In Rd 3 of URC, Leinster claimed an impressive 35-5 victory over Benetton. The competition began with pleasant weather, bathed in sunlight and a temperature of 17 degrees, with a crystal clear view of the Dolomites from the charming Stadio Communale Monigo. However, when the sun dipped below the horizon after thirty minutes of play, the contrast to the calm start of the game was mirrored in Leinster’s firm hold of the contest.
Leinster rapidly secured four tries and effectively notched another bonus-point win, their third in a row, sending them four points clear of their competitors. They have sent a strong message of their aim to prevent any potential knock-out round taking place outside of Dublin in this season’s BKT URC.
Critics might point to their failure to score for a significant 53 minutes until their refreshed team had the last word, when Lee Barron scored their fifth try in the game’s last move. The lacklustre second half could be explained by several factors, including the rearranging of the team due to Jimmy O’Brien’s hamstring injury. Replacement of players resulted in Ross Byrne at outhalf, a shift in position for Ciarán Frawley to inside centre, Jamie Osborne moving to fullback and Hugo Keenan positioning on the wing.
Ultimately, only Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe and Garry Ringrose remained in the roles they began, and with Garry Ringrose taking an early leave from the game as a careful measure, Josh van der Flier had to shift to the wing due to the demands of the 6-2 formation, with the converted flanker breaking clear and supplying Osborne for the preparation of Barron’s successful try.
The unfavourable weather in Treviso on Thursday and Friday caused the pitch to be soaked, leaving a distinct mark after each scrum, an aspect in which Leinster was disadvantaged according to referee Craig Adams, contributing to the 13-6 penalty count. The skewed 26-6 lineout count and numerous invasions into Leinster’s 22 finally rewarded Benetton with their solo try.
Despite these, when the game was critical, and the field conditions were optimal, Leinster demonstrated superior strength in their deliveries, offloads, and notably their remarkable breakdown work, enabling them to play at a significantly faster pace.
“Could rugby be on the brink of a substantial transformation?
The forceful pairing of RG Snyman and the formidable young Joe McCarthy proved to be compelling, so did the space made for accommodating Jack Conan and Caelan Doris in the back row. Gibson-Park’s verve appears to be undimmed, while Frawley orchestrated proceedings flawlessly. This was especially noticed in Ringrose’s imitation move and crafty release – Ringrose is in top form – culminating it all with Gibson-Park’s connecting play to beat Tommaso Menoncello for a standout try.
The penalty try earlier on doubled the impact, followed by Conan and Doris executing hassle-free two-phase tries from five-metre scrums. Leinster seized the day, completing the task against the Italians.
“We are really chuffed,” Leo Cullen asserted post-match. “We put on a brilliant show in the first half hour, didn’t we? Some great play there. We were attacking well, taking right calls, slipping the ball past them when their line was full, and pressurizing them with blockages; the initial 30 minutes were brimming with energy.”
“Benetton are a truly dignified team here and the game turned challenging as the pitch got torn up. Perhaps we made some unnecessary penalties, and Ryan Baird’s exclusion to the sin bin was a team yellow card. There are areas we can improve.
“The bright side is we were able to debut many players this season. An additional crucial five points and we advance towards the next hurdle.”
Alongside a commendable performance, Frawley also nailed his three conversions, including a touchline, and exhibited flawless ball striking throughout the evening.
“Ciarán’s performance during the initial 30 minutes in the 10 position was highly praiseworthy,” reflected Cullen. “It bodes well for him till Jimmy has to step out and we have to readjust owing to the 6-2 split. The versatility that Ciarán brings to the team is extraordinary, along with Jamie at fullback and Hugo on the wing.
“There was a slight tinkering and perhaps that affected some of the team cohesion. That wasn’t our plan at the onset of the week. We were unfortunately down Jordan [Larmour]. He was slated to be on the bench but withdrew late in the week.”
At 32, Conan reasserts his importance to Leinster, delivering strong performances as always. His growth as a player after becoming a father and opting out of touring is warmly recognisable, as Cullen humorously points out. His pre-season performances have been astounding, changing his dynamic within the team for the better. The hope now is that he continues improving, showcasing his talents not only in Leinster’s key matches, but with Ireland too.
“Jack is an exceptional sportsman,” Cullen remarks. “With unique prowess in both attack and defence, his ability to manoeuvre in narrow and broad spaces is extraordinary. A truly exceptional talent.”
The fiercely enthusiastic home crowd and their recurring ‘Le-o-ni, Le-o-ni’ cheers were rapidly silenced in a stadium where they experienced just one defeat in the last season. Their coach, Marco Bortolami, shared similar sentiments with Cullen.
“Leinster were cutthroat in the first half,” Bortolami commented. “We struggled under the strain they exerted and that’s the truth. There’s a noticeable gap in our performance under pressure that needs to be addressed. They simply outperformed us. They sit on the pedestal of some of the world’s best teams.
“We couldn’t solve the riddle in the initial half. Improvement came in the later half when we managed to serve off set-piece more efficiently, generating some pressure. Although there’s progress, we lag behind Leinster in proficiency and there’s a lot of catching up to do.”
GAME SCORELINE – 10th minute: Automatic try awarded, 0-7; 12th: Frawley try and conversion, 0-14; 17th: Conan try, Frawley conversion, 0-21; 26th: Doris try, Frawley conversion, 0-28; (Half-time score 0-28), 66th: Manfredi try, 5-28; 79th: Barron try, Byrne conversion, 5-35.
Benetton’s team was composed of Matt Gallagher, Ignacio Mendy, Tommaso Menoncello, Malakai Fekitoa, Paolo Odogwu, Jacob Umaga, Alessandro Garbisi, Mirco Spagnolo, Siua Maile, Simone Ferrari, Niccolò Cannone, Riccardo Favretto, Sebastian Negri, Manuel Zuliani, and the team captain, Michele Lamaro. Several substitutions were made, including Aminu Destiny replacing Negri for a period and Spagnolo later in the match, Lorenzo Cannone and Federico Ruzza replacing Negri and Favretto, respectively, Andy Uren stepping in for Garbisi, and later substitutions included Marco Manfredi, Giulio Marini, and Leonardo Marin replacing Maile, Zuliani, and Umaga, respectively. Enzo Avaca also came in for Ferrari. Spagnolo was cautioned with a yellow card after 10 minutes.
As for Leinster, the team consisted of Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe, Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, RG Snyman, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, and captain Caelan Doris. Substitute Lee Barron filled in for Kelleher after 13 minutes, Ross Byrne for O’Brien after 37, Ryan Baird for Snyman after 52, and trio Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson, and Brian Deeny stepped in for Porter, Furlong, and McCarthy, respectively. Later in the game, Fintan Gunne replaced Gibson-Park, and Scott Penny came on for Ringrose. Baird found himself in the referee’s book with a yellow card at the 65 minutes mark. The match was officiated by Craig Evans from Wales.