Leinster 43
Stade Français 7
THERE WAS PLENTY here to warm the cockles on a cold, crisp night in Dublin.
Garry Ringrose dinking a beautiful kick for hooker Dan Sheehan to finish out wide, Caelan Doris spinning away to break the line when it looked like play had broken down, Ringrose nearly slaloming home from 60 metres out, Jordan Larmour dancing all over the pitch, and what about Ryan Baird opening up those long legs of his to gallop from 22 to 22?
The rangy, destructive Baird was among the impressive performers on a night when Leinster’s frontliners had way too much class and athleticism for a largely second-string Stade Français outfit in front of 42,003 people in Dublin.
This bonus-point win secures Leinster’s place in the round of 16 but they’ll be gunning for another victory in Leicester next weekend to make it four wins from four in Pool 4 and strengthen their position for home advantage throughout the knock-out stages.
Leo Cullen’s men forcefully fulfilled their favouritism and will likely still pick out a few missed chances, even if it was a night when attack coach Andrew Goodman’s plans played out perfectly on many occasions.
Defence specialist Jacques Nienaber would have been pleased with lots of the defensive work even if a consolation try for Stade’s Joris Segonds in the last play of the game was frustrating.
This was a fine run-out for lots of the Leinster individuals, even if the opposition was weak.
The front rows were in rampant form, Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong winning a couple of scrum penalties in their 51-minute outing, while Sheehan was as potent as ever around the pitch.
Number eight Doris was the hub around which most good things happened, while Joe McCarthy continued his powerful form in the second row and Josh van der Flier was prominent.
Jamison Gibson-Park made excellent decisions in the number nine shirt before making way for Luke McGrath to win his 200th Leinster cap, while Ringrose was outstanding in midfield alongside the diligent Robbie Henshaw.
James Lowe made a try-scoring return on the left wing and Larmour was impressive with a two-try showing as he put his hand up with Ireland’s number 14 shirt open for the Six Nations.
Cullen would have been frustrated with Leinster’s poor lineout in the opening half but that was largely remedied by the introduction of James Ryan after 43 minutes, the Ireland lock making his return from a recent injury.
Among the only other real blots was an injury for starting out-half Ciarán Frawley early in the second half. The 26-year-old walked off the field in clear discomfort and the timing is bad with Ireland’s Six Nations squad to be named on Wednesday.
It also poses issues for Leinster given that Harry Byrne was ruled out of this game with an ankle issue and Ross Byrne still hasn’t returned from his arm injury. It did mean a 36-minute out for 20-year-old Sam Prendergast, who would love a start away in Leicester next weekend as Cullen’s side for for 100% in the pool.
Leinster started well his evening, with some nice decisions in attack including a Frawley grubber kick into the shortside for Larmour to force Stade scrum-half Brad Weber back over his own tryline. It looked like Leinster had scored with their direct attack from the resulting five-metre scrum but Sheehan’s effort was chalked off on TMO review due to Baird tangling with a defender at the fringe of the ruck ahead of the ball.
With their lineout and a few poor clearouts delaying things, it was the 19th minute before Leinster bagged their first score through Lowe.
Sheehan carried strongly and offloaded to van der Flier soon after a five-metre lineout loss before Doris chipped in with a slick sweep pass out the back. When Leinster swung over to their left, Gibson-Park made a smart decision to skip to Ringrose, who burst into space, drew the last defender, and sent Lowe over untouched.
Frawley converted that one for 7-0 but was wide with his attempt after van der Flier’s 30th-minute try. That score came off the back of a brilliant play from Doris, who stooped and scooped up Robbie Henshaw’s bobbling pass on the spin before skipping away from the covering defence. Doris was hauled down five metres out but Gibson-Park and Larmour calmly passed for van der Flier to finish in the right corner.
Larmour’s madcap sidestepping breathed life into another irresistible attacking effort with the clock in the red before the break. Doris and Porter carried well in the next couple of phases and then Ringrose delivered a delightful diagonal kick to Sheehan wide on the right for the hooker to finish with pace and power.
17-0 to the good at the interval, Leinster had the bonus point wrapped up in the opening minutes of the second half.
Ringrose nearly scorched home from his own 10-metre line after a sharp pass by Henshaw freed him on a lineout attack and though the outside centre was stopped just inches short, Gibson-Park floated a pass out just over Stade wing Kylan Hamdaoui to Larmour in the right corner for the fourth try.
Leinster scored straight off the restart as Baird made an astounding break from deep in his own half all the way up to Stade’s 22, reminding everyone of his extreme athleticism. Again, Leinster were calm to convert the chance as Doris smashed over from close range and Prendergast converted for 29-0 with half an hour still to go.
Larmour was soon held up over the tryline as Leinster kept the pressure on but Doris wasn’t to be denied as he came up with another powerful finish in the 62nd minute following Ringrose’s impactful carry off a lineout.
Right wing Larmour did notch his second in the 68th minute on another clever lineout play as replacement hooker Rónan Kelleher swung around the dummy maul and popped the ball back inside for Larmour to race over for another converted try.
Stade grabbed a score in the closing act of the game but Leinster fans will go home happy.
Leinster scorers:
Tries: James Lowe, Caelan Doris [2], Dan Sheehan, Jordan Larmour [2], Caelan Doris
Conversions: Ciarán Frawley [1 from 3], Sam Prendergast [3 from 4]
Stade Français scorers:
Tries: Joris Segonds
Conversions: Zack Henry [1 from 1]
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose (captain) (Tommy O’Brien ’69), Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Ciarán Frawley (Sam Prendergast ’44), Jamison Gibson-Park (Luke McGrath ’52); Andrew Porter (Cian Healy ’52), Dan Sheehan (Rónan Kelleher ’52), Tadhg Furlong (Michael Ala’alatoa ’52); Joe McCarthy, Jason Jenkins (James Ryan ’44); Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (Jack Conan ’63).
STADE FRANÇAIS: Leo Monin; Peniasi Dakuwaqa, Stephane Ahmed, Noah Nene (Joris Segonds ’61), Kylan Hamdaoui; Zack Henry, Brad Weber (Jules Gimbert ’65); Clement Castets (blood – Vasil Kakovin ’15 to ’31, permanant ’65), Lucas Peyresblanques (Mamoudou Meite ’65), Hugo N’Diaye (Paul Alo-Emile ’61); Pierre-Henri Azagoh, JJ van der Mescht (Paul Gabrillagues ’61); Mathieu Hirigoyen (captain) (Andy Timo ’61), Ryan Chapuis, Giovanni Habel-Kuffner (Giorgi Tsutskeridze ’63).
Referee: Christophe Ridley [RFU].
