Montpellier 16 Leinster 16:WHEN THE moment came, in the 56th minute to be exact, it looked like Leinster would be steamrolled. Mamuka Gorgodze, the beastly Georgian flanker, had just ploughed over Seán O'Brien, leaving the farmer's son bloodied on the canvas.
The sight of Leinster’s primary ball carrier being guided down the tunnel to get stitches was poised to become the abiding memory of this trip to the south of France. Especially considering the ever dangerous Francois Trinh-Duc belted over the resulting penalty to make it 16-6 to Montpellier.
The brilliant Gorgodze carried four times during this period of dominance. The partisan crowd of 20,182 duly responded, reaching a crescendo as Leinster seemed destined to falter on their first sitting as defending champions.
Former Ulster winger Timoci Nagusa was next to charge only to be met, man and ball, by Fergus McFadden just inches from the try-line. The penalty followed but the dam refused to burst.
It wasn’t Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Cian Healy or even O’Brien who won Leinster two Heineken Cups in three seasons.
Lord knows, these men were sorely missed on Saturday afternoon but the success of this group is based on a collective resilience that only becomes apparent when opponents threaten to crush them.
That said, they will not retain their title if Jonny Sexton pulls up lame. He was masterful over the 80 minutes here, displaying immense enthusiasm, leadership and most importantly the nerve to snatch a draw in the 80th minute.
That was the end; Remy Martin, the veteran French flanker, on his knees staring up in horror at English referee Dave Pearson, bewildered by the decision to award a penalty for clawing all over a grounded Isa Nacewa.
Martin stayed on his feet, contesting possession until human torpedoes in Leinster white arrived. Within a few seconds Pearson’s whistle shrilled.
The locals, understandably, went ballistic.
Patiently waiting for time to tick over the 80, Sexton’s strike amidst deafening catcalls was perfection.
The Sexton we saw in New Zealand last September must have been a mirage. The real man stood up here, and not just place-kicking, as he shaped the attack with poise and intelligence.
There were problems elsewhere. Sans Healy, the scrum creaked under the twisting power of the Argentine Maximiliano Bustos.
Heinke van der Merwe grimaced and battled on, while the solidifying arrival of unknown Kiwi tighthead Nathan White is bad news for the home-grown Jamie Hagan.
Joe Schmidt also flung Devin Toner and Seán Cronin into the fray after Trinh-Duc’s penalty. Shane Jennings had already replaced Kevin McLaughlin.
These forwards brought a demonic possession that is essential to have any chance of surviving a rugby war against such a huge team.
Toner was surprisingly effective but it was Cronin’s impact that sparks an interesting debate. The Irish reserve hooker looked destined to suffer behind dynamic South African Richardt Strauss this season but that must be reassessed after his 66th-minute try.
Leinster were in dire need of some belligerent heroics. Cronin, in the outside centre channel, came bulldozing on to a Gordon D’Arcy pass. He was knocked down by Yoan Audrin and Gorgodze, yet neither man held him, so he got back up again to flop over the whitewash.
Sexton’s touchline missile made it 16-13. It signalled redemption for Jonny too; four minutes earlier doubt must have crept into his skull when what seemed a crucial shot at goal faded right and wide.
So much had transpired since Fulgence Ouedraogo’s runaway try on 22 minutes.
Nacewa’s attempted grubber in the Montpellier 22 was well read by Lucas Amorosino. The Argentinean blocked before fly hacking down field.
McFadden may not be Brian O’Driscoll’s exact clone but he is certainly a quicker specimen. Amorosino was chased down but he bumped McFadden with a clever shoulder before offloading to his trailing captain. Benoit Paillaugue’s conversion and second penalty left it 13-6 at half-time.
Montpellier’s physicality dictated much of the third quarter collisions but they faded down the stretch. On 72 minutes Sexton and Leo Cullen, sensing as much, went for the jugular by spurning a shot at goal for an attacking lineout.
This assault was repelled but the Leinster pack was relentless. O’Brien was smashed all day but he kept running at Gorgodze and Ouedraogo.
Still, an attacking scrum was wheeled by Bustos, now joined by a South African and Georgian in a rejuvenated frontrow, forcing Jamie Heaslip to shovel possession to Eoin Reddan whose pass bounced off D’Arcy’s chest.
Amorosino’s relieving kick was gathered by Nacewa who combined with Rob Kearney before raiding the short side. Martin instinctively attempted a turnover just yards from his own try-line. Pearson’s decision had the place baying for his blood.
They quickly switched their venomous bile towards Sexton. At that moment, with the soccer stadium shaking to its core, the St Mary’s man, of Listowel stock, carried the crushingly intense responsibility with a Zen-like demeanour.
No doubt, just the technique of a champion.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 3 mins: B Paillaugue pen, 3-0; 6 mins: J Sexton pen, 3-3; 16 mins: J Sexton pen, 3-6; 22 mins: F Ouedraogo try, B Paillaugue con, 10-6; 26 mins: B Paillaugue pen, 13-6. 55 mins: F Trinh-Duc pen, 16-6; 65 mins: S Cronin try, J Sexton con, 16-13; 80 mins: J Sexton pen, 16-16.
MONTPELLIER: L Amorosin; T Nagusa, G Doumayrou, S Fernandez, Y Audin; F Trinh-Duc, B Paillaugue; N Leleimalefaga, A Creevy, M Bustos; M De Marco, T Privat; F Ouedraogo (capt), M Gorgodze, M Matadigo. Replacements: R Martin for Matadigo (half-time), J Tomas for Paillaugue (52 mins), D Hancke for Privat (58 mins), G Jgenti for Bustos (61 mins), E Van Vuuren for A Creevy (62 mins), M Bustos Moyano for Nagusa (67 mins), A Creevy for Ouedraogo (72 mins), M Nariashvili for Leleimalefaga (77 mins).
LEINSTER: R Kearney; I Nacewa, F McFadden, G D’Arcy, L Fitzgerald; J Sexton, I Boss; H van der Merwe, R Strauss, M Ross; L Cullen (capt), D Browne; K McLaughlin, S O’Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements: S Jennings for McLaughlin (46 mins), E Reddan for Boss (50 mins), K McLaughlin for O’Brien (55-61 mins), S Cronin for Strauss, D Toner for Browne (both 55 mins), N White for Ross (59 mins).
Referee: D Pearson (England).
