after Round 8
Ospreys 30
Ulster 30
Munster 28
Glasgow 27
Leinster 24
Connacht 13
Scarlets 22
Edinburgh 15
Cardiff 8
Dragons 7
Zebre 5
Treviso 4

Round 9 Fixtures

Friday 28th November: Cardiff v Treviso
With 1 win in 16 attempts between the two sides, both will be desperate to kick start their league campaign with a win. Cardiff won the corresponding fixture 17-13 in November 2013

Friday 28th November: Munster v Ulster
Off the back of 6 victories in a row in all competitions Munster will be eager to stretch their winning run against their provincial rivals. With qualification for the European quarter final looking unlikely Ulster will be aware of the importance of performing well in the league. Ulster won the corresponding fixture 19-17 last May.

Saturday 29th November: Zebre v Edinburgh
After a crucial win at home to Cardiff, Edinburgh will look to close the gap on Connacht and Scarlets by recording a victory in Italy. With Treviso narrowing the gap at the bottom to 1 point, Zebre will look to build on their home performances against Ulster and Ospreys. Zebre won the corresponding fixture 26-13 in April.

Saturday 29th November: Leinster v Ospreys
After slipping up away at Treviso, Leinster will be eager to keep in touch with the Top 4 at home to the league leaders. The sides drew 29-29 in the corresponding fixture in September 2013.

Saturday 29th November: Connacht v Scarlets
With the race for a top 6 spot heating up both sides will be aware of the significance of this match. Scarlets enjoyed victory in the corresponding fixture 24-21 last November.

Sunday 30th November: Glasgow v Dragons
After 2 defeats in their last three league games, Glasgow have slipped to 4th in the table but will expect to bounce back against a Dragons side who have won only once in the league this season. Dragons won the corresponding fixture 23-8 last November.

Top work borders, love the short reviews and previews
We badly need a win and we should get that vs Zebre. 4 points min but with very possible 5.
I'd look at our next 2 games at same time, Zebre and scarlets at home.
Scarlets have Glasgow at home when we have Zebre so we could end round 9 with possible 7 points between us
Then next 3 games are interpros which sound hard going but scarlets themselves have 3 derby matches, 1 vs Cardiff and 2 against ospreys.

Week 7 Round Up

At the end of week 7, Ospreys continued their winning start in the Pro 12 and recorded a club record 8th pro 12 win in succession. Tries from wing Jeff Hassler and scrum half Martin Roberts and 16 points from the boot of Sam Davies eased Ospreys to their 7th win of this season. Having trailed 3-6 after 47 minutes, Ospreys turned the tide with Hassler's try and ran out easy winners.

Glasgow kept up the pursuit of Ospreys with a hard fought win at home to Benetton Treviso. A try from Niko Matawalu looked to have set Glasgow on their way but Treviso kept in touch and were only denied their 2nd losing bonus point of the season by a late Peter Horne penalty

Ulster, Munster and Leinster make up the rest of the Top 5 after all enjoyed victories at the weekend. 21 points from the boot of JJ Hanrahan and a late try from Paddy Butler assisted a weakened Munster side to achieve victory away to Cardiff who have now not won in their last 6 league matches. Ulster got back on track after two defeats in Europe with a victory at home to Dragons. Two tries from Stuart Olding helped Ulster cement their position in the Top 4. Leinster made it 4 wins on the bounce since their collapse at home to Munster as they comfortably secured a bonus point win at home to Edinburgh. 2 tries from man of the match Dominic Ryan helped the home side move into 5th place in the table.

Elsewhere, Scarlets kept their unbeaten home start to the season intact as they built on their win over Leicester in the European Champions Cup by beating Zebre. Zebre had led 13-12 at half time but 23 points from the boot of Steve Shingler proved decisive.

