Call of Duty » Patrice Bergeron and past goalie Peter Bu

Stuart Barnes has high praise for Connacht after the underdogs won the PRO12 title on Saturday and looks at the positives and negatives from Englands win over Wales ahead of their tour to Australia... 1. Where to start on a weekend where the club competitions reached their finale and over 80,000 people packed into Twickenham to see England and Wales meet? The answer can only be Edinburgh. The best team in Europe were sealing their superb season a few hundred miles south, well come to them later but this was a day for rugby romantics and Connacht. John Muldoons team weathered a five minute shower of Leinster pressure before taking the Guinness Pro12 final by the scruff and utterly outplaying the favourites.Those of us outside the Connacht camp wondered whether their inexperience would tell, we wondered whether playing on the big stage in front of a 34,500 crowd would cause them to freeze. We were wrong to wonder. They didnt. We discovered that Pat Lams men relished the sound surface and the absence of hurricane Galway. Their home crowd has inspired them all season but the wind and rain has held them back. The first half an hour or so was thrilling as they ripped the leagues meanest defence to shreds with their freewheeling attacking play in benign conditions. At global level New Zealand proved positive rugby can prevail. At club level in Europe, Connacht did the game a similar favour. No one was sneering at the rugby romantics come full-time. Highlights of the Guiness Pro 12 final between Connacht and Leinster from Murrayfield Stadium. 2. All season it was a consummate team effort, start to finish, but two men deserve individual mentions. Muldoon was playing his 275th game for the team. A one-club man and the glue that has held the team together through the bad years, the unfettered joy on his face and emotion in his voice when interviewed by Graham Simmons after the final whistle was my moment of the weekend. Muldoon put in a man-of-the-match performance as his side beat Leinster 20-10 in the Pro 12 final Connachts achievements cannot be mentioned without a word also for Lam. He has endured some tough coaching times in Auckland but in Ireland he assembled a team who believed in his positive style of rugby. They were also defensively savvy. This was a masterclass of coaching from the former Samoa international. Yes, they were romantic in their attacking adventure but dont be kidded, they were a ruthlessly professional side as well. Their presence will be a massive boost for the Champions Cup which lacked some atmosphere this season. If I have one regret this weekend it was the impossibility of hitching a ride back to Galway for what would have been the Sunday to end all Sundays. Lam claims the Pro 12 Championship crown is just the start for his side. 3. In contrast Leinster limped away from Edinburgh. The margin was ten points but with AJ McGinty losing his radar it distorted the difference between the teams. Many thought the semi-final victory against Ulster was a sign of them coming to form at the right moment as Wasps so famously used to do. It was not. It was a flash in the pan. Wooden and predictable was their way on Saturday, as it has been for much of the season. Against some of the better teams in Europe their defeats were inevitable - against the best team in their league, so it proved again.4. The manner of the victory puts Joe Schmidt once more under the spotlight. My Irish colleagues in the media have been critical of Irelands lumbering style of rugby for a while. Schmidts argument against Ireland playing like his great Leinster side did was the absence of players capable of playing with speed of thought and body. Despite defeat in the Guinnes Pro12 Final, Leinsters Eoin Reddan suggested that Connacht have got a lot right both on and off the field this season Well, the Connacht back three looked the part on Saturday while Leinsters wings and full-back were heavy legged. The Leinster trio are on the flight to South Africa, none of the Connacht men are making the trip. The microscopes are out.5. Now to the utterly unromantic Saracens. Back-to-back English titles with the European Champions Cup in their trophy cabinet, this is the most powerful side in England since Leicester dominated country and continent from 1999-2002. They looked a little flat for half an hour in the second half but when Exeter got within striking distance they scored again to keep the contenders at a distance. Only Harlequins beat Saracens when they were anywhere near full strength this season. Like that great Leicester side they suffer in the media from being too dominant. There is more to their game than they are credited. Somehow I dont think Saracens will care. Congratulations on a superb season. Eddie Jones launched a vigorous defence of fly-half George Fords performance, saying people need to get some perspective after Englands win over Wales 6. While Owen Farrell was playing like the Lord of the Manor yet again, George Ford played the part of intruder one day later. At the moment there is no comparison between the two players and I have always been a great believer in Fords long term talent. Right now the discrepancy between the two men is huge. One has no confidence - as his kicking illustrated - the other is oozing the stuff. If it comes down to a choice between one and the other as fly-half in Australia, there is no choice. Highlights of Englands 27-13 win over Wales at Twickenham 7. It may be that both will play together because England cannot resolve their pickle at inside centre. Luther Burrell picked a cracking line for his try against Wales but was otherwise too one dimensional in his game. Manu Tuilagi is again crocked and Ben Teo looked anything but Test class against a Connacht team whose pace of game at times exposed him. Jones dreams of a 12 who can punch the gain line but none of the contenders are convincing. The only other options are Henry Slade and Ollie Devoto. The one disappointed against Saracens, the other remains an interesting player but one with more potential than proof so far in his career. 