Leinster 42
Benetton 10
THE LAST TIME Leinster supporters came to the RDS, they saw their team crash out of the United Rugby Championship at the semi-final stage as Jake White’s Bulls sprung a late season-ending surprise.
Coming quick off the bat of the Champions Cup final loss to La Rochelle, that game served as a reminder that for all Leinster’s league dominance over recent seasons, nothing in sport is guaranteed. The province ended the season trophyless for the first time since 2017.
Then came a summer of disruption. Having already made two changes to the coaching staff over the pre-season – Andrew Goodman and Seán O’Brien coming in for Felipe Contepomi and Denis Leamy – they now need to find a replacement for Stuart Lancaster, who is close to agreeing his own move at the end of the current campaign.
These are interesting times for the province. During the week, head coach Leo Cullen stressed the importance of looking after the ‘product’, with a nod to what is happening in the English club game at the moment.
Leinster will have noted the poor turnout for the URC knockout games at this stadium last season, and with that in mind, they’ve made moves to improve the fan experience. Tonight supporters were invited to visit a new fanzone, where Johnny Sexton, James Lowe and Tadhg Furlong were the big-name draws. Inside the ground the pre-match playlist had been given a welcome shuffle, with the volume noticeably cranked up.
Not only do the crowd here come expecting to see their team win, they expect to be entertained.
Against a Benetton side who opened their own season with an impressive defeat of Glasgow, Leinster wasted little time in taking control of the contest and putting a very familiar feel on the evening.
By the time half-time rolled around, they led by 18 points with nearly all of the rugby having been played inside the Benetton half. Business as usual.
Their first real snipe came in the opening five minutes. Robbie Henshaw turned playmaker by sending a looping kick out wide to Caelan Doris, who was hanging tight on the left wing in space. Doris advanced, before looking to slip in Dave Kearney as he was tackled to ground. Kearney failed to collect the ball and cried foul. Referee Jaco Peyper went to the big screen before flashing a yellow card in the direction of Mattia Bellini, who had tackled Kearney without the ball.
From the resulting scrum Dan Sheehan powered over to give Leinster an early lead, the try converted by Ciarán Frawley – making just his 10th start in the 10 jersey for Leinster.
The versatile Frawley had some nice moments on the ball, including one superb offload out the back to Garry Ringrose.
There was a new look to the Leinster engine room too, with summer signing Jason Jenkins having a major impact, putting his considerable frame to good use in open play and in the air, pinching lineouts aimed at Benetton hands.
It took two Benetton bodies to bring Jenkins to the ground as Leinster crashed towards the line in search of their second. His second row partner, Ross Molony – starting in place of James Ryan, who dropped out as a precaution with a hamstring niggle – was on hand to take possession and gain some more yards before Sheehan joined in to add the finishing touch and double his tally. Once again, Frawley clipped over the extras.
With almost 25 minutes played, Benetton registered their first points of the evening via a Giacomo Da Re penalty.
Minutes later, Leinster got their maul going and Sheehan swooped again, notching a hat-trick inside the opening 28 minutes – even Manchester City striker Erling Haaland would be impressed with those numbers.
The home fans filed out for their half-time pints knowing the win was in the bag – this star studded Leinster team were never going to allow Benetton claw their way back into the game after what happened at Zebre last weekend.
After the break, it took them just six minutes to cross for the bonus-point try.
Shortly after Frawley – who earlier received treatment on his shoulder – made way for Ross Byrne, the replacement out-half made an instant impact, getting the ball in his hands and delaying the pass inside to Larmour, who in turn fed Josh van der Flier out wide. Byrne converted and Leinster led by 25.
With the next attack, Sheehan burst through the middle of another maul in the opposite corner to score his fourth.
It was Sheehan’s last act as Cullen then replaced his entire front row, sending in Ronán Kelleher, Ed Byrne and Cian Healy – who received a standing ovation as he came in for his 250th Leinster cap.
During the same break in play Benetton sent in six new faces, and substitute scrum-half Manfredi Albanese was soon crossing to finish a nice team move in the corner.
Leinster thought they had responded at the other end through Garry Ringrose, but Luke McGrath was in touch when he played the offload back inside.
They didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity, and this time it was McGrath darting over off the back of a lineout maul, Benetton showing the effects of a testing evening as they again offered their hosts too much time and space on the ball.
Byrne’s third conversion pushed Leinster’s advantage out to 32 points as the clock wound down.
A result that was in never in doubt, from a team who have become so accustomed to bulldozing their way through these regular-season league fixtures.
There may be big moves happening off the pitch at Leinster, but on it, the show goes on.
Leinster scorers:
Tries – Sheehan [4], van der Flier, McGrath
Conversions – Frawley [3/3], Byrne [3]
Benetton scorers:
Try – Albanese
Conversion – Da Re [1]
Penalty – Da Re [1]
LEINSTER: Jimmy O’Brien (Cormac Foley, 67); Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose (captain), Robbie Henshaw, Dave Kearney (Charlie Ngatai, 59); Ciarán Frawley (Ross Byrne, 46), Luke McGrath; Andrew Porter (Ed Byrne, 56), Dan Sheehan (Ronan Kelleher, 56), Michael Ala’alatoa (Cian Healy, 56); Ross Molony, Jason Jenkins; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (Will Connors, 5) (Joe McCarthy).
BENETTON: Ignacio Mendy; Mattia Bellini, Joaquin Riera, Marco Zanon (Tommaso Menoncello, 56), Onisi Ratave; Giacomo Da Re (Ratuva Tavuyara, 70), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Manfredi Albanese, 56); Ivan Nemer (Federico Zani, 56), Giacomo Nicotera (Gianmarco Lucchesi, 56), Simone Ferrari (Filippo Alongi, 56); Niccolò Cannone, Scott Scrafton (Carl Wegner, 56); Giovanni Pettinelli (Henry Time-Stowers 5mins), Michele Lamaro (captain), Toa Halafihi.
Yellow card: Mattia Bellini, 5
REFEREE: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
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