RUGBY
Leinster slowly beginning to find their feet again
By Daire Walsh
LEINSTER finished with 13 points (22-9) to spare at the Liberty Stadium last Friday evening, when they boosted their Guinness Pro12 play-off prospects with a seventh consecutive league triumph against the Ospreys.
The Blues had continued their winning run with a 13-0 success over Connacht on New Year’s Day, and for their latest trip to Swansea, Leo Cullen selected a highly-experienced match-day squad.
A total of 12 full Irish internationals featured in the starting line-up, and between replacements Dominic Ryan, Sean Cronin, Marty Moore, Noel Reid, Eoin Reddan and Ian Madigan, there was a combined caps total of 153.
However, the province’s squad was affected by suspension for this clash with the Welsh outfit. Cian Healy was handed a retrospective two-week ban as a result of an offence he committed in the December 13 defeat to Toulon at Stade Mayol, while Suncroft’s Fergus McFadden received a three-week punishment for an alleged stamp on Connacht’s Nathan White in their preceding league victory.
Jamie Heaslip did return to the back-row, but with just six minutes gone on the clock, he was withdrawn from the action after picking up a heavy knock. The Naas native was certainly a loss for the visitors, but with Ryan proving to be a more than able deputy, they were able to re-focus on the task at hand.
Welsh World Cup star Dan Biggar did break the deadlock with an excellent drop-goal, but after claiming a sublime Jonathan Sexton cross-field kick on 17 minutes, former Clongowes Wood College student Dave Kearney registered his opening try of the current season.
This helped Leinster to settle into the proceedings, and even though Biggar responded with a successful penalty, a similar effort from Sexton ensured that Leinster brought a 10-6 advantage into the second period.
Biggar – who performed heroics for his country in their opening World Cup game with England – was uncharacteristically wide of the mark from place-kick opportunities either side of the break, but he eventually reduced his side’s arrears to a minimum (10-9) in time for the final-quarter. This set-up a potentially nerve-wracking finale, but when Reid crossed over 15 minutes from time, Leinster were offered some much-needed breathing space. Sexton was off-target from the subsequent bonus strike, but thanks to a second converted score by Dave Kearney in the closing stages, Leinster were provided with the perfect tonic heading into Saturday’s Champions Cup meeting with Bath.
Elsewhere, Naas remain in third position in Division 2A of the Ulster Bank League, following their 27-18 win against Thomond at Forenaughts on Saturday. In addition to five points from the boot of Peter Osborne, a penalty try helped Naas to develop a 10-3 interval lead, and although their Limerick counterparts produced a spirited display, three touchdowns was enough to give the hosts their seventh victory of the campaign.
2015/16 has been something of a struggle for MU Barnhall, but even though they are still second from bottom in Division 2B, their dramatic 14-12 win over Greystones could prove to be a major turning point in their season.