Round 7 Results
Glasgow 17-9 Benetton Treviso
Ospreys 26-11 Connacht
Leinster 33-8 Edinburgh
Cardiff 24-28 Munster
Scarlets 28-13 Zebre
Ulster 23-6 Dragons

Table after Round 7
Ospreys 30
Glasgow 27
Ulster 26
Munster 23
Leinster 21
Connacht 18
Scarlets 18
Edinburgh 11
Cardiff 8
Dragons 7
Zebre 5
Treviso 1

The league takes a break for 3 weeks as the November Internationals takes centre stage. For the Irish, Scots and Italians there will be no competitive matches during this interval but the Welsh regions will be competing in the Anglo-Welsh Cup for the next 2 weeks before returning to league action on the weekend of the 21st-23rd November.

Round 8 Fixtures

Friday 21st November: Dragons v Munster
After winning just once in the league this season, Dragons will be anxious to get their ambitions for Champions Cup rugby back on track as soon as possible and this may provide an opportunity for a win as Munster are likely to be weakened by international call ups. Munster won the corresponding game 18-14 last November.

Friday 21st November: Connacht v Zebre
After winning just one of their last four league games, Connacht will be anxious to get back on track at home to a Zebre side likely to be weakened by international callups. Connacht won the corresponding game 25-16 in September 2013.

Friday 21st November: Scarlets v Glasgow
After a strong start to their European campaign Glasgow will hope to keep the pressure on the league leaders, the Ospreys when they travel to Parc Y Scarlets. The home side will be anxious to keep their unbeaten home record intact. Glasgow won the corresponding game 17-12 in October 2013.

Friday 21st November: Ulster v Ospreys
With their European ambitions hanging by a thread, Ulster will be keen to close the gap at the top when they host the league leaders at Ravenhill. Ulster won the corresponding fixture 10-7 in February.

Sunday 23rd November: Benetton Treviso v Leinster
Leinster will hope to continue their climb up the league table when they travel to Italy to face Treviso. Treviso's strong showing at Glasgow provides further evidence that they are showing signs of improvement. Leinster won the corresponding fixture 21-20 last November.

Sunday 23rd November: Edinburgh v Cardiff
Hugely significant game for both sides as they look to close the gap on the Top 6. Cardiff won the corresponding fixture 29-22 last April.

Week 6 Round Up

At the end of week 6 and the end of the first batch of Pro 12 fixtures, Ospreys were the only team to maintain their 100% record. Tries from Dan Evans and Rhys Webb (who once again won the man of the match award) along with 16 points from the boot of Dan Biggar pushed Ospreys into a 26-3 lead. However, two late tries from Cardiff narrowed the final margin to 26-15. On 26 points they are now 3 clear of Glasgow.

Glasgow left Belfast empty handed as Ulster laid down a marker ahead of the start of the European Champions Cup. Ulster led 15-6 at the break with 5 penaltys from Ian Humphreys v 2 for Finn Russell. Glasgow set up a tense final quarter when they reduced the gap to 6 but tries from Craig Gilroy and Tommy Bowe both converted by Humphreys handed Ulster an emphatic 29-9 victory which moved them into 3rd place in the table just 4 points off the top. Having averaged over 4 tries a game in their first 5 games, Ulster will be pleased to have kept the high flying Scots tryless.

Munster built on their fine win away to Leinster to cement their top 4 position with a scrappy 17-6 win at home to Scarlets. Centre Andrew Smith got the only try of the game where once again CJ Stander performed very well, picking up the man of the match award.

Connacht picked up their first win in 3 games with a hard fought 9-6 win away to bottom of the table Treviso. 3 Craig Ronaldson penalties proved to be enough for Connacht to ensure they'd finish the first segment of the season in the top half of the table. Treviso mounted some late pressure but were unable to force the win. However, they did pick up their first point of the season with a losing bonus point which moves them within 4 of Zebre in the race for the Italian European Cup spot for 2015/16.

