You’re all welcome along to our coverage of today’s Champions Cup clash between Leinster and Bayonne. With their place in the knock-outs already secured, Leo Cullen’s side are in the Stade Jean Dauger looking to close out their Pool 3 campaign with four wins from four. Their hosts on the other hand, have lost all three games so far.
It’s all about the seeding today for Leinster, and a win would give them the best chance of a top-two spot. It’s a bit more complicated than that though. Bordeaux [15 match points], Glasgow [15], and Bristol [14] are all vying for top seeding.
Bordeaux and Glasgow can guarantee their spots with bonus-point wins away to Bristol and at home to Saracens, respectively, and Bristol can also finish as a top-two seed if they beat Bordeaux. But Leinster [14] are hoping to maintain their run of top seed status.
Leinster have made eight changes for today’s game, and we’ll have the line-outs for you in the next few minutes as we edge closer to the 3.15 kick-off. As always, we want to hear from you so get involved in our coverage below in the comments.
17 Jan
2:24PM
Leinster
15. Jimmy O’Brien
14. Tommy O’Brien
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Joshua Kenny
10. Harry Byrne
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
1. Jack Boyle
2. Rónan Kelleher
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. RG Snyman
5. James Ryan
6. Max Deegan
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Caelan Doris
Replacements:
16. Dan Sheehan
17. Jerry Cahir
18. Thomas Clarkson
19. Joe McCarthy
20. Scott Penny
21. Luke McGrath
22. Sam Prendergast
23. Rieko Ioane
17 Jan
2:26PM
Bayonne
15. Cheikh Tiberghien
14. Tom Spring
13. Sireli Maqala
12. Manu Tuilagi
11. Yohan Orabe
10. Joris Segonds
9. Herschel Jantjies
1. Ignacio Calles
2. Lucas Martin
3. Junior Tagi
4. Ewan Johnson
5. Lucas Paulos
6. Alexandre Fischer
7. Arthur Iturria (Captain)
8. Nika Lomidze
And we are underway as the hosts start on the attack.
17 Jan
3:17PM
2 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
A bit of kick tennis between the sides to get us started as Bayonne find touch to give the first lineout to Leinster in their own 22.
17 Jan
3:18PM
3 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
The throw is good and Leinster recycle for Jamison Gibson-Park to box kick. Bayonne move the ball across the field and the play eventually ends in a Leinster scrum for a knock-on in the air.
17 Jan
3:20PM
4 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Another good set-piece and Leinster move the ball forward through the hands. They get held up and Bayonne turn the ball over as Herschel Jantjies sets up the kick chase.
Bayonne win the penalty and go for the corner.
17 Jan
3:22PM
7 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
They get a clean lineout but Leinster turn the ball over as Jack Boyle comes out with the ball.
Bayonne come again from another lineout and Junior Tagi makes a big carry to push into Leinster territory. The referee eventually steps in to penalise Leinster and award a scrum to Bayonne.
17 Jan
3:23PM
8 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Brilliant grubber kick to push Leinster back. Harry Byrne secures the ball in the corner but Bayonne will have another scrum on the five-meter line.
17 Jan
3:25PM
9 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Leinster penalty!
Huge turnover from the hosts as Boyle and Tadhg Furlong receive the applause from their teammates. A big clearance brings Leinster down to midfield for a lineout which they win cleanly again.
17 Jan
3:27PM
11 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Harry Byrne gets hauled out over the line and receives some medical attention briefly before jogging back into position.
Joshua Kenny makes a big fetch and then goes on the run latterly over to the opposite side. He tries to link up with Garry Ringrose but there’s an intervention which sends the ball out.
The referee is content that it’s not an intentional knock-on so Leinster will just have the scrum.
17 Jan
3:29PM
13 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
The referee isn’t happy with the set-up. He warns Leinster captain Caelan Doris that Leinster will be punished if they lose their structure again as Park puts the ball in.
It’s a good scrum this time and Leinster are working through the phases.
17 Jan
3:30PM
13 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Tommy O’Brien tries to get on the end of Byrne’s kick-chase and his tackle is a bit late while Cheikh Tiberghien was in the air. But he’s good to keep going.
