RUGBY COLUMN – SEPTEMBER 12
By Daire Walsh
Leinster continued their winning start to the new Guinness PRO14 against Cardiff Blues at the RDS last Friday evening, when they had 28 points to spare (37-9) over the Welsh outfit.
The Blues had began life in the expanded competition (which now includes South African duo Toyota Cheetahs and Southern Kings) last Saturday week away to Newport Gwent Dragons, who are now coached by ex-Ireland international – and former Newbridge College student – Bernard Jackman.
Jamison Gibson-Park, Jordan Larmour, Dan Leavy and Cathal Marsh crossed over for Leinster in a bonus-point triumph, and when you consider their league campaign ended in a semi-final defeat to eventual PRO12 champions Scarlets last term, they were eager to secure back-to-back victories against their big rivals.
For his side’s opening home game of the new season, head coach Leo Cullen included the Kill duo of Adam Byrne and James Tracy in the Leinster starting line-up, while former Clongowes Wood College prop Ed Byrne was listed amongst the replacements.
The final scoreline might suggest that the hosts had an easy ride in this contest (which was the 200th provincial appearance for towering Leinster lock Devin Toner), but it was actually during the early stages of the game that they fell behind.
Cardiff place-kicker Aaron Shingler converted a 15th-minute penalty, and he followed up this score with another three-pointer 12 minutes later.
The Leinster faithful had to be patient before they saw their team opening up their account, but it finally arrived just past the half-hour mark. Tracy claimed his fourth try in a Leinster shirt at the end of a promising attack, and with Ross Byrne supplying the bonuses, they were in front for the first time in the game.
A penalty by Ross Byrne on the stroke of 40 minutes helped the home team to establish a 10-6 interval advantage, and although Shingler reduced the deficit to the bare minimum just after the restart, Leinster slowly before surely took control of the proceedings.
An additional six-point haul by Byrne created further daylight between the teams, and thanks to a 67th-minute try from Sean Cronin (who had replaced Tracy as part of a complete alteration in the front-row), Leinster ultimately placed the outcome beyond the reach of Cardiff. They now had another bonus success in their sights, and courtesy of late five-pointers by Barry Daly and replacement scrum-half Nick McCarthy, they emerged with the maximum points on offer.
Next up for Leinster will be consecutive away games against Southern Kings and the Cheetahs, which they are setting up an official Tour of South Africa.
Meanwhile, Eadestown’s Tadhg Beirne registered a try in Parma on Saturday night, when Scarlets recorded a 41-10 success over Zebre. This follows their commanding 57-10 win against Southern Kings seven days earlier, which means that they have now won their last nine competitive league games – dating back to last March’s home encounter with Edinburgh.