Racing 92 10 Leinster 42
Leinster move on to host Gloucester next Friday night. Looking at that form, you would worry for Gloucester. Caelan Doris was named player of the match, unsurprising given his role in what was a good display by the pack.
That wraps up our live coverage, stay tuned for John O’Sullivan’s match report.
Leinster send a big statement to open up their campaign. They were certainly helped by Racing’s ill-discipline, they never had to work for a platform inside the 22 due to penalties while two yellow cards certainly helped thei cause to no end.
It’s Racing’s worst defeat in the competition and certainly up there with their worst performance.
Leinster cashed in to beautiful effect, though, a dominant set-piece giving them plenty of opportunities. They had to be patient given some good breakdown defence in the first half but their ability to strike off first phase and then their superior fitness and physicality in the second half saw them over the line.
TRY VAN DER FLIER
80 mins: Leinster finish with a flourish. Van der Flier breaks through a tired defensive line to score under the posts. A dominant display is wrapped up with a score.
TRY CHRISTIAN WADE!
76 mins: Racing get a consolation score. It starts off with Fickou’s deft footwork, then Russell’s dummy and run breaks the line. Osborne is done all ends up and then once he’s through, he feeds Wade for the score. Russell converts from out wide.
73 mins: McGrath reads the ball out the back to Russell well, up he comes out of the line to hit man and ball and force a knock-on.
TRY ED BYRNE!
70 mins: Try number five for Leinster. McGrath makes a good snipe down the short side, working his way close after Leinster got quick ball phase after phase. The forwards take over, van der Flier goes close before Byrne gets a good latch and dives over. Harry Byrne is on and adds the easy extras.
68 mins: Racing go through phase after phase but give away a penalty after a knock and then holding on. Ringrose goes quick, Racing aren’t back 10. Racing looked lethargic and completely devoid of ideas in that attack.
66 mins: James Lowe has just saved Leinster. After a break from deep, Woki looked to have a canter to the line but the Leinster wing tracks back and hauls him down from behind. Racing still have it but O’Brien shooting out of the line has knocked them out of the 22.
Conan is also on for Ryan, meaning Baird will shift to the second row. Healy is on at tighthead for Ala’alatoa.
64 mins: Changes for Leinster. McGrath, Ed Byrne and Kelleher are all on for Gibson-Park, Porter and Sheehan. Leinster pressure as Ngatai slaps the ball out of Wade’s hand, probably a scrum but play continues. The ball is hacked down field and Racing do well to regather close to their own line, hold off the pressure and then clear.
TRY JOSH VAN DER FLIER!
62 mins: Leinster tap and go from the penalty with a deft pop to van der Flier allowing him to force his way over the line. They’re checking for a double movement but the try stands. Leinster have their bonus point.
Yellow card Le Garrec! He came flying out of the line to disrupt Gibson-Park’s pass and he’s gone for 10. Leinster will be attacking against 14 while hunting the bonus point.
61 mins: The handling from Byrne and then Doris is excellent as Leinster patiently pick holes in the Racing defence. Diallo then gives away a penalty for a no-arms tackle. Leinster fling the ball across the park under advantage and we are going to check with the TMO for a deliberate knock-on in the air.
58 mins: CLOSE! James Lowe is busy as always in the 22. He gets a tip-on from Byrne as he looks to force his way over in the corner but four defenders swarm to shunt him into touch.
57 mins: Leinster have another penalty as van der Flier is hit high while peeling off a maul. More ill-discipline allows Byrne to kick into the 22.
56 mins: Woki gives away a penalty for jumping across the lineout. A poor error that allows Leinster to clear.
55 mins: Jenkins goes to be replaced by Molony. Leinster earn a lineout after Wade spills a high ball into touch. They look to go wide but Ngatai’s pass is a poor one that forces Lowe to retreat and then Racing get a counter-ruck going once again. Russell kicks and finds touch just short of the 22.
52 mins: Racing’s maul is a good one that makes ground but Baird eventually gets in to disrupt. Once it hits the deck, the ball squirts out and Ala’alatoa dives on it. Both sides exchange kicks and Le Garrec is very lucky there, his kick inside his own 22 is blocked by Ringrose and it could have gone anywhere. Fortunately for him, it goes out of play instead of sitting up for a Leinster player.
51 mins: Another knock-on! Diallo looked to be getting pulled into the ruck illegally, forcing him to spill it forward but Pearce again is happy to let the ball go. Leinster manage to clear. Dark arts from Josh van der Flier there rescuing Leinster.
50 mins: Knock-on! Byrne and Ngatai combine to rip the ball out but Porter then plays it off his feet, gifting Racing a penalty. Racing will tap and go.
