Leinster 54
Ulster 42
IT WAS HARD to escape the Christmas party feeling around Ballsbridge, or even on the pitch at the RDS as provinces east and north shared 14 tries and two bonus points.
In a test of resources and depth, Leinster will always prove a tough nut to crack open. And when, in this time for giving, the new-look sides show plenty of creative license in their defensive patterns the high-tempo expansive attack ensured the home side kept the scoreboard ticking inexorably upward.
In what under normal circumstances may have been billed as a top-of-the-table derby clash, Leinster powered their way to a bonus point inside 28 minutes to comfortably extend their lead in Conference A. And yet Ulster will leave with plenty to be pleased about too as they grabbed a try-scoring bonus point and finished strong while scoring an improbable sixth.
With the blue collective putting the result in no doubt from that early, inter-pro night was more about the individual displays. Harry Byrne played a key role in making Leinster’s attack function smoothly as they picked off chance after chance. The younger 10 in his homestead nailed seven of eight conversions attempts. A good night for kickers, his opposite number Bill Johnston slotted all six of his attempts.
Cian Kelleher was in electric form and looked extremely hungry for work as he provided the break before his side’s opening two scores and showed his top-line pace to add one of his own in the second half.
While Roman Solonoa and Ethan McIlroy came off the bench to win first Leinster and Ulster caps respectively, Tommy O’Brien was the pick of the debutants as he linked with Kelleher early and continually threatened the line in attack.
Sean Cronin made his return from a neck injury and looked in fine form as he added his power to get the hosts in the early ascendancy. Rob Kearney grabbed himself a try in the week he was dropped from the Ireland setup, but a match this loose is certainly not suited to his skill-set.
The season of goodwill manifested itself pre-match in the raft of changes Ulster made to draw a clear line between their in-form European front-liners and those hoping to make their way up the depth chart in matches such as this.
And although there was a promising spell for Ulster when they drew level at seven apiece thanks to Angus Kernohan’s darting run in to the left corner thanks to Rob Lyttle’s stretching bounce pass, the writing was on the wall early.
The game was just three minutes old when debutant centre O’Brien slipped Kelleher through a gap to break into the Ulster 22. The blue pack relished the chance to go to work from there and forced the opening for Max Deegan to plant down his finish under the posts.
That same combination delivered the opening for the home side’s second try too. This time O’Brien took advantage when Angus Curtis shot up on the left side of the 22, lofting a fine pass to Kelleher who powered and jinked before a third defender stalled his progress. Scott Penny applied the finish on that occasion and did so again five minutes later as the blues flowed through an extended set of phases while Lyttle was nursing an elbow injury prior to being replaced by teenage debutant McIlroy and Matt Faddes was in the sin-bin for a high contact on O’Brien.
By the time the Kiwi returned, Leisnter had the bonus point sealed thanks to another seamless set culminating in a deft cross-field kick from Harry Byrne that found Robbie Henshaw perfectly in his stride.
Byrne played a telling role in Leinster’s fifth of the half too, jinking cleverly through contact and tossing up the Cronin to take on before Fergus McFadden rung up the 33-14 half-time scoreline.
Like all Christmas parties the fun fizzled out of this one as it wore on and the excesses were revealed on the scoreboard.
Kearney got over before McFadden unveiled a new party trick: sending a penalty kick Danny Cipriani-style flat across the field to give Kelleher a chance to scorch in beyond David O’Connor.
Ulster playmaker Angus Curtis suffered a sickening injury while attempting a carry in heavy traffic and so an already makeshift Ulster side looking towards finishing the game with flanker Nick Timoney manning the wing and Kernohan in the centre.
Perhaps the change-up focused the mind in way. Because they will head back up the M1 with a try-scoring bonus point to show for their efforts.
Dan McFarland’s men, forever intent on digging something out of a game, grabbed tries through Craig Gilroy, a brace from Greg Jones and a last-gasp score from Johnny Stewart as the patched-up visitors wound up finishing the stronger.
Scorers
Leinster
Tries: M Deegan (2), S Penny (2) R Henshaw, F McFadden, R Kearney C Kelleher
Conversion: H Byrne (7/8)
Ulster
Tries: A Kernohan, M Faddes, C Gilroy, G Jones (2), J Stewart
Conversions: B Johnston (6/6)
Leinster: Rob Kearney, Fergus McFadden, Tommy O’Brien (Ciarán Frawley ’70), Robbie Henshaw (Conor O’Brien ’61), Cian Kelleher, Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park (Hugh O’Sullivan ’65): Peter Dooley (Cian Healy ’50), Seán Cronin (Bryan Byrne ’56), Andrew Porter (Roman Salanoa ’56), Scott Fardy (Oisin Dowling ’56), Josh Murphy, Will Connors (Josh Van der Flier ’50) , Scott Penny, Max Deegan.
