Tommy Mc Loughlin – New Ross RFC
A week on from travelling to Swansea with New Ross RFC on our club tour, where we played two teams from the Ospreys region and then took in Ospreys v Scarlets, I had a little extra interest in seeing the Welsh side come to Dublin. Unfortunately for the visitors, Leinster were in no mood to offer much hospitality on the pitch. Leo Cullen’s side ran in ten tries in a 68–14 win over Ospreys at the Aviva Stadium in the United Rugby Championship, sealing second place in the table and giving themselves a strong send-off before next week’s Bilbao final.
Leinster Start Like a Side in a Hurry
Leinster wasted no time putting their stamp on the game. Joe McCarthy powered over after just four minutes, with Harry Byrne adding the conversion, and Max Deegan followed three minutes later to make it 14–0. It was a ruthless opening from the home side. Leinster carried hard, recycled quickly, and forced Ospreys into long spells of defending before they had any real chance to settle. For a team with one eye on Bilbao, the tempo and intent were exactly what you would want to see. Josh van der Flier added Leinster’s third try on 20 minutes, again converted by Byrne, before Jimmy O’Brien crossed shortly after. At 28–0 after 24 minutes, Ospreys were already in deep trouble, with Leinster looking dangerous almost every time they got into the right areas.
Ospreys Show Some Fight Before Half-Time
To their credit, Ospreys did not completely disappear from the contest. After being pulled around for most of the opening half-hour, they found a way to put Leinster under pressure and got their reward when Huw Owen-Sutton crossed on 31 minutes. Dan Edwards converted to make it 28–7, and that score at least gave the Welsh side something to take into the break. Leinster still had full control of the match, but the Ospreys try was a reminder that the home side could not afford to let the game become too loose. At half-time, Leinster led 28–7. The result already looked very likely, but the second half would show whether Leinster were happy to manage the game out or whether they wanted to make a proper statement.
McCarthy Leads the Second-Half Surge
Any small hope Ospreys had of making Leinster uncomfortable disappeared quickly after the restart. Garry Ringrose crossed on 44 minutes, with Ciarán Frawley converting, and Leinster were straight back into their rhythm. Jordan Larmour then struck twice in the space of five minutes, scoring on 53 and 58 minutes, with Frawley converting both.
His finishing gave Leinster even more width and pace, and by that stage Ospreys were struggling to contain the speed of Leinster’s attack. Joe McCarthy, who had already opened the scoring, added further tries on 55 and 62 minutes to complete a hat-trick. For a second-row to finish with three tries says plenty about Leinster’s control close to the line, but it also showed McCarthy’s appetite to keep putting himself in the right places.
Lowe Adds the Final Touch Before Ospreys Reply Late
James Lowe added Leinster’s tenth try on 64 minutes, with Frawley again converting. At 68–7, the game was long gone, but Leinster deserve credit for keeping the pace up and refusing to let the second half drift. Ospreys did manage a late second try through Dan Edwards on 78 minutes, which he converted himself. It was a decent finish from the visitors, but it did not change the story of the evening. Leinster had too much power, too much pace, and far more accuracy when chances came. The final score of 68–14 was a fair reflection of the gap between the sides on the day.
The Verdict
This was exactly the type of performance Leinster would have wanted before Bilbao. The opposition and occasion next week will be very different, but Leinster showed the right level of focus here. They started quickly, kept scoring after half-time, and had big performances from players who will want to be involved in the final. Joe McCarthy was the obvious standout. His hat-trick will get the headlines, but his overall physical presence was just as important. Leinster’s pack gave them the platform, the backs finished well, and the replacements kept the scoreboard moving. The only caution is that this was a match Leinster were expected to win. Bilbao will ask far harder questions. Still, sealing second place in the URC with a ten-try performance is a strong way to head into one of the biggest weeks of their season.
Match Squads
Leinster Rugby:
15. Jimmy O’Brien, 14. Jordan Larmour, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Robbie Henshaw, 11. James Lowe, 10. Harry Byrne, 9. Jamison Gibson-Park, 1. Jerry Cahir, 2. Gus McCarthy, 3. Rabah Slimani, 4. Joe McCarthy, 5. Diarmuid Mangan, 6. Jack Conan (c), 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. James Culhane.
Replacements: 16. Ronan Kelleher, 17. Alex Usanov, 18. Tadhg Furlong, 19. Max Deegan, 20. Caelan Doris, 21. Fintan Gunne, 22. Ciarán Frawley, 23. Hugh Cooney.
Ospreys:
15. Jack Walsh, 14. Keelan Giles, 13. Evardi Boshoff, 12. Owen Watkin, 11. Iestyn Hopkins, 10. Dan Edwards, 9. Reuben Morgan-Williams, 1. Garyn Phillips, 2. Efan Daniel, 3. Ben Warren, 4. Rhys Davies, 5. Huw Sutton, 6. James Ratti, 7. Jac Morgan (c), 8. Ross Moriarty.
Replacements: 16. Lewis Lloyd, 17. Cameron Jones, 18. Kian Hire, 19. Ben Roberts, 20. Harri Deaves, 21. Kieran Hardy, 22. Phil Cokanasiga, 23. Luke Morgan.
Match Details
Referee: Ru Campbell (Sco) Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Half-Time Score: Leinster Rugby 28–7 Ospreys Full-Time Score: Leinster Rugby 68–14 Ospreys
Match Discipline & Scorers
Cards: No cards provided.
Scorers:
Leinster Rugby:
• Tries: McCarthy (4’, 55’, 62’), Deegan (7’), Van der Flier (20’), Jimmy O’Brien (23’), Ringrose (44’), Larmour (53’, 58’), Lowe (64’) • Cons: Harry Byrne (4’, 7’, 21’, 24’), Frawley (45’, 53’, 59’, 63’, 65’) • Pens: None
Ospreys:
• Tries: Sutton (31’), Edwards (78’) • Cons: Edwards (32’, 79’) • Pens: None
PLAYER OF THE MATCH:
Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby)
Next Up
Leinster Rugby v Bordeaux-Bègles, Investec Champions Cup Final, Saturday May 23rd, 2:45pm, San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao.