At their inaugural match of the URC, Leinster showcased their depth of talent with a hard-earned victory against Edinburgh at Hive Stadium. Displaying a combination of solid offensive play and astute manoeuvres with the ball, the visitors reinforced their power on the pitch.
The Leinster squad was a balanced blend of seasoned players and emerging talent. While players like Jack Conan, James Ryan, and Jamison Gibson-Park put in significant effort to clinch the win, the impressive performances of budding players Sam Prendergast and centre Charlie Tractor indicated the rise of a fresh wave of talent.
However, Edinburgh was the first to make a mark on the scoreboard following an aggressive lineout resulting from a penalty, leading to a successful try by Pierre Schoeman, the Scotland prop, with Ross Thompson adding the conversion points.
Leinster swiftly bounced back, moving the ball efficiently across the field which led to a skilful pass from Sam Prendergast to James Ryan, resulting in the latter passing the scoring ball to Tommy O’Brien. Unluckily, O’Brien’s game was cut short due to a leg injury incurred during the scoring action.
Unfazed by O’Brien’s departure, Leinster scored their second try, capitalising on Edinburgh’s failure to secure an Ali Price box kick. Charlie Tector got hold of the ball and skilfully made his way over for a try. The score was converted effortlessly by Prendergast, establishing a 12-7 lead for Leinster.
Edinburgh retaliated; Thompson sidestepped, creating an opening for Wes Goosen and Jamie Ritchie, which allowed Duhan van der Merwe to charge for an unconverted try, equalising the score.
Towards the end of the match, Leinster presented a significant threat when Jordan Larmour blocked Goosen’s clearance kick at the goal line. Despite their pressure in the last minutes, Edinburgh’s solid defence prevented Leinster from scoring, resulting in a half-time draw of 12-12.
In the early moments of the second half, the game emulated the tit-for-tat scoring witnessed before the break but in a condensed timeframe. Edinburgh took the lead with a converted try credited to Dave Cherry, achieved by a productive lineout. Leinster retorted swiftly with dominant forward play and astute distribution, creating a try for Larmour converted by Prendergast, levelling the game once more.
Leinster’s valued bonus point was won with a dazzling try courtesy of Jamison Gibson-Park. The international halfback found a gap, following the advances made by the midfield backs. Prendergast rose to the challenge, adding the extras to put the visitors a score clear.
The pressure was then ramped up by a tactical kick which forced a lineout five meters away, resulting in skipper, Jack Conan, charging over for the fifth try which was followed by Prendergast’s fourth conversion success.
Edinburgh’s opportunity to score the bonus try arrived when the backs manoeuvred themselves into position, forming an overlap, allowing Van der Merwe to score his second try. However, crucially, replacement Ben Healy failed to convert. The former Munster outhalf then missed a long-range penalty shot which could have provided Edinburgh with their second bonus point. Despite this, a valiant last-ditch effort from the home team involving a dynamic run by Ben Vellacot and support from Matt Scott resulted in the fifth try for the side. Healy converted this earning Edinburgh a second bonus point. However, this was not enough to stop Leinster celebrating an impressive first round victory.
Scorers: Edinburgh Rugby – Tries: Schoeman, Van der Merwe (2), Cherry, Scott Cons Thompson (2). Healy
Leinster – Tries: O’Brien, Tector, Larmour, Conan, Gibson-Park, Cons Prendergast (4)
Edinburgh Rugby: W Goosen; D Graham, M Tuipulotu, M Currie, D van der Merwe; R Thompson, A Price; P Schoeman, D Cherry, P Hill, M Sykes, G Gilchrist, J Ritchie, H Watson, B Muncaster.
Substitutes were made in the teams involving E Ashman taking the place of Cherry at the 50th minute, B Venter coming in for Schoeman at 56 minutes, D Rae substituting Hill at the 50th minute and M Bradbury replacing Munster after 59 minutes of the game. Subsequent replacements were B Vellacott for Price at the 65th minute, B Healy for Thompson in the 56th, and M Scott for Currie at 27 minutes past the hour.
On the opposing side, Leinster team comprised of J Osborne, T O’Brien, G Ringrose, C Tector, J Larmour, S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park, M Milne, G McCarthy, T Clarkson, C O’Tighearnaigh, J Ryan, M Deegan, S Penny, and J Conan. Changes in the team were made at various periods during the game. J McKee replaced McCarthy in the 50th minute, C Healy took over for Milne two minutes prior, whilst at the same time, R Slimani substituted Clarkson. B Deeny replaced O’Tighearnaigh in the 50th minute, J Culhane came in for Penny at the 71st minute, L McGrath for Gibson-Park at the 62nd minute, R Byrne replaced Prendergast in the 59th minute and R Russell came in for O’Brien in the 17th minute. The referee of the day was Andrea Piardi from FIR.