Cardiff feel the Leinster Byrne in second half
LEINSTER produced a second-half comeback worthy of champions to open their Pro14 defence with an exhilarating victory over Cardiff at a throbbing Arms Park last night.
The home side will be wondering how they squandered this chance to claim the scalp of the league and European Cup champions as they looked to be cruising heading into the final hour 29-14 in front.
However, three close-range tries from Leinster robbed the Challenge Cup holders of a morale-boosting victory in a pulsating game.
For the hosts, debutant Jason Harries and Ray Lee-Lo scored two tries each with Jarrod Evans converting three and adding two penalties. Leinster’s sub prop Bryan Byrne also collected a brace of tries, with Jamison Gibson-Park and James Tracy notching one apiece. Ross Byrne added two conversions and two penalties, with Fergus McFadden also kicking a penalty.
Considering Leinster started with only three players that began last season’s European Cup final victory over Racing 92, this will have been a tremendously satisfying win for head man Leo Cullen, while Ireland coach Joe Schmidt will have noted the calm control of out-half Ross Byrne as he oversaw the second-half fightback.
However, it was a poor night for Leinster’s new signing Joe Tomane in the centre — the 17-times capped Wallaby centre repeatedly turned over in possession and struggled badly on occasions in defence.
But, overall, it was an encouraging start for Cullen’s men with the impact from the bench especially satisfying as well as the collective strength of mind to fashion a win from a very difficult position away from home.
It was Leinster who conceded the first points when Evans knocked over a fifth-minute penalty. Shortly afterwards, wing Barry Daly limped off, to be replaced by McFadden, before the visitors fell further behind when Evans sent Lee-Lo in on a 20-metre run to the line.
Evans missed the conversion but it took until 21 minutes for Leinster to finally give Cardiff something to worry about as they picked up their first score with a Byrne penalty.
They then drew level with a try from Tracy, who capitalised on a line-out error from the hosts.
Byrne missed the conversion before he took a knock, meaning it was McFadden who kicked a 32ndminute penalty to put Leinster in front for the first time.
That advantage did not last long, though, as it was their turn to make a hash of a lineout, allowing Cardiff prop Dmitri Arhip to set in motion a flowing movement which ended with Harries touching down.
Evans converted before Byrne nailed a long-range penalty to leave Leinster trailing 15-14 at the break. Cardiff came out flying at the start of the second half, though, and a superb Harries score was quickly followed by Lee-Lo crossing for his second to make it 29-14.
The visitors immediately changed the whole of their front row and seized the momentum with Bryan Byrne and Gibson-Park doing the scoring damage, Byrne grabbing the crucial try three minutes from time, allowing Ross Byrne to chip over the winning conversion. CARDIFF: M Morgan; J Harries, W Halaholo (G Smith 71), R Lee-Lo, O Lane; J Evans, L Williams (T Williams 55); B Thyer (R Gill 58), K Dacey (E Lewis 58), D Arhip (S Andrews 58); S Davies, R Thornton; J Turnbull, E Jenkins (capt, G Earle 68), N Williams (O Robinson 50). Scorers – Tries: Lee-Lo (2), Harries (2). Cons: Evans (3). Pens: Evans (2). LEINSTER: D Kearney; A Byrne, R O’Loughlin, J Tomane (N Reid 71), B Daly (F McFadden 9); R Byrne, L McGrath (J Gibson-Park 63); P Dooley (E Byrne 51), J Tracy (B Byrne 51), M Bent (A Porter 51); R Molony, S Fardy; J Murphy (M Kearney 56), R Ruddock (capt), C Doris (M Deegan 66). Scorers – Tries: Tracy, B Byrne (2), GibsonPark. Cons: R Byrne (2). Pens: R Byrne (2), McFadden. Referee: N Owens (Wales).