Rugby

‘He’ll get it tested’ - Leinster concerned for Sexton’s fitness after Connacht win

Western province asks plenty of questions at sold out RDS before falling away in the second half

Johnny Sexton sustained a blow to the head during the second half of Leinster's win over Connacht. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Johnny Watterson at the RDS
Sun Jan 1 2023 - 22:24

Leinster 41 Connacht 12

Connacht were hoping it could be out with the old and in with the new. But Leinster were having none of it in front of a sold out RDS, none of the bonhomie, none of the ‘stir the eggnog, lift the toddy, Happy New Year everybody.’

As Leinster often do, they found Connacht flagging in the second half and put them to the sword with four tries, three in the last 10 minutes building the scoreboard. At one stage it looked like it was going to exceed 50 points.

[ Leinster 41 Connacht 12 - as it happened ]

Connacht began the evening 13th in the league table and five places off the qualifying mark for next year’s Champions Cup. They left schooled. No real surprise even if Leinster were not in vintage form.

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Leinster will have some concern for Johnny Sexton when he went off after a second half clash of heads with Jarrad Butler. Round three of the Champions Cup is just two weeks away with a trip to Gloucester. Sexton was fortunate not to be penalised for what seemed another head-on-head collision for which plenty of defenders have been carded in recent months.

“He’s OK, fair old whack on the cheek,” said Leo Cullen. “We’ll see tomorrow, he’ll get it tested.

“Let’s wait and see, we’ll have a better idea tomorrow. It’s one of those unfortunate incidents, they’re getting plenty of air-time. Need some clarity.

“There’s a bit of muddiness, they’re not all the same.

“Ball carriers can actually see a tackler that’s high and can head straight for them, all the onus is on the defending player. It needs to be clearer.”

The better news was man of the match Jordan Larmour with two tries and some eye-catching footwork began looking very much like the dazzling footed trickster people know him as.

Connacht were barely adjusting to the ambience when Leinster struck after three minutes. With the ball moved from left to right, Johnny Sexton popped one up for centre Liam Turner to burst through a gap and ground untouched.

If the home side foolishly believed it was going to be that way for the rest of the night Connacht quickly displaced those thoughts, hitting back while showing enterprise and causing Leinster all sorts of problems throughout the first quarter.

A few missed lineouts from Leinster as well as penalties conceded caused Connacht’s confidence to grow. Then Jack Carty kicked to touch for an attacking lineout after 16 minutes.

The ball was secured and spun out to David Hawkshaw, the centre took off through the heart of a crowded Leinster middle. It was all too easy against his former teammates, Hawkshaw touching down as Leinster shook their heads wondering how their defence had just been made to look so vulnerable.

Connacht might have hoped the try for 5-7 after Jack Carty converted might have been a turning point. Well, it was but just for five minutes.

It was then Sexton found touch from a penalty. The ball was, finally, secured and hooker Rónan Kelleher, hitching a ride on the maul, was ready to snipe.

But it took half a dozen phases with lock Brian Deeny, in his first start of the season, to grab Leinster’s second and Sexton converted for 12-7. Leinster then found the attacking edge and when Jordan Larmour came infield off his wing, it was plenty enough for the crowd to rise.

The dancing feet. In, out, stop, forward and into Jimmy O’Brien’s arms to make further ground. But Larmour was rewarded for his magic and scooped up a loose ball in his support run for O’Brien.

Sexton converted for 19-7 but not before a Connacht attacking lineout yielded another try. On the left this side, Connacht went through the phases before crabbing right. A sudden change in the angle of attack and the ball was flung left to Tom Farrell on an unstoppable run through the stretched defence. Sexton questioned its legality but the score stood.

Five first half tries and the teams went into the break with Leinster, who have not lost a league game since the Bulls beat them 27-26 last June in the playoff semifinal, 19-12 ahead.

After the break, Larmour resumed as irrepressible as he was in the first half. Again with the ball, even in traffic, he had the Connacht defence guessing when he embarked on a gallop up the left, scattering bodies in the Connacht 22.

With the ball recycled and Jamison Gibson Park to give it hard and flat back to the winger, Larmor twitched and shook and stepped into space to ground for his second try of the night and secure Leinster the bonus point and a 24-12 lead.

The home side might have expected more gains when Jack Carty was shown a yellow card on 52 minutes when he didn’t back off 10 yards for a quick Gibson-Park tap penalty. But they struggled to convert and between 44 minutes and 69 minutes could not move the scoreboard. Jarrad Butler finally had to leave the field of play later in the game and when he did, Leinster treated the fans to a blood thirsty finale.

Replacement Rob Russell took one ball over for a try and 29-12 around the 70-minute mark. One minute later in a 40 metre break away Ryan Baird followed for 36-12 and finally Josh van der Flier, posing as a left winger, ran at full stretch down the flank. Connacht left with perhaps a first quarter feeling that they had Leinster under some pressure. But, somewhat predictably, they left with their backs against the wall and unable to stop a home side in full spate.

Scoring sequence – 3 mins L Turner try 5-0; 16 mins D Hawkshaw try, J Carty con 5-7; 22 mins B Deeny try, Sexton con 12-7; 31 mins J Larmour try, Sexton con 19-7; 32 mins T Farrell try 19-12. Halftime. 44 mins Larmour try 24-12; 69 mins R Russell try 29-12; R Baird try con H Byrne 36-12; 75 mins J van der Flier try 41-12

Leinster: J O’Brien; J Larmour, L Turner, C Ngatai, R Russell; J Sexton (C), J Gibson-Park; M Milne, R Kelleher, M Ala’alatoa; B Deeny, J Ryan; R Baird, J van der Flier, C Doris.

Replacements: A Porter for Milne (51 mins), A Soroka for Deeny (51 mins), J McKee, for Kelleher (62 mins), V Abdaladze for Alalatoa (62 mins), J Osborne for Turner (62 mins), H Byrne for Sexton (63 mins), C Foley for Gibson Park (67 mins), S Penny for Ngati (73 mins).

Connacht: T O’Halloran; D Kilgallen, T Farrell, D Hawkshaw, J Porch; J Carty (C), C Blade; P Dooley, D Heffernan, D Robertson-McCoy; D Murray, N Murray; C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, J Butler.

Replacements: T Daly for Hawkshaw (44 min),; B Ralston for O’Halloran (46 mins), D Buckley for Dooley (54 mins), S Illo for Robertson McCoy (54 mins), C Oliver for Hurley Langton (54 mins), O Dowling for Prendergast (58 mins), K Marmion for Blade (67 mins), S Delahunt for Heffernan (70 mins).

Yellow card: Jack Carty (52 mins).

Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times

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