RUGBY
Leinster grind out win over Bath ahead of return clash at the Aviva
By Daire Walsh
KILL’S James Tracy made a second-half appearance off the bench at the Recreation Ground last Saturday afternoon to help Leinster towards a gritty 17-10 victory over Bath in Pool One of the Heineken Champions Cup.
Ahead of their showdown with the same side at the Aviva Stadium this coming weekend, it was crucial that Leo Cullen’s charges returned to winning ways in the competition.
After their opening round demolition of Wasps, the defending champions were viewed as the team to beat in the 2018/19 campaign.
They came unstuck in a subsequent away trip to Toulouse, losing out by the narrowest of margins (28-27) to the past kings of European rugby.
The Blues remained two points adrift of the French pace-setters heading into round four, though they have a forthcoming rematch pencilled in for January 12 at the RDS Arena.
Following four consecutive starts in the Guinness PRO14, Tracy made way for the returning Sean Cronin in the Leinster front-row.
He packed down alongside Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong, who featured prominently for Ireland in the recent November Series.
All eight of Ireland’s forward division played their part in a successful autumn for the national side, while Noel Reid (a one-cap wonder back in 2014) and James Lowe were the only members of the back-line to remain idle during this international window.
Tracy, Andrew Porter, Jack Conan and Ross Byrne offered a great deal of big-time experience to the Leinster bench, but it was the hosts who drew first blood.
A Henry Thomas try on 21 minutes was supplemented by a James Wilson conversion, giving the English Premiership outfit an ideal platform.
Yet, Leinster fired back through Cronin – newly-anointed World Rugby Player of the Year Jonathan Sexton adding the bonuses to keep his side on level terms at the break.
The flying Jordan Larmour touched down on the restart to swing the pendulum in the visiting team’s favour and Ross Byrne’s 72nd-minute penalty effectively put the seal on their second triumph of the term.
Wilson’s place-kick on the stroke of full-time provided Bath with a potentially crucial losing bonus, though, and doubts have now surfaced about Sexton’s participation in their renewal of acquaintances on Saturday.
While Joey Carbery was absent for Munster’s emphatic triumph over Castres in Pool Two on Sunday, it was a day to remember for fellow Athy man Jeremy Loughman.
The former Ireland U20 international has impressed for the Reds in recent weeks and made his European bow as a late replacement for Dave Kilcoyne.
Eadestown native Tadhg Beirne also completed the full 80 minutes in a comprehensive 30-5 win – a result that keeps Johann van Graan’s men at the summit of their group.
Meanwhile, Newbridge College student Cian Prendergast featured for the Ireland U19s in their Saturday afternoon test with the Australia Schools & U18s at Energia Park.
Prendergast enjoyed a 55-minute run-out as the hosts fell to a 17-5 reversal at the hands of their southern hemisphere counterparts.