A walk in the Park for top dogs Leinster
JAMISON GIBSON-PARK qualifies for Ireland in June of next year. Whether that is too late to put him in the reckoning for the World Cup three months later remains to be seen but, based on the quality of the Kiwi’s performance against the hapless Dragons at the RDS last night, he is definitely worth considering.
As well as touching down twice himself, the scrum-half set up scores for Josh van der Flier (a slick inside pass off the back of a scrum), Jordan Larmour (a sublime through kick which bounced up beautifully for the flying winger) and Tadhg Furlong (a hook pass straight out of the NBA).
That’s a direct contribution to five tries as well as an overall performance that oozed composure and authority – it was no wonder that the healthy 14,000 crowd (largely subdued for the majority of this ritual flaying) rose to acclaim him when he departed the action on 67 minutes – and then again when the inevitable Man-of-theMatch award followed 10 minutes later.
When fit, Conor Murray is untouchable as Ireland’s firstchoice No9 but his current injury has raised the issue of his understudies and, on this evidence, Gibson-Park looks too good to ignore.
Collectively, given their seven tries and 42-point winning margin, it seems strange to put this down as a workmanlike performance from Leinster.
There was some beautiful interpassing to open up gaps, from forwards and backs, as well as powerful pack play in the scrum and maul. But, in the first half particularly, Leo Cullen’s men were more mayo than meat, flashing the ball before they had properly put the Dragons on the back foot by punching it up.
It meant they only went in 17-0 up at half time, after tries from Sean Cronin and Van der Flier – a relatively low advantage, given the poor quality of opposition.
And, for all their huffing and puffing, the Dragons are an irredeemably poor side. There were periods of resolute defence, one decent passage of phase play just before half time and a fantastic, slaloming solo try for Jordan Williams on 59 minutes but precious little else.
Head coach Bernard Jackman has put his faith in some bigname captures – notably the Welsh international Lions pair of Ross Moriarty and Richard Hibbard.
Moriarty bar one or two carries, largely faffed about the place – his most notable action the cheap-shot shoulder charge on Johnny Sexton just before half-time, which earned him 10 minutes in the bin.
As for Hibbard... the hooker may as well have been flying a kite for all the use he was ambling about the RDS, his Billy Ray Cyrus peroxide mullet making his inadequacies all the more conspicuous.
The loss is now likely to leave Jackman with an achy breaky heart because this is not a group of players to turn things around for the struggling Newport club. The coach is poised to carry the can, particularly if they lose at home to Zebre next weekend.
Leo Cullen has no such worries, his main headache being selection-based given the depth and ability of his squad.
The five second-half tries from Gibson-Park (2), Larmour, Furlong and Fardy were all slickly constructed and there was the definite sense of Leinster having another level to hit should the quality of opposition demand it.
It was a good night for Joe Schmidt also. The Ireland coach, while accepting a degree of cobweb-brushing from his returning frontliners, will surely have been pleased by accomplished showings by Sexton, Robbie Henshaw, James Ryan, Rob Kearney and Garry Ringrose.
Van der Flier, although understandably blowing a bit on his first game back after injury, put in a worthy shift to keep his name in the backrow mix – an area already overflowing with Japan 2019 options.
Cronin also should not be forgotten. The Limerick man had a difficult summer tour to Australia where he appeared to fall behind Niall Scannell and Rob Herring in the hooking pecking order.
But, wherever he now stands with Ireland as the November internationals come into focus, Cronin reminded everyone that he brings something to the table none of his rivals can match – his speed and lines of running are world-class, as he showed for the opening try.
Something for Schmidt to ponder on – as he surely will now on the international claims of Jamison Gibson-Park.
As for Leinster, this was a perfect response to the disappointment of defeat in Scarlets the week before and with Edinburgh due in Dublin next weekend, expect them to crank it up again.