RABODIRECT PRO 12 Leinster 45 Dragons 25:THE LEINSTER management elicited a positive response from the players and, while still imperfect, the performance was appreciably better than the wretched opening weekend inertia against the Scarlets.
Leinster forwards coach Jono Gibbes admitted: “We certainly did respond. As I sort of said last Monday I felt we stood off a bit, but I thought tonight even though we didn’t get everything right and it wasn’t dead accurate, there were positives.”
In terms of personnel for their next outing, against Treviso, Gibbes confirmed they would be able to dip into their international stock.
“You are only allowed a certain amount of games so you have to pick which ones they are allowed play. Cian (Healy), Rossy (Mike Ross), Kev McLaughlin, Jamie Heaslip, Eoin Reddan, Johnny (Sexton) is floating around, Gordon (D’Arcy), Brian (O’Driscoll), Rob (Kearney), Fergus (McFadden); there are a few. They are the main ones.
“I think you have to balance. We have to choose which games they can play and we have to manage them. We have to see what is best for the team so we can filter them in during the next few weeks.”
Leinster’s five-try, bonus-point victory was achieved on foot of a performance of fractured quality. At times the running lines, offloading, vision, support play and precise execution were a delight to behold but this excellence was pockmarked by sloppy handling, careless turnovers and brittle defence that gifted the Dragons a couple of “softish” tries.
Driving the team dynamic were several excellent performances and none more so than Leinster’s outstanding halfbacks, Ian Madigan and John Cooney.
Madigan was bestowed with the man-of the match laurels, and deservedly so for a nuanced display of control and invention – his place-kicking was excellent to boot, seven from eight attempts – but his scrumhalf also caught the eye.
Cooney’s underage representative career marked him as a player of great potential but when handed the opportunity occasionally last season, his game contained too many rough edges; his passing was the principal flaw.
He’s worked hard and the evidence was there against the Dragons. His service was good, so too his speed to the breakdown, covering in defence and appreciation of the running lines of others in the maelstrom of the ruck area.
The unfortunate injury to Isaac Boss has given the former Gonzaga schoolboy an opportunity; if his game continues to evolve in similar fashion he has the tools to break through the glass ceiling of provincial rugby.
There were other young players who excelled. Ben Marshall had a super game at blindside flanker, while Brendan Macken’s game is maturing. South African Quinn Roux produced a promising debut; impressively physical.
Captain Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings led by example.
Leinster centre Noel Reid enjoyed and then endured wildly contrasting fortunes in the opening throes of the contest.
He put in a superb tackle on Andy Tuilagi that set a defensive tone for the home side, conjured a brilliant, slaloming break that set up a try for Andrew Conway and then unfortunately had a pass intercepted in the Dragons 22 that culminated in a try for Steffan Jones up the other end of the pitch.
At that point the contest was poised at 13-13 before the home side registered 25 points without reply.
Marshall crossed the Dragon’s line before half-time following excellent work by Seán Cronin, Jennings and Fionn Carr within 10 minutes of the re-start.
The home side were caught admiring their handiwork and their intensity and accuracy dropped; the Dragons scoring two tries in nine minutes, the first from wing Tom Prydie and the second by fullback Dan Evans. There were still 20 minutes remaining and at 38-25 Leinster were guilty of being overtly generous hosts.
Both teams went to the benches and the game became uncoordinated as enthusiasm usurped precision among the new arrivals. The game petered towards a conclusion until in injury-time, with the Dragons attacking in the Leinster 22 and chasing a bonus point, Macken sharply intercepted a pass; he possessed the lungs and legs to run 80 metres.
Scoring sequence: 4 mins: Prydie pen, 0-3; 5:Madigan pen, 3-3; Conway try, Madigan con, 10-3; 11: Jones try, Prydie con, 10-10; 14: Madigan pen, 13-10; 25: Prydie pen, 13-13; 28: Madigan pen, 16-13; 32: Marshall try, Madigan con, 23-13; 40 (+2):Madigan pen, 26-13. Half-time: 26-13. 45: Jennings try, Madigan con, 33-13; 48: Carr try, 38-13; 50: Prydie try, 38-18; 59: Evans try, Prydie con, 38-25; 81: Macken try, Nacewa con, 45-25.
LEINSTER: I Nacewa; A Conway, B Macken, N Reid, F Carr; I Madigan, J Cooney; J McGrath, S Cronin, J Hagan; L Cullen (capt), Q Roux; B Marshall, S Jennings, L Auva'a. Replacements: H van der Merwe for McGrath (50 mins); D Hudson for Conway (50-59 mins); T Sexton for Cronin; J Murphy for Jennings, D Toner for Roux (all 60 mins); M Moore for Hagan (66 mins); J Coghlan for Auva'a, L McGrath for Cooney (both 70 mins); Hudson for Madigan (74 mins).
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS: D Evans; W Harries, P Leach, A Tuilagi, T Prydie; S Jones, J Evans; N Williams, S Parry, N Buck; I Nimmo, A Jones; H Stoddart, J Groves (capt), T Faletau. Replacements: A Coundley for Stoddart (39 mins); Stoddart for Coundley (46 mins); H Gustafson for Parry (50 mins); L Evans for Stoddart (53 mins); Coundley for Williams (60 mins); H Amos for S Jones (65 mins); T Brown for A Jones (66 mins); T Ryan for Buck, L Davies for Evans (both 70 mins); A Smith for Tuilagi 72 mins. Yellow card: N Williams (Dragons) 38 mins.
Referee: M Mitrea(Italy)
