URC: Dragons 10 Leinster 24
Another day, another officiating controversy. Leinster shipped three cards and arguably their worst performance of the season, but they survived a baffling decision not to show red to Scott Penny in the dying moments, then racing up the other end for a fourth score to secure an undeserved bonus-points win over the Dragons.
Leading 5-0 after four minutes, you’d be forgiven for anticipating a familiar script between these two. Alex Soroka’s early score came with a level of ease that bordered on pitiful, from a Dragons perspective.
Fresh off losing his Ireland spot to Paddy McCarthy, Jack Boyle looked pleased to be back on a rugby pitch. He won two scrum penalties from the first two set pieces, one of which allowing Harry Byrne to kick to the corner. Soroka barged over with a strong finish moments later.
That would be that in terms of Leinster points in the opening half. Not for a lack of opportunity. One 22 entry was ended by a choke tackle, another by an unsympathetic pass from Jordan Larmour to Hugh Cooney. A third threatened a score after a Boyle burst only for Dragons to isolate the prop and turn him over.
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Leinster’s subsequent implosion was largely self-inflicted, ill-discipline allowing their hosts to turn the territory battle. Repeated penalties saw Diarmuid Mangan sent to the bin, Dragons capitalising when Matthew Screech barged under the posts.
Penny followed his secondrow to the naughty step for yet more repeated offences. Irish rugby teams should by shares in companies selling sin bin chairs.
Leinster made it to the interval down just two and were restored to 14 with Mangan’s return. It could have been worse. Soroka continued his strong defensive lineout work this season with a pair of steals – one just metres from the line – while Josh Kenny made two good reads, flying out of the line to shut down potential line breaks.
Was the riot act read at half-time? Whether it was or wasn’t, Leinster struck first after the break while still down to 14. This time Dragons gifted them field position inside the 22 where Byrne combined with Ciarán Frawley to send Kenny over in the corner.
Chances kept coming. Frawley remained involved creatively as he linked with O’Brien to work another break. Byrne’s cross-kick could easily have fallen for Kenny. A maul came close before Leinster were then held up.
They thought they’d scored via a Luke McGrath dive, the chance created by RG Snyman’s latest audacious offload. For the second time inside six days, a try for an Irish side was ruled out thanks to a dangerous clear out, Boyle the culprit this time.
No matter. Snyman did it again, a ridiculous offload after a thumping tackle followed up by another, looping effort which sent Kenny in for a double. Snyman could be playing for South Africa down the road in Cardiff on Saturday. Leinster are delighted to be getting their money’s worth instead.
All that bluster and Leinster were only seven ahead, a few misfires from Byrne’s tee not helping. It as always a risky deficit, especially when Penny made contact with the head of Levi Douglas in the dying minutes. His arm was tucked and never legal but referee Morne Ferreira somehow disagreed. Leinster survived the onslaught to break up the field, the bonus-point score gifted when a Dragons drop fed Snyman for a gallop into the corner.
Scoring sequence – 4 mins: Soroka try 0-5; 31: Screech try, de Beer con 7-5; Half-time 7-5; 44: Kenny try, Byrne con 7-12; 47: A O’Brien pen 10-12; 59: Kenny try 10-17; 77: Snyman try, Byrne con 10-24.
DRAGONS: A O’Brien (capt); C Evans, D Richards, A Owen, H Anderson; T de Beer, R Williams; D Kelleher-Griffiths, O Burrows, R Hunt; S Davies, M Screech; R Woodman, T Young, M Martin.
Replacements: S Lewis-Hughes for Davies (30 mins), W Jones for Kelleher-Griffiths (HT), L Douglas for Woodman (41), W Austin for Burrows (43), E Rosser for de Beer (65), O Jones for Hunt (71), N Armstrong for Williams, J Westwood for Richards (both 75).
LEINSTER: J O’Brien; J Kenny, H Cooney, C Frawley, J Larmour; H Byrne, F Gunne; J Boyle, G McCarthy, T Clarkson; B Deeny, D Mangan; A Soroka, S Penny, M Deegan (capt).
Replacements: RG Snyman for Deeny (47 mins), L McGrath for Gunne, Deeny for Deegan (both 52), J McKee for McCarthy, J Cahir for Boyle, R Slimani for Clarkson (all 57), C Tector for Cooney (64), R Moloney for Larmour (79).
Yellow card: Mangan (29 mins), Penny (35), McGrath (80).
Referee: M Ferreira (SARU).
