Murray Kinsella reports from the Ricoh Arena
LEINSTER HEAD COACH Matt O’Connor admitted to disappointment at his side’s second-half display in their 20-20 draw with Wasps, although he pointed to their performance before the break as encouraging.
The eastern province secured themselves a Champions Cup quarter-final with two match points at the Ricoh Arena, but the fact that they gave up a 20-6 half-time lead will cause some frustration should they miss out on a home tie in the knock-out stages.
“It was disappointing,” said O’Connor post-match in Coventry. “I thought we were as good as we’ve been [all season] in the first half. I thought we controlled the game really well, limited their opportunities with the ball and took our opportunities to score when we got chances.
“From that end, the first half was exactly how the script went. Second half, it was probably a little bit too ill-disciplined.
We gave them too many penalties, too much field position and the two chances they had, they took. The effort was outstanding but the accuracy in the second half was disappointing.”
Leinster missed a crucial opportunity to extend their lead just minutes after the interval, hammering their way to within metres of the Wasps tryline, before Devin Toner was penalised for obstruction in front of Michael Bent.
O’Connor felt a score at that point would have finished the game off as a contest.
“Definitely, that was the thinking,” said O’Connor, “14 points was a long way for them to come back. If we’d got another score, three [points] or five or seven, I think it would have been game over.
“But they were good in the second half, they kept fighting and they kept playing. They got two chances up our end with line-out drives and executed them.”
O’Connor confirmed that Dave Kearney had sustained a worrying shoulder injury and may be out for “several weeks”, while explaining that Eoin Reddan’s subsitution was on account of a knee issue.
Captain Jamie Heaslip was replaced by Jack Conan in the 64th minute as his recent shoulder problem flared up.
“Dave’s got a bang on his shoulder and Eoin Reddan’s got a medial strain on his knee,” explained O’Connor. “Jamie’s still carrying that shoulder. He was struggling with it, fresh legs were going to be important.”
Blew it.
To be held scoreless in the second half and throw away a 14 point lead is very disappointing. Need a couple of favours tomorrow to get a home quarter final. Given the group we had, that’s a very, very poor outcome.
Probably should have been red, he has a look at him before hitting him in the air
He’s not the man to lead Leinster.
Yeah. Can’t believe he told Madigan to miss three kicks. All O’Connor’s fault. Boo, and indeed hiss.
A bit harsh on Heaslip
He had boss on the bench over a match winner in mcgrath.
His hopeless kick the ball away game plan almost knocked us out of Europe for the second year on a row.
He picked gopperth against his new team mates.
Madigan Reid fitzgerald 10 12 13 would have won that game in the first half.
Totally agree. MOC is out of his depth
Martin, I wanted to choose between green and red but I couldn’t understand your native language.
As I said a few weeks ago the players need to put there hands up and take some responsibility and today proved it. Still a good result moc isnt as bad as people make him out to be . Good to see luke Fitzgerald playing well at 13 .
Andy Goode uncharacteristically bottled the drop goal. Still better percentage than Madigan… A combo of a second string Toulouse and being held by a competent montpellier would be a miracle. But even qualifying is more than we were expecting a couple of months ago so fair play to the lads.
O’Connor you clown. What sort of game plan involves panicking and kicking AWAY possession cheaply while chasing a win in the last 10?! Please Fock Off back to your beloved Premiership with Gopperth.
Hope this move pays off for wasps great ground to watch rugby enjoyed the atmosphere good support for both sides
I would not think the It was the coaches idea to kick the ball away, quite the opposite, it was the player who panicked which nearly cost Leinster the match.