38′ – LEIN 22-10 LEIC: Right, let’s try this one more time…
Apologies, folks, for going AWOL, there! We had a tech issue and I was unable to provide updates, so I took the liveblog down for a while.
The story of the first half is this: Jamison Gibson-Park is only after going and scoring a bloody hat-trick, and Leinster lead a spirited Leicester 22-10.
Tigers actually made a blistering start, Handre Pollard finishing a brilliant team move and converting his own try for a 7-0 away lead.
Ross Byrne replied for Leinster with a penalty for 7-3 before Gibson-Park crossed on a trademark support run. Byrne converted for 10-7.
Gibson-Park bagged two further, similar run-in scores — one of them was converted by Byrne, the other missed — to complete his first-half hat-trick.
Pollard bagged another Leicester penalty along the way, but Leinster are in control at the break at the Aviva.
Again, apologies for the technical issue earlier — hopefully I’ll be able to bring you proper updates throughout the second half!
43′ – LEIN 22-10 LEIC: James Cronin wins a scrum penalty and Leicester kick themselves up to the Leinster 22′.
The lineout is messy but they retain possession and begin to knock on the door.
First chance for either side in this second half.
45′ – LEIN 22-10 LEIC: James Lowe gets 10 minutes for a slap-down as Leicester created an overlap.
TMO is gonna check this to see if there was sufficient Leinster cover on the edge — and it looks to me as though Jamie Osborne would have prevented a try.
The officials agree, so it’s just a Leicester penalty — but Leinster are down to 14 men and defending their line!
46′ – LEIN 22-15 LEIC: LEICESTER GO TO THE MAUL AND LEICESTER ROLL IT OVER!
It’s James Cronin who eventually dots it down as the maul collapses towards the Leinster line.
Tigers are right back in this one.
Handre Pollard’s conversion from the right-hand touchline iiiiissss… off the post.
22-15 — a converted try in this one.
49′ – LEIN 29-LEIC: ROBBIE HENSHAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!
It’s an intercept for the Athlone man, who takes it to the house from deep in Leinster’s own half.
A killer blow for Tigers, who had just won a brilliant turnover on the ground.
They went to the edge — but Henshaw was waiting for the skip pass and he gobbled it up.
Under the sticks he goes, and Ross Byrne converts.
59′ – LEIN 29-15 LEIC: Leinster win a scrum penalty and Ross Byrne kicks them into the Leicester 22′.
They have a few blasts at the Tigers’ line, and Jack Conan is overrrr — but he’s spilled it just as he attempted to touch down!
Try is awarded initially, but this one will definitely be pulled back.
And it is.
Leicester will get a scrum on their own 5′.
60′ – LEIN 29-15 LEIC: Jack van Poortvliet clears up to the Tigers’ 22′ — and Leinster botch the lineout. Leicester escape further with a lovely crossfielder from Pollard to Ollie Hassell-Collins.
They box-kick it off next phase, though, which seems a poor call given their momentum in that attack.
It all winds up, though, with a poor pass from Byrne to Jamison-Gibson Park on their own 22′ — it was just too casual, too high and Gibson-Park knocks it on.
So, Tigers scrum, out of nothing, deep in Leinster territory.
63′ – LEIN 29-15 LEIC: OOOOHHHH DEAR. Hassell-Collins breaks two tackles by James Lowe and Hugo Keenan and Leicester have an overlap! The score is there! But the wing’s pass finds only grass, butchering a two-on-one.
Leicester regather the ball but spill forward off next phase.
Nice, creative attack but one which lacked the killer instinct that Leicester are going to need if they are to drag themselves back into this one in the final quarter.
68′ – LEIN 29-15 LEIC: Leicester get another chance: they have a scrum about 10 metres from Leinster’s line.
It all stemmed from a penalty conceded by Leinster on halfway for playing the ball on the ground.
Massive moment for Tigers, this.
They lock out the scrum and go wide left — and Frawley attempts the intercept from Pollard but he just spills it forward!
It was a skip pass from Pollard and Frawley’s attempt was two-handed and honest, so it’s just a Leicester scrum rather than a penalty.
70′ – LEIN 29-15 LEIC: And this time, replacement Michael Ala’alatoa wins the scrum penalty for Leinster!
72′ – LEIN 36-15 LEIC: AHHHH WHAT A TRY! STICK A FORK IN IT! JACK CONAN!
Wonderful break up the middle by Ryan Baird, who took an inside pass from Jamie Osborne — I think — before blasting his way through the Leicester line.
Baird himself then passes inside to Conan, who takes it home from just inside the Leicester 22′.
Under the sticks, and replacement Harry Byrne — on for brother Ross who appeared in some discomfort with his shoulder — adds the extras.
Game over, figuratively anyway. It’ll be Leinster versus La Rochelle at the Aviva next weekend.
76′ – LEIN 36-22 LEIC: Charlie Clare goes over for Leicester after an absolute botch-job of a Leinster lineout on their own 5′.
Big mix-up and Rónan Kelleher overthrows Ryan Baird, who was barely in the air, and Clare catches the ball at the back of the lineout and just falls over the line.
Pollard converts.
That’s it. Leinster v La Rochelle in Dublin next weekend.
Strap in!
Thanks for joining me for the second half. Hope you have a great night, wherever you are.
Ciarán Kennedy will have a full report and reaction on The 42 shortly.
Take care and catch you next time!
