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The Off Load: The best and worst from the world of rugby

Connacht stun champions Leinster in Galway

There was loads of great rugby to enjoy over the weekend including some PRO12 upsets and some controversial refereeing.

The Pro12 delivers more shock results as Connacht beat Leinster and Toulon get back to winning ways in the Top 14.

Rupert Cox shares his highlights in his weekly rugby round-up blog...

High Flyers

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Highlights from the Guinness Pro12 third round match between Ospreys and Edinburgh.

The Ospreys flew to the top of the Guinness Pro12 with a Round 3 ripping of Edinburgh. With the game barely a minute old, scrum-half Rhys Webb ran untouched from 50 metres out to score under the posts – and the lads never looked back. Webb ended up with a double – it finished 62-13,including three tries in the last 11 minutes!

At just 34, Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy is one of the springest chickens in the league and considering this is a club that lost the likes of Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Ryan Jones and Matthew Morgan in the off-season, it really is an impressive start. They go to Thomond Park in Round 4, where Edinburgh somehow toppled Munster in the opening round. Swansea’s finest will fancy it…

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Highlights from the Guinness Pro12 third round match between Connacht and Leinster.

Connacht upset the champions in Galway to condemn Leinster to their second loss of the season, and for the first time ever, the Galwaymen have started with three wins on the bounce. With a sold-out Sportsground bursting at the seams and with Ireland coach Joe Schmidt looking on, Connacht scrum-half Kieran Marmion produced a moment of individual brilliance to score the only try of the game.

The West Irishmen fought back from a 9-0 deficit, and survived two TMO rulings to end an 11 game losing run against Leinster. After the game, Connacht coach Pat Lam said: “We can beat anyone as a team. We shouldn't be where we are, but it's all about believing and working hard.” Lam's giant killers take on another of the Goliaths in Glasgow in Round 4. On this form – David is in with a chance.

Toulouse lose

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Highlights of Racing Metro's 27-16 win over Toulouse in the Top 14.

It looks like Toby Flood has a tough season ahead trying to steer his new club Toulouse into the Top 14 play-offs. An away loss to Racing Métro is in itself no great drama, but the manner in which the Racing forwards bullied the Rouge et Noir pack will cause Guy Noves concern. Toulouse had led in the second half after Flood and Gael Fickou combined to send Vincent Clerc over, but the Racing front eight would have the final say… Henry Chavancy scored from close range after which replacement hooker Virgile Lacombe finished off a long-range driving maul for a 27-16 finish. That’s four losses in the opening six for beleaguered Toulouse.

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Highlights from Brive's Top 14 clash with Toulon.

Toulon bounced back from last week’s home loss to Stade Français with an immense away win over Brive, but thanks more to the opposition than to their own efforts – they were gifted the win by yet more Brive ill-discipline and lame defence. The men from Limousin had to play 55 minutes with just 14 players after Peet Marais got himself sent-off for a ridiculous elbow to the face of Romain Taofifenua That’s 12 cards in six games for Brive – they look well on their way to last season’s record haul of 32. With Matt Giteau back at fly-half, Toulon ran riot. Delon Armitage, James O’Connor and Drew Mitchell had a field day, and Rudi Wulf bagged a hat-trick.

South African highs and lows

Western Province bounced back from their first loss of the season to beat the Griquas at Newlands, and return to the top of the Currie Cup log. That's six wins out of seven for the Cape Towners this season and with just three rounds to go before the play-offs, Province are again looking good to nail down home ground advantage.

Not having a good run this year are the Blue Bulls. The proud Pretorians are now 16 points off the top of the table after crashing to another home loss at Loftus Versfeld, this time to the Natal Sharks. 

Brickbat

Woeful Wellington are in complete disarray. Last season’s ITM Cup runners up are in danger of relegation to the second tier of NZ provincial rugby, after a sixth straight defeat this season – this time to the newly promoted Tasman Makos. The men from the Kiwi capital have had some difficult injury issues (they've been through five  different fly-halves already) but a union of their size should be able to cope. Wellington coach Chris Boyd also takes over as Hurricanes boss next season, and Wellington fans will be hoping the city's ITM cup form doesn't translate into Super Rugby. Wellington Lions? More like pussycats. Hear them miaow. 

Bouquet

Steve Hansen. The New Zealand head coach does not mess about. The All Blacks had an unscheduled stay at an airport hotel on Saturday night, after their flight to Argentina was delayed. So, guess what? A few of them went to the pub. All pretty normal, apart from starting fly-half Aaron Cruden having a few too many and missing check-in the next morning. Hansen took no prisoners and banned Cruden on the spot from the next two Tests – against the Pumas and Springboks. “We are extremely disappointed,” he said, “by Aaron’s actions which are out of character."

Cruden will be welcomed back for Bledisloe 3 in Brisbane in October, but the message has rung out to every player in the squad that a drop in standards on or off the field won't be tolerated. Kia ora, Steve – the chances of the All Blacks doing an England 2011 and being dragged down by off-field scandals at next year's World Cup have just vanished. Boys, take note – a camomile tea and in bed by 9!

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