Leinster 16 Worceser 13To ensure a winning start for Declan Kidney will have done no harm at all for Leinster's morale. As non-competitive games go it was quite competitive and next Saturday's rematch will be the same. Worcester had more of the ball and territory, but lacked guile.
There will also have been plenty of encouraging performances for Kidney to mull over. Leo Cullen led from the front, Gavin Hickie displayed his skill levels and pace, Shane Jennings looked as classy as did Brian O'Riordan. Dave Hewitt, a neat footballer, topped his performance with a try and there were nice cameos from other non-contracted players, notably Barnhall scrumhalf Eoin Burke.
The newly-promoted Worcester Warriors - unbeaten in 26 League One games and buttressed by summer signings - imposed themselves physically, especially in the scrum. Matt Powell came around the side freely, conceding a few penalties, but rarely allowing the home side any worthwhile ball.
O'Riordan was often getting man and ball at the base of rucks as well, where Simon McDowell allowed Worcester's fringe defenders liberties. With Worcester pushing up fast, Leinster's flatly-aligned backs had little time or space to operate.
Tommy Hayes opened the scoring with a penalty but after repelling a couple of Worcester lineout drives, Leinster scored off their first attempt; Des Dillon's take the catalyst for a maul which Shane Jennings scored off.
His yellow card nearing the half-hour mark for killing ruck ball, when Chris Horsman also took the law into his own hands and feet, was sharply felt. Leinster didn't have the numbers in a multi-phase attack to maximise a 60-metre break by O'Riordan.
Worcester broke away from an ensuing turnover and the English winger Ben Gollings offloaded despite being tap-tackled by James Norton for Matt Powell to score. The home side would have been grateful to reach the interval level at 8-all after Hewitt nailed an injury time penalty.
Leinster's best spell came just after Kidney's half-time talk. Applying more depth and width, Jennings and Gary Brown were prominent in a sustained attack. From their next, they went wide to Hewitt who stood his man up and scored on the outside.
The Leinster defence stood up manfully, helped by the visitors' poor execution of fairly routine handling skills. Eventually, they held the leather long enough for Darren O'Leary to spring through a gap. Entering the endgame handling at the bottom of a ruck on the Worcester 22 enabled Conor Kilroy to land the decisive 78th-minute penalty.
It still needed some more brave defence, epitomised by Dave McAllister's tackle on Jonny Hilton, to ensure a win.
Scoring sequence: 13 mins: Hayes pen 0-3; 16: Jennings try 5-3; 32: Powell try 5-8; 40 (+5 mins) Hewitt pen 8-8; (half-time 8-8); 48: Hewitt try 13-8; 71: O'Leary try 13-13; 78: Kilroy pen 16-13.
LEINSTER: D Hewitt; J McWeeney, G Brown, D Quinlan; J Norton; C Warner, B O'Riordan; S Barretto, G Hickie, P Coyle, L Cullen (capt), B Gissing, A McCullen, D Dillon, S Jennings. Replacements: E Burke for O'Riordan (49 mins), N Ronan for Jennings (53 mins), A O'Donnell for Barretto (59 mins), D McAllister for Warner, C Kilroy for Hewitt (both 74 mins). Sinbinned: Jennings (29-39 mins).
WORCESTER: D Roke; J Hilton, D Rasmussen, T Hayes, B Gollings; J Brown, M Powell; T Windo (capt), B Daly, C Horsman, P Murphy, C Gillies, N Mason, D Hickey, P Sanderson. Replacements: A van Niekerk for Daly (36 mins), C Stuart-Smith for Powell (47 mins), S Sparks for Windo (53 mins), J Percival for Murphy, S Baili for Mason (both 56 mins), C Hall for van Niekerk, D O'Leary for Roke (65 mins), N Cole for Gollings (70 mins).
Referee: S McDowell (IRFU)
