Connacht 21; Ospreys 14
Connacht’s recent momentum has fueled belief within the squad, with Head Coach Stuart Lancaster encouraging his players to target a place in the Challenge Cup final.
Following a strong run of form in the URC, including a win over Ospreys, attention now turns to a knockout clash with the Sharks in Galway.
“We've got a mindset to want to go and try and win every game, so we're not going to change the team dramatically going into this Sharks game, because we want to try and get to Bilbao,” he explained after this latest victory.
“I was lucky in 2018 to be there and I know what it means for a club to get to that Challenge Cup final and play that Friday night game. So why not us? Why can't we have a crack at it? Sharks have got to come to us.
“We know they're obviously going to come fully loaded, so it's going to be a hell of a challenge. But Friday night here, you know, with the crowd behind us, if we have a good plan, rest up well.
“We've got Cian Prendergast to come back in, Shamus Hurley-Langton obviously came back this time. Sam Gilbert should be fit, we've got some good boys to come back ourselves, so looking forward to that.”
Connacht needed a late try from Matthew Devine to seal the victory over the Welsh visitors on Saturday, while the hosts declined a late opportunity to score a bonus-point try.
“Yeah, it was [an arm wrestle], and I thought the wind was a big factor," said the former England head coach and Leinster assistant coach.
“I don't think people really appreciated how hard it was, but to go in 7-7 at half-time, I thought was a real good moment. Obviously, they had a forward pass [try] chalked off, which was a big moment as well, I think.
“I thought in the second half we weren't as accurate as we needed to be to take advantage of that wind. Sloppy exit, we kicked the ball dead, we had a yellow card, but I thought the last 20 minutes we were very good, I thought replacements made a big difference.
“We got the try, Matty Devine's try to make it 21-14, and, to be honest, at the end I felt we could have probably kept that ball in play and gone for the bonus point, but equally, I could see why the boys wanted to get off the field with a win. I've been really impressed with the Ospreys this year.
“Obviously, when you’re bringing back in the internationals that had done so well for Wales at the end of the Six Nations, I'd take a 21-14 any day,” he emphasized.
Bulls 34; Munster 31
Munster came away from Pretoria with two bonus points after a high-scoring encounter with the Bulls, showing a marked improvement from their previous outing.
Despite outscoring their hosts in tries, inaccuracies from the tee proved costly, while the Bulls capitalized on key moments to edge the result.
Munster’s attacking play was far sharper, with several standout individual performances, but defensive lapses and missed opportunities ultimately denied them a win.
Leinster 36; Scarlets 19
Leinster returned to winning ways with a convincing victory over Scarlets, finishing strongly after a competitive first half.
A flurry of second-half tries ensured a bonus-point success, lifting them back up the table and restoring confidence ahead of European action.
Jimmy O'Brien and Josh Kenny set the scene for the home side by scoring two tries each.
Ulster secured a bonus-point win away to Zebre, producing a composed second-half display after a tightly contested opening period.
The dismissal of a Zebre player proved significant, and Ulster took full advantage, pulling clear to claim maximum points and maintain their strong league position.
Captain Iain Henderson said: “Had you said to me yesterday we were going to come here and get a bonus-point win, I'd have bitten your hand off for it. Yes, plenty of things we could do better but happy with the outcome.
“They are always difficult to play at home. They beat us last year in our place so we knew this Zebre team had plenty to prove. We knew it was going to be a tough night at the office,” he insisted.
Ulster host Ospreys in the Challenge Cup round of 16 this Saturday.
