BLUES WIN BUT GET FRAW DEAL
LEINSTER hope to have Ciaran Frawley available for the crunch final pool clash with Leicester Tigers next Saturday.
The Blues destroyed understrength Stade in front of a 42,003 crowd at the Aviva Stadium but lost another out-half when Frawley suffered a 43rd minute back injury.
That didn’t stop the province racking up seven tries to secure last 16 qualification. The Blues now want a fourth pool win as they target a home run to through the tournament play-offs.
With Ross Byrne already ruled out and his brother Harry in a race to be fit after rolling his ankle this week, Leinster need Frawley for their Welford Road mission.
“He got a bang on the back there but he looks OK,” said coach Leo Cullen. “I don’t think it’s bad, that’s my amateur take on it. He looked alright.”
Skipper Garry Ringrose excelled along with man of the match Caelan Doris, who scored two tries, and Ryan Baird. James Lowe marked his first Leinster appearance of the campaign with the opening score.
The lineout was initially a cause for concern but the return from injury of James Ryan after the break made a difference and he is sure to start against the Tigers.
The stalemate was broken when Lowe was sent over by Ringrose in the 17th minute. Jamison Gibson-park’s covering instincts denied Stade a try before Doris sprinkled some magic on the occasion.
The back row collected the loose ball, spun, hopped over one attempted tackle, feinted past Stade scrum-half Brad Weber and took the Blues deep into the visitors’ 22.
Larmour put Josh van der Flier over, then Stade blew a great chance when Leo Monin couldn’t collect his chip with the line at his mercy.
Leinster made the visitors pay before half-time. With penalty advantage, Dan Sheehan caught Ringrose’s crosskick and had the iron will to score the third try.
In the second half Ringrose took off 50 metres downfield, Gibson-park fired a pass out wide that Stade’s Kylan Hamdaoui tapped into the grateful arms of Larmour to score.
Soon after it was Baird who led the charge and, while he was denied, Doris completed the job.
The back row added his second in the 62nd minute, converting from close range and Larmour dived in for his second (below) from Ronan Kelleher’s inside pass.
After Stade winger Pienasi Dakuwaqa came up just short, replacement Joris Segonds raced in for a consolation.
TOULON: Tries: J Lowe, J van der Flier, D Sheehan, J Larmour 2, C Doris 2. Cons: C Frawley, S Prendergast 3
STADE: Try: J Segonds. Con: Z Henry