Leinster’s winter warmer for fans

WINTER arrived with a vengeance in Dublin last night — but Leinster gave their supporters plenty cause for cheer as they swept to a comfortable bonus-point victory over an outclassed Cardiff outfit.

Despite playing into the teeth of an icy gale in the first-half, Leinster made most of the running.Ceri Sweeney opened thescoring with a penalty for Cardiff but after that the home team quickly took a firm grip.

Fergus McFadden drew them level a couple of minutes later and thereafter Leinster just cranked up the pressure. Their back row of Rhys Ruddock, Shane Jennings and Shane O’Brien were already to the fore, with O’Brien making hard yards every time he got his hands on the ball.

A series of charges from O’Brien and his pack inched Leinster closer and closer to the Cardiff line and, when Ruddock was held up short, scrum-half Isaac Boss somehow wriggled his way over the line through a forest of arms and legs. McFadden added the conversion, and now Leinster were seven points to the good. Shortly afterwards McFadden arrowed a penalty between the posts despite the strong wind.

Leading by 13-3, Leinster were very much in control, but in the remaining 20 minutes of the half Cardiff slowly fought their way into the match.

The source of their new-found momentum was their greater ferocity at the breakdown, and Leinster didn’t cope all that well as they coughed up three softish penalties that Ceri Sweeney converted to close the gap to just four points by half time.

As expected, Leinster responded well with the elements at their back in the second half.

McFadden clipped over another penalty after just two minutes and then burly prop Nathan White rose the biggest cheer of the night when he sprinted 20 yards for a cracking try after great interplay between Isa Nacewa, Fionn Carr and Ian Madigan had sent him clear.

McFadden added the conversion and then clipped over a drop-goal from close range a few minutes later to put Leinster 26-9 ahead.

Cardiff were chasing the game and illustrated that fact by kicking to the corner when they won a penalty deep in Munster’s half. They won the line-out and drove to the line and probably would have scored a try had Leo Cullen not hauled the maul down and earned a yellow card for his troubles.

A series of scrums followed but Leinster held on and eventually cleared their line to rousing cheers. Shortly afterwards Cardiff scrum-half Richie Rees was also yellow-carded, and that finally killed off any chance of a Cardiff comeback.

While Rees was off the pitch Leinster hit them for three tries. Ian Madigan ran over the first one and winger Dave Kearney claimed the next two after first getting on the end of a cross-kick from Johnny Sexton and then showing great determination to go past a couple of tackles and make it over under the posts. There was one final flourish when substitute Leo Auva’a charged over the line from close range right at the death for a try that Sexton converted to bring down the curtain on a hugely impressive performance.

Scorers for Leinster: Tries: D Kearney (2), I Boss, N White, I Madigan, L Auva’a. Cons: F McFadden (3), J Sexton (2). Pens: F McFadden (3). Drop-goals: F McFadden.

Scorers for Cardiff: Pens: C Sweeney (3).

LEINSTER: I Nacewa; D Kearney, E O’Malley, F McFadden, F Carr; I Madigan, I Boss; C Healy, R Strauss, N White; L Cullen, S Sykes; R Ruddock, S Jennings, S O’Brien. Replacements: H van der Merwe for C Healy (ht), M Ross for N White (55), E Reddan for I Boss, S Cronin for R Strauss, L Auva’a for S O’Brien (all 63), R Kearney for F McFadden (66), D Browne for S Sykes, J Sexton for I Madigan.

CARDIFF: C Czekaj, R Mustoe, C Laulala, G Evans, T James; C Sweeney, R Rees; J Yapp, R Tyrrell, T Filise; C Hill, P Tito, M Molitika, J Navidi, X Rush. Replacements: M Paterson for C Hill (57), N Trevet for J Yapp (67), M Cook for P Tito (68), M Breeze for R Tyrrell (72), S Hobbs for T Filise (73)

Referee: A MacPherson (Scotland).