Zebre were unable to build on the 5 points they picked up in their last two games, Zebre led 3-0 approaching half time but Leinster turned it around either side of the break with 13 points from man of the match Ian Madigan helping Leinster to a 20-3 win which was their first away win of the campaign.

Edinburgh picked up their first home win of the campaign against Dragons by 24-10. 2nd half tries from Tim Visser and Dougie Fife along with 14 points from Tom Heathcote saw Alan Solomons side move up to 8th in the table.

Round 6 Results
Munster 17-6 Scarlets
Treviso 6-9 Connacht
Zebre 3-20 Leinster
Edinburgh 24-10 Dragons
Ulster 29-9 Glasgow
Ospreys 26-15 Cardiff

Table after Round 6
Ospreys 26
Glasgow 23
Ulster 22
Munster 19
Connacht 18
Leinster 16
Scarlets 14
Edinburgh 11
Dragons 7
Cardiff 7
Zebre 5
Treviso 1

The league takes a break for a couple of weeks as Europe takes centre stage. The league will resume on Halloween night with the first 3 fixtures of Round 7, followed by 3 more the following day.

Round 7 Fixtures

Friday 31st October: Glasgow v Treviso
After suffering their first defeat of the season in Round 6, Glasgow will expect to pick up their 6th win of the campaign at home to winless Treviso. Glasgow won the corresponding fixture 29-10 in April.

Friday 31st October: Leinster v Edinburgh
After a mixed start to the season, Leinster will hope to make it two Pro 12 wins in a row at home to an Edinburgh side who have shipped 92 points in their last two away matches. Leinster won the corresponding fixture 15-13 in May.

Friday 31st October: Ospreys v Connacht
Ospreys will be looking to consolidate top spot and make it 7 wins from 7 at home to Connacht. Ospreys won the corresponding fixture 45-20 in May.

Saturday 1st November: Cardiff v Munster
After picking up just 2 points from their last 5 games, Cardiff will hope to kickstart their season at home to a Munster side who will be looking for 3 Pro 12 wins on the trot. Munster won the corresponding fixture 31-10 last November.

Saturday 1st November: Scarlets v Zebre
Scarlets will be looking to maintain their unbeaten home record this season when they host Zebre. Scarlets won the corresponding fixture 27-20 in April.

Saturday 1st November: Ulster v Dragons
Ulster will be seeking to keep the pressure on at the top and maintain their winning start in Ravenhill against a Dragons side who have won just 1 of their opening 6 fixtures. Ulster won the corresponding fixture 38-8 in February.

Week 5 Round Up

At the end of week 5, Ospreys and Glasgow maintained their unbeaten starts to the season.

Both sides enjoyed successful trips to Italy. Ospreys secured a hard-fought win over an increasingly competitive Zebre with a late Sam Davies penalty edging them to a 15-14 victory. Zebre had led 8-6 at half time but had to settle for the losing bonus point in the end.

Glasgow secured their 3rd try scoring bonus point of the season and made it 21 tries in just 5 matches with a 40-23 win away to bottom of the table Treviso. An early try from centre Michele Campagnaro allowed Treviso build a surprise 10-0 lead early on but Glasgow showed their quality to score 3 tries in less than 15 minutes, 2 from Tommy Seymour to edge ahead 19-16 at the break. 3 more tries in the 3rd quarter ended the game as a contest before Campagnaro improved the scoreboard for the hosts with his 2nd try. Treviso were unable to make further inroads on the scoreboard despite 2 yellows for Glasgow late on and remain without a point in the table.

Ulster got back on track after their surprise defeat at Zebre in Round 4, 2 tries from Andrew Trimble helped Ulster to a bonus point win which consolidates their 3rd position in the table. Man of the Match for Ulster was centre Stuart McCloskey. Edinburgh have now conceded 92 points away from home in their last two games.