Disaster for Leinster as they concede an early try. They got completely torn open there as Yohan Orabe makes an excellent break and slips the ball to Sireli Maqala who leaps through the posts. An easy conversion for Joris Segonds.
It gets a bit worse for Leinster as Furlong heads off and is replaced by Thomas Clarkson.
17 Jan
3:36PM
19 mins: Bayonne 7-0 Leinster
Leinster unfortunate not to get in there as O’Brien just misses the ball in the corner.
They’re in Bayonne’s five-metre line again and they have advantage.
17 Jan
3:37PM
20 mins: Bayonne 7-0 Leinster
So we will have a Leinster penalty and Byrne is going to take the points.
Leinster go on the hunt again and a cross-kick from Byrne finds Kenny but he’s almost moving too fast to control the ball as he cross in at the corner.
17 Jan
3:45PM
25 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Jimmy O’Brien attempts to make a big charge up the line after a nice slip pass from Park. But O’Brien gets snuffed by Herschel Jantjies.
17 Jan
3:47PM
29 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster have a scrum but referee Luke Pearce is not happy with the set-up. They hunker down again but again Pearce is unhappy and awards a free kick to Leinster.
17 Jan
3:49PM
31 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Jimmy O’Brien kicks the ball forward and pushes Bayonne back into their territory for their lineout. Max Deegan makes a good effort to get a hand on it but Bayonne secure the ball.
The move ends in another lineout in roughly the same position for Leinster. And it’s a penalty for Leinster as Deegan gets some attention on the field.
17 Jan
3:50PM
32 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster deep in Bayonne’s home now. A try looks imminent.
17 Jan
3:50PM
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Ronan Kelleher carries forward. Not far to go now
17 Jan
3:51PM
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Boyle gets pushed back slightly but Leinster still have possession.
17 Jan
3:52PM
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Clarkson lunges forward and eventually ends up over the line but it looks like it could get ruled out for double movement.
17 Jan
3:53PM
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
NO TRY!
Pearce was never confident that it was a legitimate score and the TMO agrees.
17 Jan
3:53PM
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster change: Robbie Henshaw replaced by Rieko Ioane.
17 Jan
3:56PM
36 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Lovely dummy pass from Kelleher to create space and sprint forward when Leinster were on the back foot during a Bayonne attack.
But it ends in a Bayonne scrum after some indecision and Josh van der Flier gets held up.
We’re hearing that Furlong has a tight calf.
17 Jan
3:58PM
38 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
That’s an ongoing issue for Furlong but hopefully not as serious as his previous problems with it.
A small bit of a scrap develops as Bayonne win a penalty from the scrum. They’re going to the corner with this.
17 Jan
3:59PM
39 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Another super carry from Tagi sets up an opportunity and Jantjies pushes it on further but he’s caught at the corner.
17 Jan
4:00PM
40 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Clock is in the red as Bayonne fit in one more attack.
Leinster start the second half with a lineout. Tommy O’Brien is getting some attention for what looks like a calf problem.
17 Jan
4:18PM
42 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Sam Prendergast comes on for Tommy O’Brien and it looks like Prendergast will play at full-back while Byrne continues at out-half.
17 Jan
4:20PM
44 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Jimmy O’Brien pops the ball to Prendergast who puts through a grubber kick. But Leinster can’t get their hands on the ball again and knock-on from Van der Flier sees Bayonne put in for the scrum.
Meanwhile, it looks like Dan Sheehan could be coming on soon.
17 Jan
4:20PM
44 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster win it back and are in the Bayonne corner!
17 Jan
4:22PM
46 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Bayonne turn the ball over brilliantly after Park made a big carry! They win the penalty and that’s another chance gone for Leo Cullen’s side.
Leinster change: Kelleher is replaced by Dan Sheehan.
17 Jan
4:24PM
48 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster scrum, and then a penalty.
Byrne finds touch and they’ll look to attack again.
17 Jan
4:25PM
49 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Good carry from RG Snyman. Prendergast trips to grubber through but Bayonne snuff out the danger to push them back.
17 Jan
4:26PM
49 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster keep the ball from a lineout but it looks like Bayonne could be about to lose someone to the bin for an intentional knock-on.
