Pace-setting Blues outsprint Cheetahs
Leinster 36 Cheetahs 12
CONFERENCE A leaders Leinster continued their unbeaten season with a comprehensive bonus-point win over Cheetahs at a rain-lashed RDS.
Newly capped Ireland hooker Ronan Kelleher closed out the first half with his seventh try of the Pro14 campaign, adding to Will Connors and Michael Bent’s earlier scores, as the Blues made light of the wind and rain to lead 22-0.
Leinster had 82 per cent of possession by the break and continued to dominate, setting up further tries for Rhys Ruddock and man-of -the-match Connors. Replacement forwards Luan De Bruin and Aidon Davis both crossed for Cheetahs during the final 18 minutes.
Leinster fared better with their early ball retention despite playing into the wind and a heavy rain shower. There were ground-gaining runs from Fergus McFadden and Joe Tomane, but conditions made the line-out a lottery.
Although a Bent knock-on ended a promising set of carries, Cheetahs leaked a series of penalties. That allowed Max Deegan to break menacingly from a 20th-minute maul before Connors spun out of a couple of tackles to touch down.
The young flanker’s first senior score was neatly converted from the left by Ciaran Frawley, who also knocked over a penalty following prop Charles Marais’ 28thminute yellow card.
Deegan’s break from a short Frawley pass opened up the South Africans’ defence again, and, after Kelleher was stopped short, a well-supported Bent soon burrowed over for his third try of the season.
Kelleher increased his influence with a turnover penalty, and the subsequent maul – before the break – saw the 22-year-old frontrower power over for a deserved try. Frawley’s conversion flashed wide from the right.
Luke McGrath’s snappy break quickly launched Leinster forward on the resumption, Ruddock soon driving in under the posts with Ross Molony on his shoulder.
The latter secured line-out possession for the drive which Connors broke from for his second try, converted once more by Frawley.
Cheetahs got on top at scrum time nearing the hour mark, their front row reserves forcing repeated penalties. Leinster lost replacement Sean Cronin to the sin bin close to his own line, with Rhyno Smith denied a try by the scramble defence.
De Bruin eventually squeezed over in the 62nd minute, captain Ruan Pienaar supplying the extras.
Cheetahs lost centre Benhard Janse Van Rensburg to the bin for a dangerous challenge on McFadden, but Davis turned some powerful carrying into a last-minute try.
‘The first half you couldn’t ask much more from the players,’ Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said afterwards. ‘We played in the right areas of the field, got a good bit of variety in our game.
‘Considering the conditions, ball control was good. There was once we got turned over in the middle of the field and they hacked the ball through and we got a lucky escape, but other than that the control was good.
‘When we got down to their 22, I thought we were patient and to get five tries in the conditions I thought was very, very good.’
Cullen also had praise for No10 Frawley who did well with his passing game as well as kicking 11 points. He said: ‘Ciaran’s going well, he has that variety in his game where has played at 12 and 15 for us so he is developing all the time.’