Breathless. Leinster score seven tries, concede five. Played some excellent rugby, gave up three intercept tries, trailed 31-28 just after the interval before pulling away in the third quarter. Here’s Gerry Thornley’s match report to try and make sense of it all.
[ Leinster offer up plenty of gifts to Edinburgh but take home the prize in the endOpens in new window ]
Full-time: Leinster 49 Edinburgh 31
77 mins: Tommy O’Brien is named as man of the match by Ian Madigan. He was excellent but I think I would have gone for Harry Byrne.
Leinster 49 Edinburgh 31
74 mins: It’s been quite the evening, 12 tries, seven for the home side, who’ve cut down on the mistakes in the third quarter and got some energy from the bench. They’ll be back here next Saturday to face the Sale Sharks. 5.30pm the likely kickoff time.
Leinster 49 Edinburgh 31
73 mins: Gus McCarthy on for Sheehan, another who’s been very lively.
71 mins: Brian Deeny on for Baird, who’s been very good in his first game back since November. Jerry Blyth-Lafferty for for the excellent Ashman.
69 mins: Ciarán Frawley on for Byrne, who’s had an outstanding game.
64 mins: Max Deegan is on for Conan.
65 mins: Ioane TRY. Leinster win a ruck turnover. Gibson-Park with a brilliant long, cut-out pass to Ioane who dummies an inside pass to send Graham to the shops as the Scot buys it. The All Black cruises over in the corner. Byrne kicks a superb touchline conversion.
Ben Vellacott on for Shiel. Luke McGrath on to win his 250th cap for Leinster. On for Gibson-Park.
Leinster 49 Edinburgh 31
62 mins: TRY, Clarkson. Keenan with a brilliant chase to win the tap on the high ball. Van der Flier wins the ball. Ioane makes a break, and Thomas Clarkson runs a brilliant line. Byrne converts.
Leinster 42 Edinburgh 31
60 mins: Robbie Henshaw for Jimmy O’Brien, Ioane goes to the left wing.
Leinster 35 Edinburgh 31
57 mins: Thomas Clarkson for Furlong
55 mins: TRY van der Flier. No denying the Leinster flanker this time. Sheehan with a tap penalty. Doris on a decoy line and van der Flier powers over from close range. Byrne conversion. That’s the 10th try of the game.
Leinster 35 Edinburgh 31
53 mins: Glen Young for Muncaster.
50 mins: Edinburgh have been full of aggression in their line speed and aren’t giving up as much space or as many breaks. Leinster penalised at scrum, early engage. Second time. So it’s a penalty.
51 mins: Graham TRY. Leinster half charge down a cross-kick. Graham grabs the loose ball, chips and re-gathers to touch down.
Leinster 28 Edinburgh 31
47 mins: Boan Venter and Paul Hill on for Schoeman and Rae. Leinster get back into the Edinburgh 22 and Furlong doesn’t expect Baird’s tip-on pass and the ball spills once again.
Leinster 28 Edinburgh 26
Alex Usanov is on for Porter.
41 mins: Tommy O’Brien with another line-break, Sheehan takes play into the 22, Leinster are patient in working the Edinburgh defence and Josh van der Flier powers over but the TMO Andrew Jackson intervenes and the try is ruled out. Bit of separation as he grounds the ball is the ruling. It kind of sums up Leinster’s evening to be honest.
Leinster 28 Edinburgh 26
We’re back under way.
It might be slightly old fashioned to suggest that the paint will be peeling in the Leinster dressing room but some home truths about the inaccuracy, sloppiness and general lack of concentration will have to be on the agenda. Edinburgh deserve credit for doing their homework and making some excellent reads in defence but Leinster have made it far easier than they should by being half a second off at times.
Leinster have had 58 percent possession, 59 per cent territory, make nine line-breaks and with a modicum of composure could have had another three tries. Edinburgh have lived on their wits to grab everything that came their way.
Half-time: Leinster 28 Edinburgh 26
39 mins: TRY Currie. Third intercept try for the visitors. Byrne’s pass to Gibson-Park on the wraparound is picked off by Currie who races 45-metres for a try. Thompson converts. This is asbolutely bonkers from the home side. Brilliant work from Edinburgh on their defensive reads but oh my goodness Leinster have gifted wrapped 21 points.