Munster won the big match of the weekend. After a number of losing trips to Dublin, Munster returned south with a vital win which they will hope will kickstart their season. 3 first half tries handed Munster a fully merited 28-9 half time lead which all but ended the game as a contest before Leinster fought back in the 2nd half to narrow the winning margin to 11 points assisted by Munster's indiscipline. The final score was 23-34.

Connacht let a 14 point lead slip late on to draw against Cardiff on Friday night. After the sides went in at the interval at 10-10 Connacht looked set for victory after tries from Kieran Marmion and Nathan White excellently converted by Craig Ronaldson but Connacht failed to kill the game off and Cardiff levelled the game with a late try from Scott Andrews against the padding of the posts converted by Rhys Patchell.

Scarlets remain unbeaten at home after defeating Welsh rivals Dragons 26-13 on Sunday. A first half try from Gareth Owen left the home side 13-3 ahead at the break and Kristian Philips won the chase to the line to move the home side comfortably clear.

Round 5 Results
Zebre 14-15 Ospreys
Connacht 24-24 Cardiff
Ulster 30-0 Edinburgh
Leinster 23-34 Munster
Treviso 23-34 Glasgow
Scarlets 26-13 Dragons

Table after Round 5
Glasgow 23
Ospreys 22
Ulster 18
Munster 15
Connacht 14
Scarlets 14
Leinster 12
Dragons 7
Cardiff 7
Edinburgh 7
Zebre 5
Treviso 0

Round 6 Fixtures
Friday: Munster v Scarlets
After a morale boosting win against Leinster, Munster will hope to make it two wins on the bounce at home to Scarlets. Munster won the corresponding fixture 16-10 last December.

Friday: Treviso v Connacht
After a disappointing draw at home to Cardiff, Connacht will hope to get back on track at bottom of the table Treviso. Treviso won the corresponding fixture 23-3 in October 2013

Saturday: Edinburgh v Dragons
After both drawing a blank in Round 5 both sides will be looking for a victory to re-ignite their seasons. Edinburgh won the corresponding fixture 16-13 in September 2013

Saturday: Zebre v Leinster
Zebre will play their 3rd home match in succession against sides who finished in the top 5 last season. After beating Ulster and losing narrowly to Ospreys, Zebre have shown they can be competitive. With European action looming Leinster will be aware of the need to get points on the board in the league. Leinster won the corresponding fixture 31-8 in February.

Saturday: Ulster v Glasgow
Game of the weekend. After 5 successive wins to start the season, Glasgow will get a serious examination of their title credentials away to Ulster at Ravenhill. Ulster have secured 2 bonus point wins in their home games to date but will be aware that this will be a much tougher test. Glasgow won the corresponding fixture 13-12 in September 2013.

Sunday: Ospreys v Cardiff
Ospreys have started the campaign with 5 successive wins and will look to further strengthen their position in the Top 2 at home to Welsh rivals Cardiff. Cardiff will hope their spirited draw in Galway in Round 5 will kickstart their sesaon. Ospreys won the corresponding fixture 34-9 last March.

Week 4 Round Up

At the end of week 4, Ospreys and Glasgow maintained their unbeaten starts to the season.

On Friday night Glasgow ended Connacht's winning start to the season with a 39-21 victory at Scotstoun. The home side outscored their visitors by 5 tries to 3 with a charge down try for man of the match Henry Pyrgos handing Glasgow a crucial cushion on the stroke of half time moving them 17-7 clear. Scottish international Stuart Hogg crossed for 2 tries with Duncan Weir contributing 14 points from the boot. A late intercept try from Mark Bennett ended any Connacht hopes of getting a return from this match.

Ospreys continued their winning start with a 19-14 victory over Munster at Thomond Park. Another Man of the match display from scrum half Rhys Webb and 14 points from the boot of Dan Biggar played a major part in Ospreys victory.

Zebre created the surprise of the weekend with a 13-6 win over Ulster. An early red card for Ulster prop Declan Fitzpatrick handed Zebre the numerical advantage and after a scoreless first half they capitalised during the 2nd half to earn their first victory of the season and their first victory over an Irish province in 23 attempts (including Heineken Cup) since they joined the league.

