Edinburgh 27
Leinster 47
Lewis Stuart reports from DAM Health Stadium
THEY MAY HAVE had a team’s worth of players off on Ireland duty, but Leinster’s march to glory in the United Rugby Championship continued uninterrupted with a rampant, seven-try display in Scotland.
The contrast between the sides was obvious early on. Edinburgh had all the ball at the start but it took them almost 10 minutes, most of it within inches of the Leinster goal line, to break the determined Irish defence, Emiliano Boffelli, the full back, the one to get there.
When Leinster got their hands on the ball, though, they got their reply under a minute. They cut loose down the left wing and when the ball zoomed across the field, there was Max Deegan, the No8, in position to take the ball and crash over with fly-half Harry Byrne adding the conversion to put his side in front.
Edinburgh did go back ahead with prop Boan Venter driving over from short range after a penalty was kicked to touch and with Boffelli adding both the conversion and a later penalty, the home side had something of a cushion.
Again the attacking potential of the Leinster team meant they didn’t have to wait long for their reply, opting to tap a penalty under the Edinburgh posts and coming up with a set-piece move to send flanker Scott Penny over and with Byrne’s conversion there was only one point in it.
Nor did it take long to claw that back, Dave Kearney, the wing, breaking through the midfield and finding Jamie Osborne in support to take the ball almost to the line before prop Michael Milne made the final few inches and give them the lead at the break.
It did not take long to extend their advantage and claim the scoring bonus point. Luke McGrath, the scrum half, snapped up a dropped Edinburgh pass and linked with Liam Turner on the wing to take the game to the home line. There, the defence was slow to reorganise and Byrne’s cross kick gave Dave Kearney the chance to dot down millimetres inside the dead ball line.
Edinburgh did keep the contest alive when Boffelli grabbed his second score, but normal service was soon restored with a flurry of tries. First Milne worked his way over for his second as Leinster moved the ball wide after their maul was held. The next saw fellow prop Michale Ala’alatoa cross after Kearney had done the hard work and then Penny found acres of space out wide to sprint in. Byrne added all three conversions as his side closed on on the half century.
They thought they had got there when replacement Charlie Tector’s first touch of the ball saw him touch down under the posts only for the score to be ruled out for a marginal knock on in the build up. With Penny going off injured and replacement lock Brian Deeny picking up a late yellow card, Leinster finished the game two men down, giving Sam Skinner, the chance to earn the home side a four-try bonus with a late touchdown.
Edinburgh
- Try: Emiliano Boffelli 2, Boan Venter, Sam Skinner.
- Con: Emiliano Boffelli [1 from 3], Charlie Savala (1 from 1)
- Pen: Emiliano Boffelli [1 from 1]
Leinster
- Try: Max Deegan, Scott Penny 2, Michael Milne 2, Dave Kearney, Michael Ala’alatoa.
- Cons: Harry Byrne [6 from 7]
Edinburgh
Emiliano Boffelli (Jaco van der Walt, 70); Damien Holland, Mark Bennett, James Lang, Wes Goosen (Chris Dean, 33); Charlie Savala, Ben Vellacott (Charlie Shiel, 61); Boan Venter (Jamie Jack, 70), Stuart McInally (David Cherry53), Lee-Roy Atalifo (Elliot Millar-Mills, 52), Marshall Sykes (Jamie Hodgson, 60), Sam Skinner, Luke Crosbie (C), Hamish Watson, Viliame Mata (Nick Haining, 17-27, 68-72).
Leinster
Ciaran Frawley (Charlie Tector, 68); Jordan Larmour (Rob Russell, 60), Liam Turner, Jamie Osborne, Dave Kearney; Harry Byrne, Luke McGrath (Nick McCarthy, 60); Michael Milne (Jack Boyle, 60), John McKee (Lee Barron, 54), Michael Ala’alatoa (Thomas Clarkson, 60), Ross Molony, Jason Jenkins (Brian Deeny, 54), Rhys Ruddock (C) (Will Connnors, 54), Scott Penny, Max Deegan.
Sin bin: Brian Deeny (77 to end)
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)