Leinster 28 Edinburgh 26
36 mins: Keenan TRY. Good passage of play off a lineout launch inside the Edinburgh 22, culminates in a try for the home side. Keenan wins the race to the try line on the angle outside Shiel. Can the home side now get out of their own way and be accurate and precise in their work.
Leinster 28 Edinburgh 19
34 mins: Leinster with an utterly dominant scrum and then they get pinged for a pre-engage inside the Edinburgh 22 after Andrew Porter had made a line-break but delayed his pass and the ball was lost on the ground. Home side turn over another lineout but win a ruck penalty.
Leinster 21 Edinburgh 19
Right where to unpack this first half an hour. Six tries, three each. Edinburgh showing guts and character, Leinster, vacillating between the sublime and the sloppy. Too many handling errors. The home side have made a million line-breaks but on too many occasions they have watched a potential try scoring pass hit the deck.
30 mins: Mosese Tuipulotu on for James Lang
27 mins: Thompson TRY. Jamie Osborne has his inside pass intended for Gibson-Park pinched by Thompson, who runs away for his second try and converts the effort to boot. A mess again from Leinster. Six tries between the sides.
Leinster 21 Edinburgh 19
24 mins: Jimmy O’Brien TRY. Leinster get a softish penalty at the breakdown. Harry Byrne kicks the home side into the Edinburgh 22. A maul, a Dan Sheehan break, and quick hands from Gibson-Park and Byrne put Jimmy O’Brien over in the corner. Byrne lands a third stellar conversion.
Leinster 21 Edinburgh 12
20 mins: TRY Ross Thompson. Conversion, Thompson. Lovely hitch-kick from the Edinburgh outhalf takes him past the tackle of Gibson-Park and then he gases Keenan on the outside for a brilliant individual try. The Edinburgh 10 then kicks a brilliant conversion. Game on.
Leinster 14 Edinburgh 12
18 mins: Sloppy five minutes from Leinster. They lose a lineout, Ioane penalised for a one-handed slap down of the pass. Edinburgh have been invited into the game. And boy have the visitors taken the largesse with both hands.
15 mins: Charlie Shiel TRY. Tadhg Furlong’s misplaced pass is snapped up by Edinburgh scrumhalf Charlie Shiel who races away unchallenged for a soft try.
Leinster 14 Edinburgh 5
Heavy collision between Keenan and Ben Muncaster.
8 mins: TRY Tommy O’Brien. Scrum, dominant from Leinster. Harry Byrne hits Ioane on an outside arc and the New Zealander throws a beautiful long pass to Tommy O’Brien who dashes over in the corner. Byrne with a brilliant touchline conversion.
Leinster 14 Edinburgh 0
Six minutes of Leinster domination and they could have even more points, a couple of handling errors has stopped that outcome.
4 mins: Brilliant take from Hugo Keenan, and as Leinster accelerate into another attacking shape, Rieko Ioane throws a poor pass.
Leinster 7 Edinburgh 0
70 seconds: TRY: Tommy O’Brien. Edinburgh kickoff, Jamison Gibson-Park clears superbly. Visitors overthrow a lineout. Jimmy O’Brien with a break in midfield, nice dummy and Gibson-Park sweeps the ball right from inside the Edinburgh 22. Hands put Tommy O’Brien over in the corner. Harry Byrne converts from the touchline.
Leinster 7 Edinburgh 0
We’re underway.
Cullen: “Knockout games create more of a focus. The guys have prepared well this week and hopefully we see that out on the pitch.
Everitt: “We have been looking for an 80-minute performance but we haven’t quite got there yet.”
Edinburgh have won four URC matches this season and come into the match as huge underdogs. Many of the coaching team won’t be there next season by all accounts, aside from head coach Sean Everitt who was given a two-year extension. They can swing freely it’s fair to say.
Edinburgh have former Connacht centre and Ireland underage international Piers O’Conor at fullback, Darcy Graham is on a wing. The pack has a familiar look.
The Scottish side’s injury list is extensive. Unavailable: Charlie McCaig (knee), Rhys Litterick (achilles), Rob Carmichael (wrist), Luke Crosbie (hamstring), Sam Skinner (hamstring), Paddy Harrison (back), Conor McAlpine (hamstring), Wes Goosen (hand), Duhan van der Merwe (ankle), Harry Paterson (quad), Magnus Bradbury (ankle).
