Blue line derails Racing Metro

POOL TWO LEINSTER v RACING METRO: Leinster 38, Racing Metro 22: JOE SCHMIDT'S post-match observation that "it's the perfect start in the imperfect pool", could be tweaked to encompass an overview of the victory over Racing Metro 92 at the RDS.

Leinster’s performance wasn’t blemish free by any means but there was an appreciable cutting edge that inflicted fatal lacerations.

Quite apart from the aesthetic splendour of some of Leinster’s attacking rugby, great running lines, intelligent offloading, good appreciation of space and soft shoulders and dexterous handling, there was a practical reward in the five tries scored. In the land of Pool Two in the Heineken Cup, bonus points are king.

There were also some excellent individual displays, notably Gordon D’Arcy, Seán O’Brien, Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross, Nathan Hines and a maturing Devin Toner, in what was a fine team effort. Schmidt enthused: “People have identified that Mike Ross has taken a step forward with regard to the scrummaging. Around the field he took another step forward today.

“I thought his contribution was more evident to us and we needed everyone. I thought Richardt Strauss offered really well; he carried well, defended tirelessly and was out on his feet by the end of the game. Some of those guys who probably aren’t in the limelight so much really worked hard today.”

It’s an ethic Leinster must retain in travelling to Wembley next Saturday as well as addressing other shortcomings.

The discipline at ruck time will simply not suffice. English referee Dave Pearson rigorously punished players who did not roll away in the tackle. He wasn’t always right but he was consistent. D’Arcy and Shane Jennings fell foul of this interpretation on more than one occasion. In tighter contests there’ll be no scope for transgressions of this order.

Brian O’Driscoll appeared to pull his hamstring in trying to turn quickly and chase down Alebrt Vulivuli. If today’s scan confirms that prognosis he might not play for three to four weeks. Replacement hooker Jason Harris-Wright took a bang to the head and actually collapsed as he got to his feet. He spent the next two minutes completely disorientated but ironically ended up being sent clear; although he might not have known to where he was running.

The physical tone for the opening throes of the contest was set after 74 seconds when Sebastian Chabal scudded into Jamie Heaslip, knocking him onto his back with brutal force. The Leinster and Ireland number eight did exceptionally well to retain possession and permitted himself a wry smile at the next break in play, a lineout, as the pair exchanged glances.

Racing-Metro shaded the opening 20 minutes, an ability to pass out of the tackle generating significant yardage but Leinster’s defence was well organised, particularly in mixing up their line speed. Luke Fitzgerald on Sireli Bobo, Isa Nacewa on Chabal and D’Arcy on Vulivuli perfectly encapsulated Leinster’s aggression in the tackle.

The home side led 6-3 after 27 minutes, Nacewa kicking two penalties to one from Racing outhalf Jerome Fillol. Leinster’s scrum was in the ascendancy and while they didn’t pinch any opposition ball out of touch, they were disrupting the French side’s desire for clean possession.

On the half hour, the Irish province conjured the game’s first try. Strauss ran a great line, D’Arcy demonstrated superb feet to make the definitive line breach, O’Brien and Ross carried play to within a metre of the Racing line and from the ruck O’Brien had repositioned himself to take the pass and dive over. Nacewa converted as he would do again within five minutes; this time it was the product of sumptuous back play.

O’Driscoll’s soft hands and perfect timing allowed Jonathan Sexton to race through a gap on a wrap-around gambit and the outhalf threw a perfectly weighted pass to send Rob Kearney over. The fullback would have a fine game in dominating aerially, primarily in attack.

A third try arrived eight minutes after the restart, the product of a quickly taken tap penalty and the double involvement of Sexton and Fitzgerald, the latter providing the scoring pass to the omnipresent Strauss. Racing kept in touch through the boot of Fillol and Francois Steyn, the latter eliciting the appreciation of the crowd when thumping over a penalty from fully 66 metres.

A try for Vulivuli on 57 minutes – O’Driscoll hurt his hamstring trying to turn quickly – converted by Fillol threatened to make the match a contest. Leinster responded with their fourth try, Heaslip completing a process that began with D’Arcy’s brilliant feet. The home side signed off with a sweeping counter-attack following a turnover outside their own 22.

In rugby parlance replacement Fergus McFadden showed ‘great toe’ in outstripping Julien Saubade to race 55 metres and touch down in the corner. Schmidt will have been pleased with the impact of several replacements, not least Isaac Boss and Cian Healy.

Leinster’s patterns are evolving, the progress evident in this victory. That development must continue through next weekend when the bar will be set appreciably higher. Saracens defeat to Clermont Auvergne means the English club will be fighting to preserve their status as genuine contenders in Europe. They will provide a more hard-core examination in a pool that boasts a devilishly difficult curriculum.

Match Statistics:

Scoring sequence

5 mins:Nacewa penalty, 3-0; 12 mins: Fillol penalty, 3-3; 27 mins: Nacewa penalty, 6-3; 30 mins: O'Brien try, Nacewa conversion, 13-3; 35 mins: Kearney try, 18-3; 37 mins: Steyn penalty, 18-6; 39 mins: Nacewa penalty, 21-6. Half-time 21-6. 41 mins: Fillol penalty, 21-9; 48 mins: Strauss try, 26-9; 51 mins: Steyn penalty, 26-13; 57 mins: Vulivuli try, Fillol conversion, 26-19; 65 mins: Heaslip try, Nacewa conversion, 33-19; 68 mins: Fillol penalty, 33-22; 79 mins: McFadden try, 38-22.

LEINSTER: R Kearney; I Nacewa, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, E Reddan; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, M Ross; N Hines, D Toner; S O'Brien, S Jennings, J Heaslip (capt).

Replacements:C Healy for ven der Merwe 52 mins; F McFadden for O'Driscoll 58 mins; I Boss for Reddan 61 mins; D Ryan for Jennings 69 mins; S Shawe for Ross 75 mins; J Harris-Wright for Strauss 78 mins; S Horgan for Sexton 78 mins.

RACING METRO 92:F Steyn; S Bobo, A Vulivuli, A Masi, J Saubade; J Fillol, M Durand; A Lo Cicero, B Noirot, JP Orlandi; L Nallet (capt), J Qovu Nailiko; J Leo'o, J Cronje, S Chabal.

Replacements: M Bergamasco for Masi 52 mins; A Battut for Chabal 52 mins; C Festuccia for Noirot 58 mins; S Dellape for Qovu Nailiko 58 mins; M Loree for N Durand 66 mins; J Brugnaut for Lo Cicero 73 mins; S Zimmerman for Orlandi 78 mins; R Vaquin for Leo'o 78 mins.

Yellow card: N Durand (Racing Metro 92) 42 mins.

Referee: David Pearson (England).