Leinster 31
Vodacom Bulls 3
Daire Walsh at the Aviva Stadium
IN FRONT OF a crowd of 19,419 at the Aviva Stadium this evening, Leinster kick-started the United Rugby Championship with a convincing bonus point triumph over the Vodacom Bulls.
Player of the match Josh van der Flier, Andrew Porter, James Tracy and Ross Byrne were all amongst the tries as Jake White’s southern hemisphere outfit were comfortably put to the sword at the Lansdowne Road venue. One of four South African sides in this revamped competition, the Bulls worked hard throughout but ultimately lacked penetration in attack.
Champions in the last four seasons of the Guinness PRO14, Leinster were determined to lay down an early marker on the URC’s opening weekend. Having elected for touch off an earlier penalty, Johnny Sexton – playing at Irish Rugby HQ for the first time since 20 March – opted for the posts in the fourth-minute and made no mistake from close-range.
This deadlock-breaker helped to ease the hosts into the game and they subsequently created a 17-point gap with two converted tries in the space of six minutes. On his 99th first-team appearance for Leinster, Josh van der Flier marked the occasion with a superb individual try on the right-wing.
Selected at loosehead prop – with new signing Michael Ala’alatoa on the opposite side of the front-row – Andrew Porter subsequently raced over to the left of the posts on 13 minutes to stretch the hosts further in front.
With Sexton adding the bonuses to both these scores in clinical style, Leinster looked set for a dominant night in Ballsbridge. Yet Jake White’s visitors found their feet either side of the first-quarter mark.
At the end of an extended attacking spell, fly-half Johan Goosen got the Bulls up and running with a routine penalty in the 23rd-minute.
For the remainder of the opening period, the Bulls were largely on top of possession and looked set to dramatically reduce their deficit when winger Madosh Tambwe touched down in the left-corner just past the half-hour mark. Much to the relief of the Blues faithful, TMO Neil Paterson ultimately ruled it out for an infringement.
Although this was a let-off for Leinster, they did suffer a set-back when Caelan Doris was withdrawn with a calf injury. His place in the back-row was taken by Max Deegan, who was returning to competitive action after an 11-month absence.
Porter also departed the scenes for a HIA on 26 minutes, but returned to the field of play before the half had elapsed. Despite this disruption to their pack – and the pressure being applied by the Bulls – Leinster brought a commanding 17-3 cushion into the interval.
Leo Cullen’s side had their sights set on a bonus point when the play resumed and they were camped inside the Bulls ’22’ for the vast majority of the third-quarter. Diligent defence from the South Africans kept them at bay for large spells, before Leinster finally broke through for a third try on 57 minutes.
After a line-out on the left-flank, replacement hooker James Tracy gathered the ball at the back of the maul and grounded for his 15th provincial try.
Following his third successful conversion of the game, Sexton immediately made way for fellow Irish international Ross Byrne. Eager to hold off competition from his younger brother Harry in the race to challenge Sexton for the number 10 shirt, Byrne latched onto a Garry Ringrose off-load to cross over in the left-corner on the stroke of 70 minutes.
This multi-phase score ensured Leinster emerged from the contest with maximum points and, courtesy of the 26 year old’s outstanding touchline bonus strike, all of 28 points separated the teams in the end.
Leinster scorers:
Tries: Josh van der Flier, Andrew Porter, James Tracy, Ross Byrne
Conversions: Johnny Sexton [3 from 3], Ross Byrne [1 from 1]
Penalties: Johnny Sexton [1 from 1]
Vodacom Bulls:
Penalties: Johan Goosen [1 from 1]
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Rory O’Loughlin, Garry Ringrose, Ciarán Frawley, James Lowe (Jamie Osborne ’68); Johnny Sexton (Ross Byrne ’59), Luke McGrath (Jamison Gibson-Park ’53); Andrew Porter (Ed Byrne ’26-’40 & ‘59), Dan Sheehan (James Tracy ’51), Michael Ala’alatoa (Cian Healy ’59); Ross Molony, James Ryan (Ryan Baird ’68); Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (Max Deegan ’33).
VODACOM BULLS: David Kriel, Cornal Hendricks, Lionel Mapoe (Stedman Gans ’69), Harold Vorster, Madosh Tambwe; Johan Goosen (Chris Smith ’72), Zak Burger (Keagan Johannes ’66); Gerhard Steenekamp (Simphiwe Matanzima ’59), Bismarck du Plessis (Joe van Zyl half-time), Mornay Smith (Jacques van Rooyen ’59); Walt Steenkamp (Janko Swanepoel ’51), Ruan Nortje, Marcell Coetzee (CAPT), Arno Botha (Jacques du Plessis ’48), Elrigh Louw.
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU).