Scots teams rely on Dragons to fly high

Published on Sunday 6 December 2009 00:31

EDINBURGH and Glasgow remain top of the Magners League but will be usurped today if third-placed Leinster win away at Newport-Gwent Dragons.

Glasgow are ahead on points difference after a stunning triumph over Ulster in Belfast on Friday. They displaced Edinburgh, who had jumped to the summit only an hour earlier by seeing off the Scarlets in Wales.

The two Scots pro sides will face each other in back-to-back festive derbies, a prospect that Glasgow coach Sean Lineen is relishing. "These games will have everything," Lineen said. "Not only are both sides setting the pace for the play-offs, there will be so many personal duels in the approach to the Six Nations campaign. It will be blood and guts stuff and the fans are in for a real treat."

Stand-off Dan Parks emerged as the man who mattered most for Warriors, slotting 20 points and helping to set up the try for Thom Evans.

In last night's Mangers League game, Dan Biggar out-kicked Ronan O'Gara as the Ospreys enjoyed a famous 19-14 victory over a strong Munster outfit in Swansea.

O'Gara, standing in as skipper for the injured Paul O'Connell, missed four penalty kicks while his 20-year-old opposite number scored 14 points.

In steady rain it was sweet revenge for the Ospreys who had conceded more than 100 points to Munster in three defeats last season, and the win ended a four-match losing streak.

The Ospreys' try came from Tommy Bowe at the start of the second half. Munster kept scrapping and a try for replacement Nick Williams in injury-time forced the Ospreys to defend.

In England's Guinness Premiership Wales international Nicky Robinson helped ease the pressure on Gloucester coach Bryan Redpath by steering his side to a 25-13 victory over Newcastle at Kingsholm.

The fly-half kicked five penalties, a drop-goal and converted wing Charlie Sharples' early try. But the victory was marred by a serious-looking injury to home flanker Akapusi Qera following a collision with Newcastle No.8 Filipo Levi. The Fiji international left the pitch on a stretcher with his neck in a brace after being treated by paramedics for seven minutes.

Fortunately, Redpath delivered an encouraging fitness bulletin on the flanker

"He was knocked out," said the Scot. "He took a while to wake up, but he is talking. He seems fine."

Elsewhere, London Irish dropped more home points as Worcester recorded a third straight Premiership draw in a scrappy 16-16 affair.