Despite falling just short of an ideal 30-point score in their first six matches of the BKT United Rugby Championship, including a hard-won 24-6 victory over the Lions, Leinster didn’t provoke any complaints, especially not from Leo Cullen, their head coach.
Cullen expressed his contentment with the team’s performance, saying that if they had known they were going to score 29 points six weeks ago, they would have been thrilled. He noted that they had hoped to secure the bonus with 20 minutes left to the game but were nonetheless satisfied with the chance to rotate 47 team players, including many younger members.
Cullen pointed to the position of hooker as an exemplar of this, with Gus McCarthy making his fourth provincial start for the season due to injuries to Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Lee Barron, and John McKee. Moreover, Stephen Smyth, another member from the academy, had his home debut following his initial Leinster start in Galway the previous week.
Cullen acknowledged the difficulties in maintaining cohesion with frequent personnel changes, but also emphasised how this variety ultimately strengthens the team for the season. It was particularly noteworthy that the team remained patient during their victories, a characteristic they had predicted might come in handy.
In essence, we’re content with the result. The match unfolded in much the same way as we had anticipated and discussed throughout the week – avoiding frustration, refraining from impatience when in possession of the ball. We might be guilty of forcing matters slightly, given the Lions’ resilient defensive strategies. They’re quick to recover and strike on the offence with vigour.
We’ve unfortunately lost possession in their 22 on numerous occasions. Such incidents invigorate them and potentially deflate us a tad. Despite this, I believe we remained steadfast. We managed to accomplish our task, securing an 18-point victory. Although it appears to be an acceptable victory, there exist several aspects within the match that merit reflection; we foresaw certain scenarios, but how did we handle them when they arose in real life? The reaction was somewhat inconsistent, however, generally encouraging.
Additionally, Leinster succeeded in defending their try line.
Cullen remarked, “Yes, that’s true, the Lions have been fruitful when it comes to scoring tries.” Observing the second half as the rain started to fall, escalating the difficulty for both teams, we managed to largely deter them from infiltrating our side of the pitch.
In their hunt for game time, Ed Byrne was compelled to exit Leinster.
“The Lions are remarkably determined and skilfully execute their strategies,” acknowledged Cullen. “With four consecutive victories prior to this match, they’re indeed a formidable team.”
We’re happy to have secured a victory. This match always carried the potential of producing surprising outcomes, such as the Lions scoring a try unexpectedly or outsmarting us. They caught us off-guard early on via a clever lineout manoeuvre. If they had scored then, it would have escalated into a rough contest. Such situations reveal a great deal about the younger players in our team.
In conclusion, we’re gratified to have won. It’s instinctive to strive for maximum points. While that didn’t materialise today, we’re content with the victory, pocketing the four points, and we’re eager to progress to the international break. We’ll be following the November Tests with keen interest.
Both of Leinster’s midfielders, specifically Hugh Cooney and Robbie Henshaw, made it through the entire 80 minutes of the match without sustaining any injuries. For Cooney, this marked his full debut, while for Henshaw it was his inaugural appearance of the season.
Both players faced rather physically challenging instances, particularly during the first half of the game, which were handled rather well. Their endurance was tested, yet they both demonstrated their resilience and stamina.
Notably, Robbie managed to get through most of the 80 minutes, a testament to his resilience. Hugh, on the other hand, had some significant moments throughout the game, exhibiting a composed approach towards the game and making a substantial defensive play. The match provided various positive elements to take away.