Lions tame Montferrand

Leinster 12

Not a try in sight as the home side pipped a worthy Montferrand side by 12-9 but this was rugby with heart, courage and with a lot of commitment.

Leinster are now more or less home and dried where a Heineken Cup quarter-place is concerned and few will relish tackling them on the evidence of this display.

Picking a man of the match from what was essentially an outstanding team performance was impossible.

The hard work, as always, was done up front where Victor Costello, Malcolm O’Kelly and century breaker Shane Byrne were magnificent.

The Irish management seem to have forgotten Brian O’Meara but the scrumhalf was superb and his four penalties to three from Gerald Merceron separated the sides at the finish.

Out in the middle of the park stood Brian O’Driscoll like a beacon, invariably threatening in possession and yet unbending in the tackle.

But it’s as a team that Leinster are now doing the business. It wasn’t always so but now they fight for each other like never before and that’s why they march on in search of a European crown that is realistically in their sights.

It was terrific stuff from the start. A mix-up between Costello and Warner handed the French a gift three points within 60 seconds of the kick-off but O’Meara’s accurate boot had Leinster on terms almost immediately. In outhalf Gerald Merceron, Montferrand have the man who masterminded France’s Six Nations triumph last season and his second penalty from 35 metres put the visitors 6-3 in front after 23 minutes.

Leinster’s response was terrific as Denis Hickie threw a delightful dummy, and well supported by Shane Horgan and Keith Gleeson almost breached the visitors defence in an attack that originated well inside their own territory. The ground gained, though, led to a tap over equalising penalty for O’Meara.

It was a score that failed to lift the men in blue who spent the remainder of the half on the back foot and could hardly complain when English referee Chris White signalled a third penalty by Merceron in the sixth minute of stoppage time to have passed inside the left hand upright when many on the stand side felt it had gone outside.

The start of the second half was almost unbelievable. Quinlan first, then Christian Warner and most of all Costello, looked certain to score in a series of concerted attacks but somehow the French held out. O’Meara then pulled a penalty left from 45 metres but wave after wave of attacks continued on the French line.

O’Meara accepted his next chance to level on the hour and by now Leinster were truly inspired. Shane Horgan was just checked in the right corner and you could only admire the resolution of the Montferrand defence.

The reward for this almost total, Leinster domination came in the form of O’Meara’s fourth penalty on 68 minutes but they still couldn’t afford to rest easy. Fullback Sebastian Viars missed a very gettable drop goal attempt and O’Meara failed to put it out of range when he missed from the left touchline four minutes into lost time.

Olivier Magne was almost cut in half by a fabulous Keith Gleeson tackle, one of many hits to mark this toughest of matches.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O’Driscoll, D Quinlan, D Hickie; C Warner, B O’Meara; R Corrigan (capt), S Byrne, E Byrne, M O’Kelly, L Cullen, E Miller, K Gleeson, V Costello.

Replacements: A McCullen for Costello, temp, 24-31; N Spooner for Dempsey, temp 31-39. P Coyle for E Byrne 69; McCullen for Miller 70; D Dillon for Costello 77; N Spooner for Warner 77.

MONTFERRAND: S Viars; J Martu, J Ngaumo, R Chanal, D Bory; G Merceron, G Sudre; S Dulpuech, A Castola, S Bozzi, T Jacques, O Brouzet, A Audebart, M Raynaud, O Magne (capt).

Replacement: D Ashvetia for Delpuech, 31; R Cockerill for Castola 63; L Vaitanaki for Brouzet 59: J Machacek for Ashvetia 79.

Referee : Chris White (England).