Leinster in lethal form once more
RUMOURS of Leinster’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. It took them a while to get going last night, but the defending champions reaffirmed their status as kingpins of this league with a dominant display.
Leo Cullen’s outfit have had a few wobbles this season.
The most recent was a home loss to Ulster at this venue last Friday night. For a while, Connacht looked like they might repeat the trick before Leinster moved up through the gears.
They were miles out of sight long before the final whistle.
Connacht arrived at this venue in January and left with a 35-24 victory. They were full value for it as well with Jack Carty bagging 25 points as the Westerners claimed their first win in Dublin since September 2002.
It wasn’t the same story last night. Stung from that rare home loss to Ulster on their home turf, Cullen rung the changes for this one and Leinster were positively stacked with internationals.
The gulf in class ultimately told in the end. Andrew Porter was one of a host of high-calibre replacements who made their presence felt in the second half.
Still, it was Andy Friend’s side who looked the sharper for much of the first half, and Carty was once again central to most of it.
There was widespread shock when the Athlone man was left out of Andy Farrell’s plans for the autumn international series.
A few days after Ireland’s head coach announced his squad, Carty delivered another tour de force as Connacht tore Ulster apart at Aviva Stadium.
Carty was eventually drafted into the squad towards the tailend of the November campaign, but you feel he should be a lot higher up the international pecking order.
And it was Carty’s pinpoint cross-kick which teed up Mack Hansen for the opening try of the night. Fast, relentless, adaptable is their mantra under Friend and they delivered all of that in the lead-up to Hansen’s effort. With Leinster on the back foot and on a penalty advantage, Carty went to the skies and Hansen rose above Jordan Larmour to regather the ball and score in the corner.
Carty couldn’t convert from the touchline, but Connacht were off and running at the RDS.
Leinster had been inaccurate and error-strewn throughout the opening quarter, but they went back to basics for their first score of the night as Rhys Ruddock bludgeoned his way over the line after relentless pressure.
Oran McNulty, another young gun, was next to break the line.
The young Connacht full-back took a loose kick and then chipped over Ryan Baird as a footrace ensured towards the Leinster try-line.
Baird didn’t seem to have much in the way of control as McNulty pounced in the in-goal area.
The match officials waved it away. Connacht wouldn’t be denied a few minutes later, with
Sammy Arnold crashing through Larmour to score.
Carty added the extras. A fully deserved lead for all their efforts.
The first 33 minutes from Leinster was pretty average. They looked more like themselves with a flowing attack soon after. Josh van der Flier raced onto James Lowe’s pass and Michael Alalaatoa was on hand to link things up. And Garry Ringrose was on the Leinster prop’s shoulder to finish off a superb attack. Harry Byrne converted and Leinster moved into a 14-12 lead.
Soon, Dan Sheehan stepped his way through Hansen and raced away down the left touchline for an audacious score.
The 23-year-old Leinster hooker, who become an Irish international last month, has a bright future ahead of him.
You sensed the momentum was with the hosts now.
They had their fourth try in the bag early in the second half as Larmour applied the killer finish to a slick set-piece strike off a dominant scrum.
All of a sudden, Leinster looked out of a sight at 26-12. They would extend that lead when Caelan Doris blasted his way through from close range.
There would be no repeat of January here.
Baird was having a busy night and the Leinster and Ireland lock was the next to score.
Hansen punched a hole and fed Conor Oliver for a fine score, but it was merely a consolation. There was only one team in this contest after the break.
Max Deegan, one international sprung from the bench, was the next Leinster scorer.
Leinster are back, alright. On this evidence, they will take some stopping again. LEINSTER: H Keenan; J Larmour, G Ringrose, R Henshaw (T O’Brien 56), J Lowe; H Byrne (R Byrne 62), L McGrath (capt) (N McCarthy 62); C Healy (A Porter 45), D Sheehan (R Kelleher 52), M Alaalatoa (V Abdaladze 66); R Baird, D Toner (J Murphy 60); R Ruddock, J van der Flier, C Doris (M Deegan 24-28, 56). CONNACHT: O McNulty; A Wootton, S Arnold (T Farrell 55), P Robb, M Hansen; J Carty (capt) (C Fitzgerald 71), K Marmion (C Blade 60); M Burke (J Duggan 60), D Heffernan (S Delahunt 50), F Bealham (J Aungier 47); L Fifita, U Dillane (C Prendergast 53); E Masterson, C Oliver (S Masterson 70), J Butler. Referee: C Busby (Ireland).
‘There would be no repeat of January’