URC quarter-final: Leinster 33 Scarlets 21
Four tries from an imperfect performance by Leinster guaranteed their win over Scarlets in Aviva Stadium and a United Rugby Championship semi-final meeting with Glasgow on Saturday (kick-off 2.45pm).
But there will be questions asked about the consistent form of the top seed, who after starting brightly with two tries in a 10-minute spell from James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park to take a 12-0 lead, struggled to kick on until the second half.
Scarlets hit back twice in the first half through right wing Tom Rogers and a length-of-the-park counterattack from Blair Murray to go into the break just one point behind and probably surprising themselves. Trailing by only 15-14, Scarlets were very much in the game.
“I think we weathered the storm well, the first 15 or 20 minutes where the writing was on the wall a bit,” said Scarlet’s coach Dwayne Peel. “They started fast, and they got a lot of speed of ball and they got on top of us and then I felt physically we got back into the game, and we rattled them with tackles. To be at 15-14, I thought we were right in the game.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
‘Please turn out in force’: Leo Cullen addresses fans after sparse crowd attended Leinster’s defeat of Scarlets
Tale of two provinces: Luke-warm Leinster stumble through as heroic Munster undone by penalties and theatrics
Heartbreak for Munster in Durban as Sharks win after placekicking shoot-out
How can the provinces break France’s dominance?
“But credit to them, I felt straight after half-time for 15 minutes they really took a grip of the game with some intelligent kicking.”
To Leinster’s benefit they opened the second half as they had the first and perhaps with the move of the game Jamie Osborne struck five minutes after the return. In what looked like a training-ground move Osborne took off on a forward run and outhalf Sam Prendergast deftly kicked the ball over heads for Osborne to win the foot race and touch down.
Peel afterwards questioned whether it was correctly touched down by the Irish centre despite Scottish referee Hollie Davidson having a closer look on the replays. It was a tight call but went to the home side with Prendergast converting for 22-14.
Player of the Match Hugo Keenan added Leinster’s fourth try after replacement Dan Sheehan blocked down a kick, which is becoming something of a trademark for the Irish hooker.
From that Jordie Barrett ran a terrific a line and found the supporting Keenan, who muscled over the line for 27-14. Five minutes later Prendergast kicked a penalty to keep the scoreboard ticking at 30-14 and by then the game was firmly under Leinster control.
Still a late match flare up from Scarlets allowed Johnny Williams crack the blitz defence for a 71-minute try, converted by Ioan Lloyd before the final score of the game from another Prendergast penalty closed at 33-21.
Afterwards, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen spoke of the challenge of peaking for big matches.
“The thing is you talk about a season and you have players that have to go through the course of it,” said Cullen. “The peaking bit is a challenge and that’s for us to get our preparation right this week. Trying to get them peaking during Six Nations and on Champions Cup weekends. It’s unusual having seven playoff games in a season. We’re not going to get seven this year but you have to have some level of a plan for that.
“We had Six Nations then three Champions Cup games, two great and one poor. Was that Northampton or us? Were they excellent or was that us? We had a chance at the end. Different day, different decisions, different outcomes and you go on to another game. Again, its turn the page.
“We had a chance to refresh last week when we were off and managing that can be a bit of a challenge as we chopped and changed the team a bit for Zebre and Glasgow. There’s not much at stake in those games, that’s the reality and that can potentially lure you into bad habits. With playoff rugby, its cagey, play the conditions and the opposition and find a way to win. It doesn’t matter. You deal with the variables on the day: big crowd, small crowd.”
Leinster are hoping to peak even higher at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon against last year’s champions Glasgow.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 4 mins: Lowe try 5-0; 9: Gibson-Park try, Prendergast con 12-0; 19: Rogers try, Costelow con 12-7; 35: Prendergast pen 15-7; 40: Murray try, Costelow con 15-14; Half-time 15-14; 45: Osborne try, Prendergast con 22-14; 59: Keenan try 27-14; 65: Prendergast pen 30-14; 70: Williams try, Costelow con 30-21; 73: Prendergast pen 33-21
LEINSTER: H Keenan; J O’Brien, J Osborne, J Barrett, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, R Kelleher, T Clarkson; J McCarthy, J Ryan; R Baird, J van der Flier, J Conan (capt).
Replacements: S Penny for van der Flier (29 mins); D Sheehan for Kelleher, RG Snyman for Ryan (both 47); R Slimani for Clarkson (57); J Boyle for Porter (67); L McGrath for Gibson Park (67); M Deegan for Conan (68); Conan for Snyman (73); C Frawley for Keenan (75).
SCARLETS: B Murray; T Rogers, J Roberts, J Williams, E Mee; S Costelow, A Hughes; A Hepburn, R Elias, H Thomas; A Craig, S Lousi; V Fifita, J Macleod (capt), T Plumtree.
Replacements: M van der Merwe for Elias (50 mins); K Mathias for Craig (57); I Lloyd for Costellow (58); S Wainwright for Thomas, M Page for Rogers (both 64); Davis for Macleod (74); E Jones for Hughes (75).
Yellow cards: Hepburn (55 mins), Fifita (72).
Referee: H Davisdon (Sco).
