Seven-star Leinster through to Champions Cup last 16
TRY SCORER: Leinster's Hugo Keenan runs in to score a try. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher
Leinster became the second team to qualify for the last 16 in the Heineken Champions Cup as they made it three bonus-point wins in a row in Pool A as they easily completed the double over Gloucester.
They say you have to silence the crowd at Kingsholm to stand any chance of winning in the west country and Garry Ringrose’s men stunned them into silence with a blistering start. The visitors were two tries to the good within 11 minutes and had the bonus-point in the bag by the break.
The speed of thought and action from the Leinster side, as well as their lightning decision making and accuracy, gave a much-changed Gloucester side a torrid afternoon. They had sent a second team to the RDS in the second round and conceded nine tries in an embarrassing 57-0 defeat.
They made 12 changes in personnel for the home game, while Leinster only made four. One of those, young centre Jamie Osborne, was the pick of the bunch for the boys in blue as he underlined his huge potential with a brilliant performance that included a first-half try.
The only blip in the performance were two penalty tries conceded at driving line-outs that ended up with Andrew Porter and Caelen Doris picking up yellow cards. Other than that, it was pretty much a nine out of 10 performance.
Where Leicester Tigers led with their 44-29 win over Clermont Auvergne in France on Friday night, Leinster followed in guaranteeing themselves a ticket into the knock-out phase as they look to go one better than last season and win a fifth title in Dublin.
It took a mere three minutes for Leinster to score their first try, Jordan Larmour appearing from nowhere to take a pass from a line-out peel in the home 22 to cross unopposed. Michael Ala'alatoa then bust the line from a tap penalty five metres out from the home posts to improve the fast start.
The first penalty try came in the 26th minute, but two minutes later Osborne showed his attacking potential to slalom his way to the line in a move from another line-out. The bonus-point try came in the sixth minute of added time at the end of the opening half as Doris was driven over by James Ryan from another tap and go penalty.
It took seven minutes of the second half to extend the lead when a bust by Ryan paved the way for Hugo Keenan to showcase his sublime footwork and beat Geroge Barton in a one on one. That stretched the lead to 28 points before Gloucester hit back with their second penalty try.
The loss of a man didn’t affect Leinster’s progress and for the second time in the match they scored with 14 men. This time a neat front of the line move sent Ronan Kelleher racing up the left touchline and the move eventually ended with up with world player of the year Josh van der Flyer diving over.
There was just enough time for a third yellow card for Gloucester, Santiago Carreras being the latest to leave for a deliberate knock-on, and then a magnificent seventh try from Kelleher at a driving line. Harry Byrne added the extra to ensure the outside half family made it seven out of seven with their conversions.
Tries - Pen Try 2.
Tries - J Larmour, M Ala'alatoa, J Osborne, C Doris, H Keenan, J van der Flyer, R Kelleher; Cons - R Byrne 5, H Byrne 2
G Barton (B Twelvetrees 53); J May, C Harris (T Seabrook 67), S Atkinson, O Thorley; S Carreras, Ben Meehan (S Varney 58); V Rapava Ruskin (H Elrington 58), G McGuigan (S Blake 54), K Gotovtsev (C Knight 60), F Clarke (C Jordan 60), M Alemanno, R Ackermann, L Ludlow (captain), B Morgan (J Clement 60).
H Keenan; J Larmour (M Milne 34-35), G Ringrose (captain), J Osborne, J O'Brien; R Byrne (H Byrne 52), J Gibson-Park (N McCarthy 56); A Porter (M Milne 72), D Sheehan (R Kelleher 52), M Ala'alatoa (C Healy 52), R Molony, J Ryan, R Baird (J Conan 56), J van der Flier, C Doris.
B Deeny, L Turner.
Pierre Brousset (France).
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