Discipline a real concern as lacklustre Leinster get out of jail
IF LEINSTER repeat this lacklustre performance at the Aviva in a week’s time, they could be in for a long day against Munster.
They got the win, but this return was far less comfortable than it needed to be.
Their discipline let them down at times with Johnny Sexton conceding a particularly silly penalty when their opponents were down to 14 men and Leinster were camped in the ‘22’.
Leinster started slowly and a Devin Toner high tackle saw them cough up three early points to Jason Tovey.
Edinburgh, in contrast, looked sharp and the home side needed a despairing Luke McGrath tackle to keep James Johnstone at bay.
The Blues strayed offside and handed Tovey a second penalty, but Edinburgh were lucky to maintain a full complement of players from the kick-off when the airborne Dave Kearney crashed into the static Dougie Fife and came down awkwardly.
The winger escaped a yellow as Sexton kicked to the corner. Sean Cronin was stopped short, but Jordi Murphy wouldn’t be denied and when the out-half converted, his side were in front.
A fallow period followed with both teams struggling to find a rhythm and the game was littered with turnovers and errors.
And it was one of those that saw the Scots go in front as Sexton tapped a penalty to try and up the tempo but, having gained ground, the out-half ’s pass was picked off by his opposite number who raced clear.
Sexton turned down a certain three points after Edin- burgh strayed offside, calling a scrum. That attempt didn’t pay dividends, but Hamish Watson was penalised for going off his feet and the captain kicked to the corner. Once again, they couldn’t penetrate but again the penalty came and Sexton went to the corner. This time they wouldn’t be denied as the ball was worked wide to Joey Carbery who stood Tovey up and broke Glenn Bryce’s tackle to score.
Sexton’s conversion gave the home side a 14-13 lead.
They might have had a third try within four minutes of the restart as beautiful hands from Tadhg Furlong released Murphy and he found Jack McGrath. But when Leinster moved the ball wide, Cronin was turned over.
Things were getting nervy as Blair Kinghorn surged forward only to be chopped down by Kearney and the replacement full-back handed Leinster the insurance score when he sliced a clearing kick under pressure under his own posts.
Max Deegan did brilliantly to claim it in the air, before Jamison Gibson-Park dummied and dived over to score the third try.
Ross Byrne converted and the game limped to a close.