URC: Leinster 24 Lions 6
Not another stroll to a bonus point win then, but no harm in many respects, not least in that the Lions’ obduracy made this encounter more challenging for this relatively callow Leinster side and especially their young outhalf Sam Prendergast.
The South African franchise may have been in a slightly false position entering this round of fixtures in second place and unbeaten after home bonus point wins over Ulster and Edinburgh, and two narrow away wins over the Dragons and Zebre. But only slightly.
They do have some very good players. Given South Africa’s extraordinary depth chart at scrumhalf, for Morne van den Berg to win a couple of caps earlier in the summer is an achievement, and now that he is hopefully over his injury woes, the 23-year-old outhalf Kade Wolhuter can fulfil his rich potential.
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Yet such is the Lions’ relative lack of star dust that they have no players in Rassie Erasmus’ squad for the Springboks’ end-of-year tour. But this, allied to a third week touring together, contributed to them being quite a cohesive side. Finishing ninth in each of the last two seasons just outside the playoffs, they are the competition’s dark horses.
They had evidently done their homework too. The URC’s most lethal side on turnover ball tailored their tactics, not overplaying in their own half, taking shots at goal for Wolhuter to land two of three long-range penalties and worked tirelessly to keep their disciplined defensive shape. Their set-piece solidity is backed up by the stats and also restricted access into their 22, where Leinster were not at their most clinical.
The wet conditions perhaps helped to further slow down Leinster’s lifeblood of quick ruck ball. The Lions gave them nothing easily but Leo Cullen, no less than the watching Andy Farrell, probably won’t have minded seeing Leinster and Prendergast navigate a more testing road to victory.
After starting the seasonal opener in Edinburgh before three classy starts on the Emerging Ireland this game continued the investment in the talented 21-year-old but it still only constituted his eighth Leinster outing with 10 on his back.
Prendergast started the game serenely with that trademark time on the ball and array of passes, often delayed, as first Robbie Henshaw, Max Deegan and Caelan Doris all made inroads off his distribution before Hugo Keenan was held up over the line.
But although Leinster’s close-range power game finally yielded a try through Josh van der Flier, things then became trickier. Craig Evans again found disfavour with Leinster and in some respects Prendergast’s probing performance as the rain swirled down in the third quarter was his most impressive.
There were some lovely touches and had his pass to Andrew Turner for a finish out wide not been correctly adjudged fractionally forward after a wonderful pickup, judgment might have been more favourable. Prendergast was replaced soon after helping to create and convert the decisive try by the outstanding Caelan Doris.
“It was good,” said Cullen of Prendergast’s performance. “He kicks his goals, that’s the big thing for a ‘10′. In terms of managing us around the field, we looked dangerous I thought in the first half, but then we maybe lose a little bit of the shape of the game as well when it gets quite loose at different stages.
“As a young player, Sam is 21 years of age, so you’re getting to the level of physicality of the game where you have bigger bodies running at you. He dealt with that pretty well I thought during the 60 minutes he was on the field.
“He has to ship a couple of knocks and as we run out for the second half, obviously the conditions deteriorate a little bit but I think we managed the start of that second half pretty well. Listen, overall it’s another really positive step in his development as a young ‘10′.”
Prendergast could well make his Ireland debut in their third Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji, if not sooner, although encouragingly for Farrell, it appears as if Ciarán Frawley should be fully fit for their preparatory training camp in Portugal this week after Cullen confirmed he returned to training last week.
“If you had asked me last week when we were down in Galway when he came off, and even on Monday, I didn’t think he would be available this week, but he got back into training as the week went on. If we needed him [against the Lions] he was there to be called upon. But we sorta set sail with a different plan on Monday. But, yeah, it is positive. He’s fine. He trained fully as the week went on, which was good.”
The forthcoming series will also mark the start of the Doris era as Ireland captain on top of Cullen making him Leinster’s captain last month.
“He has been fantastic,” said Cullen. “Reflecting back on last season and how it unfolded, particularly that last block when James [Ryan] and Garry [Ringrose] were both out, Caelan really stepped to the fore for us, off the back of some big performances that he has had for Ireland.
“Listen, he is making great progress as a leader. He is very curious, naturally, works on all aspects of his game, has a very positive influence on the group as well.
“He has been excellent, I have to say. You can see it in his performances, he is enjoying it. He is bringing everyone with him as well, which is good to see. And he’s still very young, so there’s plenty of room for growth there also.”
Scoring sequence: 3 mins Prendergast pen 3-0; 13 mins Wolhuter pen 3-3; 18 mins Wolhuter pen 3-6; 32 mins van der Flier try, Prendergast 10-6; (half-time 10-6); 58 mins Doris try, Prendergast con 17-6; 82 mins penalty try 24-6.
Leinster: Hugo Keenan, Andrew Osborne, Hugh Cooney, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe, Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath, Michael Milne, Gus McCarthy, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Ryan Baird, Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt). Replacements: Andrew Porter for Milne, Thomas Clarkson for Slimani (both 46 mins), Cormac Foley for McGrath, Ross Byrne for Prendergast (both 64 mins), Brian Deeny for Baird (67 mins), James Culhane for Deegan (69 mins), Stephen Smyth for McCarthy, Charlie Tector for Henshaw (both 79 mins).
Lions: Quan Horn, Richard Kriel, Henco van Wyk, Rynhardt Jonker, Edwill van der Merwe; Kade Wolhuter, Morne van den Berg; Juan Schoeman, PJ Botha, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruben Schoeman, Reinhard Nothnagel, JC Pretorius, Jarod Cairns, Francke Horn (capt). Replacements: Erich Cronje for Horn (11 mins), Franco Marais for Botha, Ruan Delport for Juan Schoeman, Marius Louw for Jonker (all 59 mins), Heiko Pohlmann for Juan Schoeman, RF Schoeman for Ntlabakanye, Sanele Nohamba for van den Berg (all 68 mins), Renzo du Plessis for Pretoris (70 mins).
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU).
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