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Guinness PRO14's weekend recap: Leinster, Edinburgh, Kings, Cardiff Blues, Munster & Scarlets win

9 November 2019; Andrew Conway of Munster celebrates after scoring his side's third try with team-mates Jack O...Donoghue and Conor Murray during the Guinness PRO14 Round 6 match between Munster and Ulster at Thomond Park in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Image: Munster remain at the top of PRO14 Conference B after inter-pro victory over Ulster

Recap all the weekend club action from around Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy in the Guinness PRO14...

Connacht 11-42 Leinster

Leinster warmed up for next week's Champions Cup kick-off with a clinical 42-11 Guinness PRO14 derby win over Connacht at the Sportsground.

Five tries in a terrific 27-minute spell had the defending champions 35-6 clear by half-time, with Andrew Porter and man-of-the-match Ronan Kelleher scoring two tries each and Ross Byrne, who finished with 17 points, also touching down.

Leinster had five of their Rugby World Cup players back - an ill Robbie Henshaw was withdrawn beforehand - while Jack Carty and Bundee Aki returned for Connacht.

Carty and Darragh Leader kicked penalties for the hosts and Carty created Stephen Fitzgerald's 48th-minute try.

As Connacht's four-match winning run was halted, Leinster completed their impressive display of power, pace and precise finishing with James Lowe's intercept try with 12 minutes remaining. Their sixth successive victory has them 10 points clear at the top of Conference A.

Edinburgh 20-7 Dragons

Edinburgh beat Dragons 20-7 in a Guinness PRO14 contest brimming with open rugby.

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The hosts were the more clinical of the two sides, although they had to show plenty of character after allowing the visitors back into the contest midway through the second half.

Dragons contributed to their own downfall with a string of errors at key moments, and ultimately paid the price for failing to capitalise on lengthy spells in the ascendancy.

Blair Kinghorn and Duhan Van Der Merwe bagged a try apiece for Edinburgh, while Simon Hickey converted both and two penalties. Adam Warren touched down for the visitors and Sam Davies added the conversion.

Ospreys 14-16 Southern Kings

Ospreys replacement fly-half James Hook missed two late penalties as Southern Kings hung on to register a 16-14 victory - their first Guinness Pro14 win of the season.

Ospreys, who have now lost five out of six matches, had rallied from 16-0 down at the beginning of the second half with converted tries for number eight Morgan and wing Hanno Dirksen in torrential rain at Swansea.

But Kings had done enough in the first half with a try for centre Erich Cronje and 11 points from the boot of full-back Scott Van Breda.

Ospreys' poor form was not helped with nine players out injured, while a further eight are on an extended rest following the World Cup.

Zebre 7-31 Glasgow Warriors

George Horne crossed for two first-half tries as Glasgow eased to a 31-7 Guinness PRO14 victory over Zebre at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

Scotland scrum-half Horne dived over for the opening score after 13 minutes, with Adam Hastings adding the conversion in Parma, and he completed his double nine minutes later after he was set up by Ratu Tagive.

Hastings added a third try three minutes before the break which he converted himself to make it 19-0 at half-time.

The Warriors extended their lead six minutes into the second period as Tagive touched down to clinch the bonus point, but the home side, despite losing Johan Meyer to a red card, fought back with a try from replacement Pierre Bruno just before the hour as Carlo Canna added the extras.

Glasgow were not finished yet and Nick Frisby crossed over with three minutes remaining, Ruaridh Jackson adding the extras.

Munster 22-16 Ulster

Andrew Conway provided a match-winning try of real class as Munster battled past Ulster in a 22-16 Guinness PRO14 derby win at Thomond Park.

Conway, one of eight returning Rugby World Cup players for the hosts, accelerated clear from just inside halfway to raid in under the posts and split the provincial rivals in the 64th minute.

Tries from CJ Stander and man-of-the-match Rory Scannell helped Munster to carve out a 15-6 interval lead with Ulster's talisman John Cooney kicking their six points from the tee.

Winless in Limerick since 2014, the Ulstermen edged ahead thanks to captain Rob Herring's 49th-minute try off a lineout maul amid a promising 10-point spurt.

But Conway's superb seven-pointer got Munster back on track as they kept up with the pace in Conference B.

Cardiff Blues 30-17 Cheetahs

Cardiff Blues ended their four-game winless run in the Guinness PRO14 with a 30-17 victory over the 14-man Cheetahs.

The Blues looked to be cruising towards a morale-boosting triumph after Gerhard Olivier's red card for a reckless shoulder charge.

But the visitors rallied in the face of adversity and cancelled out Aled Summerhill's early score through full-back Rhyno Smith and winger Clayton Blommetjies.

The man advantage took its toll on the stamina-drained Cheetahs in the second period as a Josh Turnbull score and 14 points from the boot of Jarrod Evans secured a vital win for the Welsh side.

Scarlets 20-17 Benetton

Fly-half Dan Jones kicked a last-gasp penalty to seal the spoils in a 20-17 Guinness PRO14 victory over Benetton at a rain-drenched Parc y Scarlets.

Benetton probably thought they had done enough to register a draw when Tommaso Allan kicked his fourth penalty to bring the scores level at 17-17 with just over a minute left on the clock.

But the Italian team failed to secure the restart and were then penalised at a scrum allowing Jones his 40-metre shot at goal.

It was a relief to Scarlets who had had around 90 per cent possession in the second half but could not breach Benetton's line.

The victory was Scarlets' fifth in their last six matches.

The Italians, who earned a losing bonus point, were indebted to a try for wing Angelo Esposito and 12 points from the boot of Allan.

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