Racing 92 10 Leinster 42
Leinster’s six-try fusillade at the Stade Oceane in the port town of Le Havre was a hugely impressive statement of intent against perennial Heineken Champions Cup challengers Racing 92. The home side will be disappointed with their discipline and basic handling errors but much of that was attributable to suffocating pressure that the visitors applied.
Leinster’s set piece, both lineout and scrum, caused their hosts huge problems, and they were able to draw on superior cohesion in terms of backline attack at crucial moments. Work-rate, both in attack and scrambling defence was another area in which the Irish province outshone Racing. Andrew Porter’s try-saving tackle at the end of the first half was a classic example, of which there were several.
Only at the breakdown did the French side cause the visitors problems in turning over the ball but that was mainly in the shadow of their own posts. If they hadn’t it would have been a cricket score. Racing created opportunities; Leinster took them.
It was an excellent collective performance, but Garry Ringrose was outstanding, leading by example Caelan Doris and James Lowe had huge games, Josh van der Flier was unrelenting in scoring two tries, Dan Sheehan put in a significant shift, Charlie Ngatai demonstrated his vision and footwork while the pack, to a man, won this game for the visitors. Ross Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park managed the game well for the most part.
Racing’s indiscipline surfaced from the get-go. They conceded a penalty for a high tackle, then Cameron Woki was penalised for jumping across the lineout and a third penalty in the first two minutes came when Lauret was pinged for not rolling away. Ross Byrne kicked the penalty to the corner and a well-crafted lineout move culminated in a try for Andrew Porter. Byrne kicked the conversion.
As Racing’s indiscipline continued to put them under all sorts of pressure, Leinster were unable to capitalise, a couple of handling mistakes costing them good opportunities inside the home side’s line. The visitors just need to pick a better pass on two occasions and it would have led to tries.
[ Racing 92 10 Leinster 42 as it happenedOpens in new window ]
The home side gradually managed to get some continuity, winning the gain-line collisions but Leinster were able to scramble sufficiently to shut down any definitive breaches. Caelan Doris won a superb penalty turnover, but Racing’s counter-rucking allowed them to win back possession.
It was a facet of the game in which the home side were superior, and it allowed them to rescue what looked like perilous situations in their 22. A concern for Leinster was that their dominance wasn’t reflected sufficiently on the scoreboard.
Finn Russell reduced the deficit with a penalty on 25-minutes after Doris was penalised for going off his feet at a ruck; 7-3 down given the paucity of territory would have felt like a win of sorts for Racing.
The home side conceded a penalty at a scrum and when Camille Chat illegally sacked a maul, referee Luke Pearce finally lost patience and brandished a yellow card. Leinster went to the corner, but Racing did brilliantly to initially defend the maul and then Jason Jenkins lost the ball in contact six metres from the line.
One criticism of Leinster was the lack of footwork in contact, the upshot of which was that Racing were able to double team the carrier and won many of the collisions in the tackle area.
Then on 32 minutes, the Irish province produced their best sustained passage of attacking rugby, James Lowe making the definitive incision, Dan Sheehan made further inroads and then, two rucks later, Jamison Gibson-Park spotted the hooker unmarked on the touchline, his long-floated pass perfectly judged to allow Sheehan to dot down. Byrne kicked a brilliant touchline conversion.
It got even better for the visitors five minutes later with the Irish province producing a gorgeous strike move from a lineout. Lowe materialised in midfield from the blindside wing, accelerated through a gap, and he produced a basketball style offload out of the tackle to allow the supporting Garry Ringrose to cross for the try.
Byrne kicked the conversion to make it 21-3, seconds before Chat’s return from the sin bin, and Racing should have reduced the deficit in the dying throes of the half when Russell unlocked the Leinster defence but a handling error, forced by brilliant tracking back from Porter in his 22, cost the French side what appeared to be a nailed-on try.
Racing will have taken a little bit of heart that they had opened up Leinster from time to time and if they could cut down on the unforced errors and improve their discipline they could get back into the game.
Gibson-Park needed to pick a better pass six metres from the Racing line, and it would, in all likelihood, have led to a try and then the visitors compounded the sloppiness when turning over possession, Jimmy O’Brien’s attempted pass to Hugo Keenan poorly chosen. Racing worked their way deep into the Leinster 22, but having tapped a penalty from five metres, the ball was knocked forward in contact and the visitors escaped.
Racing lost scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec to a yellow card for deliberately batting the ball forward deep inside his 22 and when the play was brought back for an earlier penalty offence, Leinster came up with a slick tap penalty move, Sheehan and Doris combining before van der Flier rode a tackle and stretched to touch down.
Leinster helped themselves to a fifth try, replacement Ed Byrne, the beneficiary of the softening up process to force his way over from close range. Harry Byrne on for brother Ross, tapped over the conversion to make it 35-3.
Racing finally mustered a retort and it was fitting that Russell was the architect, the outhalf prising open the Leinster defence to create a try for Christian Wade, his sixth in total against the Irish province.
The visitors though had the final word, van der Flier grabbing a second try, picking a good line to race through a tired home defence. Six tries, a hard-nosed, physical performance against an in-form, albeit undisciplined Racing side was an impressive opening chapter to a European story that they will hope will have a happier ending this season.
Scoring sequence
3 mins: Porter try, R Byrne conversion, 0-7; 25: Russell penalty, 3-7; 32: Sheehan try, R Byrne conversion, 3-14; 37: Ringrose try, R Byrne conversion, 3-21. Half-time: 3-21. 61: van der Flier try, R Byrne conversion, 3-28; 70: E Byrne try, H Byrne conversion, 3-35; 75: Wade try, Russell conversion, 10-35; 79: van der Flier try, H Byrne conversion, 10-42.
Racing 92: M Spring; C Wade, F Saili, G Fickou (capt), J Imhoff; F Russell, N Le Garrec; E Ben Arous, C Chat, C Gomes Sa; C Woki, F Sanconnie; W Lauret, I Diallo, M Baudonne.
Replacements: J Tarrit for Sanconnie 36 mins; Sanconnie for Tarrit 39 mins; B Chouzenoux for Lauret half-time; H Kolingar for Ben Arous 43 mins; T Nyakane for Gomez Sa 43 mins; Tarrit for Chat 54 mins; O Klemenczak for Saili 63 mins; A Bresler for Saconnie 63 mins; B Palu for Woki 73 mins; A Gibert for Spring 78 mins.
Leinster: H Keenan; J O’Brien, G Ringrose (capt), C Ngatai, J Lowe; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, M Ala’alatoa; J Jenkins; J Ryan; R Baird, J van der Flier, C Doris.
Replacements: R Molony for Jenkins 53 mins; R Kelleher for Sheehan 63 mins; E Byrne for Porter 63 mins; L McGrath for Gibson-Park 63 mins; C Healy for Ala’alatoa 63 mins; J Conan for J Ryan 63 mins; H Byrne for R Byrne 69 mins; J Osborne for Ngatai 69 mins.
Referee: L Pearce (England)
Yellow card: Camille Chat (Racing) 29 mins. Nolann Le Garrec (Racing) 61 mins.