17 Jan
4:27PM
49 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Yellow card: Herschel Jantjies is off for 10 minutes. The referee had no doubt about that one and that could be the break Leinster need.
17 Jan
4:29PM
50 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Another error from Leinster. They win their own lineout, recycle the ball but lose it in the breakdown.
Very sloppy from the visitors.
17 Jan
4:32PM
52 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Bayonne manage to get the ball out of the scrum and it’s a good clearance from Segonds as he makes touch with a brilliant kick, and avoids kicking out on the full.
17 Jan
4:34PM
54 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Park loops the ball out wide but Bayonne react well to the play and Leinster need to reset to get out of the half.
Byrne gets good distance from his kick and a return kick finds Prendergast. Leinster go to ground to try and get out through the phases.
17 Jan
4:35PM
55 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Park tries to get the 50:22 but doesn’t get the kick right.
Leinster change: Joe McCarthy comes in for Snyman.
Brilliant kick from Segonds to edge Bayonne ahead again after Leinster were turned over in the breakdown.
Jantjies returns and Bayonne are back to 15 again.
17 Jan
4:44PM
63 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
NO TRY!
Leinster get through for their second try of the game but Jimmy O’Brien drops the ball just as he was turning to touch it down.
It was a great counter move which started with Prendergast pouncing to pick up a loose ball and putting a grubber in front of O’Brien to collect. He’ll be disappointed that he lost control at the vital moment.
17 Jan
4:45PM
64 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Lovely sidestep from Prendergast after a good fetch. Good kick from Byrne and they’ll stay in Bayonne territory.
17 Jan
4:48PM
66 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Lovely turnover from Van der Flier as he snatches the ball at the breakdown. But again, Leinster stand in their own way as a pass out wide to Kenny goes through his hands.
17 Jan
4:49PM
67 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Bayonne win a penalty and Sheehan is penalised after losing his feet.
Segonds going for the posts.
17 Jan
4:50PM
68 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
MISS!
Bad kick from Segonds who has been kicking well all through this game and that could come back to haunt them.
17 Jan
4:51PM
70 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Brilliant from Deegan to win a Bayonne lineout. They get pushed back a bit but Leinster still have the ball.
Park puts it up in the air but no-one gets there in time to contest. Bayonne have it back again.
17 Jan
4:52PM
70 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Prendergast tries to link up with a grubber but Bayonne’s defence shines again. We’re now in the final 10 minutes and Leinster still haven’t managed to find their rhythm.
And that could be the spark they were looking for.
That move deserved a try as Byrne chips it up and Prendergast gets his positioning right to get to the ball first and touch it down. Easy conversion and can Leinster hold on now?
17 Jan
5:00PM
77 mins: Bayonne 13-17 Leinster
Leinster get a penalty and that could be crucial for eating up a bit more of the clock.
17 Jan
5:01PM
79 mins: Bayonne 13-17 Leinster
Leinster keep the play in Bayonne’s house and that should do it to ease them to victory now.
It wasn’t pretty but it’s a win for Leinster. They finish Pool 3 4/4 and will top the pool as it stands. They will have home advantage until at least the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
They’ll need Saracens to beat Glasgow, or a draw between Bristol and Bordeaux, to get top two and home advantage in potential semi-final.
The tries from Dan Sheehan, Sam Prendergast and Max Deegan were crucial and Byrne kicked well today but there were a lot of errors.
17 Jan
5:16PM
Bayonne 13-22 Leinster
Well, that’s all from us folks. Don’t go anywhere because we have more Champions Cup action between Munster and Castres coming up. Gavan Casey will be taking you through the live coverage and Ciarán Kennedy is reporting live from Thomond Park.
And before you go, have a read of Murray Kinsella’s match report from Leinster’s win here.
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As it happened: Leinster battle to 22-13 Champions Cup win over Bayonne
Good afternoon,
You’re all welcome along to our coverage of today’s Champions Cup clash between Leinster and Bayonne. With their place in the knock-outs already secured, Leo Cullen’s side are in the Stade Jean Dauger looking to close out their Pool 3 campaign with four wins from four. Their hosts on the other hand, have lost all three games so far.
