URC: Ospreys 19 Leinster 22
Luke McGrath, Charlie Tector and Rabah Slimani grabbed a try apiece at Swansea.com Stadium last night as table-toppers Leinster held off a strong challenge from Ospreys to earn their 11th win from 11 in this season’s United Rugby Championship.
Although they were still missing a whole host of internationals for this fixture, Leinster were bolstered by the return of six players from Ireland’s Six Nations squad to their UCD base last Monday. While Joe McCarthy ended the week back at national squad training in the IRFU High Performance Centre in Blanchardstown, the remaining quintet of Irish players were named in Leo Cullen’s starting line-up for their latest trip to Wales.
Jamie Osborne and Jimmy O’Brien were amongst those hoping to leave a lasting impression on Ireland head coach Simon Easterby, who was watching from the stands alongside his brother Guy, Leinster Rugby’s Chief Operating Officer. Kildare duo Osborne and O’Brien have featured in some big Test games within the past couple of years and they were heavily involved in their side’s breakthrough try on 13 minutes.
After their excellent approach work got Max Deegan on the ball inside the Ospreys ‘22′, the industrious backrow subsequently released scrumhalf McGrath for a simple score over the whitewash. Like Osborne and O’Brien, Ciaran Frawley has his sights set on being involved at some point in the closing three rounds of the Six Nations.
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Despite firing wide of the mark from the conversion that followed McGrath’s try, the Skerries man made no mistake off a 17th minute penalty to give Leinster a strong platform in Swansea. Yet the form of Ospreys has improved since Mark Jones took over as head coach in December of last year and the hosts grew in stature as the action progressed.
After outhalf Owen Williams kicked to touch on 36 minutes, former Wales international Justin Tipuric rose highest to claim a lineout and the ensuing maul was finished off by the latter’s backrow partner Harri Deaves.
This left the bare minimum between the teams approaching the interval, but it was Leinster who ultimately ended the opening period in brighter fashion. Following another entry into the Ospreys 22, inside centre Tector raced onto a McGrath pass before driving over the line in clinical style.
Frawley supplied the extras to this effort and the eastern province brought a 15-7 cushion into the second half as a result.
There was still plenty of work to do on the resumption, however, and Ospreys displayed their mettle once again by bagging a second try on 48 minutes. After another attacking penalty had been kicked to touch by the Welsh region, hooker Ethan Lewis – a late addition to the Ospreys’ first 15 – was on hand to apply the finishing touches to a powerful lineout maul.
A bonus strike from fullback Jack Walsh drifted past the posts, but with just three points separating the sides, this game was finely balanced moving into the closing quarter.
However, Leinster head coach Cullen did have the luxury of introducing South African international RG Snyman off the bench and the two-time World Cup winner made his presence felt in typically eye-catching fashion.
With the line in sight, the Springbok star unleashed an offload into the path of Slimani and the bustling prop – who recently earned a surprise recall to the French squad – burst over the line for his first try in a Leinster jersey.
Despite Frawley still being on the pitch, Snyman’s fellow replacement Ross Byrne was entrusted with kicking responsibilities and he expertly split the uprights from a conversion to propel Leinster into a 10-point lead on 66 minutes.
Ospreys set the game up for a tense finale when Cameron Jones dotted down in the 74th minute to round off an extended spell of attacking pressure, but even though they returned home without a bonus score to their name, Leinster have moved 15 points clear at the URC summit for the time being.
Scorers – Ospreys: H Deaves, E Lewis, C Jones try each, O Williams con, J Walsh con. Leinster: L McGrath, C Tector, R Slimani try each, C Frawley pen, con, R Byrne con.
OSPREYS: J Walsh; D Kasende, E Boshoff, K Williams, K Giles; O Williams, R Morgan-Williams; G Phillips, E Lewis, T Botha; J Ratti, J Fender; H Deaves, J Tipuric, M Morris. Replacements: K Hardy for Morgan-Williams, 30 mins; I Hopkins for O Williams, 45 mins; W Spencer for Ratti, 54 mins; B Warren for Botha, 56 mins; M Morse for Morris, 62 mins; T Florence for Giles, 66 mins; C Jones for Phillips, 67 mins; W Austin for Lewis, 75 mins; Giles for Florence, 77 mins; Florence for Walsh, 78 mins.
LEINSTER: J Osborne; T O’Brien, H Cooney, C Tector, J O’Brien; C Frawley, L McGrath; J Boyle, G McCarthy, R Slimani; D Mangan, B Deeny; M Deegan, S Penny, J Culhane.
Replacements: RG Snyman for Deeny, 47 mins; P McCarthy for Boyle, R Byrne for Tector, F Gunne for McGrath, all 54 mins; A Soroka for Deegan, J McKee for McCarthy, both 63 mins; R McGuire for Slimani, 67 mins.
Referee: F Russo (FIR).