Leinster bounced back from their defeat to Connacht with a 37-23 victory over Cardiff Blues. Leinster lead 13-9 at half time with a fine try from Rhys Ruddock on the stroke of half time giving them the advantage after an unconvincing first half display. Tries from impressive youngster Mick McGrath and Gordon Darcy eased Leinster clear but quick fire tries from Cory Allen and Sam Warburton made it a nervy finish for the home side. An Ian Madigan penalty and a last gasp try from Luke McGrath finally setted the game for Leinster and earned them a valuable bonus point.

Elsewhere Edinburgh and Scarlets shared the spoils at Murrayfield. This was the 2nd time this season Scarlets have drawn having led by 14 points at one stage. Having led 17-3 during the first half a 2nd win on the bounce looked likely for the Welsh side but Edinburgh battled back to level it. A late Tom Heathcote penalty to win the match for Edinburgh fell short and both sides had to settle for 2 points apiece.

Dragons picked up their first victory of the season on Sunday beating winless Treviso 33-15. A double from Hal Amos and 13 points from the boot of Jason Tovey moved Dragons up to 8th at the end of Round 4.

Round 4 Results
Edinburgh 20-20 Scarlets
Glasgow 39-21 Connacht
Leinster 37-23 Cardiff
Munster 14-19 Ospreys
Zebre 13-6 Ulster
Dragons 33-15 Treviso

Table after Round 4
Ospreys 18
Glasgow 18
Ulster 13
Connacht 12
Leinster 12
Munster 11
Scarlets 10
Dragons 7
Edinburgh 7
Cardiff 5
Zebre 4
Treviso 0

Round 5 Fixtures
Friday: Connacht v Cardiff
After Connacht's early season momentum was halted by an 18 point defeat away to Glasgow, they will be determined to bounce back against a Cardiff side who are coming off the back of 3 defeats in a row. However, Cardiff have a good record in Galway and won 22-15 at the Sportsground in May.

Friday: Ulster v Edinburgh
Edinburgh's opening day victory over Munster looks a distant memory but a spirited fight back to earn a draw at home to Scarlets will have boosted their confidence. After a shock defeat at Zebre, the pressure will be on Ulster to get back on track. Ulster won the corresponding fixture 41-17 at Ravenhill last November

Friday: Zebre v Ospreys
After recording their first win of the season at home to Ulster, Zebre face an even tougher challenge at home to in form Ospreys who will be keen to record their 5th win in a row. Zebre beat Ospreys 30-27 in the corresponding fixture last May.

Saturday: Leinster v Munster
The biggest rivals in the league meet on Saturday looking to kick start their seasons with the start of the European Cup fast approaching. Both sides have lost two of their four games to date and will be keenly aware of the importance of a strong performance and a victory here for a wide variety of reasons. Leinster beat Munster in the corresponding fixture 22-18 in March.

Sunday: Treviso v Glasgow
Both sides could hardly have more contrasting starts to the season. Glasgow have already recorded 4 victories and scored 15 tries in their 4 games to date while Treviso have scored just 2 tries and are the only side with no wins or no points at the bottom of the league. Glasgow won the corresponding fixture 38-16 last May.

Sunday: Scarlets v Dragons
Both sides come into this game with just one win to their name. However, Scarlets have also recorded 2 draws while Dragons collected losing bonus points in defeats to Connacht and Ospreys. Both sides will be aware of the need to get one over on their rivals with the table beginning to take shape. Scarlets won the corresponding fixture 34-23 last May.

Week 3 Round Up

Ospreys, Glasgow and Connacht continued their 100% starts to the season in Round 3.

