Leinster’s first-half blitz secures bonus point in Edinburgh

Edinburgh 20 Leinster 33

Leinster produced a performance that blended rigid defence with at times sublime attacking play to overcome Edinburgh at Murrayfield on Friday night in a confidence-restoring victory that did much to compensate for last weekend’s defeat to Glasgow.

Leo Cullen’s side had the game won and the bonus point banked at half-time after they had run in four tries against an Edinburgh side that could offer little in the way of quality offensive play, relying mainly of forward surges.

Again it was Leinster's midfield trio who did the damage, Noel Reid in particular looking dangerous with ball in hand and Joey Carbery yet again displaying classy touches at outhalf.

“There was some good play out there tonight, but I would have liked to have kicked on a bit more in the second half,” said Cullen.

Yet Leinster were rocked inside the two minutes by a try from Edinburgh's right wing Mike Allen, sprinting on to a finely judged kick by Phil Burleigh, after co-centre Sasa Tofilau had opened up the the visitors' defence.

Outhalf Duncan Weir missed the touchline conversion attempt but the recently arrival from Glasgow was on target with a penalty kick just four minutes later to out Edinburgh ahead by 8-0.

Leinster, however, quickly countered with a spell of ball retention which brought a score when Reid put Dan Leavy into space giving the backrow a clear romp to the tryline, leaving Isa Nacewa with a simple straight on conversion kick.

The visitors then increased their lead, initially winning possession from a lineout in the corner and then using the ball well to pound at the Edinburgh line before finding space out wide that gave Garry Ringrose a try converted by Nacewa.

Ringrose seemed on course for a second score when he escaped down the right touchline only to be caught from behind by Weir. But Leinster did not have long to wait to for their next score. This time it emanated from a free kick and accurate passing that ended with Nacewa strolling in for his side’s third try before adding his third conversion.

Edinburgh should have made more of a scrum under the posts but good technique by the Leinster frontrow denied the home side possession that would surely have brought points.

The Murrayfield fans again went quiet when Leinster kicked to the corner, the subsequent lineout possession allowing the visitors to display invention in midfield and good support work from the tight forwards producing yet another try, this time scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park dummying from close range for the bonus-point try.

Edinburgh's woes were compounded by the sin-binning on the stroke of half-time of their skipper Grant Gilchrist for collapsing the maul leaving a gutted home side to troop into the dressing room trailing 8-26.

Five minutes into the second half Leinster were likewise reduced to 14 after Leavy was shown the yellow card for a tip tackle on the Edinburgh scrumhalf Nathan Fowles. It was the confidence lift the home side needed, the new injection of adrenalin, resulting in a try by flanker Hamish Watson, with Weir adding the extras.

Edinburgh were close to scoring again when Glenn Bryce chased a cross kick but his foot was judged to be in touch before the fullback touched down in the corner.

It proved to the end of Edinburgh immediate threat. Leinster changed their frontrow and that seemed to revitalise the visitors.

But finally Leinster's defence cracked, as replacement lock Fraser McKenzie sprinted to the line before off-loading to Magnus Bradbury giving the Edinburgh back row his second try in two games.

It seemed that Edinburgh had earned an unlikely bonus points only for Leavy to spoil the muted home celebrations with an 80th minute close-range try converted by Nacewa to seal a return-to-form win.

EDINBURGH: G Bryce; M Allen, S Tofilau, P Burleigh, T Brown; D Weir, N Fowles; R Sutherland, R Ford WP Nel; B Toolis , G Gilchrist; M Bradbury, H Watson, V Fihaki.

Replacements: B Kinghorn for Allen (10 mins), S Rasolea for Tofilau (26 mins), S Hidalgo-Clyne for Fowles, S McInally for Ford (both 48 mins, A Dell for Sutherland, C Du Preez for (both 56 mins), K Bryce for Nel (67 mins)

LEINSTER : Z Kirchner; I Nacewa, G Ringrose, N Reid, D Kearney; J Carbery (C Marsh 72), J Gibson-Park (L McGrath 60); J McGrath (C Healy 48 ), S Cronin (B Byre 48), M Ross (T Furlong 48), D Toner, M McCarthy, J Murphy (J van der Flier 65), D Leavy, J Heaslip

Replacements: C Healy for J McGrath, B Byrne for Cronin, T Furlong for Ross (all 48 mins), L McGrath for Gibson-Park (60 mins), J van der Flier for Murphy (65 mins), C Marsh for Carbery (72 mins)

Referee: D Wilkinson

Attendance: 3,484