URC: Leinster 42 Cardiff 24
Occasionally it’s worth pausing to look past the detail and instead adopt a more holistic view. Leinster racked up a 12th successive United Rugby Championship victory, and while the quality was a little fitful and largely crammed into the middle third of the match, the circumstances surrounding the win will bring satisfaction.
Leo Cullen’s side, without a vast cohort of internationals, scored six tries, oversaw debuts for Ivan Soroka and Oliver Coffey, all the while propelled to that triumph by top-notch performances from several outstanding young prospects.
The cocoon of experience around them enabled Diarmuid Mangan, Hugh Cooney and Charlie Tector, to highlight three, to shine before a crowd of 17,951. Mangan produced a towering 40 minutes in all facets of the game in getting his team over the gain-line and winning turnovers before an injury saw him replaced by RG Snyman.
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Cooney beat the first tackler time and again, a constant threat, his footwork a delight that helped him to take the physical buffeting on his terms. It’s easy to understand why Mangan and Cooney have spent time recently with the Ireland senior squad.
Tector, the official man-of-the-match, has been a revelation since converting to inside centre. The former Ireland under-20 Grand Slam-winning outhalf proved a handful with which Cardiff struggled to come to grips, literally in the case of the well-taken try he scored.
The Rathnure native outlined the backstory to his rehoming. “I was always a cover for centre, but I have really taken to it in preseason this year. Look, I’m just delighted to be on the pitch. I know 12 is one out from 10, it’s just another pair of eyes, another pair of hands, feeding the same information in. I am loving it at the minute.”
The fact that he has married playing outhalf for Lansdowne in the AIL with his Leinster commitments has been important. The 22-year-old explained: “I think you have to get game time. If you don’t come into these games (with match minutes), you don’t feel sharp. You can’t get the same out of a training session as you can out of a game. It’s a different step up.”
Tector pointed to a primary physical difference between the coltish underage international and now. “Probably my physicality. Centre is a bit more physical than 10. I probably had to step it up to move from 10 into the centre. I have put on a bit of size and am happy with the way I am going at the moment.”
Given it was “origin week” in the URC, Tector sported one Enniscorthy RFC and one Kilkenny College sock. He explained: “I played in Enniscorthy until I went to first year in Kilkenny. I could name countless lads; Dougie Kidd, Henry Chanley, (who) played a huge part in my development in Enniscorthy.
“Then I went to Kilkenny. I had a great time there with Steve Ashmore, Jeff Carter, Wesley Carter especially and Pieter Swanepoel. I’m sure I’ve missed someone there now, but it played a huge part in my development as a player.”
A week on from his Ireland debut, Jack Boyle played 68 minutes and scored a try, his frontrow buddy John McKee also grabbed one, while Max Deegan was the third member of the pack to cross the Cardiff line. In that context another Wexford man, Brian Deeny, will have benefited from playing whistle to whistle, including half the game with RG Snyman.
Alex Soroka was another to step up and stand out, and there was a lovely moment for his family when joined by older brother Ivan, making his debut for the final 12 minutes. Rabah Slimani’s influence could once again be seen in Leinster’s scrum dominance, and Will Connors’ in and around the fringe defence.
Luke McGrath’s try was sharply taken, Ross Byrne’s placekicking faultless, while Andrew Osborne is maturing nicely. Jimmy O’Brien grew into the game while namesake, Tommy, produced two stonking tackles to go with some gain-line winning carries.
Leinster’s attack occasionally floundered in having too many hands touch the ball with no net gain, while on other occasions the cut-out pass wasn’t the right option.
And a word for Cardiff. The Welsh side were value for their four tries. They produced some lovely, instinctive running rugby that cut Leinster apart from deep. Left wing Harri Millard scored a brace of tries, three coming from the backline, the other by Thomas Young.
The home side led 14-12 at the interval but in 13 second-half minutes swept clear on foot of a 21-point scoreboard salute, the pick of which was Tector’s that borrowed from the precision of the training ground. From a lineout launch play, Osborne came off the blindside wing and his pass to Tector was perfectly timed and allowed the centre to gallop over.
The respective debuts of Ivan Soroka and Oliver Coffey, sent on in tandem on 68 minutes, would have been a more enjoyable moment than the ritual first cap song in the dressingroom afterwards: Wonderwall and The Gambler, apparently. Rob Russell, back from injury, marked his return with an acrobatic finish for a try that survived the scrutiny of the TMO and match officials.
Leinster’s next assignment in a little under three weeks takes them to South Africa where they’ll face the Bulls and the Sharks on consecutive weekends. That will be a challenge and a half.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 14 mins: McKee try, Byrne con 7-0; 17: Millard try 7-5; 29: Young try, Sheedy con 7-12; 40+1: Boyle try, Byrne con 14-12; Half-time 14-12; 42: Deegan try, Byrne con 21-12; 50: McGrath try, Byrne con 28-12; 53: Tector try, Byrne con 35-12; 57: Millard try 35-17; 69: Bevan try, De Beer con 35-24; 75: Russell try, Byrne con 42-24.
LEINSTER: J O’Brien; T O’Brien, H Cooney, C Tector, A Osborne; R Byrne, L McGrath; J Boyle, J McKee, R Slimani; D Mangan, B Deeny; A Soroka, W Connors, M Deegan.
Replacements: RG Snyman for Mangan (half-time); S Smyth for McKee (57 mins); R Russell for T O’Brien (60); S Penny for Connors (62); I Soroka for Boyle; R McGuire for Slimani; O Coffey for McGrath (all 68 mins); L Turner for Cooney (77).
CARDIFF: C Winnett; G Hamer-Webb, R Lee-Lo, R Jennings, H Millard; C Sheedy, J Mulder; D Southworth, L Belcher, R Litterick; J McNally, R Thornton; B Donnell, T Young, A Lawrence.
Replacements: A Mann for McNally (HIA, 32 mins); T de Beer for Winnett (half-time-50); R Barratt for Southworth; W Davies-King for Litterick (both 52); Southworth for Barratt (60); E Bevan for Mulder; R Grace for Millard; S Davies for Donnell (all 62); E Daniel for Belcher (64); T de Beer for Sheedy (69).
Yellow card: A Mann (41 mins).
Referee: A Piardi (Italy).