Ospreys head the table on 14 points after picking up their 2nd bonus point of the season in a 9 try 62-13 demolition of Edinburgh at the Liberty Stadium. Rhys Webb at scrum half was again the star man and contributed 2 of the Ospreys tries while Dan Biggar further boosted his stats with a 16 point haul including 1 try. 6 other players also picked up tries for Ospreys in the rout.

Glasgow continued to show why they are regarded as serious title contenders with a 33-13 bonus point win away to Dragons on Saturday. The sending off of Glasgow flanker Tyrone Holmes just after half time looked to have tilted the balance towards the home side with the score at 6-13 but despite the numerical disadvantage Glasgow scored 3 second half tries to secure a bonus point win which moved them on to 13 points, just 1 point off leaders Ospreys.

Connacht provided the surprise of the weekend with a 10-9 victory over provincial rivals Leinster to make it 3 wins from 3 for Pat Lam's side. Leinster started strongly and led 9-0 within the first quarter but despite a yellow card for captain John Muldoon, Connacht withstood some strong Leinster pressure to trail just 9-3 at the break. A superb individual try from Kieran Marmion, converted by Jack Carty put Connacht in front for the first time and they held that lead to the finish.

Elsewhere, Ulster made it 12 point from 3 outings with a 26-9 victory over Cardiff at the Arms Park. Ulster led 12-9 at the break but for the 2nd week in succession, Cardiff performed poorly in the 2nd half from Dan Tuohy and Ian Humphreys pushed Ulster to a comfortable win. On the downside for Ulster, Dan Tuohy suffered a suspected fractured arm in that game which may rule him out for some time.

Munster made it 2 from 3 with a bonus point 31-5 win over Zebre. 3 tries from Simon Zebo helped Munster ease past the Italians who at least got on the scoreboard late on with a try by Samuela Vunisa.

Treviso completed a miserable opening 3 round for the Italian sides as Scarlets cruised to a 7 try bonus point victory over Treviso. Doubles from scrum half Gareth Davies and Liam Williams enabled Scarlets to claim their first win of the season and move onto 8 points on the table.

Round 3 Results
Cardiff 9-26 Ulster
Connacht 10-9 Leinster
Munster 31-5 Zebre
Scarlets 43-0 Treviso
Dragons 13-33 Glasgow
Ospreys 62-13 Edinburgh

Table after Round 3
Ospreys 14
Glasgow 13
Connacht 12
Ulster 12
Munster 10
Scarlets 8
Leinster 7
Cardiff 5
Edinburgh 5
Dragons 2
Zebre 0
Treviso 0

Round 4 Fixtures
Friday: Edinburgh v Scarlets
After recording their first win this weekend, Scarlets will be hoping to continue to climb the table away to an Edinburgh side who will be looking to get back on track after being annihilated away to Ospreys in Round 3. Scarlets won the corresponding fixture 22-9 last September.

Friday: Glasgow v Connacht
Top of the table clash at Scotstoun as both sides look to build on their fine starts to the season. Glasgow won the corresponding fixture 8-6 last February.

Friday: Leinster v Cardiff
The pressure will be on both sides after less than impressive starts to the season. Leinster won the corresponding clash 34-20 last September

Saturday: Zebre v Ulster
Strangely these sides meet for the 2nd time this season already. Ulster will expect to continue their strong start to the season against the struggling Italians. Ulster beat the Italians 33-13 at Ravenhill in Round 2 and won the corresponding fixture 19-11 in Italy last November.

Saturday: Munster v Ospreys
Two sides with top 4 aspirations meet at Thomond Park. Ospreys have started the season strongly but this game is the first major test of their credentials. Munster haven't hit the same heights but picked up the pieces from the narrow home defeat to Edinburgh with wins over Treviso and Zebre. Munster won the corresponding game 12-6 last November.

Sunday: Dragons v Treviso
In their 3rd home game in succession Dragons will know the pressure is on them to record their first win of the season. Dragons edged out the Italians 20-19 in the corresponding fixture at the end of last season.