Ulster: Rob Lyttle (Ethan McIlroy ’25) Craig Gilroy, Matt Faddes (Stewart Moore ’50), Angus Curtis (Azur Allison ’52), Angus Kernohan, Bill Johnston, David Shanahan (Johnny Stewart ’72): Andrew Warwick (Kyle McCall ’57), Adam McBurney (John Andrew ’56), Tom O’Toole (Ross Kane ’57), David O’Connor, Alan O’Connor (Jack Regan ’70) , Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, Greg Jones
And this is the club that people on here defend. Wonder what religion the dole scroungers from Govan think their top scorer is. Can’t see Kris Boyd being as vocal on this one
@Roberts Mel: That’s a fact! You’d need to have a long hard look at yourself if your support or defend that club in any way, shape or form. Xenophobic bunch of knuckle draggers.
@Roberts Mel: you are just as bad as them you know. Condoning the coin throwing the other day. Always the victim
@Joe: please point our where I condoned the coin throwing? I never even mentioned it! So how did I condone it?
Well done Steve Clarke. Needs more players and officials who aren’t from Celtic calling out that crap for what it is.
@Cian Nolan: the only way anything will ever be done is if players and coaches keep highlighting it to the media. Good on Steve Clarke and Kris Boyd for calling out what he was subjected to last week.
@The Bloody Nine: “Good on Kris Boyd” Haha that’s a laugh.. He’s a bitter Rangers fan that forgets another football club is actually paying his wages. He’s been talking Rangers up all season even though is plays for Killie..
@David Garland: I can’t believe you think sectarian abuse and coin throwing is ok because of what team a guy supports. It’s wrong no matter who it’s aimed at.
@The Bloody Nine: Didn’t see David mention anything about coin throwing or sectarian abuse never mind David saying it was okay for these things to happen. He just made reference to Kris Boyd and how nice of a fella he is.
@Roberts Mel: why is telling me how nice Kris Boyd is? I don’t envisage any scenario where I’ll be meeting the lad so his personality is irrelevant to me, as is who he supports or pays his wages.
@The Bloody Nine: Show me where I condoned coin throwing and show us how Kris Boyd has been a victim of Sectarian abuse? Also my point is Kris Boyd is quick to talk up Rangers telling everyone Celtic are in crisis and they’re is a split in the dressing room while all the time he’s playing for Killie.. As I said he’s a bitter Rangers Fan who never comes out giving out about the sectarian chanting coming from Ibrox..
@David Garland: he was called a fat orange b*****d by the Celtic fans
@Anthony Connery: well they ain’t lying
@David Garland: my apologies David if I misunderstood your comment. However, I can’t see how it’s relevant to my point that the more people experience sectarianism in football the more it needs to be spoken about and highlighted. And that’s regardless of who you play for or support. I’m at a loss as to why you’re arguing with me about this!
Normally at this stage of the comments we’d have someone on blaming the Celtic fans for the huns sectarianism.. With Neil Lennon gone I suppose they have to get someone else to racially abuse.. But clearly Sevco don’t know the meaning of the word “Fenian”
Rte have a lot to answer for the showing of “British” games when the english teams were banned from Europe. I know quite a few lads who are rangers fans from that influence. All rangers games were shown live as a substitute for the uk games.
@Trevor Beacom: any Irish person supporting The Rangers clearly has some sort of mental health problem.
@Ciaran Rice: You get an awful lot of Irish people who will support them out of spite because they can’t get their head around Irish people supporting Celtic, that’s how idiotic some football fans are in this Country.. The same people think nothing of supporting Clubs like Chelsea who we all know love Rangers and the UVF
@Ciaran Rice: Knew a guy at work who used to wear sevco shirt and England one during internationals. Was done purely for attention and the wind-up. Would not go out in public dressed like that, though.
@Ciaran Rice: Yea I know a few Irish Rangers supporters and they ain’t mental.
Ive been a long time Celtic supporter neigh on 55 years and ive witnessed plenty sectarian stuff in the Old “Jungle” which is probably well before your time.
That said Rangers have an ultra toxic lot that are very vocal.
Is Steve Clarke not a Rangers fan.. Can’t understand why they called him that
@ColmD: Clarke and his entire family are Celtic fans.
@Ciaran Rice: I didn’t know that.. Like him even more now..
@Ciaran Rice: Yes he was touted as a Celtic Manager at one point.
@Nick Condon Sen: he’ll be the next Celtic manager when Brendan leaves I’d say.
@Ciaran Rice:
The newest club in Scotland , reminds us all of a previous old one , same sectarian dribble , coming from bitter begrudgers .
Huns
I wonder do Rangers fans watch Braveheart and think” thank god we got William Wallace. Long life longshanks”
Seriously Rangers fans have to be the most confused idiotic bunch.. they havnt the slightest clue of their own national identity or heritage