Leinster find little bite in Sharks’ challenge as they continue on hunt for the double

Leinster 35 Sharks 5

Not so much shark-infested waters as safe passage through to the semi-finals. Leinster may have had a mixed, rejigged line-up but there were an altogether more polished than a Sharks side which for all their Springboks star dust, again flattered to deceive.

Trophyless for the first time in six campaigns last season, Leinster remain on a mission to atone twofold, and are now within three games of completing a double.

Next up comes a URC semi-final back at the Aviva for the third week running against Munster (kick-off set 5.30pm next Saturday) with the chance of stretching that sequence to five games in succession here.

By the by, not incidentally, this result completed a fine weekend for Connacht, as it removed any last lingering doubt about their qualification, on merit, for next season’s Champions Cup.

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In truth, on a largely becalmed and perfect day for rugby, the 14,642 attendance was a little lost in the lower tier, and for once, Leinster did not have entirely solid foundations, if only in that they endured constant difficulties at scrum time, where they were penalised five times.

The Sharks also caused a modicum of early difficulty with their blitz defence, and there was always the individual threat of their X-factor players, although save for the opening score by the speedy Grant Williams, that was largely kept in check.

In all other respects, this was a totally commanding performance. The lineout worked a charm, as ever, with clever launch plays off Dan Sheehan’s ever accurate darts. This was matched as usual by the accuracy of their breakdown work as no matter the number on their shirts, the first two men, literally and figuratively, put their shoulder to the wheel.

Most of all though, Leinster’s attack was a different class. Their starter plays, shape, cohesion and, it has to be said, vastly superior skills, made them simply look better coached than misfiring and error-prone Sharks.

Caelan Doris, back at his favoured number eight to begin with, brought his full ball-carrying game to bear, although he worked in tandem nicely with Jack Conan after he replaced Scott Penny before half-time after the latter went off for a HIA.

There was also the sight of Cian Healy walking off gingerly before the end, and this after replacing Tadhg Furlong at half-time, while James Ryan could be seen in a moon boot on the sidelines.

Otherwise, there were hardly any blemishes. Scrums apart, Michael Milne was strong around the pitch, Ryan Baird was his athletic self and Max Deegan underlined the depth of Leinster’s backrow resources with his unfussy excellence on both sides of the ball.

Luke McGrath was as busy as ever, Harry Byrne gave an assured performance and nailed some difficult kicks. Charlie Ngatai and Ciarán Frawley struck a nice balance in eclipsing the Sharks’ midfield while Dave Kearney, in possibly his Aviva farewell, had some strong contributions.

Although Leinster started well, finding Jordan Larmour and Frawley on either edge, it was the rapid Williams who drew first blood and, it seemed then, in almost ominous fashion.

Compounding this, the attack also emanated from the first of three scrum penalties to the Sharks in the opening period. A few phases after the ensuing lineout 40 metres out, ruck ball squirted loose but Williams picked up, accelerated through a larger gap than even needed between Furlong (lured in by the loose ball) and Baird, and then veered around Kearney with ease to score untouched from 40 metres.

It was Williams’s 10th try of the season and such is his pace and eye for a gap that the Sharks have hardly missed a beat since losing their Springboks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse in the Champions Cup round of 16 win over Munster.

But Boeta Chamberlain’s miss with the difficult conversion would soon be put in perspective by Byrne’s accuracy off the tee.

Kearney lit the blue touch paper as it were with one of many good takes by the Leinster back three under the aerial bombardment and manufactured a counterattacking break.

After a strong carry by Doris, Vincent Tshituka clearly went off his feet and Leinster turned down a safe three-point. With typical precision, Sheehan hit Baird and he transferred to Penny to hit Doris on the charge. The number eight powered through a high hit by Makazole Mapimpi and reached out for the line one-handed.

Some finish, if routine for Doris, and what’s more Mapimpi, the World Cup final try-scorer, was binned. Leinster against 14 men? Cue 14 points again.

The Sharks liberally and loosely attacked Leinster’s breakdown with a rash of penalties. From Sheehan’s close-range tap, Doris and Jason Jenkins were held up short before Milne burrowed over for his sixth try in five games, with some help from Deegan.

Going for the jugular, Leinster outmanoeuvred the Sharks blitz from the restart for Frawley to break from deep. A couple of phases later Hugo Keenan also breached the white line, and from the recycle Byrne’s accurate cross-kick was gathered on the bounce by Jordan Larmour to step Aphelele Fassi and finish.

Byrne again landed a conversion from wide out and it was 21-5 by the time Mapimpi returned.

The Sharks’ scrum earned a couple more penalties, although they misjudged their shunt on another, and with the last kick of the half as the game’s first shower arrived, Chamberlain missed a 40-metre penalty.

Penny, having been replaced by Conan for a HIA, did not return while Furlong was replaced by Healy.

Despite a fourth scrum penalty, the Sharks didn’t help themselves with unforced handling errors and Leinster underlined the gulf in the respective attacks with their fourth try soon after the resumption. Keeping their shape after phases, Byrne pulled the ball back for Keenan and Kearney also held his with a well-timed sweeping line for Conan to give Deegan a walk-in.

By contrast, when their pack set up a platform, the Sharks mucked up another attack and after the frontrow rotations the Leinster pack even bucked the scrum trend with a big shunt to earn a penalty. Andrew Porter, indignant at not being rewarded after his first scrum, also cajoled a home crowd that had fallen quiet.

It appeared that the classy Williams put Rohan Janse van Rensburg over with a snipe and offload, but the seven-pointer was over-ruled after the conversion on review. It showed James Venter caught Porter on the head with his shoulder at a ruck.

Instead, deft passes by Byrne and Baird gave Kearney the space for a lovely little grubber in what could be his Aviva farewell, which Jamison Gibson-Park sprinted on to and gathered to score in his usual sprightly manner.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 7 mins: Williams try 0-5; 14: Doris try, H Byrne con 7-5; 21: Milne try, H Byrne con 14-5; 24: Larmour try, H Byrne con 21-5; (half-time 21-5); 51: Deegan try, H Byrne con 28-5; 75: Gibson-Park try, R Byrne con 35-5.

LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Ciarán Frawley, Charlie Ngatai, Dave Kearney; Harry Byrne, Luke McGrath (capt); Michael Milne, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Ryan Baird, Jason Jenkins, Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Caelan Doris.

Replacements: Jack Conan for Penny (37 mins); Cian Healy for Furlong (h-t); Liam Turner for Larmour (55); Andrew Porter for Milne, Ross Byrne for Ngatai (both 58); John McKee for Sheehan (59); Joe McCarthy for Doris, Jamison Gibson-Park for McGrath (both 69); Milne for Healy (79).

SHARKS: Aphelele Fassi; Marnus Potgieter, Lukhanyo Am (capt), Ben Tapuai, Makazole Mapimpi; Boeta Chamberlain, Grant Williams; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit; Corne Rahl, Gerbrandt Grobler; James Venter, Vincent Tshituka, Sikhumbuzo Notshe.

Replacements: Carlu Sadie for Du Toit (26 mins); Rohan Janse van Rensburg for Tapuai (57); Nevaldo Fleurs for Chamberflain, Phepsi Buthelezi for Notshe (both 58); Fez Mbatha for Mbonambi, Ntuthuko Mchunu for Nche (both 60); Jeandre Labuschagne for Grobler (69); Cameron Wright for Potgieter (73).

Sinbinned: Mapimpi (15-25 mins), Venter (72).

Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)