Johnny Sexton hits ground running as Leinster power past Ospreys

Leinster 31 Ospreys 19

Joey Carbery is good. Real good. But as long as Johnny Sexton is around, well . . . Lest we forget, Leinster still boast the starting Lions Test outhalf and on his seasonal re-appearance after a four-month lay-off following a shoulder injury, Sexton made a winning return in every sense.

In the knowledge that he will only improve as the season goes on, Sexton marked his return with a try and a foot-sure 16-point haul, while generally oozing control as he ran the show with his smooth running and passing game.

On another generally good night for Leinster in front of a decent 13,357 crowd, a host of players maintained their early-season fitness and form, not least Cian Healy, two-try man-of-the-match Josh van der Flier, Jamie Heaslip, Isa Nacewa and Zane Kirchner.

Indeed, they look like a squad physically very well primed from their pre-season.

Bonus point

After securing another bonus point, their performance did fall away again, but there was much to admire in their attacking shape and ball retention, and the way forwards used deft inside passes to vary the point of attack.

They were clever too. Clearly seeking to exploit Sam Davies’s unfamiliarity with the fullback position, whether going wide to Nacewa or to Noel Reid, Leinster’s kicks in behind left wing Ben John yielded two attacking lineouts early on.

The first led to a Sexton penalty and the second to a lineout drive and pick-and-goes, before van der Flier took James King’s tackle to reach out for the line.

The Ospreys, living on scraps, looked dangerous on occasion, not least when working the ball wide and then back infield only for Nacewa to save a try with a monster tackle on Hassler.

In what felt like pivotal moments in the half, Dmitri Arhip was promptly binned for clumsily yanking Nacewa to the ground by the neck after competing for an aerial ball.

Although Leinster then lost their shape a little, it was still a marginal call when Luke McGrath’s touchdown was ruled out for a knock-on against Sexton as the outhalf left the ball infield when being driven over the line by four men.

Scrum pressure

In any event, scrum pressure yielded a penalty, Nacewa coming in from his wing to signal another put-in against their depleted opposition. Time to be ruthless. Even though Jeff Hassler packed down in the backrow, two more sustained scrum drives yielded a penalty and then a penalty try.

In the endgame to the half, although Arhip was still in the bin, curiously the Ospreys also pursued a try as if it was the game’s last play. From a lengthy sequence of turnovers and counters over the course of three minutes, Kirchner picked off a wild offload infield by Josh Matavesi, and after strong carries by Garry Ringrose and Nacewa, Sexton took Matavesi’s tackle to score. Suddenly it was 24-0 at half-time, albeit fair reward for 70 per cent possession and 74 per cent territory.

Sustaining their performance into the second half had been a stated pre-match ambition after previously falling off, and within six minutes of the restart Leinster had another bonus point.

Even Sexton’s one error, per se – a missed penalty to touch – led to Mick Kearney winning a loose aerial ball from Kirchner’s return kick, and with Sexton pulling the strings his pass took out Justin Tipuric as van der Flier’s line beat Tyler Ardron before he stepped Dan Biggar for a very sharply taken second try.

After Rhys Webb fumbled a routine catch from Matavesi’s try-scoring pass, Biggar’s behind-the-back flick and Ashley Beck’s pass enabled Ben John to reward some sustained pressure by scoring untouched in the corner.

Binned

Leinster maintained their work-rate in defence for Kirchner to make a try-saving tackle on Dafydd Howells, but Sexton, surprisingly still on the field, was binned for offside.

Holes then appeared in the defence for Biggar and Davies to create tries for Howells and King.

But Leinster ripped their game to ensure there were no bonus points for the visitors.

LEINSTER: Zane Kirchner; Isa Nacewa (capt), Garry Ringrose, Noel Reid, Dave Kearney; Jonathan Sexton, Luke McGrath; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Mick Kearney, Jordi Murphy, Josh van der Flier, Jamie Heaslip. Replacements: Jack McGrath for Healy, Rhys Ruddock for Murphy (both 49 mins), James Tracy for Cronin, Ross Molony for Kearney (both 55 mins), Jamison Gibson Park for McGrath (61 mins), Mike Ross for Furlong (65 mins), Joey Carbery for van der Flier (72 mns), Dan Leavy for Sexton (79 mins).

OSPREYS: Sam Davies; Jeff Hassler, Ashley Beck, Josh Matavesi, Ben John; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Paul James, Scott Baldwin, Dmitri Arhip, Lloyd Ashley, Alun Wyn Jones (Capt), James King, Justin Tipuric, Tyler Ardron. Replacements: Ma'afu Fia for King (30-37 and 65 mins), Sam Parry for Baldwin, Nicky Smith for James, Dan Baker for Ardron (all 47 mins), Bradley Davies for Ashley (50 mins), Tom Habberfield for Webb, Dafydd Howells for Hassler (both 61 mins), Dan Evans for Beck (65 mins). Sinbinned - Arhip (27-37 mins)

Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR).