Champions Cup: Leinster Triumphs Over Leicester Tigers 36-22
In the world of rugby, nothing else stands above a victorious performance, regardless of its nature. In that vein, Leinster managed to secure a somewhat grim win, showcasing only sporadic bursts of high-quality performance. Their path proceeds ahead, leading them to perform against frequent adversaries, La Rochelle, the next weekend at the same location. Observing the struggles of Leinster, Europe’s current champions led by Ronan O’Gara, may have found ample inspiration.
La Rochelle will be competing against Leinster in the quarter-finals at the Aviva Stadium next Saturday (5.30pm), re-enacting the climax of last year’s Champions Cup hosted in the same spot.
On many instances, Leicester Tigers exhibited superior rugby skills. If they had shown a bit more confidence and precision, they could have managed to amplify the discomfort of their hosts. They were quite successful in penetrating the Leinster defence frequently.
The high point of the evening arrived in the 72nd minute when the applause reached a crescendo as Leinster’s scrum-half, Jamison Gibson-Park, retired the field. He gave a stellar performance, outshining his fellow players in terms of quality, his trio of tries crucial for securing Leinster’s victory. Similarly, Joe McCarthy, Dan Sheehan, Robbie Henshaw, and Hugo Keenan also made notable contributions amidst a generally lacklustre team performance.
Three prized forwards of the Leicester Tigers – England’s international players George Martin and Ollie Chessum, and the eminent Welsh raider Tommy Reffell – were not a part of the travelling team, a decision they might have rued.
During the match’s initiation, Leinster seemed unfocused and as a result, Leicester took the lead with James Cronin’s breakthrough and his excellent pass played a key role in a series of moves, ending in Handre Pollard securing a try under the posts of Leinster which he then converted.
Ross Byrne narrowed the point-gap with a penalty, following which Gibson-Park dominated the remainder of the half from Leinster’s side. The scrum-half had several commendable moments and thereafter he focused on accumulating points with a trio of tries within the first 30 minutes.
His first try came at the 12-minute mark. An important break from Joe McCarthy paved the way for Gibson-Park to make his move, guiding him to secure a try under the posts, which Ross Byrne followed up with a conversion.
For about 10 minutes, the match was under the command of Pierre Brousset, a French referee, characterised by a frequent series of penalties and free kicks which made it quite fragmented. At the 23-minute mark, Gibson-Park chose to break the scoreless run, masterfully manoeuvring the short-side during a ruck to set Dan Sheehan free. He was then at the ready to accept the return pass and secure a second try.
Leicester showcased some careful attacking back play allowing wing Ollie Hassell-Collins to sprint down the sideline. The attack reached its climax with Sheehan being penalised for his failure to roll away from a tackle near the Leinster posts, allowing Pollard to narrow the scoreline to 15-10.
After six minutes away from the lime-light, Gibson-Park re-emerged, all ready to steal the show once more. Robbie Henshaw’s expertly camouflaged pass allowed Jamie Osborne to slip through a gap, with Gibson-Park cleverly positioning himself to receive the pass from Osborne. Gibson-Park’s quick sidestep duped the cover allowing him to sprint towards the posts and score his third try. Ross Byrne successfully added the conversion to extend Leinster’s lead to 22-10.
As halftime approached, James Lowe, usually more offensive, switched into a key defensive gear. An essential foot block stifled Hassell-Collins, who had managed to wriggle free again. The Leinster wing deflected the grubber kick back towards its origin.
Leinster’s inconsistent discipline, the yielding of easy penalties and three free-kicks, coupled with the lack of control and cohesion reminiscent of their stronger European performances, affected the coherence of their possession. While McCarthy and Caelan Doris made notable individual efforts, the lapse in team coordination was noticeable.
The second half kicked off similar to the first, with the Tigers dominating in terms of possession and territory. Their adventurous play and, indeed, the quality of it, earned them a well-deserved reward. Quick breakdown possession, combined with careful handling and use of the pitch, brought them within six metres of the Leinster line.
In a game marked by a slew of penalties, Lowe was awarded a yellow card for knocking the ball down while attempting a tackle. The Tigers seized the opportunity presented by Pollard’s kick to the corner; Cronin led a powerful maul that pushed Leinster back over their own line, securing a try for his team before being taken off the field.
The Tigers remained aggressive, keen on pressing their advantage. However, a breakthrough play came from Leinster. Robbie Henshaw intercepted a pass from Dan Kelly and sprinted 60 meters to earn a try. With a successful conversion by Byrne, the home team was given the distance they desperately needed on the scoreboard.
In response to the shifting dynamics, Leo Cullen summoned his substitutes, injecting a fresh wave of energy and initiative into the game. This included the return of Lowe and a try from Conan that was unfortunately ruled out due to the ball being lost over the line. A certain lack of precision began to plague Leinster’s efforts, contributing to an overall decline in the quality of the game.
Despite being hampered by a lack of composure in critical moments, The Tigers kept up their intense attacking style. At the 63rd-minute mark, they unfortunately fumbled a chance to score due to botched passes in a situation that should’ve resulted in an easy try – another instance where the ball ended up on the ground instead of in their hands.
The hosts, on their part, continued to squander good opportunities through poor kicks and individual errors until the 71st minute brought a brilliant moment of smooth teamwork. Osborne’s well-timed inside pass found Baird, who then passed to Conan, allowing him to speed past the Tigers’ defence to score a try. Harry Byrne successfully added the extra points.
However, Leinster’s tendency to lose focus struck again when a few missed tackles and an overthrown lineout led to a try for the Tigers. Charlie Clare capitalised on this opportunity and Pollard added the conversion. Leinster’s discipline issues remained a cause for concern, threatening to escalate the situation. Despite the rocky performance, they managed to make it to the final whistle.
As they prepare to face La Rochelle next, they have a lot of issues to address in a short span of time. Season ticket holders can purchase tickets on Sunday morning starting at 10 a.m, while a general sale will be held on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Following a vigorous game, the point rundown is as follows: At 4 minutes in, Pollard made the first try, converting it as well to bring the scoreline to 0-7. Subsequently, R Byrne’s 8-minute penalty moved the score to 3-7. Gibson-Park pulled off a successful try at 12 minutes, with R Byrne managing the conversion to make it 10-7. At 23 minutes, Gibson-Park made another victorious try, pushing the scoreline further to 15-7. Pollard managed a penalty at 28 minutes, slimming the difference to 15-10. However, a follow-up try by Gibson-Park a minute later, along with R Byrne’s conversion, bought the half-time result to 22-10. The match continued after the break with Cronin’s 45-minute try (22-15), Henshaw’s 49-minute try and R Byrne conversion (29-15) and Conan’s 71-minute try and H Byrne’s successful conversion (36-15). In the 75th minute, Clare’s try, followed by Pollard’s conversion, set the final score at 36-22.
The Leinster team comprised of H Keenan, J Larmour, R Henshaw, J Osborne, J Lowe; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park, A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong. R Molony, J McCarthy; R Baird, J Van der Flier, C Doris. While the Leicester Tigers team constituted J Shillcock; F Steward, D Kelly, S Kata, O Hassell-Collins; H Pollard, J van Poortvliet; J Cronin, J Montoya who was also the captain, D Cole; H Wells, K Hatherell; H Liebenberg, O Cracknell, J Wiese.
Players from both teams were replaced at different points during the match with C Healy substituting Porter at 46 minutes, R Kelleher for Sheehan at 52 minutes and H Byrne for R Byrne at 67 minutes among other changes.
Presiding over the match was P Brousset, the referee from France.
In the 45th minute, J Lowe of Leinster was issued a yellow card.