Leo Cullen’s side now six points clear at top of URC table
came up short of a sixth bonus-point win out of six against an obdurate Lions’ side, although a haul of 29 points out of 30 still represents a statement start to theIn truth, they were made to roll up their sleeves on an increasingly sodden night at the Aviva and to work hard for every point. The bonus point never came into view this time as their tries didn’t come until around the half-hour and hour mark before another with the game’s last play.
They were unlucky in that the loss of Lions fullback Quan Horn to an early head knock resulted in Edwill van der Merwe losing a couple of kicking duels with James Lowe, the first of which led to the breakthrough try by Caelan Doris. Indeed without their talismanic Number 8 and captain, Leinster would have been even harder pressed to wear down these Lions.
The Lions may not have any players in the Springboks’ for their end-of-year tour but they began to show what a good team they are. After Andrew Osborne sliced a touch finder, there was the rare sight of the Lions sub Erich Cronje berating an attempted tackle of Doris and then Asenathi Ntlabakanye bounced Michael Milne.
Cue the power game, Doris charging through scrumhalf Morne van den Berg and after pick-and-goes by Milne and Ryan Baird, McCarthy popped the ball to Josh van der Flier, who burrowed over. On the resumption, Lowe’s pass to Deegan on the edge was forward and though Leinster had the shove at successive put-ins, with Ntlabakanye twisted inside as Slimani had been, but Evans first ordered a reset and then pinged Porter again, as he had done in Treviso.
The increasingly heavy and swirling rain making the ball greasier and Leinster just couldn’t generate the kind of quick ball or red zone attacking opportunities that are their life blood until the final play of the match.
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