Leo Cullen have plumped for Jimmy O’Brien on the left wing, Rieko Ioane at 13, and Harry Byrne at outhalf. Up front Ryan Baird starts his first game since breaking his leg in the November Tests. Jack Conan is named at blindside flanker. Alex Usanov covers loosehead on the bench. Luke McGrath is set to make his 250th appearance.
We will have a look at the teams.
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Rieko Ioane, Jamie Osborne, Jimmy O’Brien; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, Ryan Baird; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Alex Usanov, Thomas Clarkson, Brian Deeny, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ciarán Frawley, Robbie Henshaw.
EDINBURGH: Piers O’Conor; Darcy Graham, Matt Currie, James Lang, Malelili Satala; Ross Thompson, Charlie Shiel; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, D’Arcy Rae; Marshall Sykes, Grant Gilchrist (capt); Liam McConnell, Dylan Richardson, Ben Muncaster.
Replacements: Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, Boan Venter, Paul Hill, Glen Young, Freddy Douglas, Ben Vellacott, Mosese Tuipulotu, Jack Brown.
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU).
Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt sounded the clarion call: “We go to the Aviva Stadium with nothing to lose and everything to gain. This is a group of players who believe in what they’re doing, and we’re going out there to have a real go at one of the best sides in Europe.
“We represent the Scottish capital – our supporters who have made the trip to Dublin and those watching back home – and that means a great deal to all of us. We’re going to treat this for exactly what it is: a great opportunity to make history for this great club.”
There was better new for Richie Murphy’s Ulster, also in the Challenge Cup as they squeezed past the Ospreys at the Affidea Stadium on Saturday night, thanks to a benevolent ruling that called back what looked like a match winning try for the visitors.
Michael Sadlier was on hand to review proceedings.
[ Ulster survive late scareOpens in new window ]
Nathan Johns was our man at Sandy Park as Munster went down to Exeter in the Challenge Cup yesterday. It was a tough watch for Munster fans.
[ Munster blown away at Sandy ParkOpens in new window ]
You’d struggle to meet a nicer person in professional rugby or someone who is more a model pro than Luke McGrath. The scrumhalf will make his 250th appearance off the bench this evening, and will be hoping for a little more silverware before he departs for a new challenge in French Top 14 side Perpignan.
He started playing rugby at minis level in Old Belvedere, where his dad had played, went to St Michael’s College, played age-grade for province and country and joined the Leinster academy. The 33-year-old scrumhalf won 20 caps for Ireland scored three tries.
He said: “Leinster has given me everything, I owe them everything.” It’s fair to say he’s given a lot back since too.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen pointed to a changed atmosphere in-house. “There’s always a different feel isn’t there? Last week the intent was generally pretty good, but it just still had a feel of they needed to get through that Scarlets game and there was something bigger waiting. I don’t get that sense this week as nobody is waiting for anything next week.
“It’s just the challenge that’s in front of us and that’s the only thing that matters right now, which is good because there’s a different level of focus there within the group.
“We need to make sure we get all our things in order and deliver a big performance for lots of different reasons. But mainly from an internal point of view as to what we want to deliver for each other. I think that’s probably the biggest thing that I’m getting from this week.”
Hello and welcome to the Irish Times live blog. John O’Sullivan here at a blustery Aviva Stadium. We have had hail, rain, sunshine, blue skies, grey skies and a black sky. It’s a cold nine degrees and fated not to get any warmer. Hopefully you’re comfortable from wherever you’re following this blog.
Leinster head into the match as strong favourites, not necessarily based on stellar form, but the fact they are largely full and are at home against an Edinburgh side struggling to find a consistent playing rhythm.
Irish Times Rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley is optimistic. Generally speaking, but also with a view to a Leinster victory.
He wrote in his preview.
“To put this into context, Leinster have a minimum of five more games left this season, but if they were to go all the way in both competitions this would be the first of 11 more matches.
Accordingly, there will have been a different mood this week in their HPC in seeking a raised level of performance as well as earning a home quarter-final against Sale Sharks (they beat Harlequins yesterday). The word is that it will be the 5.30pm kickoff.
