LEINSTER WARY OF CONNACHT TEST —
Cullen lauds the RDS crowd after huge win
LEINSTER face into interprovincial derbies against Connacht and Munster leading Conference B of the Guinness Pro 14 by a point from Ulster after Saturday night’s facile victory over Edinburgh.
Five quality tries, all from the backs, took the try count to twelve from two home games in the space of a week with just two conceded.
Victory may have come at a cost though as James Ryan failed to return from a HIA having shipped a knock in the opening exchanges. The second row was replaced by Mick Kearney after 21 minutes.
Meanwhile, the unlucky Dan Leavy was at the wrong end of a leading elbow from Pierre Schoeman who was red carded by referee Dan Jones nine minutes from time. Leavy had only been on the pitch as a replacement for five minutes in his first appearance of the campaign after a sternum injury.
Fergus McFadden and James Lowe touched down in the first half and Jordan Larmour, Johnny Sexton and Garry Ringrose went over after the break with Sexton adding three conversions on his 150th appearance for his home club.
Magnus Bradbury’s 45th-minute try converted by Jaco van der Walt saw Edinburgh briefly cut the deficit to 12-7 before Leinster upped the tempo with three converted tries without reply.
In addition to Sexton’s landmark, Devin Toner became the province’s second most capped player behind Gordon D’Arcy and had a hand in two tries while Cian Healy was named man of the match as the experienced internationals led by example.
Leo Cullen paid tribute to the senior players after a tough, uncompromising battle in which the visitors had more than their fair share of possession and territory but only managed to breach the Leinster defence on one occasion.
‘It means so much to the guys when they’re playing here at the RDS, especially the guys who’ve been around a long time,’ said Cullen.
‘It really matters to those guys, they want to represent the team and create those moments that young people are happy to pay into the ground to see. The game requires that level of physical commitment and Johnny delivers on that better than anyone.
‘I thought we had a great crowd there today, I think the players feed off the energy the crowd give as well. The players respond to what the crowd give them.
Leinster have won three games out of four in the opening month but Cullen knows there are big tests ahead with those local derbies and the start of their Heineken Champions Cup defence at home to Wasps in three weeks time.
‘There are lots of bits of our performance we can get better at. We are still a work in progress and trying to get better every week.
‘Next week is going to be a huge step up again particularly after what happened to us down there last year. We know the intent Connacht come with, they’ve a lot of players who have come through the Leinster system at different stages.
‘We know they are always very motivated when they play against us so it’s going to be a good challenge,’ added the coach.
Healy made 16 carries and 12 tackles in an impressive 65 minute display and the loose head prop says the season has gone well so far with no fewer than 38 players seeing game time in the four Pro 14 outings.
‘We’re in a good place. The next four weeks will pose a lot of different threats and different opportunities, they’ll be dealt with as we come to them.
‘Our strategy, focus and intensity, everything has to go up one gear from last year, we have to keep improving,’ said Healy.
‘The young lads have a passion and drive to win, everyone in the squad wants to continue to win. We got the taste of what it’s like and it tastes too good to leave it.’
On the squad depth which gives Cullen the ability to seemingly move internationals in and out of the team at will on a weekly basis, Healy added:
‘That’s only going to get us better, it’s great to have such competition. In pretty much every position now there’s lads chomping at the bit, lads coming back from injury, lads that have just been slogging away.
‘What’s happening in the Leinster
academy and through into development is putting lads in positions to get into the senior squad and get game time. It’s such a motivation for the young lads,’ said the prop.
LEINSTER: J Larmour; F McFadden, G Ringrose, R Henshaw (J Tomane 69), J Lowe; J Sexton (capt) (R Byrne 66), L McGrath (J Gibson-Park 66); C Healy (P Dooley 65), J Tracy (S Cronin 49), M Bent (T Furlong 49), D Toner, J Ryan (M Kearney 21), M Deegan (D Leavy 65) (M Deegan 70), J Van der Flier, J Conan.
Scorers – Tries: McFadden, Lowe, Larmour, Sexton, Ringrose. Cons: Sexton (3). EDINBURGH: D Fife; J Farndale, C Dean (J Johnstone 69), JP Socino, D Van der Merwe; J van der Walt (S Hickey 59), S Kennedy (N Fowles 49); A Dell (P Schoeman 49), R Ford (D Cherry 56), S Berghan , F McKenzie (capt), B Toolis, L Hamilton (C Hunter-Hill 65), J Ritchie, M Bradbury (L Crosbie 65). Scorers – Tries: Bradbury. Con: van der Walt. Referee: D Jones (WRU).