Round 2 Round Up

Round 2 of the Pro 12 saw 3 teams make it 2 wins from 2.

Ospreys built on their opening day bonus point win over Treviso with a narrow win over Welsh rivals Dragons. Tries from Man of the Match Eli Walker and Rhys Webb put Ospreys into a commanding 17-6 lead but with Walker picking up a late yellow card, Angus O'Brien was able to move Dragons to within 2 points. However Ospreys hung on for the 4 points with Dragons picking up their 2nd losing bonus point of the season.

Connacht made it 2 from 2 with a come from behind away win at Edinburgh, 2 penalties from Tom Heathcote eased Edinburgh into a 6-0 lead before Connacht responded strongly with Daragh Leader eventually drawing the sides level coming up to half time. However, from a crooked Connacht lineout, man of the match Cornell Du Preez struck for a try which Heathcote converted. A Daragh Leader penalty kept Connacht in touch and late on a rolling maul saw Willie Faloon touch down to make it 2 from 2 for Connacht.

Glasgow also preserved their winning start with a comfortable 33-12 win at Cardiff Blues. A first half try from Sean Lamont helped Glasgow into a 13-6 half time lead before. 2 penalties from Rhys Patchell early in the 2nd half moved Cardiff into contention but Glasgow finished strongly with 2 tries from Matawalu sandwiched by 2 penalties from Stuart Hogg allowing them to run out 21 point winners, however they weren't able to get the all important fourth try to cap off a fine result.

In the other games this weekend, Munster recovered from trailing 7-3 early on to run out 21-10 winners in Italy against Treviso. CJ Stander made it 3 tries in 2 games before Simon Zebo moved Munster comfortably clear in the 2nd half.

Leinster bounced back from their narrow defeat to Glasgow last weekend with a 42-12 victory over Scarlets. 22 points for Ian Madigan which included 2 tries of his own along with 2 tries for Rob Kearney secured the bonus point for the home side before late tries for Dominic Ryan and Tadhg Furlong completed the rout.

Ulster made it 8 points and 9 tries from 2 games with a 33-13 win over Zebre. Leading 19-10 at half time Ulster scored 5 tries in total with Man of the Match Andrew Trimble, Craig Gilroy, Dan Tuohy, Robbie Diack and Nick Williams all crossing the whitewash.

Round 2 Results
Edinburgh 13-14 Connacht
Dragons 15-17 Ospreys
Ulster 33-13 Zebre
Treviso 10-21 Munster
Leinster 42-12 Scarlets
Cardiff 12-33 Glasgow

Table after Round 2
Ospreys 9
Glasgow 8
Connacht 8
Ulster 8
Leinster 6
Munster 5
Edinburgh 5
Cardiff 5
Scarlets 3
Dragons 2
Zebre 0
Treviso 0

Round 3 Fixtures
Friday: Munster v Zebre
Munster will expect to complete a double over the Italians when they host pointless Zebre at Thomond Park on Friday. Munster won the corresponding fixture 36-8 last February.

Friday: Cardiff v Ulster
Ulster will look to build on their decent start to the season against a Cardiff side who will hope to pick up the pieces after today's heavy loss against Glasgow. Cardiff won the corresponding fixture 28-23 last March

Friday: Connacht v Leinster
First Irish derby of the season. Leinster will expect to make it 2 in a row but Connacht have a strong record at home to Leinster. Leinster won the corresponding fixture 16-8 against Connacht last January

Saturday: Dragons v Glasgow
Dragons will be looking for their first win of the season after two narrow losses. Glasgow will hope to prove their title credentials at a tough away venue. Dragons won the corresponding fixture 24-23 last February.

Saturday: Scarlets v Treviso
After a dissapointing opening couple of weeks, Scarlets will hope to pick up their first win against bottom of the table Treviso. Scarlets won the corresponding fixture 26-10 last September.