It’s all about the seeding today for Leinster, and a win would give them the best chance of a top-two spot. It’s a bit more complicated than that though. Bordeaux [15 match points], Glasgow [15], and Bristol [14] are all vying for top seeding.
Bordeaux and Glasgow can guarantee their spots with bonus-point wins away to Bristol and at home to Saracens, respectively, and Bristol can also finish as a top-two seed if they beat Bordeaux. But Leinster [14] are hoping to maintain their run of top seed status.
Leinster have made eight changes for today’s game, and we’ll have the line-outs for you in the next few minutes as we edge closer to the 3.15 kick-off. As always, we want to hear from you so get involved in our coverage below in the comments.
Leinster
15. Jimmy O’Brien
14. Tommy O’Brien
13. Garry Ringrose
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Joshua Kenny
10. Harry Byrne
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
1. Jack Boyle
2. Rónan Kelleher
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. RG Snyman
5. James Ryan
6. Max Deegan
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Caelan Doris
Replacements:
16. Dan Sheehan
17. Jerry Cahir
18. Thomas Clarkson
19. Joe McCarthy
20. Scott Penny
21. Luke McGrath
22. Sam Prendergast
23. Rieko Ioane
Bayonne
15. Cheikh Tiberghien
14. Tom Spring
13. Sireli Maqala
12. Manu Tuilagi
11. Yohan Orabe
10. Joris Segonds
9. Herschel Jantjies
1. Ignacio Calles
2. Lucas Martin
3. Junior Tagi
4. Ewan Johnson
5. Lucas Paulos
6. Alexandre Fischer
7. Arthur Iturria (Captain)
8. Nika Lomidze
Replacements:
16. Facundo Bosch
17. Emosi Tumania
18. Emerick Setiano
19. Alvaro Garcia Iandolino
20. Baptiste Heguy
21. Manex Ariceta
22. Guillaume Martocq
23. Victor Hannoun
The routine pre-match reading list with some further info on the permutations:
Elsewhere today, Ulster have just defeated Stade Francais in the Challenge Cup 26-19.
Call it here, how do you see this one going?
Poll Results:
The teams are heading out now. Almost time to go!
Kick-Off! Bayonne v Leinster
1 min: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
And we are underway as the hosts start on the attack.
2 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
A bit of kick tennis between the sides to get us started as Bayonne find touch to give the first lineout to Leinster in their own 22.
3 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
The throw is good and Leinster recycle for Jamison Gibson-Park to box kick. Bayonne move the ball across the field and the play eventually ends in a Leinster scrum for a knock-on in the air.
4 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Another good set-piece and Leinster move the ball forward through the hands. They get held up and Bayonne turn the ball over as Herschel Jantjies sets up the kick chase.
Bayonne win the penalty and go for the corner.
7 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
They get a clean lineout but Leinster turn the ball over as Jack Boyle comes out with the ball.
Bayonne come again from another lineout and Junior Tagi makes a big carry to push into Leinster territory. The referee eventually steps in to penalise Leinster and award a scrum to Bayonne.
8 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Brilliant grubber kick to push Leinster back. Harry Byrne secures the ball in the corner but Bayonne will have another scrum on the five-meter line.
9 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Leinster penalty!
Huge turnover from the hosts as Boyle and Tadhg Furlong receive the applause from their teammates. A big clearance brings Leinster down to midfield for a lineout which they win cleanly again.
11 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Harry Byrne gets hauled out over the line and receives some medical attention briefly before jogging back into position.
Joshua Kenny makes a big fetch and then goes on the run latterly over to the opposite side. He tries to link up with Garry Ringrose but there’s an intervention which sends the ball out.
The referee is content that it’s not an intentional knock-on so Leinster will just have the scrum.
13 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
The referee isn’t happy with the set-up. He warns Leinster captain Caelan Doris that Leinster will be punished if they lose their structure again as Park puts the ball in.
It’s a good scrum this time and Leinster are working through the phases.
13 mins: Bayonne 0-0 Leinster
Tommy O’Brien tries to get on the end of Byrne’s kick-chase and his tackle is a bit late while Cheikh Tiberghien was in the air. But he’s good to keep going.
