Challenged in the first half by a team that went 1-15 in WCC play this season, Gonzaga turned up the defensive intensity and opened the second half on a 19-5 run to seize momentum.

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After half-time we really raised our intensity.

BBC: Clive Stuart-Smith column

And the first-half performance against the Dragons will help keep the intensity high in training before they head to Franklin's Gardens for the Sunday showdown.

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The intensity of a rip-roaring first half went up another notch with a thunderous attack through multiple phases, but Leinster's defence remained resolute, earning a penalty at its conclusion.

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And that's just network television: Several of the friends whom I introduced to "Breaking Bad" chose not to watch the first half of the final season, preferring to get it later in one high-intensity dose.

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Despite all the pre-match talk of the intensity of the teams' rivalry and the potential for fireworks, the first half was a relatively tame affair - no doubt at least partly a result of the steady rain.

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