48 mins: 50:22 time! I don’t think it was intentional from Imhoff but his dink over the top under pressure gives Racing possession deep in the Leinster half. They go quickly and after Fickou pumps off Ringrose Fring is tackled into touch. Leinster were stretched but they manage to hold on. Turns out Leinster actually got on the ball through Keenan before it went out, so Racing get the lineout.
46 mins: Wow. First of all Russell nearly pulls off the 50:22, a superb kick but then Lowe comes across to keep the ball in play cleverly. Russell hits Lowe late after he clears but Pearce is happy to let play continue.
45 mins: Racing replace both props, looking to improve their fortunes at the scrum. It works immediately, Springbok Trevor Nyakane winning a penalty off Porter.
44 mins: Leinster get two early chances to secure the bonus point. First Ringrose is held up short after darting down the left flank and then Sheehan gets in the way of a short pop to Jenkins and the ball goes forward. Racing have a relieving scrum close to their own line.
41 mins: They’re back underway in Le Havre. Racing are back up to 15 with Chat’s yellow having expired. A penalty comes almost straight away as Ben Arous is caught offside. Gibson-Park goes quickly to take play up to the 22.
Here is that magic Garry Ringrose try. Brilliant on first phase from Leinster while Lowe’s offload is fantastic. Ringrose’s initial decoy opens the hole for Lowe by drawing in Russell and then his support line gets him the score.
Leinster make Racing pay when attacking against just 14 men. A late break threatens to bring the French side a score just before the break but Andrew Porter tracks back to force an error in contact.
Leinster have been gifted opportunities time and again in that half to enter the Racing 22 due to penalties but the French side’s defence in that area was good for the most part. They did a job on Leinster’s breakdown and dislodged the ball a number of times in contact.
However, when down to 14, they had no answers to Leinster’s ability to break the line, with two quick-fire tries starting with long-range attacks cut them open. The tie could well and truly be over due to that crucial 10-minute period with Chat in the bin.
Half-time: Racing 92 3 Leinster 21
TRY GARRY RINGROSE
38 mins: On first phase just inside the Racing half, a backline move sends Lowe through a gap and he doesn’t need a second invitation. The scramble catches up to him inside the 22 but his deft offload over the head of the Racing defender finds Ringrose. He still has work to do but rides a tackle to slide his way over the line. What a score. Byrne converts.
37 mins: Leinster are scrumming against a seven-man pack with Chat in the bin and it’s no contest. Easy penalty to give as Gomes Sa pops up. Pearce goes to Fickou to warn the Racing skipper that his tighthead is giving away too many penalties at the scrum.
36 mins: So good from Racing but then a disastrous decision costs them. Spring and Lauret combine well on kick return before Russell switches play down the blind side to enter the 22. Wade tries to throw the offload but it hits the deck and then Russell knocks on when he tries to regather. Leinster survive.
TRY DAN SHEEHAN!
33 mins: Leinster had the advantage after an infringement at the ruck and Gibson-Park used it to continually hit the blind side. O’Brien and Lowe make ground on consecutive phases before Gibson-Park throws a wide ball over the top to Sheehan. He’s got space in the corner and works past the attempted tackle of Russell to score. Byrne’s conversion from the touchline is excellent.
31 mins: Another chance goes begging for Leinster. They stop the maul and haul Sheehan down close to the line and after a series of brutal collisions around the fringes, Jenkins spills in contact. Fickou was the man who knocked the ball loose.
30 mins: YELLOW CARD CAMILLE CHAT! The Racing hooker stops a maul illegally and he’s off for 10. Too many penalties says Luke Pearce. He warned Racing about 20 minutes ago about their discipline but there was no word of caution recently.
29 mins: Big moment for the Leinster set-piece. They get the upper hand there and win the penalty at the scrum as Racing pop up in the front row. Byrne kicks down the line, finding touch inside the 22.
28 mins: Now Racing are guilty of a sloppy error, Saili dropping the ball when too busy looking ahead to see which defender was charging at him.
27 mins: Wade nearly gets his hands on an interception that would have seen him under the posts if he held on but he spills it forward. Leinster then kick ahead, Jenkins looks to get in over the ball in defence but O’Brien failed to roll away.
26 mins: No mistake from Russell. It was a central position right on the Leinster 10m line and the Scotland international slots it.
24 mins: Poor from Doris. Gibson-Park and O’Brien look to run back a kick but the number eight dives in off his feet. Russell points to the posts and will try to get his side on the board.
22 mins: Doris is absolutely nailed by Russell, what a shot. Leinster make ground through Sheehan down the blind side but Gibson-Park puts his attempted grubber out on the full. Racing take a short lineout before clearing out of the 22.
