Leinster labour to win against battling Bayonne

The victory on the road guarantees a home quarter-final in the Champions Cup. 

MAX EFFORT: Leinster’s Max Deegan scores a try. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Leinster are guaranteed a home quarter-final in the Champions Cup after lumbering to a come-from-behind 22-13 win over a dogged Bayonne at Stade Jean Dauger on Saturday, a week after they had beaten La Rochelle in Dublin with the final kick of the match.

But they needed tries from Sam Prendergast and Max Deegan in the last six minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of what at kick-off had seemed to be an unlikely defeat against a side with no surviving interest in this season’s Champions Cup after three defeats and zero points from their first three games.

Deegan benefited from a Bayonne overthrow at a defensive lineout in the final minute of the game, diving over after Dan Sheehan had been stopped just short of the line.

Five minutes earlier, Prendergast dotted down under the posts following Harry Byrne’s chip ahead to send the four-time champions into the lead for the first time.

Those closing few minutes were, perhaps, a little cruel on the home side, who had gone toe-to-toe with their opponents throughout.

Certainly, until Prendergast's score, not much had seemed to go the visitors’ way in miserable conditions in the Basque Country against hosts who may not have been inspired but who clearly did exceed pre-match expectations.

Perhaps Bayonne wanted something positive to take back to the Top 14 — they are at home to Castres next weekend — after just one win in their last six. Perhaps the players wanted to give internally under-pressure coach Gregory Patat something to smile about. Whatever the reason, Bayonne proved a match for their illustrious opponents for 75 minutes.

They led 10-3 at the break off a meagre 40 percent possession and 45 percent territory, and on the back of a determined defensive effort that kept Leinster at bay.

The French side’s try, in the 15th minute, was strike-move simplicity itself — following quick ball off a lineout, Yohan Orabe swept off his wing into midfield, and released centre Sireli Maqala to score unopposed.

Harry Byrne and Joris Segonds traded penalties in the rain, to take the scores to 10-3, as the home side – and their own errors — repeatedly frustrated the visitors. Tom Clarkson, on for Tadhg Furlong, was guilty of being “a bit greedy”, according to referee Luke Pearce as he ruled out a 34th-minute try for a double movement. Moments later, Jamison Gibson-Park fired a straightforward pass over his winger’s head.

Of greater immediate concern for Leo Cullen and Andrew Farrell, however, will be the injury toll the match was taking. Furlong had come off in the 16th minute complaining of calf trouble, Reiko Ioane replaced a hobbling Robbie Henshaw in the 35th minute, and Tommy O’Brien was injured in the first play of the second half, pulling up with a calf injury. He was replaced by Sam Prendergast.

The second half ran to a similar script: sterling, scrambling French defence and infuriating Leinster errors.

Leinster finally officially crossed the tryline in the 56th minute, with Bayonne temporarily down to 14, when Sheehan charged over, following super work from Joshua Kenny, Jimmy O’Brien and Prendergast, a strike move again doing its job. Byrne converted to level the scores.

But Bayonne were ahead again minutes later, via Segonds howitzer boot — and more frustration followed as O’Brien dropped the ball over the line, until those late scores from Prendergast and Deegan settled the result, even as the home fans celebrated their heroes in the stands.

Bayonne: Cheikh Tiberghien; Tom Spring, Sireli Maqala, Manu Tuilagi (Guillaume Martocq 49’), Yohan Orabe (Victor Hannoun 73’); Joris Segonds, Herschel Jantjies; Ignacio Calles (Emosi Tumania 56’), Lucas Martin (Facundo Bosch 51’), Junior Tagi (Emerick Setiano 51’); Ewan Johnson, Lucas Paulos; Alexandre Fischer, Arthur Iturria (capt) (Baptiste Heguy 46’), Nika Lomidze (Manex Ariceta 53’).

Not used: Alvaro Garcia Iandolino 

Leinster: Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien (Sam Prendergast 41’), Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw (Rieko Ioane 35’), Joshua Kenny; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jack Boyle (Jerry Cahir 71’), Rónan Kelleher (Dan Sheehan 45’), Tadhg Furlong (Thomas Clarkson 16’); RG Snyman (Joe McCarthy 52’); James Ryan; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier (Scott Penny 75’), Caelan Doris (capt).

Not used: Luke McGrath