Leinster finish with a flourish to race away from Lions

The hosts ultimately earned a bonus-point win at the Aviva. 

Leinster's Andrew Osborne and Luke McGrath are tackled by Lions' Erich Cronje. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Leinster 31 Lions 7 

Hard to believe this was a one-score game with just 10 minutes remaining but Leinster then opened their shoulders and blew the Lions away at Aviva Stadium.

The introduction of Diarmuid Mangan off the bench in the opening half and Hugh Keenan in the final quarter, along with the switch of Ciaran Frawley to outhalf, was decisive as Leinster carved out a bonus point win.

Leinster got a perfect start with Jamie Osborne fly-kicking over outhalf Chris Smith to gather and dive over after less than two minutes. Sam Prendergast added the conversion from the left.

He was lucky to find touch with a poor penalty which winger Erich Cronje should have prevented from crossing the line.

Leinster lost possession a few phases from the lineout when scrumhalf Luke McGrath, having to constantly dig for the ball in the ruck as the Lions scrapped for everything, knocked on.

Two neat chips in midfield from Prendergast cut the visitors’ cover but when the outhalf followed up to score in the corner, the try was scratched on review when it was shown that Jimmy O’Brien was ahead of the kicked in midfield.

Leinster could have no complaint about that decision after 16 minutes but the Lions could feel hard done by five minutes later when a superb burst from flanker Sibabalwe Mahashe was ruled out on review when winger Cronje was harshly adjudged to have been offside when he dislodged the ball from McGrath’s grasp to force a turnover.

The Johannesburg side were further incensed when Leinster got their second try from the resultant penalty, Prendergast going to the corner a few phases later tighthead Thomas Clarkson squeezed over. The conversion made it 14-0 after 24 minutes.

Prendergast was given a brief lecture by referee Hollie Davidson after he made an issue when Lions hooker PJ Botha tried to block a clearance but did not make contact.

The Lions hit back five minutes from the break when their skipper Francke Horn burst over after a good bout of pressure, with the league’s top scorer Chris Smith, who had earlier missed a penalty from 45 metres in front of the posts, added the points to leave it 14-7 at the interval.

Leinster dominated after the restart but four minutes of pounding the Lions line failed to yield an opening and they were held up before the South Africans cleared their line.

With the likes of replacment Diarmuid Mangan impressing, Leinster with the Lions backlash.

Prendergast went for maximum distance to the right corner from 45 metres after 56 minutes but the ball flew inches the wrong side of the corner flag and another Leinster opportunity was lost.

Leo Cullen drafted in Hugo Keenan for Prendergast after 62 minutes, with Ciaran Frawley switched from fullback to outhalf.

It turned out to be a masterstroke. Frawley impressed immediately after switching to No.10 and was involved in the build-up when Keenan skipped through to after good work by Andrew Osborne and Rieko Ioane ten minutes from time.

The bonus point try came two minutes later, Frawley releasing Hugh Cooney who had just come on and he Ioane wide to score in the right corner.

Leinster finished in style when Jimmy O’Brien punished a tired defence to score down the left with his side’s fifth try.

Scorers: Leinster: Tries: J Osborne,T Clarkson, H Keenan, R Ioane, J O’Brien. Cons: S Prendergast (2), C Frawley.

Lions: Try: F Horn. Con: C Smith.

Leinster: C Frawley; A Osborne (H Cooney 70), R Ioane, J Osborne, J O’Brien; S Prendergast (H Keenan 62), L McGrath (F Gunne 75); E Byrne (A Porter 46), J McKee (D Sheehan 59), T Clarkson (R Slimani 46); B Deeny (S Penny 48), J Ryan (c); M Deegan, W Connors (D Mangan 19), J Culhane (Penny 16-26).

Lions: Q Horn; E Cronje, H van Wyk, R Kriel, A Davids (K Mpeku 67); C Smith, M van den Berg (N Steyn 70); S J Kotze (E Davids 63), P J Botha (F Marais 62), A Ntlabakanye (S Lombard 63); E Oosthuizen (D Landsberg 46), R Nothnagel; S Mahashe (J C Pretorius 70), R Venter (B Hlekani 5), F Horn (c).

Ref: H Davidson (SRU)