Wasps wiped out in Dublin demolition
HOURS AFTER Storm Callum caused chaos for English visitors to Dublin, Wasps reaped the whirlwind last night, as Leinster launched the defence of their European title by blowing away their Premiership opponents.
The holders mean business. Leo Cullen’s side produced a flawless campaign to claim the continent’s marquee prize last season — and this thumping win ignited their crusade to claim it again, for a record fifth time.
Wasps stood bravely in the path of the dark blue juggernaut for much of the first half, but their resistance crumbled when their All Black fly-half, Lima Sopoaga, was shown a yellow card just before half-time. Leinster shifted from hard graft to show-boating. Some of their attacking play was breathtaking, with Irish Lions combining to deadly effect.
On this early evidence, they are rightly regarded as clear favourites for this 2018- 19 Heineken Champions Cup.
Wasps came into the game reeling from a series of earlyseason setbacks: the loss to injury of Joe Launchbury and Dan Robson — and the absence of Nathan Hughes due to suspension. They finished the game reeling from an onslaught which yielded a half- century for the rampant victors.
‘This will be a difficult place for anyone to win and there won’t be much money on anyone coming here and winning,’ said Dai Young, Wasps director of rugby. ‘I was disappointed with how we fell away in the last 20, 25 minutes, but I can understand why we did. For big parts I was proud of some of our defensive work, but you can’t just keep doing that.
‘They are pretty much the Ireland team — and they haven’t done too badly lately. You analyse them looking for weaknesses and there aren’t too many.’
The writing was on the wall from the sixth minute, when Sean Cronin scored an audacious try. From a ruck on the Wasps 22, the Ireland hooker blasted clear and surged around Springbok full back Willie le Roux to touch down.
Johnny Sexton converted and the capacity crowd prepared for merry mayhem. Instead, Wasps held the line well, under pressure. Sopoaga kicked a penalty in the 11th minute, but his sin-binning for a deliberate knock- on gave Leinster a numerical advantage and they capitalised.
Robbie Henshaw threw a long pass left to James Lowe, who cut inside and was tackled close to the line, Tadhg Furlong blasted on and from the ensuing ruck, Luke McGrath picked up and darted over.
Two minutes after the break, Cullen’s men twisted the knife in English wounds. Henshaw’s inside pass released Lowe on a slaloming midfield run which ended with the Kiwi scoring from 50 metres out.
It was an exhibition. When Leinster scored try No 4, their long- range raid featured Furlong making an outside break and off-load, as if to show Cronin he wasn’t the only home front-rower with a broad repertoire. Lowe provided the acceleration, McGrath — again — was the finisher.
The next try was scored by Lowe and created by Sexton’s through- the- legs pass to Henshaw. Ireland’s supreme No 10 added his fifth conversion before leaving to an ovation.
Jordan Larmour scored another try, seven minutes from time. The relentless Henshaw and Jack McGrath added two more. It was a rout.
‘We can’t get carried away,’ said Cullen. ‘We’ve only played one game.’ But what a game.