TRY! Bayonne 7-0 Leinster (Sireli Maqala ’14)
16 mins: Bayonne 7-0 Leinster
Disaster for Leinster as they concede an early try. They got completely torn open there as Yohan Orabe makes an excellent break and slips the ball to Sireli Maqala who leaps through the posts. An easy conversion for Joris Segonds.
It gets a bit worse for Leinster as Furlong heads off and is replaced by Thomas Clarkson.
19 mins: Bayonne 7-0 Leinster
Leinster unfortunate not to get in there as O’Brien just misses the ball in the corner.
They’re in Bayonne’s five-metre line again and they have advantage.
20 mins: Bayonne 7-0 Leinster
So we will have a Leinster penalty and Byrne is going to take the points.
20 mins: Bayonne 7-3 Leinster (Byrne penalty)
20 mins: Bayonne 7-3 Leinster
And the kick is good to get their scoreline moving.
23 mins: Bayonne 7-3 Leinster
Bayonne win a penalty in midfield and now they will take a shot at the posts.
23 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster (Joris Segonds)
25 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Kenny almost in!
Leinster go on the hunt again and a cross-kick from Byrne finds Kenny but he’s almost moving too fast to control the ball as he cross in at the corner.
25 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Jimmy O’Brien attempts to make a big charge up the line after a nice slip pass from Park. But O’Brien gets snuffed by Herschel Jantjies.
29 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster have a scrum but referee Luke Pearce is not happy with the set-up. They hunker down again but again Pearce is unhappy and awards a free kick to Leinster.
31 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Jimmy O’Brien kicks the ball forward and pushes Bayonne back into their territory for their lineout. Max Deegan makes a good effort to get a hand on it but Bayonne secure the ball.
The move ends in another lineout in roughly the same position for Leinster. And it’s a penalty for Leinster as Deegan gets some attention on the field.
32 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster deep in Bayonne’s home now. A try looks imminent.
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Ronan Kelleher carries forward. Not far to go now
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Boyle gets pushed back slightly but Leinster still have possession.
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Clarkson lunges forward and eventually ends up over the line but it looks like it could get ruled out for double movement.
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
NO TRY!
Pearce was never confident that it was a legitimate score and the TMO agrees.
33 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster change: Robbie Henshaw replaced by Rieko Ioane.
36 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Lovely dummy pass from Kelleher to create space and sprint forward when Leinster were on the back foot during a Bayonne attack.
But it ends in a Bayonne scrum after some indecision and Josh van der Flier gets held up.
We’re hearing that Furlong has a tight calf.
38 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
That’s an ongoing issue for Furlong but hopefully not as serious as his previous problems with it.
A small bit of a scrap develops as Bayonne win a penalty from the scrum. They’re going to the corner with this.
39 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Another super carry from Tagi sets up an opportunity and Jantjies pushes it on further but he’s caught at the corner.
40 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Clock is in the red as Bayonne fit in one more attack.
Half-Time! Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Teams are back out. Can Leinster get going and pick up the win they came for?
Second half: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Second half: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
40 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster start the second half with a lineout. Tommy O’Brien is getting some attention for what looks like a calf problem.
42 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Sam Prendergast comes on for Tommy O’Brien and it looks like Prendergast will play at full-back while Byrne continues at out-half.
44 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Jimmy O’Brien pops the ball to Prendergast who puts through a grubber kick. But Leinster can’t get their hands on the ball again and knock-on from Van der Flier sees Bayonne put in for the scrum.
Meanwhile, it looks like Dan Sheehan could be coming on soon.
44 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster win it back and are in the Bayonne corner!
46 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Bayonne turn the ball over brilliantly after Park made a big carry! They win the penalty and that’s another chance gone for Leo Cullen’s side.
Leinster change: Kelleher is replaced by Dan Sheehan.
48 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster scrum, and then a penalty.
Byrne finds touch and they’ll look to attack again.
49 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Good carry from RG Snyman. Prendergast trips to grubber through but Bayonne snuff out the danger to push them back.
49 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Leinster keep the ball from a lineout but it looks like Bayonne could be about to lose someone to the bin for an intentional knock-on.
49 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Yellow card: Herschel Jantjies is off for 10 minutes. The referee had no doubt about that one and that could be the break Leinster need.
