O’Sullivan talent spotting as Leinster make good start

Leinster 23 Gloucester 15

The fact that out-half Matt Leek stepped up to shoot the opening points, ahead of last season’s regular kicker Brian O’Meara, may be significant in the longer term, especially with Ireland U21 scrum-half Brian O’Riordan waiting on the sideline.

On 11 minutes, Denis Hickie lost the ball in the process of going to ground for Gloucester to open up down the left flank where centre Henry Paul slipped inside Ben Gissing for the first try, converting himself, for a 7-3 advantage.

Then, Leinster threatened from a five-metre lineout and maul. When the visitors’ forwards did not heed referee Simon McDowell’s repeated warnings, the penalty try soon followed for Leek to add the points.

Just before the break, the home backs combined to send Denis Hickie slaloming through from the left and the supporting Keith Gleeson was on hand to finish. Leek kicked the extras for a 17-7 half-time lead.

Leek widened the gap with a second penalty before centre Robert Todd followed his own grubber to take advantage of Girvan Dempsey’s uncharacteristic handling mistake on the floor to slide in and Paul struck a 53rd minute penalty to make it 20-15.

A glut of Leinster substitutions led to a total breakdown in continuity until Leek put manners on Gloucester with a 73rd minute penalty when Aidan Kearney was taken out of it at a lineout.

Scorers for Leinster: M Leek 3 pens, 2 cons; K Gleeson try; pen try.

Gloucester: H Paul try, pen, con; R Todd try.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; G D’Arcy, K Lewis, D Quinlan, D Hickie; M Leek, B O’Meara; R Corrigan, S Byrne, N Treston, B Gissing, L Cullen, A McCullen, K Gleeson, E Miller.

Replacements: D Molloy for Corrigan, A Kearney for Gissing both h.t., J McWeeney for Dempsey 52 mins; B O’Riordan for O’Meara, S Jennings for Gleeson, G Hickie for Byrne, G Brown for Lewis, B Gissing for Cullen all 60 mins; D Dillon for McCullen, B Burke for Hickie both 67 mins.

GLOUCESTER: R Teague; M Garvey, R Todd, H Paul, J Frape; B Davies, S Amor; P Johnstone, S Brotherstone, A Deacon, A Brown, M Cornwell, A Eustace, P Buxton, J Paramore.

Replacements: S Thomas for Todd; N Wood for Johnstone both 71 mins; A Page for Amor 80 mins.

Referee: S McDowell, Ulster Society.