Ulster captain Iain Henderson was over the moon with his team’s performance, securing a 28-12 bonus-point victory over Zebre Parma in the United Rugby Championship this past Saturday, propelling Ulster into third place. This win marked the only away victory of the weekend, highlighted by tries from Tom McAlister, Rob Herring, Zac Ward, and Werner Kok.
"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,"
Henderson confessed post-match. Despite Zebre’s challenging home game reputation, he acknowledged,
"Plenty of things we can do better, but happy with the outcome."
Meanwhile, Leinster, sitting just behind in fourth place, shifted up a gear in the latter half of their game against the Scarlets, overcoming a slow start to clinch a 36-19 win at the Aviva Stadium. Leinster’s Tommy O’Brien, who crossed the line twice, was named URC Player of the Match. Leinster's head coach Leo Cullen commented on the match’s intensity, saying, "The Scarlets came with plenty and tested us in lots of different areas. We are delighted to get a win and score six tries. If you had offered me 36-19 beforehand, I would have been pretty happy."
In another thrilling encounter, Munster, despite a previous heavy loss, showed significant improvement against the Bulls in Pretoria. Though they didn't clinch the win, losing narrowly 34-31, the performance was a rebound, featuring five tries with Thomas Ahern leading the charge. Bulls' Handre Pollard's precise boot was a game-changer, but Munster returned home with two losing bonus points, crucial for their campaign. Munster’s coach, Clayton McMillan, remained optimistic, stating, "You always want to win, but it’s a decent reward for the effort the boys put in. It was a huge improvement on last week. I am proud of the boys. It’s going to be a real race to the finish."
Connacht also continues to push for a playoff spot, securing their fifth consecutive league win by edging past the Ospreys 21-15. Connacht’s Matthew Devine was the hero, scoring the decisive try six minutes from time. However, Connacht's captain Paul Boyle voiced some dissatisfaction, "It’s nice to be five from five, but we will all be pretty gutted we didn’t get the bonus. We weren’t good enough across all facets of the game. It’s a small step back compared to the last few weeks. There were just so many areas we weren’t at the top of our game. It’s quite disappointing."
With the season heating up, each team is fiercely paving its way towards the top, making every match a critical showdown in the quest for URC glory.
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Ulster captain Iain Henderson was over the moon with his team’s performance, securing a 28-12 bonus-point victory over Zebre Parma in the United Rugby Championship this past Saturday, propelling Ulster into third place. This win marked the only away victory of the weekend, highlighted by tries from Tom McAlister, Rob Herring, Zac Ward, and Werner Kok.
"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,"
Henderson confessed post-match. Despite Zebre’s challenging home game reputation, he acknowledged,"Plenty of things we can do better, but happy with the outcome."
Meanwhile, Leinster, sitting just behind in fourth place, shifted up a gear in the latter half of their game against the Scarlets, overcoming a slow start to clinch a 36-19 win at the Aviva Stadium. Leinster’s Tommy O’Brien, who crossed the line twice, was named URC Player of the Match. Leinster's head coach Leo Cullen commented on the match’s intensity, saying, "The Scarlets came with plenty and tested us in lots of different areas. We are delighted to get a win and score six tries. If you had offered me 36-19 beforehand, I would have been pretty happy."
In another thrilling encounter, Munster, despite a previous heavy loss, showed significant improvement against the Bulls in Pretoria. Though they didn't clinch the win, losing narrowly 34-31, the performance was a rebound, featuring five tries with Thomas Ahern leading the charge. Bulls' Handre Pollard's precise boot was a game-changer, but Munster returned home with two losing bonus points, crucial for their campaign. Munster’s coach, Clayton McMillan, remained optimistic, stating, "You always want to win, but it’s a decent reward for the effort the boys put in. It was a huge improvement on last week. I am proud of the boys. It’s going to be a real race to the finish."
Connacht also continues to push for a playoff spot, securing their fifth consecutive league win by edging past the Ospreys 21-15. Connacht’s Matthew Devine was the hero, scoring the decisive try six minutes from time. However, Connacht's captain Paul Boyle voiced some dissatisfaction, "It’s nice to be five from five, but we will all be pretty gutted we didn’t get the bonus. We weren’t good enough across all facets of the game. It’s a small step back compared to the last few weeks. There were just so many areas we weren’t at the top of our game. It’s quite disappointing."
With the season heating up, each team is fiercely paving its way towards the top, making every match a critical showdown in the quest for URC glory.