Leinster pay the highest price for spurned chances

A SCORELINE that tells so many lies, yet also tells a few home truths. For an hour or more Leinster forced the pace and forced chances galore, yet couldn't add to their 10-0 lead after 17 minutes. Leicesher weren't nearly so profligate when, inevitably, the final quarter came their way.

And did Leinster have chances. Thus, while there was so much to commend in Leinster's display in this Heineken European Cup match, such of it was in turf wasted. Indeed their one try was a penalty try, courtesy of the excellent Monsieur Joel Dume (Man of the Match), which wouldn't have been countenanced a few long years ago but is almost de rigueur by today's standards.

The conversion and penalty which followed were, sadly, Alan McGowan's only successful place kicks out of eight (three consecutive kicks struck the woodwork). By contrast, Rob Liley landed five from six.

On top of this, Leinster coach Ciaran Callan counted three gilt edged try scoring opportunities that went abegging (a conservative estimate), and rued a tapped penalty from under the posts which would have brought a then dominant Leinster level in the third quarter.

"I'm hugely disappointed," added Callan. "It could have been a great night for Irish and Leinster rugby. We let them off the hook."

His relieved counterpart: Bob Dwyer, commented: "I said before the game that we'd have to tackle well to win. I didn't realise we'd have to tackle so well. Leinster played with pace, drive and aggression; signs of a country that I know well."

He also, correctly, commended his players for turning around three points ahead at the break despite having had only one throw in and two put ins in that first period. After withstanding the third quarter storm, Dwyer said: "At that stage the match had to be ours.

An Irish collapse in the final quarter is nothing knew, and while Callan and Jim Glennon will probably question the players' fitness, in mitigation the demise of their challenge was probably as much mental as physical given so much effort had yielded so little reward. Furthermore, Leinster boasted nine part timers and six full timers, to a comparatively fully professional outfit.

Leinster stated their intentions from the off by running Leicester's kick off back at the visitors.

They remained true to their word and to their principles of a quick, flowing game. Malcolm O'Kelly had a big game in the line out and the loose, his platform out of touch enabling a keyed up Victor Costello and Paul Wallace to punch holes in the Leicester pack. They moved the ball eagerly, and though the recycling could have been a tad quicker against a cute Leicester pack, the visitors were regularly on the back foot.

Despite controlling it all vigilantly, the excellent Monsieur Dume let it flow, explaining every decision clearly for everyone. Oh for one of his like every week. The crowd, tardy in arrival but quickly vocal, enjoyed it immensely.

A slicing, second minute break from Martin Ridge set the tone, but McGowan missed his first two penalties. Ciaran Clarke made a big impact following his arrival for the unfortunate Peter McKenna; a brilliant pick up off McGowan's pass and Alain Rolland's tap penalty to Costello earned a 13th minute penalty try for failing to retreat sufficiently enough for Dume's liking.

McGowan converted and landed a penalty soon after when Clarke brilliantly chased his own up and under. Leicester missed Dean Richards badly there, but it was no more than Leinster deserved.

Leicester retaliated. Earning a penalty close in, they opted for a scrum, achieved another penalty when Leinster collapsed it but strangely, opted for three points from Liley's boot rather than the seven that might have accrued from Monsieur Dume given earlier events. Again, Richards would hardly have allowed it.

In any event, as McGowan's misses mounted, Liley kicked another penalty and then converted a 40th minute try when loose head Graham Rowntree burrowed over following set pieces close in, in classic Leicester mode.

Undeterred, Leinster started the second half with renewed purpose and focus. Between the 43rd and 49th minutes, McGowan struck both uprights with three penalties. A huge overlap was soon forfeited when Clarke's slow pass to McQuilkin was compounded by the latter losing the ball over the line in a tackle from Steve Hackney. McGowan then broke clear but McQuilkin was nabbed with Paddy Gavin on his shoulder, the former subsequently suggesting there had been no call.

Opportunities knocked but weren't taken. McGowan skewed a drop goal attempt; Leinster ran a penalty under the posts and both Rolland and Neil Francis were held up.

Leinster's hearts sank and Leicester lifted the siege on the hour. Six minutes later Leinster forfeited a scrum on their 22 when Henry Hurley was penalised for not packing down; Stuart Potter made the inroads following Aadel Kardooni's quick penalty before the latter sniped over from close range.

Liley converted, as he did when John Wells burrowed over following a succession of mauls. Good mauling or just plain boring? Lither way, the crowd were heading for the hills, as were Leinster's European hopes.