Leinster 53 Ospreys 5
Just as well. By the mood of the crowd nobody would have been ready for an early season Friday night shocker. The RDS was a wholesome collection of upbeat fans on an unusually mellow night in Dublin. No wind, no rain, no Lorenzo and the odd brave heart in shirt sleeves. Not a moment for the home team to kill the Ballsbridge mood music.
And that’s just the attitude Leinster adopted from the moment Irish secondrow Devin Toner rose to take his first lineout and a louder than usual cheer went up around the ground. They still haven’t forgiven that selection.
While Ospreys enjoyed most of the territory for the opening 10 minutes the sting in the tail was that it cost them dearly as Leinster scored from their first real attack of the match, a counter triggered by a lovely chip and follow from Rory O’Loughlin.
Leinster piled up, squeezed Ospreys on their line and when the referee’s hand went out Ross Byrne, who had opened with an early penalty, found right wing Fergus McFadden with a beautifully weighted cross field kick.
In a blink it was 8-0 to Leinster and shortly 15-0 after just 15 minutes with Peter Dooley, Will Connors and hooker Ronan Kelleher bursting through the middle for his first Leinster try.
That voracious trend didn’t stop. By the time the seats began to empty there was a man of the match performance from Kelleher and a hat trick as well as eight Leinster tries and a half century score.
Ospreys were often spritely in attack and despite trailing played a lot of ball in the Leinster half after the second try. But the home side’s fast up tackling across the park, centre Joe Tomane making plenty, and a huge one from openside Connors that drew an audible gasp, ensured the line was never critically threatened.
There was an undeniable sense of inevitability weighing heavily in the air as Ospreys flapped and scrambled each time Leinster swept into their 22.
Then a penalty on 30 minutes and the home side chose to kick for an attacking lineout. Three or four rumbles at the line and Jamison Gibson-Park flashed the ball out right to Byrne. Fast hands from the outhalf and Tomane barged in for his first RDS try and Leinster’s third of the half.
Byrne converted and it was 22-0 with the clock ticking towards halftime, the final few minutes an arm wrestle in the Leinster 22 with three consecutive scrums before the first half closed.
In most people’s eyes the contest ended there with Leinster’s second win of the season after beating Benetton on the opening weekend, although a fourth try and a bonus point was the obvious goal.
Ospreys had lost three players at that stage to injury. Lock Lloyd Ashley, number 8 Dan Baker and replacement lock Ben Glynn had all departed. But ruthless Leinster didn’t hesitate to turn the knife and within four minutes of the second half beginning they had their winning bonus point.
James Lowe chipped and chased on the left and while Ospreys secured possession a huge counter ruck from Leinster inside the 22 opened a hole in the Welsh side’s defence. Opportunistic Kelleher stepped over the bodies, picked and ran in for his second try of the night and 27-0.
On a night of free scoring rugby the hooker was enjoying himself. So much so on Leinster’s next attacking lineout Kelleher took up Sean Cronin’s usual role at the back of the rolling maul. On cue as Leinster trundled forwards, he peeled away and stuck it down for his hat trick. That made it his first Leinster try, his second Leinster try and his first Leinster hat-trick.
Leinster began to empty the bench, which often causes a ripple in otherwise smooth proceedings. But their momentum refused to slow. Harry Byrne came in for his brother Ross at outhalf and Trinity scrumhalf Rowan Osbourne replaced Gibson-Park. Caelan Doris also gave way to Max Deegan on 52 minutes which gave the flanker less than three minutes to make an impression and claim the sixth try.
By then Ospreys were falling off tackles. The bodies were there but the intent had died three or four tries back. Still, it was a night of firsts. Byrne running in all too easy for his first try in his first game in the RDS, Michael Milne following for his first Leinster try and 53-5. Poor Ospreys. That score was about right.
Scoring sequence: 4 mins R Byrne pen 3-0; 11 mins F McFadden try 8-0; 15 mins R Kelleher try, Byrne con 15-0; 34 mins J Tomane try, Byrne con 22-0. Halftime. 44 mins Kelleher try 27-0; 50 mins Kelleher try, Byrne con 34-0; 55 mins M Deegan try, Byrne con 41-0; 66 mins H Byrne try, con 46-0; 70 mins H Milne try, H Byrne con 53-0; 73 mins L Morgan try 53-5.
LEINSTER: H Keenan; F McFadden, R O'Loughlin, J Tomane, J Lowe; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; P Dooley, R Kelleher, M Bent, D Toner, S Fardy (C), J Murphy, W Conors, C Doris.
Replacements: J Tracy for Kelleher, M Milne for Dooley, V Abdaladze for Bent, M Deegan for Bent 52 mins; R Osbourne for Gibson-Park , H Byrne for R Byrne 56 mins; C O'Brien for Tomane 61 mins; R Molony for Connors 64 mins; 73 mins L Morgan try 53-5.
OSPREYS: C Evans; L Morgan, S Williams, T Thomas-Wheeler, K Giles; L Price, S Venter; R Jones, S Parry, T Boths, D Lydiate, L Ashley, O Cracknell, S Cross, D Baker.
Replacements: G Evans for Baker 23 mins; B Glynn for Ashley 34 mins; S Otten for Glynn 40 mins; G Thomas for Jones, G Gajian for Botha 52 mins; H Dirksen for Price 56 mins; M Aubrey fro Venter 62 mins; T Williams for S Williams 68 mins.
Yellow card: G Evans (Ospreys).
Referee: S Berry (SARU).
