Match action
LEINSTER made such mincemeat of the Scarlets in this five tries to one rout that by the end of it they were already being hailed as European champions elect when the final is played in Bilbao three weeks from now.
Sure, this was a virtual home game for Leinster with Dublin inexplicably selected as a neutral semifinal venue, but whether this had been at the Aviva Stadium – where Leinster had won their previous seven outings – or in West Wales, the Irish province were so superior that there would not have been an iota of doubt about the result.
After ending Saracens reign as double European champions in the quarterfinals, Leinster rugby director Leo Cullen talked about wanting to match the brutal efficiency and precision the English side showed in their pomp.
On this evidence they are well on their way to doing so. The Scarlets arrived with genuine hopes of becoming the first Welsh side to appear in a final since Cardiff did in the inaugural European Cup tournament 22 years ago, but by the end of this encounter they had been given a tutorial by Leinster in every aspect of the game bar the scrum.
The problem for Wayne Pivac’s free-running outfit was that getting an edge in the scrummaging contest did not translate into much of an advantage, mainly because their successes came when they were camped in their own half.
This was because the Scarlets packs came a distant second to Leinster in the close quarter combat in the loose. As with Ireland, this Leinster side has borrowed from the All Black almanac, with a clear recognition that the modern game is won or lost around the breakdown.
Essentially this means getting clean, quick ball for your own side by continuously punching over the advantage line in contact, and all of the Leinster forwards used low body positions and strong leg drive to achieve this.
However, it is the next stage where the Irish side stole a march against the Scarlets, through support players hitting the breakdown like guided missiles to blast the Welsh forwards off their ball-carrier.
By the same token, when the Scarlets were in possession the Leinster scavengers – whether forwards or backs – were relentless in trying to disrupt or delay their possession.
The signs that Leinster had too much muscle and technique for the Scarlets forwards emerged early – so early that this game was effectively over as a contest at half-time with the Irish outfit leading 24-9.
Although Leigh Halfpenny kicked an early penalty to put the Scarlets ahead it was a false dawn. When Leinster mounted their first real attack from a Scott Fardy line-out they outflanked the Scarlets by utilising Dan Leavy and Robbie Henshaw as dummy runners to hold the midfield defence.
This allowed Garry Ringrose to set the pugnacious Fergus McFadden free, and although he was halted a few metres before the line by the Scarlets cover Leinster were not going to let them off the hook.
After a short drive reestablish momentum the ball was slipped to lock James Ryan, and the athletic 21-year-old drove past Tadgh Beirne, and, because he was not held in the initial tackle, got off his knees to drive over the Scarlets line despite Ken Owens having completed the tackle.
Ryan got away with the double movement and was awarded the opening try, which Johnny Sexton converted for a 7-3 lead.
A penalty exchange between the Leinster flyhalf and Halfpenny made it 10-6, but by this stage Leinster were coming at the Scarlets in waves – and just before the half-hour they made the pressure count.
After a diagonal bomb by Sexton gave them an attacking five metre scrum, Leinster came close when Fardy was held up over the line. However, when McFadden punched onto the ball from the next scrum, John Barclay – so effective in winning turn-overs for Scotland against England – was smashed off the ball by Cian Healy.
When the pick-and-drive continued with Fardy stopped just short, Healy got his reward by wrenching his way over from close range. Sexton’s conversion made it 17-6, and although Halfpenny trimmed the deficit with his third penalty, Leinster’s deter- mination to make their first out superiority count was rewarded with their third try a minute before the interval.
It was set up by a series of drives by Devin Toner, Ryan, Healy and Leavy, and with Beirne and Barclay shunted off the ball, a long scoring pass by Ringrose saw McFadden score in the corner. Despite the winger being forced off with a damaged hamstring, he had the satisfaction of seeing Sexton convert for a 15 point half-time advantage.
The Leinster bombardment got underway again as soon as the second-half started and Scarlets were fortunate not to concede another try when Tadgh Furlong knocked-on just before the line.
There are few sides better versed in aerial bombardment than Leinster, and when Sexton switched to it Rhys Patchell caught the first two bombs impressively. However, when Jordan Larmour nudged the ball out of his grasp on third attempt, and regathered, the Scarlets were in trouble.
With the ball taken on by Furlong, Leavy and Henshaw, and the Scarlets defensive line fractured, Sexton sliced through, and with the non-stop Leavy on hand to make more yards Fardy fed Ryan and then took a return pass to surge
over. Sexton converted again – but he and the Leinster pack were not finished with their masterclass. With Ryan and James Tracy making the inroads the accomplished Jamison Gibson-Park slipped the ball to Sexton and the veteran sold a dummy before scampering over.
As Sexton’s conversion sailed over for a flawless six-from-six Leinster were home and dry with the final quarter still to play, and although Beirne bust clear for a try with two minutes remaining it only emphasised how comprehensively the Scarlets had been outplayed.
It was the only clean, decisive break they made in the match – and it explains why Leinster are such strong favourites to win a fourth European title in Bilbao. REFEREE: Romain Poit (Fr) ATTENDANCE: 51,700 Star man Johnny Sexton - Leinster