URC, round three: Leinster 31 Sharks 5
A better composed, better structured, physical Leinster side were easily good for their first win of the United Rugby Championship (URC) in front of 17, 549 at the Aviva Stadium.
Max Deegan’s try early in the second half added a bonus point as Leinster finally got going in their first home game after two opening defeats on the road in South Africa.
Five tries to one against a Sharks side that showed little variation from hoisted kicks in the first half to a narrow game in the second, where the ball rarely got out wide to their wingers, was just reward to a more familiar looking Leinster outfit.
Leo Cullen’s side defended strongly when they had to and wasted little in their offensive raids, stinging Sharks with scores when the opportunities arose.
RM Block
The first opening for the home side came on the stroke of 10 minutes after Leinster had spent the early phase of the match probing both sides of the pitch, Josh van der Flier showing his physical presence with a few big carries.
The score arrived as James Lowe broke up the left side into the Sharks’ 22. Jamie Osborne in support smartly took an inside line and Lowe deftly threaded the ball forward and infield, where Osborne picked and galloped to the near post for the first try, Harry Byrne making the conversion.
Leinster kept up the pressure with Fintan Gunne playing a smart sniping game at scrumhalf and keeping the forward tempo high.
Robbie Henshaw was stopped inches away on 20 minutes but Leinster kept the ball and came back again, this time Jimmy O’Brien taking the right line with a diagonal run after a Leinster scrum.
Gunne made the initial ground with O’Brien’s cutting run leaving the Sharks flapping at air, Byrne converting again for 14-0.
At that stage Sharks had barely fired a shot and Leinster sensed the momentum was with them and continued to press forward.
Minutes later that enterprise was rewarded with Josh van der Flier taking an inside position and again Gunne found him in motion.
Van der Flier’s strength and his choice line between two Sharks players allowed him easily break the tackle and run in for the third try, Byrne converting for a healthy 21-0 lead.
The Sharks frankly didn’t look like scoring and spent a lot of the time with scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse punting the ball high.
Leinster dealt with it, largely through Osborne, and kept the game mostly in the Sharks’ half. A chance for the South African side appeared on 30 minutes when man of the match Byrne threw a skip pass left.
But 22-year-old Springbok Ethan Hooker read the move and stepped in to snatch it out of the air and take off. Nobody was going to catch him as he streaked away down his right wing to touch down for 21-5 at half-time.
Henshaw went off early in the second half with an injury but it didn’t take Leinster long to further widen the scores after Byrne kicked for an attacking lineout on 48 minutes.
Six phases later as the ball went infield it was fed wide to Deegan on the wing, who stepped inside for the bonus point.
The match was heading only one way, and although the Sharks pressed, Leinster’s defence was impressive. On 70 minutes an attacking lineout was again set up, this time the ball thrown over the top to the waiting Gus McCarthy.
The Leinster hooker took one step forward and dived in low for 31-5. Leinster, it appears, are back to their old selves.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 11 mins: Osborne try, Byrne con 7-0; 23: O’Brien try, Byrne con 14-0; 27: Van der Flier try, Byrne con 21-0; 30: Hooker try 21-5; Half-time 21-5; 49: Deegan try 26-5; 70: McCarthy try 31-5
LEINSTER: J Osborne; J O’Brien, R Henshaw, C Frawley, J Lowe; H Byrne, F Gunne; P McCarthy, R Kelleher, T Furlong; B Deeny, R Baird; A Soroka, J van der Flier (capt), M Deegan.
Replacements: Cooney for Henshaw (48 mins), G McCarthy for Kelleher, T Clarkson for Furling, J Boyle for McCarthy (all 51), L McGrath for Gunne, D Mangan for Deeny (both 60), J Kenny for Osborne (70), J Culhane for Van der Flier (72).
Yellow card: Boyle (74 mins).
SHARKS: E van der Merwe; E Hooker, J Julius, L Am (capt), M Mapimpi; J Smith, J Hendrikse; S Matanzima, F Mbatha, R Dreyer; V Tshituka, M Orie; P Buthelezi, M Tshituka N Hatton.
Replacements: V Koch for Dreyer (48 mins), S Masuku for Smith, R Braude for Hendrikse, B Mbonambi for Mbatha (all 51), D Bleuler for Matanzima (62), B Hlekani for Tshituka (62), F Venter for Am (63), T Mavesere for Buthelezi (72).
Referee: C Evans (WRU).
