No try bonus this time but Leinster make it six URC wins from six
Josh van der Flier of Leinster is tackled by Edwill van der Merwe and Erich Cronje of Emirates Lions during the United Rugby Championship match between Leinster and Emirates Lions at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
A funny thing happened in Ballsbridge on Saturday evening: something approaching a contest broke out. Leinster did look comfortable in the second-half, but this was still a ‘game’ in the very best sense of the word thanks to an impressive effort by the visitors.
It marks the first time that Leinster have failed to claim a try bonus point this season, but this was probably worth more than any cakewalk, and there was good news besides with the sight of the injured Ciaran Frawley warming up prior to kick-off.
Andy Farrell, who this week named the out-half in his Ireland squad for the November internationals, will have been particularly glad to see that. His players will come together to prepare for their four Test matches next week.
Second in the table coming into this round six URC clash, the Lions had met nothing like the calibre of a Leinster side that had been moving in an impressive gear for such an early juncture in the season, but they stepped up to the mark admirably here.
When out-half Kade Wolhuter kicked a second penalty to give them a lead towards the end of the first quarter it marked the first time in 353 minutes – since the early stages of the second-half on opening night away to Edinburgh – that Leinster had been behind.
Leo Cullen’s side has been blowing sides away from the off in recent weeks – Munster experiencing just such a fate across the River Liffey a fortnight ago – and it looked like business as usual after Craig Evans blew his first whistle.
Sam Prendergast was at ten with a cast of stars and some other colts around him, Robbie Henshaw stormed into his first appearance of the season, and new Ireland skipper Caelan Doris was bursting through the defensive line at will.
The Lions stood their ground, a combination of strong and disciplined defence, some good tactical kicking and inventive attacking play causing problems for a team that had taken the maximum 25 points from their first five engagements.
Wolhuter’s ability to kick penalties from the vicinity of the halfway line was further warning that Leinster couldn’t take their eye off this one and the South Africans led for a dozen minutes until Josh van der Flier went over for the opening try.
It was a no-frills score, coming off the back of a solid scrum with Doris again leading the charge and the former world player of the year burrowing in under the walls to get the five points. Prendergast added two to leave them 10-6 to the good at the break.
Sheets of rain waited for both teams on the restart but Leinster paid no heed as they turned the screw tighter and tighter. Bit by bit the Lions found themselves conceding possession, territory and momentum and it soon became a siege.
Andrew Osborne had a try ruled out because of a forward pass by Prendergast, then James Lowe was denied a touch down by superb clover defence from outside-centre Henco van Wyk, and the dam broke straight after with Doris going over after a 5m penalty.
That whole chapter took three minutes.
Another 22 minutes were still ahead of us but the floodgates never opened, Leinster finally claiming a third, penalty, try just after the clock found the red to put a touch of gloss on the scoreboard for the 20,945 in the ground.
H Keenan; A Osborne, H Cooney, R Henshaw, J Lowe; S Prendergast, L McGrath; M Milne, G McCarthy, R Slimani; RG Snyman, R Baird; M Deegan, J van der Flier, C Doris.
T Clarkson for Slimani and A Porter for Milne (both 46); C Foley for McGrath and R Byrne for Prendergast (both 64); B Deeny for Baird (68); J Culhane for Deegan (70); S Smyth for McCarthy and C Tector for Henshaw (both 79).
Q Horn; R Kriel, H van Wyk, R Jonker, E van der Merwe; K Wolhuter, M van den Berg; J Schoeman, PJ Botha, A Ntlabakanye; R Schoeman, R Nothnagel; JC Pretorious, J Cairns, F Horn.
E Cronje for Q Horn (11); F Marais for Botha, R Delport for R Schoeman and R Du Plessis for Jonker (all 61); H Pohlmann for J Schoeman, RF Schoeman for Ntlabakanye and S Nohamba for Wolhuter (all 68); R Du Plessis for Pretorious (70).
C Evans (WRU).
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