Lacklustre Leinster see off Glasgow but know they will need to step things up in playoffs

URC: Leinster 13 Glasgow Warriors 5

Another win for Leinster, their 16th of the United Rugby Championship (URC) and ready to embark on their stated goal of winning three more matches and the title. A June 14th finish would mark the end of a long season but something Leinster badly need to happen.

To do so they will have to be better than Saturday night at the Aviva Stadium, where Glasgow arrived knowing their attacking game was good enough to challenge most sides and so they did in early evening sun before Leinster got enough together to get the match over the line.

They were top of the group anyway but the result from South Africa where Sharks beat Scarlets means Leinster host the Welsh side on Saturday, May 31st with a 3pm kick-off in Dublin.

There were nine changes made to the side that scored one try against Glasgow and there will probably be something similar for the quarter-final. Still, Leinster may learn more from the Glasgow arm wrestle than nilling teams as they did before exiting the Champions Cup to Northampton.

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Another thing to concern Leinster is that Robbie Henshaw gave way to Jamie Osborne after 22 minutes when he took a bang to his knee, while Tadhg Furlong did not make it off the bench having felt a twinge during the warm-up, giving tighthead prop Thomas Clarkson a lung-busting 80-minute run out.

The issue with Leinster is the personnel change so frequently, and with coach Leo Cullen now into the one match at a time knock-out phase, the imperative is to win, which means lining out the best players for that week’s challenge.

There was no James Lowe, Garry Ringrose, Furlong, Joe McCarthy or Josh van der Flier, although again one of the best players on the pitch was the uncapped Tommy O’Brien, who’s lively have-a-go attitude and willingness to knock back opponents in the tackle has been eye-catching over the last few weeks. So, too, was a welcome return for James Ryan, while Jordie Barrett again showed his physicality as well as getting a back line to move.

It was Barrett’s popped pass to Sam Prendergast after 27 minutes that allowed the outhalf throw a sweeping ball to Jimmy O’Brien on the touchline for Leinster’s only try, which Prendergast converted for 7-0 lead and that’s how the half closed.

Leinster's Jimmy O'Brien scores a try. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho

It could have been much closer and it took the combined tangle of bodies of Barrett and Osborne scrambling back to stop Glasgow centre Sione Tuipuloto, who had chipped and chased into the Leinster 22.

Tuipuloto didn’t emerge in the second half, which was a blow to Glasgow as his strength and pace had been effective in disrupting Leinster throughout the first half.

But some inaccuracies had crept into the Leinster game and during a brief spell of about three minutes in the second half, Leinster could have taken the match beyond Glasgow and played a more sedate, controlled game.

A beautiful piece of footwork from fullback Hugo Keenan released Tommy O’Brien down the right wing and into the Glasgow 22. As Leinster arrived in support, they went through eight phases with the ball moving left until it reached the hands of Prendergast.

Just as the outhalf dived towards the line the ball spilled forward. The next moment, it was Ryan Baird also knocking on when there was space for a charge towards the right corner when the Glasgow defence was stretched.

“There’s a little bit of the game-management part,” said Cullen afterwards. “We maybe weren’t completely firing but actually had momentum and then for whatever reason we lose it.

“It’s that in-game management when it comes to the pressure games, so making sure that we are actually able to think clearly under the pressure that teams will try to put you under.”

Prendergast kicked a penalty to make it 10-0, but there was still some juice left in Glasgow. And when fullback Kyle Rowe broke forward on 57 minutes and kicked into the 22, the ball was deftly turned back in from the touchline for the supporting George Horne to touch down. That made it 10-5 and gave Glasgow late momentum and hope that the game could be rescued.

But Leinster ended the match driving forward and going though phases, playing as they would have liked to have played throughout the match. Finally Prendergast’s replacement, Ciarán Frawley, added three more points from in front of the posts a minute from the end for Leinster to get over the line but with plenty to think about.

SCORING SEQUENCE – 27 mins: J O’Brien try, S Prendergast con, 7-0. Halftime: 7-0. 55: Prendergast pen, 10-0; 57: G Horne try, 10-5; 79: C Frawley pen, 13-5.

LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Jordie Barrett, Jimmy O’Brien; Sam Prendergast, Fintan Gunne; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; RG Snyman, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Scott Penny, Jack Conan (capt).

Replacements: Jamie Osborne for Henshaw (22 mins); Rónan Kelleher for Sheehan, Jack Boyle for Porter, Luke McGrath for Gunne (all 51); Ciarán Frawley for Prendergast, M Deegan for Conan (both 61); Diarmuid Mangan for Ryan (79).

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Kyle Rowe; Sebastian Cancelliere, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Kyle Steyn (capt); Adam Hastings, Ben Afshar; Jamie Bhatti, Seb Stephen, Fin Richardson; Jare Oguntibeju, Alex Samuel; Macenzzie Duncan, Rory Darge, Euan Ferrie.

Replacements: Tom Jordan for Tuipulotu (40 mins); JP du Preez for Samuel (44); Stafford McDowall for Duncan, Nathan McBeth for Bhatti, George Horne for Afshar, Murphy Walker for Richardson (all 54); Gregor Hiddleston for Stephen (65); Scott Cummings for Oguntibeju (71).