Leinster 38 Tries: F McFadden 2, J Larmour 2, B Daly, J Sexton. Cons: R Byrne 3, J Sexton
Ulster 7 Tries: J Stockdale. Cons: J Cooney
Six tries to one provides an accurate reflection of where each province currently exists. Some worries for Leinster – injury to Tadhg Furlong (concussion), Garry Ringrose (ankle) and James Tracy (elbow) – but mostly this game showcased the depth of Irish rugby through the prism of the latest wunderkind Jordan Larmour.
The 20-year-old, shining from fullback on this night, apparently has it all. That includes the essential toughness to play hurt.
Here marks another milestone for Larmour’s electric surges, for two tries, while Andrew Porter tore up some Ulster trees when coming on for Furlong.
But spare some praise for rugby’s ultimate survivor, Fergus McFadden and his two tries, as the 31-year-old is clearly inspired amidst a sea of super talented young Irish wingers.
The first half almost ended with Ulster drawing blood. Only their second raid into Leinster territory – a region these blue-clad defenders almost prefer to exist nowadays; camped near their line bashing single ball carriers backwards in gangs of two and three – appeared to have stretched the cover. But inaccuracy remains Ulster’s undoing. Depressingly, Les Kiss admitted afterwards that “we don’t have a constant dependable style of rugby that we can rely on”.
This particular siege wasn’t lifted by a herculean defensive effort, rather Sean Reidy flinging possession into touch as Jacob Stockdale was poised to make it a one-score game at the turn.
Reidy slammed the grass in frustration before Charles Piutau pulled him up as Kiss calmly spoke with the nodding heads of his assistants Dwayne Peel and Jono Gibbes. The province cannot be accused of lacking outside rugby expertise.
Dramatic turnover
Leinster broke out with Ringrose offloading to Ross Byrne as the outhalf’s grubber bounced up on the try line just as Larmour outsprinted Andrew Trimble. Somehow a dramatic turnover score was denied by Iain Henderson appearing from in field to block a clean grounding. Referee George Clancy considered a penalty try before blowing for a Leinster knock-on.
Henderson’s endeavour did not prove infectious.
Ulster were blessed to only trail 12-0 at the break. They were in dire straits from five minutes when Larmour nimbly stepped inside Stockdale – a statement in itself – after Byrne catapulted McFadden through the Ulster guts.
Leinster kept pounding away with Barry Daly beating Piutau on the outside after a nicely delayed Larmour pass for the slick second try.
Ulster stalwarts could only stall the rout. Rory Best remains the undisputed Ireland hooker, as Tracy appeared to follow Niall Scannell into the medium-term injury category so Sean Cronin’s international career lives on but the captain, Trimble and Reidy were plugging multiple holes on a creaking ship.
La Rochelle, a French club littered with All Black quality and Pacific Island power, visit Belfast next weekend in the Champions Cup firmly intent on crushing Ulster’s European aspirations.
Tracy’s loss was barely felt but Leinster (and Ireland) coaches touched wood when Jack Conan and Furlong seemed to recover from what initially looked serious harm. However, Porter replaced Furlong at the interval as the Lions prop failed a head injury assessment.
Josh Murphy and Jordi Murphy both warrant special mention. The young and elder flankers caused havoc over Ulster ball that scrumhalf Jonny Stewart, on his first start, won’t forget in a hurry. The messy supply line denied Christian Lealiifano – who Ulster have already replaced with another foreign signing to be announced shortly – any sort of rhythm.
The next try seemed certain to be Robbie Henshaw’s but Byrne’s pass was intercepted by Stockdale’s smart read. The Ireland left wing was denied a clean 80 metre run away by his own ice-cold finger tips. More unforced error.
Stunning try
The result should have been cooked early in the second half only for television match official Peter Fitzgibbon denying more Larmour magic. The former St Andrew’s schoolboy created then finished a stunning try when Jamison Gibson-Park regathered his perfectly weighted kick to send him over but the officials noticed Gibson-Park was ahead of the toe poke.
The Ulster penalty proved a mere reprieve. On 47 minutes the 17,373 audience let out their loudest roar when McFadden stepped inside Stockdale, who can no longer be certain to start for Ireland, after excellent work by Larmour, Cronin and Scott Fardy.
The noise levels quadrupled four minutes later when Porter rampaged through Darren Cave and Stockdale. The converted tighthead seemed to be contemplating a few more yards before wisely feeding Gibson-Park who put McFadden away for the bonus point (back down field Jack McGrath and Cronin leaped on their fellow frontrow soldier).
All Kiss could do was unleash the Leinster-born players on the Ulster bench. In came John Cooney and Nick Timoney but it mattered little. These provinces seem light years apart at the moment.
At least the visitors saw what Jordi Murphy will carry north in July when the Ireland flanker hammered over the gainline before slick hands by Johnny Sexton and Henshaw put Larmour over again.
That made it 31-0 with 14 minutes to play.
Ulster eventually responded when Tommy Bowe made a break, injuring himself in the process, before Stockdale finished off the attack.
One province in as deep a trough as the other’s peak, Sexton ran in the last try and just for kicks he planted the conversion.
Scoring sequence 5 mins: J Larmour try, 5-0; R Byrne con, 7-0; 15 mins: B Daly try, 12-0. Half-time. 47 mins: F McFadden try, 17-0; R Byrne con, 19-0; F McFadden try, 24-0; R Byrne con, 26-0; 66 mins: J Larmour try, 31-0; 72 mins: J Stockdale try, 31-5; J Cooney con, 31-7; 80 mins: J Sexton try, 36-7; J Sexton con, 38-7.
Leinster: J Larmour; F McFadden, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, B Daly; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; J McGrath (capt), J Tracy, T Furlong; D Toner, S Fardy; J Murphy, J Murphy, J Conan. Replacements: S Cronin for J Tracy (26, inj), A Porter for T Furlong (Half-time, inj), E Byrne for J McGrath, J Sexton for R Byrne (both 57 mins), N Reid for G Ringrose (58 mins, inj), M Deegan for J Conan (60 mins), M Kearney for D Toner, N McCarthy for J Gibson-Park (both 66 mins).
Ulster: C Piutau; A Trimble, D Cave, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; C Lealiifano, J Stewart; C Black, R Best (capt), R Ah You; P Browne, I Henderson; M Rea, S Reidy, J Deysel. Replacements: W Herbst for R Ah You (47 mins), J Cooney for J Stewart, A O'Connor for P Browne (both 52 mins), J McPhillips for C Lealiifano, T Bowe for C Piutau (both 55 mins), N Timoney for S Reidy (56 mins), K McCall for C Black (61 mins), R Herring for R Best (64 mins), R Ah You for W Herbst, C Piutau for T Bowe (both 73 mins, inj). Referee: George Clancy