50 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Another error from Leinster. They win their own lineout, recycle the ball but lose it in the breakdown.
Very sloppy from the visitors.
52 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Bayonne manage to get the ball out of the scrum and it’s a good clearance from Segonds as he makes touch with a brilliant kick, and avoids kicking out on the full.
54 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Park loops the ball out wide but Bayonne react well to the play and Leinster need to reset to get out of the half.
Byrne gets good distance from his kick and a return kick finds Prendergast. Leinster go to ground to try and get out through the phases.
55 mins: Bayonne 10-3 Leinster
Park tries to get the 50:22 but doesn’t get the kick right.
Leinster change: Joe McCarthy comes in for Snyman.
TRY! Bayonne 10-10 Leinster (Dan Sheehan ’55)
58 mins: Bayonne 10-10 Leinster
That’s more like it from Leinster!
It came from the set-piece and some lovely passes including Prendergast, Kenny and Jimmy O’Brien sees Sheehan use his pace to power over.
There was a slight doubt that Prendergast’s pass might be forward but there’s no check and Byrne converts to level the game.
58 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster (Segonds penalty)
60 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Brilliant kick from Segonds to edge Bayonne ahead again after Leinster were turned over in the breakdown.
Jantjies returns and Bayonne are back to 15 again.
63 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
NO TRY!
Leinster get through for their second try of the game but Jimmy O’Brien drops the ball just as he was turning to touch it down.
It was a great counter move which started with Prendergast pouncing to pick up a loose ball and putting a grubber in front of O’Brien to collect. He’ll be disappointed that he lost control at the vital moment.
64 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Lovely sidestep from Prendergast after a good fetch. Good kick from Byrne and they’ll stay in Bayonne territory.
66 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Lovely turnover from Van der Flier as he snatches the ball at the breakdown. But again, Leinster stand in their own way as a pass out wide to Kenny goes through his hands.
67 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Bayonne win a penalty and Sheehan is penalised after losing his feet.
Segonds going for the posts.
68 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
MISS!
Bad kick from Segonds who has been kicking well all through this game and that could come back to haunt them.
70 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Brilliant from Deegan to win a Bayonne lineout. They get pushed back a bit but Leinster still have the ball.
Park puts it up in the air but no-one gets there in time to contest. Bayonne have it back again.
70 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Prendergast tries to link up with a grubber but Bayonne’s defence shines again. We’re now in the final 10 minutes and Leinster still haven’t managed to find their rhythm.
72 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
74 mins: Bayonne 13-10 Leinster
Good passing from Leinster as they get back into the Bayonne 22. Composure is key now.
TRY! Bayonne 13-17 Leinster (Sam Prendergast ’74)
76 mins: Bayonne 13-17 Leinster
And that could be the spark they were looking for.
That move deserved a try as Byrne chips it up and Prendergast gets his positioning right to get to the ball first and touch it down. Easy conversion and can Leinster hold on now?
77 mins: Bayonne 13-17 Leinster
Leinster get a penalty and that could be crucial for eating up a bit more of the clock.
79 mins: Bayonne 13-17 Leinster
Leinster keep the play in Bayonne’s house and that should do it to ease them to victory now.
TRY! Bayonne 13-22 Leinster (Max Deegan ’79)
Bayonne 13-22 Leinster
It wasn’t pretty but it’s a win for Leinster. They finish Pool 3 4/4 and will top the pool as it stands. They will have home advantage until at least the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
They’ll need Saracens to beat Glasgow, or a draw between Bristol and Bordeaux, to get top two and home advantage in potential semi-final.
The tries from Dan Sheehan, Sam Prendergast and Max Deegan were crucial and Byrne kicked well today but there were a lot of errors.
Bayonne 13-22 Leinster
Well, that’s all from us folks. Don’t go anywhere because we have more Champions Cup action between Munster and Castres coming up. Gavan Casey will be taking you through the live coverage and Ciarán Kennedy is reporting live from Thomond Park.
And before you go, have a read of Murray Kinsella’s match report from Leinster’s win here.
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Bayonne Champions Cup Leinster live scores Minute-by-Minute Rugby