Northampton Saints 16
Leinster 43
WHAT A DAY to go 10 from 10. And lose your 10 to injury along the way.
Jonathan Sexton’s early departure due to injury is one of the few black marks against Leinster as they laid down another big statement performance against the pace-setters of the Premiership.
The visitors at Franklin’s Gardens laid to rest any anxiety of World Cup hangovers that had been attached to their relatively stodgy wins in the opening two rounds with some exhilarating flashes of attacking rugby.
The spark for all that blue touchpaper came through Jordan Larmour, whose footwork, ability to exploit gaps and clinically time his pass in open field was dazzling at times.
The 22-year-old played a big part in creating first-half tries for James Lowe and Rhys Ruddock. And although the home side were still well in touch at the halfway point, Leinster were in ruthless mood as they scorched from a 16-19 to 16-31 lead and the bonus point in the space of nine second-half minutes.
A performance that only underlines Leinster’s credentials as tournament favourites brings them five points clear of Northampton before the reverse fixture at the Aviva Stadium next weekend. Both sides started the weekend with nine points to their name in the pool and, with just a single loss between them all season before kick-off, there was plenty to whet the appetite. The satisfying feast of incisive attack arrived without delay.
For an away fixture in a tight old ground against in-form, Premiership-leading opposition the selection of Larmour over the vast experience of Rob Kearney was a big call from Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster. The young tyro repaid the faith within three minutes of kick-off by creating a brilliant breakaway try.
What began as a nervy moment for the visitors with Jamison Gibson-Park fumbling a grubber in behind was turned back on the Saints by Cobus Reinach’s loose pass on the edge of the 22. Garry Ringrose pounced and invited Larmour on. The fullback duly moved through two defenders and the gears as he hared off towards the Barwell Stand and popped a well-timed pass for James Lowe to finish.
Each time the Saints felt themselves on the back foot, they tightened up their gait and upped the power in close contact. Ahsee Tuala made a muscular carry into the Leinster 22 in the seventh minute. From that base the Saints – thankfully not as flat as their choir at the interval – expertly drew the blue jerseys in and fan away back left for Tuala himself to finish in the corner.
Dan Biggar, given a new lease of life in Chris Boyd’s energetic attacking setup, added a tough conversion and would have 11 points to his name by half-time as Cullen’s side continually felt the wrath of referee Alexandre Ruiz’ whistle under pressure from the home side.
The ideal valve to ease that pressure, however, was Larmour. Minutes after the visitors enjoyed a let-off with Tom Collins’ knock-on as the try-line begged to be crossed, the 22-year-old was unleashing another magical sidestep in midfield to crack Northampton’s defence again.
Gibson-Park was dragged down shy of the line on the break thanks to Reinach’s supreme and desperate swan-dive tackle, but the score was merely delayed as the blue pack arrived to recycle efficiently to tee up Rhys Ruddock.
A game with a terrific frenetic pace saw Leinster’s 10-14 advantage kicked away to a 16-14 deficit by Biggar. But Leinster in European mode are not a dog to ease off once they have a scent. If the backs were to be lauded for the opening two tries, it was the pack’s turn to tilt the tie as they forced a vital 34th-minute scrum penalty on Saints’ put-in.
They sought out the corner and, with Devin Toner in irresistible form in the air, they set the line-out, maul and the big bodies kept shoulders at the wheel until Andrew Porter forced the try.
Sexton missed the conversion to leave the scoreboard at 16-19 leading into the second half, but that would soon the be the least of his worries as he was aided off the field three minutes into the second half.
The playmaker suffered the apparent knee injury just as Larmour scythed through on another break. The 14 men mounted an extended set of tight phases while their playmaker was receiving treatment. By the time the medics helped Sexton off the field, Cian Healy forces his way over to seal the bonus point.
Ross Byrne’s first act on the pitch was to kick the conversion and he had seven points to his name before he had five minutes on the field. The out-half rounded off Leinster’s fifth try, a score that came thanks to another incisive midfield break – this time from Gibson-Park.
Prop Alex Waller was sin-binned for his attempts to kill the move and it was soon a 14-on-14 as Ringrose was given just a yellow for reflexive, dangerous tip tackle.
With a 15-point cushion, Cullen’s men didn’t have the urgency that made the first period such an entertaining watch. And as the defence stood firm against a long, slow bout of pressure from the home pack, the win was not in doubt from there on out.
Indeed, once Leinster navigated their way back into attacking territory they grabbed two late tries through Luke McGrath and Ed Byrne.
A strong finish to a perfect start to the season that now reads 10 wins from 10.
Scorers
Northampton Saints
Tries: A Tuala
Conversions: D Biggar (1/1)
Penalties: D Biggar (3/3)
Leinster
Tries: J Lowe, R Ruddock, A Porter, C Healy, R Byrne, L McGrath, E Byrne
Conversions: J Sexton (2/3) R Byrne (1/3)
Northampton Saints: Ahsee Tuala (Piers Francis ’57), Tom Collins, Matt Proctor, Rory Hutchinson, Taqele Naiyaravoro; Dan Biggar (James Grayson ’62), Cobus Reinach (Connor Tupai ’65): Alex Waller (Francois van Wyk ’57), Mikey Haywood (Michael van Vuuren ’58), Ehren Painter (Paul Hill ’50); Alex Moon, Api Ratuniyarawa; Tom Wood (Lewis Ludlam ’50), Jamie Gibson (Alex Coles ’62), Teimana Harrison.
