Montpellier 14
Leinster 23
Murray Kinsella reports from Altrad Stadium
ONE HAS TO think that if Leinster could, they would happily play their Champions Cup quarter-final next weekend.
The eastern province’s form is exceptional and they secured a clean sweep of Pool 3 with victory under a grey sky in Montpellier, this success also ensuring that they emerge from the group stages as the top seeds in Europe.
Though they were sloppy for much of the opening half, Leo Cullen’s side always had the scoring power and quality to overcome a physically imposing Montpellier side.
Even without their rested leaders Johnny Sexton and Scott Fardy, Leinster were able to deliver a hugely impressive second-half performance, in which they kept Montpellier scoreless, to secure their sixth win from six pool games.
This was also their ninth consecutive victory in all competitions and one has to think that Cullen and Stuart Lancaster would willingly take the opportunity to roll on with this European campaign in the coming weeks.
Instead, the Champions Cup favourites must wait until the end of March to welcome their knock-out opposition to Dublin, hoping that the Six Nations does not deprive them of any key men.
That said, Leinster’s depth is a strength and the likes of James Ryan, back in the second row and making his impact felt, point to their enviable options. 20-year-old Jordan Larmour didn’t see much of the ball for Leinster on the right wing but performed his defensive duties on Nemani Nadolo well.
Over on the other wing, James Lowe again delivered offloading thrills but some of his decision-making, both defensively and on the ball, will have caused concern for the Leinster coaches.
Out-half Ross Byrne was among the try scorers, as well as kicking a conversion and two penalties, while Robbie Henshaw and Sean Cronin also dotted down for Leinster.
Among the negatives for Leinster was their error count in the opening half, following an early try from Byrne. The Irish side trailed 14-8 at the half-time break after inviting Montpellier into the contest.
The recovery was thoroughly convincing, however, and this three-try victory ensures that Leinster finished the pool phase in style, with a final tally of 22 tries and 176 points scored over their six games.
Leinster’s fine start at Altrad Stadium saw them create a beauty of a fifth-minute try as Byrne sparked a kick return and finished the sweeping move himself.
After gathering Montpellier’s exit, the out-half hit Lowe, who threw a basketball-style overhead pass to the impressive Jamison Gibson-Park before accepting the return offload. Lowe was hauled down a metre short of the Montpellier tryline but Leinster calmly recycled for Gibson-Park to hit the unmarked Byrne on the left touchline with a skip pass.
The TMO review confirmed Gibson-Park’s pass hadn’t gone forward, and Byrne converted his first senior try for Leinster.
But Cullen’s men became increasingly sloppy thereafter, inviting Montpellier into the game with maul turnovers, missed tackles and intercepted passes.
Though Byrne extended Leinster’s lead with a penalty on the quarter mark, Montpellier soon found a meaty response. Lowe made a couple of defensive misreads in the build-up, before the French side opted to send a kickable penalty into the corner.
Their muscular pack marched over Leinster’s from five metres out, hooker Bismarck du Plessis the man to do down, and All Black Aaron Cruden converted superbly from wide to the left.
Leinster’s error count continued to rise sharply even after that warning and, again, Montpellier were happy to punish them as they sent another possible three-point penalty into the corner coming towards the break.
This time, they cleverly peeled around the back off a dummy maul, with Louis Picamoles sent thundering at the line before he drew Josh van der Flier and Dan Leavy into the tackle and offloaded deftly to Yacouba Camara to cross, Cruden converting again.
And Leinster needed a remarkably mobile try-saving tackle by tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong in the final minute of the half to deny the imposing Nemani Nadolo down the left, ensuring the scoreline remained 14-8 in the hosts’ favour at half time.
While Nadolo was denied in that instance, he couldn’t prevent the hard-working Robbie Henshaw from scoring Leinster’s second try shortly after the interval.
Leinster’s forwards had pummelled at the hosts’ tryline for phase after phase, but it was an excellent Gibson-Park pass that finally provided the scoring chance, allowing Rob Kearney to tip-on sharply to Henshaw.
The Ireland centre was one-on-one with Nadolo close to the right touchline but he stepped back inside the Fijian for a superb finish.
Though Byrne couldn’t convert, he did send Leinster back in front in the 50th minute with a penalty and the Irish province were rolling again.
Their brilliant start to the second half continued with a third try two minutes later, all sparked when lovely offloads from James Ryan and Leavy allowed Gibson-Park to kick deep into the Montpellier 22, where Cruden was forced to nudge the ball into touch under pressure from Lowe’s chase.
Leinster’s maul, so chastened by Montpellier’s first-half success, fired up powerfully and took Sean Cronin to within striking distance, the hooker barreling over from close-range and allowing Byrne to convert for a 23-14 lead.
Joey Carbery made his return from a fractured arm, replacing Kearney at fullback, as Leinster looked to close out the game comfortably.
Montpellier looked desperately for openings as they attempted to keep their European campaign alive, but even their close-range lineouts and mauls were now misfiring in the face of Leinster’s improvement, Devin Toner picking off one key close-range throw.
Few teams will fancy taking on this Leinster side later in the competition.