21 mins: Another turnover in the 22 from Leinster. For a handful of phases, the work at the breakdown was good as Leinster’s cleners guarantee quick ball but Ryan fails to look after one particular ruck and Saili pilfers the ball.
19 mins: Penalty Leinster. Clever really, they wait and wait for Racing to start pushing at the scrum, Gibson-Park doesn’t put the ball in and Pearce has to penalise them for repeated early shoves. Byrne kicks the ball up to the 22.
18 mins: Another free-kick for Leinster at the scrum as Racing shove too early. Camille Chat doesn’t look too impressed.
17 mins: Leinster go wide for the first time on first phase but it goes awry. Baird wasn’t ready for the short pop and duly knocks it on once Byrne tries to find him.
16 mins: Racing are doing a good job on Leinster’s breakdown here. Diallo this time wins the turnover inside his own 22 after a series of ineffectual Leinster carries.
14 mins: Penalty Leinster! A few offloads from Racing threaten to break the line but Doris gets in over the ball to win the turnover. Russell was hounded brilliantly by Jenkins there, a clear tactic to shut down the Scot.
12 mins: Scrappy stuff. Saili breaks out of the 22 but Russell has a kick blocked straight into the arms of Gibson-Park. Byrne’s kick is then in turn blocked, giving Fickou time to gather and pick a good angle for his kick, finding touch just short of the Leinster 22.
10 mins: Wow. Racing ill-discipline comes into it again as Camille Chat fails to put his break-foot down at the scrum. Free-kick for Leinster inside the Racing 22 but more good defensive work bails them out of trouble. Lauret puts in a good counter-ruck, so when the ball is unplayable on the deck they get the scrum.
8 mins: Better defence from Racing. A counter-ruck nearly forces a turnover but then a spill in a big collision from van der Flier gives the hosts a relieving scrum.
7 mins: Racing look to hit back as Imhoff and then Saili put in good carries. Gomes Sa dives in off his feet to clear, it looked like Lowe bought the penalty by stepping back from the ruck but it’s another penalty against Racing.
TRY ANDREW PORTER!
Leinster are ahead in the fourth minute. Woki goes up at the front of the lineout, Sheehan hits Jenkins at the tail. The defensive maul is nowhere to be seen as Porter latches onto the ball and bundles over. Far too easy. Byrne converts from out wide.
3 mins: Leinster get the penalty after Lauret fails to roll away. Three very quick penalties given away by Racing, not a good start. Leinster turn down the easy 3 and go to the corner.
2 mins: Baird is hit high right off the kick-off. Luke Pearce misses it initially but his TMO tells him to give the penalty. Ross Byrne clears the lines, giving Leinster the lineout inside Racing territory. Another penalty comes for Woki jumping across the lineout. All of a sudden Leinster have a platform deep inside the Racing half.
1 min: After a minute’s applause for Doddie Weir, they’re underway in Le Havre! Plenty of empty seats sadly, doesn’t look like too many have travelled from Paris while as we said earlier, plenty of Leinster fans had their flights cancelled due to the frost in Dublin airport.
Right then. We are moments away from kick-off here. Can Leinster get a win on the board, minus Sexton, Furlong and Henshaw? We’ll find out very soon as the teams make their way onto the pitch.
Here is the Racing 92 lineup. That backline is frightening with Finn Russell pulling the strings and speedsters Christian Wade and Juan Imhoff on the flanks, not to mention Gael Fickou smashing everything that moves in midfield.
In the pack, there’s a lot of power but keep an eye out for Cameron Woki. He’s one of the more dynamic and skilled second rows you’ll see out there.
This was the frost that derailed the travel for the Leinster team itself and for so many of their supporters who, sadly, couldn’t make it over due to cancelled flights.
Time to run through the teams. Leinster are missing the key duo of Johnny Sexton and Tadhg Furlong who are both injured. Ireland’s unlikely hero against Australia Ross Byrne and Michael Ala’alatoa deputise for them. Robbie Henshaw is still out which means Charlie Ngatai is at 12. He, Jason Jenkins and Jamie Osborne on the bench are all set for European debuts in blue. Garry Ringrose captains in Sexton’s absence.
Then there’s the preview of today’s match from our man over in Le Havre, John O’Sullivan. He’s tipping a Leinster win.
Of course, they very nearly didn’t make it over after yesterday’s ice caused havoc in Dublin airport.
Here’s Gerry Thornley’s preview of the tournament as a whole. Despite the muddled format, he still has faith in the competition’s ability to capture fans.
Afternoon all and welcome to the start of this year’s Champions Cup. It doesn’t get much tougher for Leinster as their latest campaign for a fifth star gets underway on the road at Racing. Not at their intimidating La Defense Arena, mind you. There’s a concert on there so instead we’re a few hours up the road in Le Havre.
