Leinster squeak victory in latest farewell to BOD
THIS wasn’t the predicted stroll for Leinster. Needing a point to guarantee a home semi-final and two for the No1 seeding for the play-offs, the stumbling hosts just about hung on for four on a dour evening where the post-match salute to the soon-to-retire Brian O’Driscoll and Leo Cullen was more memorable than anything the home side did preceding it.
Table-topping rivals title Glasgow only required 19 minutes to register their win bonus point at home to Zebre, but Leinster’s stale effort was in stark contrast.
This was their 11th league win in 12 outings, but fluency in attack was distinctly absent. So lackadaisical was their first-half display that they exited 6-5 in arrears and were left facing a second place finish that would have brought a semi-final against Munster instead of the expected first versus fourth showdown with Ulster.
A great leveller, aside from Leinster’s lazy attitude, was the torrential pre-match downpour that gave handling and underfoot conditions a greasy mid-winter feel.
This helped Edinburgh, who ambushed Matt O’Connor’s side in the pre-Christmas fixture, generate a spirited response to their embarrassing annihilation by Munster at home last weekend. If there was any justice there they would have been more than a single point clear at the break.
Edinburgh struck first, Greig Laidlaw kicking a penalty after Gordon D’Arcy couldn’t roll away in his tackle, but Leinster hit back with the opening try on 10 minutes, a lengthy pick-and-drive series followed by the ball spinning wide to the left. Dave Kearney was unable to cross, but Jordi Murphy dodged traffic and spun over for the unconverted try.
That was as good as Leinster’s opening 40 got, though. Seán O’Brien’s return to action 19 weeks after his shoulder dislocation against Ulster was a fillip [he lasted 51 minutes], but they lost full-back Zane Kirchner pre-game to a hamstring strain and Richardt Strauss limped off on 12 minutes.
Then came a helpful TMO decision. Rob Kearney had sloppily kicked out on the full and what ensured was a lovely move off the lineout, David Denton making the initial incision and full-back Carl Bezuidenhout crashing over. However, the officials intervened to save Leinster, ruling a forward pass in the midfield build-up, but there was only so much pressure the hosts could absorb.
Off a scrum-five near the break, Mike Coman squirreled away and while he was burgled by O’Brien, what appeared to be quality foraging was deemed illegal and Laidlaw gave Edinburgh the lead.
Leinster were hungrier on the restart. O’Driscoll tossing a pass through his legs to raise a pulse, but with an attacking five-metre scrum shunted back and the ball lost, they were forced to kick a 51minute penalty to regain the lead.
Winning ugly was what it was called and only after the cavalry was launched off the bench in the guise of props Cian Healy, Martin Moore and Rhys Ruddock did the forwards gain an edge which Dave Kearney exploited six minutes later, the winger appearing on Jimmy Gopperth’s shoulder to race in under the posts.
The 15-6 lead was only temporary, however. Laidlaw burst clear on 67 minutes to put Visser in for the converted try that cut the gap to two points and there was further anxiety before play restarted, O’Driscoll needing treatment after taking a couple of blows.
In the end, he hung tough. Just like out-of-sorts Leinster who will need a major improvement next Saturday versus Ulster. LEINSTER: R Kearney; F McFadden, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, D Kearney; J Gopperth, I Boss; J McGrath, R Strauss, M Ross, L Cullen, M McCarthy, S O’Brien, J Murphy, J Heaslip. Reps: S Cronin for Strauss 12; D Ryan O’Brien 51; C Healy for McGrath, M Moore for Ross, both 53; R Ruddock for Cullen 54; B Macken for R Kearney 62; I Madigan for D’Arcy 64; L McGrath for McCarthy 78. SCORERS - Tries: Murphy, D Kearney. Cons: Gopperth. Pens: Gopperth. EDINBURGH: C Bezuidenhout; S Beard, M Scott, A Strauss, T Visser; H Leonard, G Laidlaw; A Dickinson, R Ford, W Nel, G Gilchrist, B Toolis, M Coman, T Leonardi, D Denton. Reps: G Hart for Beard 3; D Basilaia for Denton 27; B Atiga for Scott 28; A Toolis for B Toolis 59; J Hilterbrand for Ford, S Berghan for Nel, both 64; P Francis for Bezuidenhout 70. SCORERS - Tries: Visser. Cons: Laidlaw. Pens: Laidlaw 2. REFEREE: L Hodges (WRU).