Rugby Celtic League/ The Borders 29 Leinster 16: After the highs of their Heineken European Cup achievements, Leinster were reduced to mere mortals after succumbing to the bottom club in the Celtic League on Saturday night at a near freezing Netherdale.
It was always going to be a hard test for an under-strength Leinster but their captain Victor Costello refused to blame the defeat on the absence of so many first-team players to the Ireland squad.
"All the guys in our side have trained together in the squad. The real problem was that we didn't perform as a team," he said after his side came off second best to The Borders.
Leinster coach Declan Kidney was, however, more realistic. "It's difficult for players who are not playing regularly in the team because they need experience to be able to perform in what is a very good league," he said.
"The Borders may be at the foot of the Celtic League but we were aware that their biggest home defeat this season has been by only eight points. And they'd won their last two home matches.
"Defensively we were a bit soft and let them through a few times but on the positive side we pulled up our socks after we had gone behind."
Individually there were good performances from lock Ben Gissing, playing his 50th game for Leinster, and fellow second row Ciarán Potts, who produced several explosive bursts that more than tested The Borders' defence.
The other factor making it difficult for Leinster was that Borders are desperate to prove to their Murrayfield masters the case for continued funding at a time when the axe is hanging perilously close above them.
Even so it was very much stalemate for most of the first half with two penalties each by Dave Holwell for Leinster and Charlie Hore for The Borders. Then in the fourth minute of injury-time The Borders, having worked their way down the field after Leinster had given away a priceless attacking situation with a needless piece of indiscipline, made the first strike of the match to produce a try for flanker Andy Miller.
Hore's touchline conversion opened up a seven-point gap and Leinster knew they had a struggle ahead of them in the second half. Two penalties by Hore to one by Holwell increased The Borders' lead to 10 points before the home side made a second and decisive breakthrough, this time Hore touching down and then converting after some audacious passing in midfield for a 26-9 lead.
To their credit Leinster responded positively with replacement scrumhalf Brian O'Riordan squeezing in from close range and Holwell converting. But almost immediately The Borders regained the initiative for outhalf Alistair Warnock to land a drop-goal to conclude the scoring.
SCORERS: The Borders: Miller try, Hore try, 2 cons, 4 pens, Warnock drop goal. Leinster: O'Riordan try, Holwell 3 pens, con.
THE BORDERS: S Moffat; N Walker, C MacRae, C Hore, S Danielli; A Warnock, C Cusiter; P Thomson, R Ford, B Douglas, S MacLeod, C Stewart, J Dalziel, A Miller, S Gray. Replacements: M Blair for MacLeod (37 mins), T McGee for Thomson (61 mins), G Morton for Moffat (71 mins), R Haggerstone for Gray (82 mins).
LEINSTER: F Contepomi; J Norton, K Lewis, D McAllister, G Brown; D Holwell, B O'Meara; J Lyne, D Blaney, R Nebbett, C Potts, B Gissing, A McCullen, N Ronan, V Costello. Replacements: D Quinlan for Lewis (18 mins), B O'Riordan for O'Meara (50 mins), J McWeeney for Norton (61 mins), P Coyle for Lyne (72 mins), G Hickie for Blaney (74 mins), D Gannon for Potts (78 mins).
Referee: N Ballard (Wales).
