Leinster 31

Lions 7

LEINSTER BOOSTED THEIR chances of a home semi final after running out 31 – 7 winners over the Fidelity Securedrive Lions in the penultimate round of the United Rugby Championship on Saturday evening.

A try each for Jamie Osborne, Tom Clarkson, Hugo Keenan, Rieko Ioane and Jimmy O’Brien helped secure a much-needed bonus point in an imperfect showing.

Leinster made the dream start through Jamie Osborne after just 80 seconds. The Ireland utility back failed to gather a Jimmy O’Brien offload, but he was able to fly hack downfield before winning the race to score.

Both sides exchanged disallowed tries in the interim, first Leinster as Sam Prendergast’s score was brought back due to Jimmy O’Brien being in front of the kicker. 

The Lions, who came into the game one place ahead of Leinster in the table, saw Siba Mahashe’s long-range scoop and score chalked off as Francke Horn was deemed to have illegally impeded Luke McGrath.

When the next score came, it would be Leinster’s through Tom Clarkson. The tighthead prop burrowing over after a long attacking sequence inside the visitors’ 22.

The Johannesburg club responded through Francke Horn before half-time. The powerful number eight shook off three would-be tacklers to get the South African franchise off the mark, while Chris Smith added the extras.

Despite a dull second forty, in which the Lions dominated the third quarter, Leo Cullen’s men found the killer score ten minutes from time.

A sharp half-break from Jamie Osborne helped put Rieko Ioane through a gap. The Kiwi then released replacement Hugo Keenan who was on hand to score Leinster’s third try, as Ciarán Frawley nailed a tricky conversion to push the lead out to fourteen points.

Hugo Keenan scores Leinster's third try. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Ioane turned scorer from provider less than three minutes later to secure the important bonus point. A searing break from young centre Hugh Cooney carved open the Lions defence on first phase, with Ioane remaining unmarked and running in untouched down the right wing.

The late flurry was capped off with a Jimmy O’Brien score to see out the win and move Leinster up to third in the table, ahead of a home clash with the Ospreys next Saturday.

Rieko Ioane scores his side's fourth try. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Leinster scorers:

• Tries – Jamie Osborne, Tom Clarkson, Hugo Keenan, Rieko Ioane, Jimmy O’Brien
• Conversions – Sam Prendergast (2/2), Ciarán Frawley (1/3)

Lions scorers:

• Tries – Francke Horn
• Conversions – Chris Smith (1/1)

Leinster

Ciarán Frawley; Andrew Osborne (Hugh Cooney ‘71), Rieko Ioane, Jamie Osborne, Jimmy O’Brien; Sam Prendergast (Hugo Keenan, ‘62), Luke McGrath (Fintan Gunne ‘73); Ed Byrne (Andrew Porter ‘46), John McKee (Dan Sheehan, ‘59), Thomas Clarkson (Rabah Slimani, ‘46); Brian Deeny (Scott Penny, ‘48), James Ryan (captain); Max Deegan, Will Connors (Diarmuid Mangan, ‘22), James Culhane (Scott Penny ‘15 to ‘28).

Lions

Quan Horn; Erich Cronje, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Angelo Davids (Kelly Mpeku, ‘66); Chris Smith, Morne van den Berg (Nico Steyn, ‘72); SJ Kotze (Eddie Davids, ‘62), PJ Botha (Franco Marais, ‘62), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Sebastian Lombard 62’); Etienne Oosthuizen (Darrien Landsberg ‘46), Reinhard Nothnagel; Siba Mahashe (JC Pretorius ‘71), Ruan Venter (Batho Hlekani, ‘4), Francke Horn (captain).

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland).