InThe United Rugby Championship (URC) match, Leinster secured a victory against Dragons with a score of 34 to 6, despite numerous errors occurred during the majority of the game. The crowd of 18,397 left satisfied, albeit not expecting to feel so based on early proceedings.
Cian Healy, marking his record-breaking 281st play, though the battle was notably uninspiring. The winning side made ground on the scoreboard largely through the help of their replacements, giving the final stages of the match a silver lining.
Max Deegan’s triumph as man-of-the-match was worthy. He was joined by backrow colleagues Will Connors and team captain Jack Conan, who delivered standout performances. Rising hooker Gus McCarthy, alongside Thomas Clarkson, showed promising prowess and James Ryan proved his worth with a dedicated work rate. Jimmy O’Brien also performed extraordinarily on both attacking and defending fronts.
Leinster got off to a lively start, as Ross Byrne executed an impressive chip kick that put the home team on the offensive. However, the momentum was lost when Dragons 22 executed a turnover. Dragons, for over three excruciatingly long minutes, launched a potent attack on Leinster, breaking their defence twice.
O’Brien had to make a match-saving rear-facing tackle on Ewan Rosser, Dragons’ fullback, during which time the siege was broken following a knock-on and a resulting scrum penalty. This was celebrated as a crucial moment in the game.
Leinster eventually secured chances for Gus McCarthy and Jack Conan to charge, but they failed to break against the Dragons’ diligent defence. The tide turned when Chris Coleman, the away side’s tighthead prop, was issued a yellow card for making a head-to-head collision with Thomas Clarkson.
The local team initiated proceedings by sending the penalty into touch, but the lead-up to the first try was far from flawless. A couple of poorly executed passes were eventually salvaged by Jimmy O’Brien who passed it on to Charlie Tector for the assist, setting up Conan, Leinster’s captain to bully his way to score. On two occasions, Leinster was penalised for impeding during the lineouts, causing a general sense of sloppiness, evidenced by less than stellar aerial work, inconsistent handling, and a painfully slow transition at the breakdown. Lloyd Evans, who couldn’t convert an early penalty, made it count on his second try at the 25-minute mark but overall the performance was lacklustre.
The home team wasn’t doing itself any favours either, giving away possession carelessly through delayed decision-making and repeated errors which diminished the appeal of the game. A few sparks of promise did flicker through – impressive breaks made by Gus McCarthy and Max Deegan, but the Dragons soon found themselves under pressure again as Tector was charged with a neck roll penalty.
The Welsh’s ongoing lack of discipline gave Leinster recurring entry into their territory and three minutes shy of the halftime, Leinster capitalised on it with Ross Byrne scoring a try via a powerful driving maul from the lineout. However, the home team was still floundering, with Healy attracting penalty for a crocodile roll in a clash. Evans made the penalty stick as the half ended on a forgettable note. The Dragons, somehow still managed to cause a flutter amidst their hosts by slowing down the pace, garnering possession, and drawing penalties.
The opening try of the second half fell in Deegan’s favour, six minutes following the restart, though it was perhaps a bit rough around the edges. Initially adjudged a try by referee Mike Adamson, the TV match official, Dave Sutherland was left to unearth strong evidence to overrule it. With the Byrne’s successful conversion, the score line was pushed to 17-6 in Leinster’s favour.
52 minutes into the match saw Healy’s exit and Leinster’s coach, Leo Cullen made a strategic change, bringing a fresh frontrow and Joe McCarthy into play. But, their first collective contribution manifested in the form of a scrum penalty against Rabah Slimani for angling in.
Leinster initially struggled to formulate a coherent approach, hindered by slow possession and an inability or unwillingness to penetrate the hardy defence put up by the Dragons. A new dynamism was sparked within the Leinster team with the arrival of the second batch of replacements on the field, and the hosts began to find a much improved rhythm.
When the Dragons suffered a penalty, Ross Byrne directed the ball to the corner. At the lineout, Conan took possession, passing the ball to Joe McCarthy who, unaided, successfully managed to overcome multiple tackles and push his way through. Byrne added to the scoreboard with a conversion.
Larmour demonstrated impressive strength, pushing his way over the line from a short distance for Leinster’s fifth try, in what would be his final move before making space for Aitzol King. Hodgson Gunne, substitute scrum-half, created a multitude of issues for the fatigued Dragons team with his quick thinking and speed; the impact of the Leinster replacements was undeniable.
To further confirm this point, King scored a try during injury time in only his second game, rounding off a victory enhanced by three last-minute tries for Leinster, giving the final score a somewhat flattering appearance.
Scoring breakdown: Conan scored a try at the 17-minute mark (5-0), followed by an Evans penalty at 25 minutes (5-3), a R Byrne try at 37 minutes (10-3), an Evans penalty at 40 minutes (10-6). Half-time: 10-6. Deegan scored at 46 minutes with a conversion from R Byrne (17-6), followed by a J McCarthy try and R Byrne conversion at 64 minutes (24-6), a Larmour try at 69 minutes (29-6), and a King try at 80 (+1) minutes (34-6).
Leinster Rugby team: J. Osborne, J. Larmour, L. Turner, C. Tector, J. O’Brien, R Byrne, L. McGrath, C. Healy, G. McCarthy, T Clarkson, B. Deeny, J, Ryan, M. Deegan, W. Connors, J. Conan (capt). Substitutes included: L. Barron (for G. McCarthy at 52 mins), M. Milne (for Healy at 52 mins), R. Slimani (for Clarkson 52 mins), J. McCarthy (for Deeny 52 mins), H. Byrne (for Tector 62 mins), J. van der Flier (for Connors 62 mins), F. Gunne (for McGrath 62 mins), and A. King (for Larmour 69 mins).
The Dragons rugby team in this game included E Rosser, R Dyer, H Wilson, S Hughes, J Rosser, L Evans, D Blacker, R Martinez, B Coghlan, C Coleman, B Carter (captain), G Nott, R Woodman, H Keddie, and S Lewis-Hughes. Various substitutions occurred throughout the game, beginning with M Screech replacing G Nott at the 5 minute mark. L Yendle took over for C Coleman due to a head injury at 26-32 and then again at 58 minutes. R Jones came on for Martinez at 50 minutes, and R Williams replaced Blacker. Coghlan was replaced by O Burrows, and S Hughes was swapped for J Westwood at 58 minutes. G Young came on for Keddie at 64 minutes, with Dyer departing for A Owen three minutes later. Coleman from the Dragons was handed a yellow card at 16 minutes. The match was presided over by referee Mike Adamson, hailing from Scotland.