Weekend Round-Up: Cowboys Advance After Moment Of JT Magic

Catch up on the best of the weekend’s games on Rugby Pass, including tries galore in the Aviva Premiership, a close encounter with the Ranfurly Shield and an unlikely comeback in the Super League.

NRL: Cowboys 26-20 Broncos
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The Queensland derby produced yet another spectacular game of rugby league on Friday night. For the third time in four matches dating back to last year’s Grand Final the Cowboys and Broncos were inseperable after a late Johnathan Thurston penalty tied scores at 20-20. New extra time rules in place for the playoffs meant instead of the field goal frenzy of golden point the teams played five minutes either way. The deadlock was broken when – who else? – Johnathan Thurston produced a moment of brilliance to set up a try and lead his Cowboys to a Preliminary Final date with the Sharks next week.

Aviva Premiership: Bath 37-22 Worcester
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English rugby traditionalists will be fair spewing at the gratuitous number of tries scored in the Premiership this weekend. Wasps scored ten in their 70-22 demolition of Bristol at Ricoh Arena on Sunday to come within a point of breaking their own competition points record. Saturday’s match between Bath and Worcester at the Rec only saw seven tries, as Bath overturned a 6-17 halftime deficit to win 37-22 and keep their promising start to the season rolling. Last year’s 9th placed side are now 3-from-3 to start the season, joint top of the table with Saracens and Wasps.

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Mitre 10 Cup: Waikato 20-20 Taranaki
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Any New Zealander will tell you there are few things better than a good Ranfurly Shield battle and that’s what we got on Sunday afternoon at Waikato Stadium. The match turned on a late tackle by Taranaki’s Seta Tamanivalu which saw a potential match-winning try ruled out and the All Black centre sent to the sin bin. Waikato made their man advantage pay with a late penalty to tie the game at 20-20 and secure the old Log o’ Wood – for another ten days at least. They host Canterbury on the 28th.

Super League: Warrington 28-35 Wigan
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Wolves led 28-14 and had one hand on the League Leaders’ Shield when Wigan’s Ben Flower was red carded for a late tackle in the 56th minute. The next 24 minutes saw 12-man Wigan run in four unanswered tries in one of the unlikeliest comebacks the Super League has ever seen. The League Leaders’ Shield will now be decided when Wolves play Hull FC in the final round next week.

Top 14: Racing 92 41-30 Toulon
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Racing 92 remain unbeaten at home this season after beating Toulon in a high-scoring affair on Sunday. Winger Juan Imhoff scored a hat trick and centre Casey Laulala a brace of tries as Racing 92 played their glamour rival off the park. A bad day for Toulon, who lost experienced Ma’a Nonu to a sickening head clash, and while two tries in the final ten minutes restored some respectability to the scoreboard, embattled coach Diego Dominguez could well find his head back on the chopping block this week.