Only three sides remain undefeated in the BKT URC after the weekend’s action, with the DHL Stormers and Munster Rugby setting the pace at the top of the table.
They are locked on 14 points apiece, having both won three out of three amid a flying start to the campaign.
The DHL Stormers claimed an emphatic 34-0 victory away to the Scarlets on Friday night, helping them lead the way on points difference.
There was a try, two conversions, a penalty, and a yellow card for Springboks star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu on an eventful return to league duty after his exploits in the Rugby Championship.
Munster faced a much tighter contest in Cork, where they had to come from behind to secure a 20-19 bonus point win against Edinburgh Rugby, who had no fewer than four players sin-binned.
Second row Fineen Wycherley was the man to deliver the match-winning try eight minutes from time as the hosts completed their comeback after trailing 19-10 at one stage.
Head coach Clayton McMillan said:
“It’s an 80-minute game, so I never think the game is over at half-time.
“We sort of just hung in there, got enough opportunities in the second half, cashed in, and got the job done.
“Sometimes we are not going to be at our best, but we can fight for everything to the bitter end, and I thought we did that well.
“It’s no small achievement to get off and win three games, and we are happy we have been able to do that.”
The other undefeated team are Ulster Rugby, who recorded an eye-catching 28-7 bonus point victory over the Vodacom Bulls, who had been top of the table after Round 2.
Playing in front of a passionate Belfast crowd, they scored four tries, with Player of the Match Nathan Doak converting all four from scrum-half.
Coach Richie Murphy, who described his pack’s performance as “incredible”, was understandably delighted with the result.
“The Bulls threw everything at us, but the fight we showed, how hard we worked for each other, was really satisfying,” he said.
“In my time here, this is probably my biggest win in relation to what we are trying to do as a team.
“It’s really positive, two wins from two. It’s really important now that we keep going forward.”
Despite having picked up maximum points, Ulster lie fifth in the table, having only played two games due to the weather-related postponement of last weekend’s trip to Edinburgh.
Glasgow Warriors and Cardiff Rugby sit just above them, having both racked up 11 points from their three matches.
Glasgow ran in seven tries, including two from prolific scrum-half George Horne, as they overwhelmed Dragons RFC 49-0 at Scotstoun.
It was a very different kind of contest at the Arms Park, where it was nip and tuck all the way until Cardiff clinched a 14-8 victory over Connacht Rugby thanks to a late interception from teenage winger Tom Bowen, who crossed twice to add to his hat-trick against Munster the week before.
Like the Vodacom Bulls, Zebre Parma also went down to their first defeat of the season as they were beaten 24-0 by the Ospreys in Bridgend.
Fellow Italians Benetton Rugby had a much happier weekend as they defeated the winless Lions 41-15, with winger Louis Lynagh running in no fewer than four tries.
Finally, champions Leinster Rugby are back in business.
After losing their opening two games out in South Africa, they reinforced their line-up with the return of five British & Irish Lions and two of them – Josh van der Flier and Jamie Osborne – touched down in a 31-5 bonus point win over the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the Aviva Stadium.
Try machine Bowen keeping his feet on the ground
Teenage sensation Tom Bowen insists he is not getting carried away despite being the BKT URC’s joint top try scorer.
The 19-year-old winger crossed twice in Cardiff’s 14-8 victory over Connacht at the Arms Park, adding to his hat-trick against Munster the week before.
That means he is now level on five touchdowns with Benetton’s Louis Lynagh at the top of the league’s try chart.
Despite his tender years, his scintillating form means he is sure to be touted as a contender for a place in Wales’ autumn international squad.
But the young man is keeping his dazzling feet firmly on the ground.
“I am just loving my rugby at the moment. It’s class. I am really enjoying it,” he said.
“I am not going to get carried away with anything. I am staying grounded.
“Cardiff is my home region. I love playing for them, I love putting the jersey on and I am just really grateful to be getting the opportunities I am having.
“The least I can do is just grab them with both hands and try my best really.”
Aberdare product Bowen – who now has seven tries from his four career BKT URC starts – produced a neat finish for his first against Connacht, stepping inside a defender after pouching a pinpoint cross kick from fly-half Callum Sheedy,
“Fair play to Sheeds, he is on the money every time,” he said.
“Credit to him, he reads the game extremely well. He reads the picture, he creates the space, and he makes my job a lot easier, putting those kicks on the money.
“He is the assist king! He suits how we play. He’s really good, he’s class.
“We had quite a young back line out there and the way he conducts us round the field, he deserves a lot of credit for what he does.”
Bowen clinched Cardiff’s hard-fought win by scorching away for a long-range interception try four minutes from time, celebrating with a gleeful swallow dive.
“It was just relief really to finish that off,” he said.
“It was a nerve-racking game out there. It could have gone either way. But credit to the boys, they stuck in there. I thought our fight was incredible.”
The one big downside to the victory over Connacht was the serious ankle injury sustained by Wales lock Teddy Williams who was stretchered off shortly before half-time.
“I am absolutely gutted for him,” said Bowen.
“He’s a great lad and very influential on the whole team.
“His presence around has a massive effect. He is a class player.
“I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery.”
Cardiff now lie fourth in the BKT URC table with 11 points from their opening three matches.
“If you had said that in pre-season, I think we would have bit your hand off, to be honest with you,” said Bowen.
“We have got to be really pleased with how we have started the season. The important thing is we keep performing well and keep picking up points in each game.”
There was another Welsh winner on Saturday with the Ospreys continuing their love affair with Bridgend’s Brewery Field.
It has been a real happy hunting ground for them over the past two years, serving as the setting for victories against the DHL Stormers, Sale, Cardiff, and Edinburgh.
Now it’s their home for the season – while the St Helen’s ground in Swansea is redeveloped – and they marked the start of their stay by beating Zebre 24-0 to record a first URC win of the campaign.
Coach Mark Jones said:
“We love playing here. When you get your first game in your new home for the season, you want to get off to a good start. You only get one chance to make a first impression and we showed high quality in lots of areas. So we are very happy.”
Second row James Ratti added: “We showed that teams who come to the Brewery this year are in for a contest.
“The atmosphere was great. It’s becoming a little mini cauldron for us, with the fans right on top of us. It’s always a good experience playing here.”
Giving his thoughts, the Ospreys’ Bridgend-born skipper Dewi Lake said:
“I grew up here, and I love playing here.
“We have had some very memorable wins here over the last couple of years, and this one certainly goes up there, to nil a team like Zebre, who had started the season as quickly as they had. It’s excellent for us.”
The Player of the Match award went to classy full-back Jack Walsh, who paid tribute to the home fans.
“The support was awesome. It’s massive for us,” he said.
“We worked really hard in South Africa and were pretty gutted only to come away with one point from the two games, so it’s really good to get a win.”
What’s coming next?
A bumper crowd is expected for next Saturday’s mouth-watering Irish derby between champions Leinster and high-flying Munster at Croke Park.
Twelve months ago, the meeting between the two arch-rivals at the famous Dublin stadium drew a BKT URC record attendance of 80,468.
Fans are set to turn out in their droves once again as Leinster look to see if they can inflict the first defeat of the season on Munster.
It’s also derby time in Wales with the two teams in the east – the Dragons and Cardiff – locking horns at Rodney Parade.
Meanwhile, the table-topping DHL Stormers continue their European tour by travelling to Parma to take on Zebre.
Elsewhere, it’s Edinburgh v Benetton, Connacht v Vodacom Bulls, Lions v Scarlets, Hollywoodbets Sharks v Ulster, and Ospreys v Glasgow.
