Pro 12 Rugby

Wallabies' star Adam Ashley-Cooper has taken the upper hand in a very tongue-in-cheek Twitter "feud" with Ireland Rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll, recording a video of him "making it rain" in his new Bordeaux-Begles locker room to the music of Jessie J's financially inspired hit "Price Tag."

O'Driscoll initially claimed on radio that the 31-year-old Australian Test star's decision to pack up and play in France was driven by cash.

Hi @BrianODriscoll. Regarding the below... I disagree. Strongly. pic.twitter.com/mUq9YY2uzv

— Adam Ashley-Cooper (@AdamCoopy) December 20, 2015

AAC took to Twitter to return fire, and soon enough—and with the help of Wallaby Matt Giteau and England hero Jonny Wilkinson—the pair's hilarious banter started trending. 

Over to you, BOD.

[Twitter, h/t Sydney Morning Herald]

This weekend’s set of Heineken Cup fixtures are mouth-watering. You cannot argue with Lions legend Sir Ian McGeechan when he says this is the best line-up in the tournament’s history. In fact, this will probably be the best weekend of rugby in the northern hemisphere all year.

To mark the occasion, here is a look back at an enthralling game at this stage in the competition eight years ago, when Leinster travelled to reigning European champions Toulouse and came away 35-41 winners. It was a breathless match, and Leinster can draw on that experience when they travel to Toulon on Sunday.

In that quarter-final from 2006 Leinster were simply outstanding, and the scoreline flattered the home side. For all the brilliance of Brian O’Driscoll, it was a game that was settled by the contrasting performances of the two fly-halves. Maverick Toulouse 10 Frédéric Michalak defines French flair and unpredictability, but his two crucial errors, combined with a majestic performance from opposite number Felipe Contepomi, decided the outcome of this quarter final.  

In particular, Contepomi’s vision was sensational. His deft offload set up O’Driscoll for the first try, and his decision to run the ball from his own 22 led to a fantastic score by Denis Hickie. The build-up to that try serves to highlight the great rugby on show that day.

Shane Horgan added the fourth try, and late Toulouse scores by Nyanga and Jauzion were simply consolation. Toulouse played very well, but Leinster were just better. After the match, then-coach Michael Cheika had this to say about Contepomi: ‘Felipe was pretty good – we get sick of saying that’.

Michalak, meanwhile, left the field to boos and jeers on 72 minutes. In that time he slotted a well-taken drop goal, but more importantly, he had thrown a pass to Leinster flanker Cameron Jowitt ten metres from the line for his try, Leinster’s second. Furthermore, Michalak’s profligacy from hand led to the turnover from which, in one phase, Leinster ran the length of the field through Contepomi, D’Arcy and Hickie.

This year the equation is similar for the Irish province. As in 2006, they must travel to the south of France to face the reigning Heineken Cup champions. But this time it is big-spending Toulon who are the opponents. One constant that will be a nice reminder of 2006 for Leinster, is that Michalak, who excelled in the win against Toulouse on Sunday in Jonny Wilkinson’s absence, may have another key role to play. There is no knowing what he will do.

Like eight years ago, Leinster have the fast-paced approach to win the match. Finding out if they can do just that will be a fascinating end to a superb weekend of rugby.

Munster and Glasgow continued their march on the Pro12's top spot on Saturday, each winning their Irish encounters with the Red Army at home to Ospreys, while the Warriors triumphed on their trip to Ulster.

The pair continue to reign as the in-form sides of the division, but they now head into a November period where losing some of their bigger stars to the international cause could prove costly.

That being said, it was more than the summit of the table that shifted on Saturday as the likes of Cardiff Blues and Scarlets each experienced changes in their situations.

Cardiff Blues 17-13 Treviso

Making 10 changes from the side that was demolished by Ulster last weekend, Cardiff Blues bounced back with a hard-fought win over Benetton Treviso that didn't come without its share of scary moments.

Captain Josh Navidi contributed a Man-of-the-Match performance for the Welsh hosts and was a pivotal presence at the breakdown, getting his side out of a few close scrapes inside their own half on numerous occasions.

Cardiff-based Simon Thomas backed up the decision:

In the end, though, it was a try from Sam Hobbs that ensured the Italians were left to settle for just a losing bonus point, while the Blues move up to eighth.

Connacht 12-19 Glasgow Warriors

Connacht's winless streak was extended to six games as the Irish province slumped to another home loss on Saturday, this time against Glasgow Warriors.

The most troubling aspect for Connacht is that they've now scored just one try in their last three Pro12 outings, Dan Parks yet again kicking at least half of their points in the 12-19 loss to Glasgow Warriors.

It was Parks' Glasgow counterpart, Duncan Weir, who provided the foundation for the visitors maintaining their 100 percent away record this season, kicking all of his attempts for a total of 14 points on the day.

Scarlets 17-9 Ulster

Scarlets' roller-coaster start to the season maintained its course as Simon Easterby's men recovered from their disappointing 16-16 draw against Zebre, capitalising on a John Barclay try to overcome the challenge of Ulster this time around.

The Parc y Scarlets side are still yet to win back-to-back games this Pro12 campaign, but they have shown a strong resolve in their ability to regain momentum after several setbacks, a trait they'll be eager to keep.

Munster 12-6 Ospreys

In one of the most important wins they could ask for at this stage of the season, Munster managed to distance themselves from Ospreys at the head of the Pro12 table, but they were unable to prevent the Welsh visitors staying within bonus-point range.

