The performance aesthetic, much like truth and beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Leinster may point to the result, a bonus point victory over an Edinburgh team closer to full-strength than their hosts, as the most important and relevant post-match consideration on a chilly winter afternoon.
It would be with some justification too, but it doesn’t mean that they are oblivious to the blemishes that on another day would have been insurmountable. Five scrum penalties and six lineouts that went astray highlight a malfunctioning set-piece. Coupled with under-resourced breakdowns, some ordinary handling, passing and lateral lines of running in terms of the back play, it was an extensive list of shortcomings.
That they managed to overcome those setbacks speaks volume for the character and talent within a young group of players, bolstered by the odd greybeard here and there. Five tries from Lee Barron, Max Deegan, Ciarán Frawley, Tommy O’Brien and James Culhane ensured that they retained a buffer on the scoreboard to the final whistle.
Edinburgh’s mini-rally in the final 20-minutes pushed many of the 14,000 Leinster supporters closer to their edge of the seats than they might have anticipated in the first three quarters of the match.
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Leinster head coach Leo Cullen was right to point to the “good intent and endeavour,” before admitting that the performance was “patchy” and that “we still have a long way to go.” It was fair to point out that some of the set-piece issues were down to Edinburgh’s experience and excellence in that facet of the game.
“That [starting] frontrow was at the World Cup, [Grant] Gilchrist at the World Cup, [Luke] Crosbie and [Hamish] Watson as well; they were all in the [Scotland matchday] 23 for the Irish game. From our point of view, there is definitely lots in our control that we can be a hell of a lot better at, but the positive [aspect] is that you are growing depth and guys are accumulating experience at this time of year.
“From the depth point of view, some guys are putting their hands up for bigger games down the line. The big thing is trying to win the games and accumulate points. We managed to do that, so it is pleasing. There is a long way to go, parts were a step up on last week [against the Sharks] and we took a bit of a step back as well.
“We are a little bit up and down which is what we expect with the group that we have; there is a lot of learning for some of the young guys.”
There were some excellent individual performances. Tommy O’Brien continued his rich vein of form, Jamie Osborne and Charlie Ngatai performed well individually while Harry Byrne had some lovely moments that were a better representation of his talent. Cormac Foley was excellent once again.
Up front hooker Lee Barron, Jason Jenkins and James Culhane were prominent and effective on both sides of the ball while few worked harder than Scott Penny and Ross Molony.
And yet, while there were too many basic mistakes coupled with a lack of composure that might have caused more debilitating problems on another day, Leinster not only found a way to win but some of the younger players were very much in the vanguard.
Cullen acknowledged it had been a huge positive and that the Irish players will start to be reintegrated to the team beginning with next Sunday’s trip to Rodney Parade to take on the Dragons. “Some of them we hadn’t seen, some of them we saw in the dressing room [after the match for the first time]. They are making their way back now.
“Some guys I have talked to over the phone. Some of those guys will play next week, some of them will get through a bit of training. It’ll be case by case. Now it’s going to get competitive. We had 17 guys away at the World Cup. If you think of trying to throw 17 into that mix there, it is quite a squeeze now.”
Barron’s try was opportune, the young hooker demonstrating the quickest reflexes after Jenkins had been beaten to the throw at a lineout, Deegan’s was the legacy of a heavy frontal assault against an Edinburgh side that had been reduced to 14 players after Glen Young’s yellow card, while the third first-half try was embellished by Byrne’s beautifully floated pass to Frawley.
Barron and O’Brien combined for the bonus-point try and Culhane scored his first for the province. Edinburgh managed three, all from replacements, James Lang, Connor Boyle and Boan Venter with former Munster outhalf Ben Healy chipping in with 12 points.
The priority now for Cullen and his coaches is to ensure that the upcoming team selections reward form while being able to simultaneously repatriate the international contingent for some tough upcoming derby fixtures against Munster and Connacht ahead of the start of the Champions Cup. Oh, and to welcome some bloke called Jacques Nienaber. “A few weeks, whatever a few means,” is the official line on his arrival date.
