RUGBY: Leinster 22 Ospreys 23:THE THREE living legends came through unscathed but this was a mixed night for the European champions.
Understandably lacking cohesion and much semblance of continuity in a scrappy game, in the absence of the injured Mike Ross they were hugely undermined by a first-half injury to Kiwi tight-head Nathan White. With Jamie Hagan carried off due to a rib injury, their scrum disintegrated as they rejected an offer of uncontested scrums and surrendered their 20-match unbeaten run.
In truth the Ospreys didn’t have much more than Leinster, other than their scrum, and were ultimately indebted to a couple of TMO Alan Rogan’s decisions and, finally, a decidedly curious decision by the touchjudges to award Dan Biggar a match-winning conversion despite the ball landing on top of the upright. The win gives their tilt at a fourth league title real momentum.
Of some consolation was that Brian O’Driscoll, Brad Thorn and Leo Cullen came through unscathed. O’Driscoll made a couple of enterprising runs and survived a thunderous challenge from flanker Tom Smith midway through the first half before bouncing to his feet. He competed sharply at the breakdown and put himself about with customary fearlessness for a useful work-out just shy of the hour, when at the start of a lengthy injury stoppage for Jamie Hagan, Joe Schmidt finally called him ashore.
As for Thorn, he had departed to a warm reception four minutes beforehand. He has developed himself into a reliable front of the line supplier of ball and there were also plenty of strong one-off carries and typically accurate clearing out. His sheer physicality remains impressive, all the more so for a 37-year-old, and when Ospreys’ winger Willem Dirkson had the temerity to dummy Isa Nacewa, he ran into a wall named Thorn.
Soon after, following a knock-on by Thorn, he redeemed himself with a thumping hit on full-back Richard Fussell. Leo Cullen failed to gather in his first restart but thereafter was controlling the middle of the line and marshalling the troops as he blew off his cobwebs, rising majestically for one restart take on the hour.
Another of the shining lights of the season has been the reliability and goalkicking of Fergus McFadden, who has the highest ratio of converted place kicks in the league. The Pro12’s sharpest shooter had a rare miss after an early exchange of penalties with Dan Biggar, but soon rediscovered his range after Nathan White earned a second penalty off Paul James at scrum time and then McFadden landed a monster kick from just inside the halfway line.
In the 33rd minute, Richardt Strauss overthrew Rhys Ruddock and an attacking line-out seemed lost with Justin Tipuric comfortably the favourite to win the loose ball from a slightly stranded Jamie Hagan, whereupon Ian Madigan sped onto the ball, gathered low down at full tilt without breaking stride through a gap and comfortably veered around Dirksen for what was, remarkably, his seventh try of the season. Playing with more confidence this season, Madigan certainly knows where the try line is.
McFadden’s conversion made it 16-3, although Hagan having replaced Nathan White, was promptly driven back and pinged at his first scrum for Biggar to make it 16-6 at the break.
After another McFadden penalty Leinster became a little ragged in a loose start to the second-half and following missed tackles Biggar further narrowed the gap with a penalty. Then the Leinster defence were outflanked on the short side for Dirksen to make ground up the flank, locate Ashley Beck inside and his offload inside took out Nacewa for Samoan number eight George Stowers to score. Biggar converted and suddenly it was a three-point game.
That seemed to awaken Leinster. Good work at the tackle area by Strauss earned a turnover penalty and from the ensuing lineout Strauss, McFadden and Dave Kearney all ran hard at the Ospreys line before Heinke van der Meuwe was adjudged to be held up over the line by Beck according to the TMO Alan Rogan after Damien Browne had cleverly drawn his tackler.
After Hagan’s departure, compensation came by way of another penalty by McFadden, who was then short from almost halfway after what seemed a rather harsh yellow card against Tipuric for a supposed tip tackle on Kevin McLaughlin.
Leinster made scant use of the advantage, even when Dominic Ryan latched onto a loose ball and linked up with Sean Cronin for a chip ahead and chase. With young loose-head Jack McGrath now converted to tight-head, Leinster didn’t avail of the 5-metre scrum.
Pinged again at the next put-in, they were put on the back foot by Tipuric’s strong carry before replacement hooker Richard Hibbard took tackles by Luke Fitzgerald, Leo Cullen and Isaac Boss to score in the corner. Biggar’s conversion from the touchline landed on top of the upright but was, bizarrely, awarded by the touchjudges without recourse to the TMO.
SCHMIDT DISAPPOINTED WITH TMO DECISIONS
A DISAPPOINTED Joe Schmidt questioned the TMO decisions that over-ruled an apparent try by Heinke van der Meuwe while allowing the match-winner by Richard Hibbard and the controversial conversion by Dan Biggar, writes GERRY THORNLEY.
“I’d say I’m really disappointed about the try decisions. It looked pretty clear to us that Heinke had scored. Maybe it was the question that was asked, try yes or no? And then I’m not sure if you had a look at the replay of theirs, but we have guys who are pretty adamant that they didn’t get it down. I don’t know what the question was for that try.”
Against that, Schmidt was “delighted” with Brian O’Driscoll, Leo Cullen and Brad Thorn. “Leo Cullen is just a great solider. He was half a lung short in the last 20 minutes but he really soldiered on. He showed a cool head and you can’t fault the decisions he made.
“Brad put in a great performance. He’s still fitting into our system. He was slightly out of kilter but he made his presence felt on a couple of occasions as well. Brian looked very sharp for a guy who hasn’t played as long. And as time goes on, he’ll be able to put in an 80 minutes for sure.”
LEINSTER:I Nacewa; D Kearney, B O'Driscoll, F McFadden, L Fitzgerald; I Madigan, I Boss; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, N White, L Cullen (capt), B Thorn, R Ruddock, D Ryan, L Auva'a. Replacements: J Hagan for White (30 mins), D Browne for Thorn, K McLaughlin for Auva'a (both 55 mins), S Cronin for Strauss, J McGrath for Hagan, E O'Malley for o'Driscoll (all 58 mins), F Carr for D Kearney (68 mins0. Not used: J Cooney.
OSPREYS: R Fussell; H Dirksen, A Bishop, A Beck, E Walker; D Biggar, K Fotuali'i; P James, R Hibbard, A Jarvis, R Jones, A Wyn Jones (Capt), T Smith, J Tipuric, G Stowers. Replacements: S Baldwin for Hibbard (30-36 mins), A Jones for Jarvis (58 mins), J King for Stowers (59 mins), R Webb for Fotuali'I (63 mins), R Bevington for James (68 mins), I Evans for R Jones (73 mins). Not used: M Morgan, T Isaacs.
Referee:Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU).
