URC: Edinburgh 31 Leinster 33
Leinster confirmed their strength in depth by defeating Edinburgh at Hive Stadium in the opening match of the URC with a performance that blended strong forward play and clever running and movement of the ball by visitors’ backs.
This was a Leinster team that mixed youth and experience and while the likes of Jack Conan, James Ryan and Jamison Gibson-Park did a huge amount of work to provide victory, the form of youngsters Sam Prendergast and centre Charlie Tractor was a reminder that a new wave of young players is emerging.
But despite Leinster’s dominance throughout the game it was Edinburgh who were first to move the scoreboard after attacking penalty-created lineout from a series of drives, producing a try for Scotland prop, Pierre Schoeman, Ross Thompson adding the conversion points.
Leinster’s reply was swift and effective, the visitors moving the ball sweetly across the pitch for Sam Prendergast to pick out James Ryan before the Ireland secondrow delivered the scoring pass to Tommy O’Brien. From the touchline Prendergast pulled his conversion attempt across the posts.
Sadly for O’Brien it was his the end of his participation in the game, the Emerging Ireland squad player sustaining a leg injury as he dotted the ball down in the act of scoring.
It proved no disruption for Leinster, who hit Edinburgh with a second try, this time after the home side’s failure to secure an Ali Price box kick. Charlie Tector emerged with the ball before dummying his way through for a try, converted with ease by Prendergast for 12-7 lead.
The momentum shifted again as Thompson with a sidestep made room for Wes Goosen and Jamie Ritchie to provide the links allowing Duhan van der Merwe to power over for an unconverted try, levelling the scores.
Leinster looked dangerous when Jordan Larmour charged down a goal line clearance kick by Goosen only for the ball to go dead before the wing could touch down. Then in the final minute of play the visitors staged a massive siege on the Edinburgh line, but resolute defence prevented Leinster from scoring leaving the teams tied at 12-12 going into half-time.
The early minutes of the second half mirrored the tit-for-tat scoring of before the interval but in a shorter time frame, Edinburgh going ahead with a converted try attributed to Dave Cherry from a driven lineout and then Leinster answering with powerful forward play and then clever distribution out wide to create a try for Larmour converted by Prendergast to tie the scores once more.
Leinster then claimed the bonus point with a scintillating try from Jamison Gibson-Park, the international halfback darting through a gap after the midfield backs had made inroads. Again Prendergast added the extras to put the visitors a score clear.
The screw was turned further after a clever kick that forced a lineout five metres out, from which skipper Jack Conan was driven over for try number five followed by Prendergast’s fourth conversion success.
Then it became Edinburgh’s turn to score the bonus try, the backs working the ball to create an overlap for Van der Merwe to score his second try, but crucially unconverted by replacement Ben Healy.
The former Munster outhalf was then wide with a long-range penalty shot that could have earned Edinburgh a second bonus point. It did not matter, however, as last gasp effort from the home men with a dashing run by Ben Vellacot and the support from Matt Scott for his side’s fifth try, converted by Healy, earning the capital side a second bonus point but too late to prevent Leinster from taking the spoils from an impressive first round win.
Scorers
Edinburgh Rugby: Tries Schoeman, Van der Merwe (2), Cherry, Scott Cons Thompson (2). Healy
Leinster: Tries O’Brien, Tector, Larmour, Conan, Gibson-Park Cons Prendergast (4)
Edinburgh Rugby: W Goosen; D Graham, M Tuipulotu, M Currie, D van der Merwe; R Thompson, A Price; P Schoeman, D Cherry, P Hill, M Sykes, G Gilchrist, J Ritchie, H Watson, B Muncaster.
Replacements: E Ashman for Cherry 50, B Venter Schoeman 56, D Rae for Hill 50, M Bradbury for Munster 59, B Vellacott for Price 65, B Healy for Thompson 56, M Scott for Currie 27
Leinster: J Osborne; T O’Brien, G Ringrose, C Tector, J Larmour; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; M Milne, G McCarthy, T Clarkson, C O’Tighearnaigh, J Ryan, M Deegan, S Penny, J Conan.
Replacements: J McKee for McCarthy 50, C Healy for Milne 48, R Slimani for Clarkson 50, B Deeny for O’Tighearnaigh 50, J Culhane for Penny 71, L McGrath for Gibson-Park 62, R Byrne for Prendergast 59, R Russell for O’Brien (17)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
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