mens
United-rugby-championship
Leinster player ratings: With few exceptions, this was a Leinster B side, but they arrived at Ellis Park with the clear intention of upsetting the hosts, albeit in front of a rather poor crowd. Leinster were brave, ambitious and willing to move the ball, but in the end they made too many mistakes with the ball in hand and Lions punished them despite enjoying far less possessions for great spells.
Horrible scrums again hurt Leinster’s efforts on more than one occasion and remain a huge headache for Leo Cullen, especially as the pressure began to mount in the second half.
It finished 27-26, with Leinster winning two lost bonus points in the dying moments.
15. Todd Lawlor – 5.5
Mixed afternoon. He missed a poor shot from Kelly Mpeka in the 20th minute that almost led to a Lions goal and led to a poor touch after the break. There were still hints of promise though, including a decent run from deep before the interval. Uneven but not completely unpromising before being withdrawn after giving it your all.
14. Tommy O’Brien – 7
Typical TOB performance in many ways. He kept looking to put in an attacking intent and was unlucky not to score after a nice chip in front only for the rebound to beat him. He made a strong break before the Lions’ second try and produced a superb aerial shot in the 59th minute, although he was then penalized for not letting go.
13. Hugh Cooney – 6
He showed some really decent hands in midfield and linked up well with Caspar Gabriel on a move that probably should have resulted in a try. Unfortunately, when his chance came back, he failed to finish in the corner. He also missed a tackle in midfield before Erich Cronje’s second try. A lot of effort, but not enough precision.
12. Charlie Tector – 7
He had a lot of defensive work in the opening quarter and generally did well. He produced a big kick from a clearance late in the first half to relieve the pressure and was heavily involved in the move that led to Leinster’s third try. He later dunked on an interception attempt, but it was hard to fault him for backing up.
11. Andrew Osborne – 6
He didn’t cause the Lions much trouble, but he mostly kept the nose clean. He made a nice break early in the second half when the defense opened up in front of him, but he never quite established himself going forward.
10. Caspar Gabriel – 7.5
An imperfect but ultimately encouraging display in just his second Leinster appearance. He grabbed an early conversion and was fairly pedestrian for the first 20 minutes but gradually grew into the contest. He began to test weak shoulders, created attacking moments throughout the period and his brilliant break and assist just before half-time completed Fintan Gunne’s hat-trick. He missed a long-range penalty but was a genuine threat whenever he had the ball.
9. Fintan Gunne – 8.5
A hat-trick hero. He sniped home from close range after five minutes, finishing off a superb team move for his second and completing a treble before half-time. His support lines were excellent all afternoon. He will be frustrated by the one kick he conceded in Lions territory, but he was one of Leinster’s most dangerous players.
1. Alex Usanov – 4.5
He won an early penalty and initially looked capable of handling the occasion, but life became increasingly difficult as the game wore on. Sebastian Lombard tested him on a number of occasions and most of the Lions’ pressure came his way. A tough day at the office before being replaced by Peter Dooley.
2. Gus McCarthy – 7
He went through a mountain of work around the park and was heavily involved in Leinster’s carry game. His set work held up quite well amid wider scrum difficulties and he rarely took a step back physically.
3. Andrew Porter – 6
I am returning to the boxing side after four seasons on the loose and will probably be relatively happy with much of my scrmmaming, at least in the early years. Most of the pressure in the first half came at the opposite end, and he was also physically free, carrying hard and defensively resembling a brick wall. However, the scrum picture worsened later in the game and he was drawn into a wider collapse.
4. Ryan Baird – 4
A day to forget. He came back from injury and I never found any rhythm. He dunked on offense during the first half, somehow dunked into the rack after the break, then dropped another ball in the 53rd minute. You felt for him. Usually so athletic and dynamic, but he really couldn’t catch a cold at Ellis Park.
5. Conor O’Tighearnaigh – 6.5
Not quite as prominent physically as he has been at times, but quietly produced a solid inning. He benefited from Chris Smith accidentally passing him the ball after the break and generally did a lot of unprecedented graft in the tight.
6. Max Deegan (c) – 5.5
He worked hard without ever raising his head above the parapet. There was solid industry and effort, but the game felt like it passed him by at times. One of those performances where he was neither particularly good nor particularly bad.
7. Scott Penny – 5
A rare day off. He lost possession in contact during the first half and struggled to produce his usual impact at the breakdown. He failed to make his mark on the competition in the way Leinster had hoped.
8. Josh Ericson – 8
Leinster’s standout striker. He made a huge run through the middle to set up Gunne’s second try and continued effectively. His height seemed to catch up with him somewhat as the game wore on, but he remains comfortably Leinster’s most impressive ball carrier.
Substitutions – 6
Peter Dooley was a slight improvement, at least temporarily, in fighting time after replacing Usanov, and Brian Deeny also made a positive contribution when introduced. Harry Byrne, Dylan McNeice, Stephen Smyth, Niall Smyth, Oliver Coffey and Ciaran Mangan all had moments without dramatically changing the direction of the contest.