10/12 will be a fascinating selection for the first test in Brisbane.8. Overall England will be reasonably pleased with their performance on Sunday. The set piece was solid, the structure of the English game rebuilt after Australia destroyed their foundations in the World Cup. Jones builds his foundations first. Thereafter comes the instinctive stuff which is taking its time to emerge from the debris of autumn 2015. Still, English teams have more chance of winning by reverting to the structures than having no solid foundations at all. To win a World Cup might be a different matter but to win a Test in Australia, England are just about on course. To win a series they have to sort out 9, 10 and 12. Warren Gatland was reasonably happy with aspects of Wales game despite their 27-13 defeat 9. Warren Gatland put a brave face on what was a poor performance by Wales. Yes, they started well but to concede five tries was something to set the alarm bells ringing. When England reached the wider channels and played with pace Wales were troubled. It is no trade secret to let on that the All Blacks have a few handy performers with the ball out wide.10. On the balance of what we saw at Twickenham, England look far more likely to win a series against Australia than Wales a Test against New Zealand. Either would be magnificent achievements. What with Ireland under pressure to produce a performance in South Africa, we have the best month of rugby since last October and you can see it all live, here on Sky Sports.Ill take a brief column break next week. Its time for a weekend with Mrs Barnes before the long flight down south. Back with a few (hopefully not too jet lagged) thoughts in Melbourne from Monday, June 13.Watch Englands tour to Australia, Wales tour to New Zealand and Irelands tour to South Africa on Sky Sports. Click here for fixtures. Catch the Tests without a contract for £6.99 on NOW TV. Also See: Ford boo-boys anger Jones Greenwood: Perfect preparation Farrell: We want more titles Follow @SkySportsRugby Cheap Denver Broncos Jerseys . -- Derek Jeter says the New York Yankees have no choice but to move forward now that Alex Rodriguez has accepted his suspension for the 2014 season. Wholesale Broncos Jerseys . A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press the Steelers will part ways with the former Pro Bowler, a move that hardly serves as a surprise after fifth-year linebacker Jason Worilds agreed to accept a "transition player" tag last week. http://www.cheapbroncosjerseyselite.com/. Sixteen teams have moved on. Sixteen teams have gone home. Cheap Broncos Jerseys China . He made that dream a reality Wednesday night. Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep. Cheap Broncos Jerseys Authentic . The Detroit Tigers slugger fell short in his bid to become the first player to win the Triple Crown in successive seasons.BOSTON -- Montreal coach Michel Therrien wanted to continue his teams drive to the playoffs more than to snap Bostons 12-game winning streak. The Canadiens accomplished both. Alex Galchenyuk scored the only shootout goal, and the Canadiens got their fifth win in six games, 2-1 over the Bruins on Monday night. "Its not about their streak," Therrien said. "Its more about getting those two points and trying to qualify for the playoffs." Montreal tied Tampa Bay for the third-most points in the Eastern Conference, but has played one more game. The Bruins fell one game short of their longest winning streak since 1970-71 and two shy of the club record set in 1929-30. But their one point from the shootout loss moved them ahead of Western Conference-leading St. Louis for the most in the NHL with 104. "You cant win 12 in a row and lose one in a shootout and say, Im really disappointed in my team, " Boston coach Claude Julien said. Boston was uncharacteristically undisciplined for the two periods then tied it at 1 with just two seconds left on its sixth power play of the game. Dougie Hamiltons slap shot from the centre of the blue line deflected off Patrice Bergeron and past goalie Peter Budaj with 5:26 left in the third period. It was Bergerons 23rd goal of the season. Budaj also stopped a four-game Bruins winning streak with a 4-1 victory in Boston on Jan. 30. "We are very confident with him back there," Montreal forward Brian Gionta said. "That first period he made some huge saves and even in the second he made some big saves where they could have been back in the game real quick." Bostons last loss came March 1, 4-2 to Washington. Montreal grabbed the lead on Alexei Emelins third goal of the season at 6:39 of the first. Emelins shot from the blue line deflected off Bruins forward Chris Kelly about 30 feet from the net and rose over the glove of goalie Tuukka Rask. In the shootout, Bergeron, Jarome Iginla, Brad Marchannd and David Krejci missed for Boston while Thomas Vanek, David Desharnais and Daniel Briere failed for Montreal.dddddddddddd Then Galchenyuk went in close to put the puck between Rasks stick and the post to the right of the goaltender. "I was excited and all the moves were playing in my head," Galchenyuk said. "They were on a roll and we are happy that were the team that ended that roll." The Bruins had three power plays in the first 11 minutes of the third period but were outshot 5-1 as the Canadiens picked off errant passes and cleared the puck from their zone. "Hopefully, next time when we get that many (power-play) opportunities well get more than one (goal)," Bruins forward Milan Lucic said. The Canadiens won despite losing two forwards, Dale Weise and Travis Moen, early in the first period. Bruins defenceman Kevan Miller sent Weise sprawling into the boards 4:50 into the game then fought with Moen, who challenged him after the hit. "I felt bad about it. I just kind of bumped into (Weise)," Miller said. "I stood there just trying to make sure he was OK for a second and Moen asked if I wanted to (fight)." Montreal had an excellent opportunity with a two-man advantage for 44 seconds late in the second period when Johnny Boychuk was called for roughing P.K. Subban and joined Iginla in the penalty box. The Canadiens took four shots on goal before Iginlas penalty ended and none during the rest of the power play. Budaj came up with a big glove save when he stopped Zdeno Charas slap shot from the blue line with 5 seconds left in the second period. NOTES: Montreal C Lars Eller missed the game with a lower-body injury. He has played in 71 of his teams 73 games. ... Former Bruins defenceman Ray Bourque dropped the ceremonial first puck. ... Rask is 3-11-2 in his career against Montreal. Budaj is 5-2 in his career against Boston. ... The Canadiens are 31-0-3 when leading after the second period. 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