No tries were scored in the Thomond Park encounter, but it was the superior territory gained by the home team that ensured Ian Keatley and J.J. Hanrahan saw the better of the kicking chances, outdoing Matthew Morgan's two successful attempts.

Both ends of the Pro 12 table were subject to change this Friday when the weekend's early fixtures produced wins for Leinster and Edinburgh, with Zebre and Newport Gwent Dragons suffering defeat.

With Munster and Ospreys yet to play this weekend, reigning league champion Leinster can only hope that their fellow top spot candidates don't fare as well, whereas Edinburgh's mid-table needs are somewhat more dire.

The first batch of November fixtures again saw the weather affect matters ahead of what should be an interesting month as some teams come to contend with the absences of those heading off for international duty.

Newport Gwent Dragons 19-23 Leinster

Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport

After going in at the break down 10-6, Matt O'Connor's Leinster side rallied to overcome their Welsh hosts in the second period of their Friday encounter at Rodney Parade.

Aaron Dundon and Noel Reid each scored a try in the span of five minutes, setting the Irish province on their way to 17 second-half points, with Jimmy Gopperth adding the extras on both occasions.

And it was Gopperth who stood out as one of the side's finest assets, again giving O'Connor a conundrum as to who should be starting in the No. 10 jersey.

The fly-half carried for 47 metres, the joint-second highest of any player in the match, only just losing out to Zane Kirchner's 49-metre tally. 

Jason Tovey took over kicking duties from Tom Prydie in the second half and managed to kick all three of his attempted penalties for the Dragons, versus Prydie's one.

Edinburgh 25-23 Zebre

Venue: Murrayfield

Zebre managed to win points in back-to-back games for the second time this season, but it was unfortunately just a losing bonus point on this occasion as the Italians came away from Edinburgh with the slightest of losses.

The Scottish hosts went in at the break as 17-12 losers, but managed to claw back the deficit in the second half thanks to a 55th-minute try from Cornell du Preez. That was scored on the back of first-half scores courtesy of WP Nel and Greig Tonks.

Zebre were largely faultless in their display, grabbing two tries in a foreign setting and Luciano Orquera kicking all five of his goal attempts.

However, it was the class in Alan Solomons' side that shone through in the end and drove Edinburgh into a vital third victory of the campaign, boosting them into seventh place.

Munster earned a hard-fought 13-6 win in Glasgow to move to the summit of the Pro 12 table this weekend, although Ospreys remain hot on their heels thanks to a 40-17 trouncing of Newport Gwent Dragons.

After a fortnight of European action, teams resumed their domestic campaigns with four of the six matches being settled by a converted try or less.

Naturally, that kind of tensions produced a number of talismanic performances, with some players undoubtedly treating this week as their final auditions ahead of the November internationals.

At the bottom of the league, Connacht and Zebre continue to toil, but there are others creating cause for concern based on their Week 6 displays.

Full List of Results

Ospreys 40-17 Newport Gwent Dragons

Ospreys put their disappointing Heineken Cup form behind them with a rousing response at the Liberty Stadium, where Justin Tipuric led the Welsh hosts to a 40-16 battering of not-so-distant rivals Dragons.

Dan Biggar kicked impressively for the home team and gave Warren Gatland more ammunition to pick him for Wales’ coming autumn internationals, slotting all seven of his attempts from the tee.

Ulster 39-21 Cardiff Blues

Mark Anscombe’s Ulster continue to soar on both the domestic and Heineken Cup stage, following their table-topping run in European competition with a demolition of Cardiff Blues at Ravenhill.

Claire Glancy posted this photo of the Ulster players showing their appreciation to the fans following the bonus-point win:

It was a fine day for the Irish side’s back line, as Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall and Jared Payne all crossed over the whitewash, while Dan Tuohy flew a strong flag for the Ulster pack, scoring two of his own.

Zebre 16-16 Scarlets

Scarlets’ second draw in the space of two weeks means the Welsh outfit are now three games without a win, despite some fine individual displays earning international recognition.

Rugby World summed the story up over Twitter:

Simon Easterby’s side need to be winning games like these if they want to compete for Europe in the newly formatted Champions’ Cup, and the international break promises to hurt their chances further when some stars are absent.

Glasgow Warriors 6-13 Munster

Munster extended their run to two games unbeaten this weekend with a morale-boosting victory in Scotland that the Warriors made them work for, to say the least.

In what was mostly a test of each other’s defensive capabilities, JJ Hanrahan scored all the points for the visitors, converting his own try and kicking both attempted penalties either side of halftime.

Duncan Weir also scored all six of Glasgow’s points from the tee.

Edinburgh 20-13 Treviso

An admirable second-half fight-back from Treviso ultimately came to nothing other than a losing bonus point in Edinburgh, but it’s a bonus point the Italians may have snapped your hand to take if it were offered to them prior to kickoff.

The two teams were drawing 13-13 after Luke McLean’s vital 61st-minute try for Treviso, but WP Nel would eventually pull his side away with a score just five minute from full time, Greig Laidlaw adding the final touches from the boot.

Leinster 16-13 Connacht

Connacht were another side that may have hoped for more this weekend but were ultimately forced to settle for just a bonus point at the RDS Arena, despite leading until the 77th minute.

Two yellow cards took their toll, however, and Leinster’s persistence allowed them to grab a late, late penalty try that gave them a vital win, keeping them within four points of leaders Munster.