Sunday: Ospreys v Edinburgh
Ospreys will expect to make it 3 wins on the bounce, Edinburgh will hope to make it two away wins on the trot. Ospreys won the corresponding fixture 44-10 exactly a year to the date this game will be played.

Don't know does anyone think this would be of use during the season. It it is I'll try and do it if I have time.

Round 1 of the Pro 12 season kicked off with 33 tries and 284 points scored over the 6 matches.

After round 1 of the Pro 12, Ospreys and Cardiff sit 1 and 2 in the table after bonus point wins against Treviso and Zebre respectively.
Ospreys comfortably dominated against a much changed Treviso outfit, leading 23-6 at the break, Ospreys scored 5 tries, while Dan Biggar kicked 17 points as they eventually ran out 44-13 winners.

Cardiff also secured a maximum return against Italian opposition on Sunday with a 41-26 victory in Italy. Cardiff led just 17-15 at half time and trailed early in the 2nd half but a strong finish from Cardiff saw them pull clear and secure the bonus point. Rhys Patchell enhanced his growing reputation with a 21 point haul which included a try of his own.

Connacht are in 3rd place after Round 1, a strong start saw Connacht build an 8-0 lead but Dragons fought back to level before two yellow cards in quick succession for Dragons helped Connacht regain the initiative and claim the win. A late Jason Tovey penalty did earn Dragons a losing bonus point for their efforts.

In the headline tie of the Round Glasgow exacted some revenge on Leinster for their defeat in last season's Pro 12 decider beating the champions 22-20 at Scotstoun. A simple penalty for Stuart Hogg with the last kick of the game won it for Glasgow after Leinster looked like they had stolen victory with two late tries despite having trailed 19-0 at one stage.

In the other tie between sides with Top 4 aspirations, Ulster recovered from a 14 point deficit in the final quarter to earn a draw away to Scarlets. Scarlets looked on course for a bonus point win after Gareth Davies crossed for his 2nd try of the game in the 63rd minute but indiscipline from Scarlets allowed Ulster in as Liam Williams received a 2nd yellow late on which allowed Andrew Trimble to get in for a try which Ian Humphreys converted to earn his side a draw. Both sides scored 4 tries and picked up bonus points as a result.

On Friday night came the first surprise of the season as Munster fell to a 1 point defeat at home to Edinburgh. Lining out minus some regulars in Anthony Foley's competitive debut as Munster coach, Munster struggled to find their rhythm and either side of half time conceded 8 points while Edinburgh were down to 14. CJ Stander got over for 2 tries to drag Munster back into contention. Despite one final flourish which yielded a kickable penalty, Ian Keatley failed to find the target and Edinburgh began their campaign with a win.

Results
Munster 13-14 Edinburgh
Ospreys 44-13 Treviso
Scarlets 32-32 Ulster
Connacht 16-11 Dragons
Glasgow 22-20 Leinster
Zebre 26-41 Cardiff

Round 2 Fixtures
Friday: Edinburgh v Connacht
Both sides will hope to build on opening day victories, Edinburgh won the corresponding fixture 43-10 in November 2013

Friday: Dragons v Ospreys
First Welsh derby of the season. Ospreys won the corresponding fixture 20-10 last April in a game which was played in the Millenium Stadium

Friday: Ulster v Zebre
Ulster will look to build on their comeback draw at Scarlets against the bottom placed side in the league for the past two seasons. Ulster won the corresponding fixture 13-6 last December.

Friday: Treviso v Munster
Both sides will look to bounce back from disappointing opening day performances. Treviso won the corresponding fixture 29-19 in September 2013.

Saturday: Leinster v Scarlets
Both sides let winning positions slip late on in their opening games and will look for their first win in front of the Sky cameras. Leinster won the corresponding fixture 36-19 last November.

Sunday: Cardiff Blues v Glasgow
Both sides enjoyed encouraging opening day victories and will look to make it 2 from 2 here. Glasgow won the corresponding fixture 27-20 in February 2014