Monday 9 March 2015 15:52, UK
Rupert Cox shares his highlights from the week's rugby action in his round-up blog.
There's a whopper of a Six Nations’ game at the Millennium Stadium this coming Saturday, and the Welsh regions have already staged the perfect dress rehearsal – the Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons and Blues ALL beat Irish opposition in Round 17 of the Guinness Pro12.
Former Wales coach Nigel Davies would have been mightily proud of son Sam as the Ospreys beat Munster in sunny Swansea – the former IRB Junior Player of the Year kicked 21 points and laid on a try for excellent No 8 Dan Baker, to lift the ‘Spreys back into the top four.
Continuing the family theme, Jonathan Davies' little brother James picked up Man of the Match for his roof-raising performance for the Scarlets against Leinster – and another standout display in Llanelli was from veteran centre Regan King.
In his 100th game for the club, King set up two of the Scarlets’ three tries against the Dubliners with a couple of the cutest touches I’ve seen this season.
The Dragons thrilled Rodney Parade with a corking win over Ulster, and the Cardiff Blues somehow beat Connacht at the Arms Park after retaining possession for eight minutes of added time. Connacht coach Pat Lam was apoplectic at the officials after the game.
Meanwhile, Glasgow are back on top of the Pro 12 ladder after a big win over last-placed Zebre.
Stade Français were the only away winners in the Top14, but there were plenty of significant results – particularly for teams near the bottom end. The race to avoid relegation is now truly cut-throat, with just four points separating the bottom five clubs. Despite going down to 13 men, Castres beat Lyon at home to continue their fight for survival.
Brive were trounced by Toulon at the Mayol, and so slipped to 12th, replaced in 11th place by La Rochelle, who took an away draw at Montpellier. Bayonne are 10th, and go on to host Castres at the Stade Jean Dauger in Round 20.
At the other end, the race for the coveted top two continues apace, with Toulon and Clermont equal on points.
Sir John Kirwan is under pressure, but you wouldn't know it. In falling to the Lions, his Blues side slumped to a fourth straight defeat – their tenth in a row if you include the six games they lost at the end of last season. They are now dead last out of the fifteen Super Rugby sides; London Welsh aside, losing streaks don't come much worse than this.
But JK has shrugged off this abysmal start with cheery talk of long-term plans coming right, and even a contract extension for him and his coaching staff.
Sounds good, Sir John! I might follow your lead and swear live on air this Saturday, insult the studio guests, fall asleep mid-broadcast and then ask my boss for a raise. WIN SOME GAMES, man, before talking any talk. The Blues play the unbeaten Hurricanes in Round 5 before facing the Waratahs, Chiefs and Brumbies; this could get ugly.
While the Blues are in the basement, the Stormers are up in the penthouse.
In front of 40,000 at Newlands, the Capetonians picked up their fourth straight Super Rugby win, this time against their rivals from Durban, the Sharks.
The tight five were superb, especially young loosehead Steven Kitshoff, who gave Matt Stevens a brutal scrummaging lesson and deservedly picked up the Man of the Match award.
