Leinster 15 (Tries: Murphy, D Kearney. Pen: Gopperth. Con: Gopperth), Edinburgh 13 (Try: Visser. Pens: Laidlaw (2). Con: Laidlaw)
An odious argument. Nestled between torrential rain storms, there was a game in Dublin Saturday night but this also provided an opportunity to ask Edinburgh's South African coach Alan Solomons who was the better outside centre: Brian O'Driscoll or the great Springbok 13 Danie Gerber.
“They are a little bit different,” said Solomons, initially warming to the question. “I think they were both, in their heyday, brilliant rugby players. They could cut a line to pieces.
“O’Driscoll’s first tour in the Lions he cut (Australia) to pieces. Gerber was that kind of centre as well. A lot of Gerber’s career was cut short because South Africa were in isolation, perhaps we didn’t have the opportunity to see him in international competition as much as Brian.
"Perhaps it is an odious argument, they are both wonderful players."
Were dire
Leinster were dire here, offering up their worst showing of a long campaign against a big Edinburgh pack that gradually realised the rare opportunity on offer. As befits their lowly station, they failed to grab it.
Fear of losing home advantage in the Pro12 final, presuming Leinster overcome Ulster in next Saturday’s (7pm) semi-final at the RDS, brought enough urgency to limp over the line.
Tries from a bullish Jordi Murphy and Dave Kearney – clearly inspired by the confidence gained playing Test match rugby — allowed the 17,800 crowd enjoy Des Cahill's gentle probing of retiring heroes Leo Cullen and Brian O'Driscoll afterwards.
Neither man is done yet. Cullen is certain to feature against Ulster as Mike McCarthy damaged his calf while O’Driscoll will need treatment on a shoulder smashed by 126 kilograms of Kiwi beef.
Just another dent in his battered armour, it happened when Simon Berghan brutally denied him a trademark steal. All Leinster’s replacements were on the field so he soldiered on, and stooped lower still for a crucial turnover in the 77th minute.
Richardt Strauss’ emotional season, however, is over due to a badly torn hamstring but Seán Cronin did arrive to claim another man-of-the-match accolade.
Rob Kearney, a late addition instead of Zane Kirchner, also shipped a heavy knock and was replaced but coach Matt O'Connor is confident both his fullbacks and returning duo Seán O'Brien and Fergus McFadden will be ready for the penultimate challenge.
Ongoing concern
Unfortunately Luke Fitzgerald remains an ongoing concern. "The groin," O'Connor said resignedly.
This game will not live long in the memory. After Murphy’s 10th-minute try, picking up where Cullen left off, Gopperth’s miscued conversion began a stream of inaccuracies.
Ruck and run isn’t possible when the set piece malfunctions as badly as it did here.
The cracks were papered over when Carl Bezuidenhout’s try on 16 minutes was disallowed due to a forward pass by Tim Visser to Matt Scott, who brushed past O’Driscoll in the build-up.
Instead, Edinburgh’s departing captain Greig Laidlaw left his mark, before joining Gloucester, by nudging the visitors into a 6-5 half-time lead.
The all too patient natives never grew restless even considering Glasgow had secured the bonus-point win against Zebre, meaning defeat would have left Leinster facing Munster in the semi-final with a possible trip to Scotland for the final.
Kearney eventually stormed off his wing as Gopperth profited from O’Driscoll’s decoy run to set the winger free.
They failed to drive it home and were punished when Laidlaw sold Rhys Ruddock a dummy before releasing Tim Visser for a try with 15 minutes remaining.
But they escaped and can cloak themselves in the positive that is O’Brien’s early return from shoulder surgery.