Leinster: Jordan Larmour, Dave Kearney, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw (Rob Kearney ’74), James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (Ross Byrne ’43), Jamison Gibson-Park (Luke McGrath ’53); Cian Healy (Ed Byrne ’53), Rónan Kelleher (James Tracy ’53), Andrew Porter (Tadhg Furlong ’53); Devin Toner, James Ryan (Max Deegan ’75); Rhys Ruddock (Scott Fardy ’55), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
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Shocking challenge seen red cards for far less than that
without question it should have been red, the yellow card was a disgrace, distin should also had a straight red for his blatant elbow to skertels’ face
Didn’t hit him hard enough! ;-)
Here here !! He’s Sc€m
The words pot & kettle come to mind
for any other player id say absolutely red but considering its Suarez, he bloody deserved – what goes around
comes around … karma.
Exactly, how many players has he got booked for his dives in the past
2 derbies in a row Everton players are booked for diving but you claim Suarez is a cheat. Clueless.
That’s the only time they dived Suarez dives more times every match. Your the clueless one or are you blinded by the jersey??
Spoddgy, what slimey rock you crawl from?
The LFC supporters club?
Couldn’t have put it better myself haha!!!
Haha, ya know, we have one when we are bad too, not only when winning…
At least your not denying LFC fans come from under a slimey rock
No doubt about it. Red card all day long.
Considering it’s Suarez, he should win some kind of humanitarian award.
All your stupid moron comments doesn’t mean it wasn’t a red card, bunch of fools
It wasn’t a red… Moron!
No of course it wasn’t, even the majority of people who hate the man said it was a red, except someone called john john, who calls someone else a moron but who is in fact so stupid he needs to write his name twice so he doesn’t forget it. Ape
stop feeding the troll Peter !
Ur the guy who started calling others moron and fool!! Did he get a red r yellow card??
He didn’t get the right one
Could not think of a second name…. Hmmmm
Ur reply says it all peter…
Why don’t you crawl back in to the sh*t pile you came from JJ!! You never add anything of value! Honestly boy, show your parents what you writ (if you know them) and see how utterly embarrassed you will look!! Big man!!
Suarez injured Mirallas in the derby last season and didn’t even get a yellow for a deliberate stamp. So revenge for Mirallas was sweet. Should have been a red but a player like Suarez reaps what he sows.
Exactly
Drew blood from Henderson in the 2nd half as well.. Lucky boy
if I was Mirallas I’d get a tetanus straight after the game, just in case….
But when people respond to you, you try to be taken seriously, like you ahem, know what your talking about….
quit yo stalking dude :-(
Niall, why? Was he with your missus??
ah now David, only the loons in here use personal insults………..the rest of us discuss things and engage in whats known as banter :-)
It’s only Suarez
It’s a red card but in life sometimes you don’t get them. I’m sure the Everton fans would point to a similar incident in the derby last year when Suarez stayed on after a nailed on red that put Mirales out for 3 months.
Don’t forget when he got Rodwell sent off for nothing. Que Sera Sera.
Karma indeed, between biting and racial remarks he should expect nothing less then a few hard knocks in games
Deffo should have been sent off but I’d give Mirallas a medal for that wee taster of the karma Blacula has coming his way…
I guess that made keanos gbh assault on haaland ok right? Suarez got his punishments, but not enough for you guys…. Typical BS… Guys also whine about dives, but never mention Bale or Young… Destroys your mediocre credibility….
No sympathy for Suarez.
Yellow enough. A hard challenge. Only a scratch.
He should of hot a red card for not breaking the rats leg!!
You truly are a muppet!
Wow look at the big man!!
Only joking lads ..was a red card all day long!
It actually reminds me of a tackle by Carragher on Nani a few years ago, it also drew blood. He didn’t get red for that, so can’t see the difference really
He makes it hard because he would still get nothing if he was sucker punched right in front of ref anyway… You forget, he is not English… As for that crap you say about how many players he get booked? Only that Everton guy… Which was so wrong…. But remember noddgy, certain English players manage to get penalties, red cards and goals in 1 dive, mr A Young…. Ohhhh but he is Man U….. Lets not mention that… Biased right??
As a Liverpool I’m sick of fake fans talking Sh!te , this has nothing to do with Utd s€um so why bring it up , get a life ya spas
“As a Liverpool” as in a city? Your a city all by yourself! Mad ted that. And you have a spa in it!
Would love to be you.
Suarez dives & wins peno’s all the time. And as for the tackle, karma is a bit*h. It was Suarez who stamped on Mirallas last season and got away with it and don’t forget a couple of years ago Suarez pathetic rolling around faking injury incident to get Jack Rodwell sent off
Aye Ashley young is as bad as Suarez for it but Suarez has also bit an opponent so he is at least one up on young!
In sure you would love to be me going over to support my team a couple of times a year . How many matches do you go to clown !
Ah Terry aka Paul Johson, the posting is all the same.
Hello paul, I see you are “Terry” today, how are you feeling today Terry? As I’ve already said, my offer of professional help is an open one to you(them), all you have to do is ask….
It probably should have been a red but the Liverpool doctor was a disgrace. He clearly tried to tell the ref what to do. Once he had done that the ref couldn’t give a red or it would have looked like he was taking instructions from the Liverpool bench.
I normally don’t watch the premiership games but that was an absolute cracker.
Course it was a red but it was a beaut of a tackle. Suarez goes down too easily when he not touch now refs don’t know if he’s simulating or not which is prob why mirallas didn’t get a card. Ye will have to admit pool fans that he make it hard for the referee they can’t just give him every decision
The stud marks on his knee are a little hint that contact was made!!! How many red cards has he got in the past year for diving compared to players like Young and Bale? U might be surprised!
What comes around goes around