URC: Leinster 47 Benetton 18
As is often the case when Leinster’s non-international contingent carries the baton, Saturday’s victory over Benetton was not pretty but nonetheless turned into a demolition job as Leo Cullen’s side crossed four times in the second half to add some significant gloss to what was at half-time a tight scoreline.
The result sees Leinster return to the summit of the URC after the Bulls had temporarily leapfrogged them after their own win on Saturday, while daylight now exists between Leinster and their Italian conquests who had come into the weekend in second.
Jamie Osborne was deservedly named player of the match as he continued to stand out from the crowd in this second string outfit, though he could have been rivalled by Tommy O’Brien had he not limped off after 49 minutes.
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The first half dysfunction was entertaining, if frustrating for the respective coaching sides, as scores came mostly from punishing opposition errors, rather than an abundance of attacking brilliance.
The first such mistake came with less than two minutes on the clock, Liam Turner and Rob Russell failing to shut down the ball in the wide channel. Benetton fullback Jacob Umaga linked with wing Ignacio Mendy far too easily, the winger’s step taking him past a weak covering tackle from O’Brien and into the corner.
It was the boot of Osborne that set up the equalising score. His kick on the turn, chasing back to gather, pinned Benetton beautifully inside their own 22, handing Leinster a lineout high up the pitch after a clearing error. Leinster’s forward carriers took over from there, Scott Penny diving over under the posts.
Leinster also relied largely on some rare scrum dominance for their territorial advantage (69 per cent vs 31). Four times in the opening 40 minutes referee Hollie Davidson whistled in their favour, be it via a penalty or free-kick, compared to just once for the Italian visitors.
Following one such penalty, Osborne was again influential, his inside ball to Rob Russell earning momentum. At the next breakdown, Benetton never manned the blind side, allowing Luke McGrath to dart over from 10 metres out.
Umaga kept the visitors in touch after Liam Turner infringed at a breakdown, but the centre made amends minutes later. His effort was the one score of the opening 40 that did come from individual brilliance, O’Brien taking a pass behind a decoy, cutting through the heart of the defence before feeding Turner for a strong finish.
Leinster’s satisfaction turned to frustration almost immediately after, Molony spilling the following kick-off. Marco Zanon gathered inside the 22, and it was his brilliant offload that sent Mendy over for a second try a few phases later.
Just short of half-time, Luke McGrath’s poorly hit box kick caught his forwards offside on the chase, allowing Umaga to round off a half low on quality with a stunning penalty from the Benetton side of halfway.
O’Brien and Osborne could well have linked early in the second half for the bonus-point score. The winger beat Umaga in the air brilliantly, coming to deck and racing into the Benetton half with Osborne on his shoulder, only O’Brien never pulled the trigger with the scoring pass. Barron followed suit with a similar decision after fielding a Byrne cross-kick, failing to feed Russell who would have dove into the corner untouched.
Leinster’s breakdown work spared the blushes of both players as possession was secured long enough for Jason Jenkins to force his way over from close range.
O’Brien limped off shortly after, there ending an impressive, if frustratingly short outing for a player whose early season momentum had already been halted by a six-week injury stint before Christmas.
Fortune was on the side of the hosts for their fifth score. After the now traditional glut of errors during the middle quarter lull, Byrne’s kick into the 22 took a lucky touch off the leg of Tomas Albornoz before going dead, gifting Leinster a five-metre scrum. The ball was messy at the back. Replacement Benetton scrumhalf Alessandro Garbisi tried to scoop it off the deck but his failure to do so gifted opposite number Ben Murphy a clear run to the line.
The sixth effort was less down to fortune, Leinster’s replacements turning on the style shortly after entering the fray. Sam Prendergast sent Turner through a gap with his first touch before following it up with a delicate scoring pass to Brian Deeny shortly thereafter, the outhalf turning down a chance to finish himself after Deegan’s offload had sent Osborne to within inches of the line.
Penny shortly after added a second of the day from close range, while Benetton were initially fortunate not to end proceedings down to 14 after former Munsterman Malakai Fekitoa showed his frustration with a no-arms tackle on Ben Brownlee. A yellow did ultimately come on the next play when Umaga was guilty of a deliberate knock-on.
An error-strewn game ended with a stray pass into touch. The 15,259 strong crowd at the RDS were frustrated not to leave on a high, but nonetheless satisfied by 26 unanswered second half points and another bonus point win.
Scoring sequence: 2 mins Mendy try, Umaga con, 0-7; 9 mins Penny try, Byrne con, 7-7; 14 mins McGrath try, Byrne con, 14-7; 26 mins Umaga pen, 14-10; 34 mins Turner try, Byrne con, 21-10; 36 mins Mendy try, 21-15; 40 mins Umaga pen, 21-18; Half-time 21-18; 44 mins Jenkins try, Byrne con, 28-18; Murphy try, 33-18; 71 mins Deeny try, Prendergast con, 40-18; 78 mins Penny try, Prendergast con, 47-18
Leinster: H McErlean; T O’Brien, L Turner, J Osborne, R Russell; R Byrne, L McGrath; J Boyle, L Barron, T Clarkson; R Molony, J Jenkins; W Connors, S Penny (capt), M Deegan.
Replacements: J McKee for Barron, E Byrne for Boyle, M Ala’alatoa for Clarkson (all 47 mins), B Brownlee for O’Brien (49 mins), R Ruddock for Connors, B Murphy for McGrath (both 59 mins), B Deeny for Jenkins (66 mins), S Prendergast for Byrne (70 mins).
Benetton: J Umaga; I Mendy, M Fekitoa, M Zanon, O Ratave; T Albornoz, A Uren; T Gallo, S Maile, T Pasquali; G Koegelenberg, E Snyman; G Pettinelli, T Halafihi, H Time-Stowers.
Replacements: G Nicotera for Male, A Izekor for Pettinelli (both 47 mins), F Alongi for Pasqualli, R Favretto for Time-Stowers (both 51 mins), A Garbisi for Uren (56 mins), L Marin for Albornoz (64 mins), F Drago for Zanon (70 mins), F Zani for Halafihi (73 mins).
Referee: H Davidson (Scotland)
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