Montpellier scorers:
Tries: Bismarck du Plessis, Yacouba Camara
Conversions: Aaron Cruden [2 from 2]
Leinster scorers:
Tries: Ross Byrne, Robbie Henshaw, Sean Cronin
Conversions: Ross Byrne [1 from 3]
Penalties: Ross Byrne [2 from 2]
MONTPELLIER: Benjamin Fall; Timoci Nagusa (Jesse Mogg ’54), Frans Steyn (Joe Tomane ’67), Jan Serfontein, Nemani Nadolo; Aaron Cruden, Ruan Pienaar (Gela Aprasidze ’76); Mikheil Nariashvili (Yvan Watremez ’60), Bismarck Du Plessis (Romain Ruffenach ’73), Antoine Guillamon (Mohamed Haouas ’54); Nicholaas Van Rensburg (Julien Delannoy ’73), Konstantine Mikautadze; Kelian Galletier, Yacouba Camara (Fulgence Ouedraogo ’60), Louis Picamoles.
LEINSTER: Rob Kearney (Joey Carbery ’58); Jordan Larmour, Robbie Henshaw, Isa Nacewa (captain), James Lowe (Fergus McFadden ’69); Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park (Luke McGrath ’58); Cian Healy (Jack McGrath ’47), Seán Cronin (Bryan Byrne ’66), Tadhg Furlong (Andrew Porter ’66); Devin Toner, James Ryan (Ross Molony ’74); Dan Leavy (Jordi Murphy ’67), Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.
Referee: Luke Pearce [RFU].
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
Even when behind, Leinster looked comfortable. Absolutely favourites for the Championship.
@Pete Slattery ✊: The scheduling is a worry, but we all know this at the start of every campaign. It would be great if the quarter final was next weekend. We’ve no idea how Leinster will be lined up in April (and whoever they play).
What a statement of intent. And great to see them go behind and really have to work for it again. They are as capable of winning from behind, which was the issue at the business end last season. Fantastic refereeing, too. All confidence, no ego.
@Conor Paddington: to win every game in a group containing the top teams in France, England and the Pro 14 shows how strong our squad is. Plus we have won games playing all types of rugby. Crazy squad that everyone who comes in keeps the team playing at the same level
@Conor Paddington: well said let’s just hope Strauss is not throwing into the lineout in march!
Unbelievable performance.
As Maximus Decimus Meridius once said “Are you not Leinstertained?!”
Credit to Leinster, they are a force to be reckoned with.
Excellent perform a! We were in the group of death with the champions of England and the current leaders of the top 14! Also, think Larmour proved today he is ready for at least a bench spot in the six nations did very well today defensively. Didn’t get much ball today but that’s not his fault. Roll on the six nations!
@Breno Rodgers: and Glasgow top of their conference too!
Pool of Death, leaders of the Top 14, Aviva Premiership and Pro 14 all beaten home and away! Need to come through the 6 Nations relatively unscathed and finish the job.
Great achievement by Leinster,six from six. Cronin and Henshaw were outstanding with VDF very good as well.
Fantastic. I hope Lowe works on some of his defensive frailties between now and April because Fardy and Gibson-Park might be chosen ahead of him.
@Callum: what’s the rule exactly with NIQ’s in the 23? Thanks
@Barry Ward: only two of Lowe, Fardy and Gibson Park are allowed in the squad at any one time. Isa doesn’t count as he played for Fiji. Think Fardy is nailed on so it’s a toss up between Lowe and JGP.
@Barry Ward: think you’re only allowed two in the match day squad
@Pseud O’Nym: is this just an irfu rule or is it across every team in the competition?
@Declan Snow: every team but for the life of me I don’t know how the French clubs get around it
@William Finnegan: they mostlying have Pacific islanders and south Africans in their squad. Theirs an eu deal that allows them to be treated the same way as eu citizens so they can’t be excluded on the grounds of being foreign
A win in France and not putting out our strongest team is very promising. Onwards and upwards.
The Imperial March on trumpets was appropriate for Leinster today.
Thought James Ryan had a terrific game today, aggressive in the tackle, always making yards in contact and a workhorse around the field.
Furlong, Cronin and Henshaw were excellent.
Lowe’s defensive issues are very concerning.
It was the right decision to rest Fardy this week, and the game will help J.Ryan’s development no end, but he was missed.
Delighted to see the ref consistently ping for forward passes today. With players playing on the edge all the time trying to get the slightest bit of advantage over the opposition the receiving player very often is just slightly ahead of the passer which results in a forward pass. Too often forward passes these days get let go. Well done ref.
Great win. James Ryan, JVDF, Leavy, Ross Byrne, Henshaw, a new generation of leaders. Worryingly, from a purely provincial perspective, 18 of the squad now head to the 6 Nations. By the time April comes around the squad could be thinner.
Leinster so comfortable and played well within themselves, you felt a fourth try was theirs if they really pushed for it. Lowe is an accident waiting to happen though!
@Turk Oneeighttwo: I think the good far outweighs the bad though. The crazy offloads in our own 22 need to stop though. I have never seen a player release and pick the ball up in the tackle as much in my life.
Great result to play poorly and still win away in France is a real mark of intent.
For the love of me though why did they keep box kicking after they lost nearly everyone out wide
@Mark Smith: I think they knew it was done so they tried a few things. The lineout move aswell. All they needed was a LBP to be sure of a top seeding (and even without that they’d probably be okay) and after Toner’s steal and subsequent penalty win, the game was up. I doubt they’d be doing the same with 10 mins to go in a quarter final with the contest on the line.
Going to take some stopping they are.
In other news muldowney and Heenan leaving for bristol
Great game management from Leinster. Kicking game, running game. Opposition couldn’t get to grip’s with what the next move might be, in control and never thinking they would loose. Winning formula, let’s keep it up. C’mon Leinster
Great result, bodes well for the future seeing the young guns up and coming with Leinster!
Byrne missed the conversion of his own try. You say above that he converted it.