THIS WASN’T THE turkey shoot that many of those in attendance at the RDS would have predicted but after coming through an early scare, Leinster coasted to a bonus-point win against Sale Sharks as Leo Cullen’s side made it two wins from two in the Champions Cup.
With Sale sending over a weakened side, a strong Leinster selection looked primed to deliver a dominant performance on home soil but found life tricky for the opening 40 minutes.
After a tight and often disjointed first-half it was Sale who were ahead at the interval, the visitors building a 13-11 lead thanks to a converted Connor Doherty try and two penalties from the boot of Robert du Preez.
Yet an impressive second-half display saw last year’s beaten finalists build on last weekend’s win away to La Rochelle, their five tries on the night coming courtesy of Josh Van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Robbie Henshaw, Ryan Baird and Cian Healy – with four of those arriving in the second period.
Leinster had plenty of chances to take control of the game in the first half but didn’t register their first try until the final act of the opening period, Van der Flier getting over in the corner after a sustained period of Leinster pressure.
It was a welcome score for the hosts after a mixed start, Sale bringing plenty of fight and invention and troubling a Leinster side who at times struggled to settle into their attacking game.
Sale’s first points arrived with just three minutes played, Robert Du Preez kicking a straight-forward three after Robbie Henshaw was yellow-carded for cynical play as Telusa Veainu found himself yards from the tryline.
Yet 14-man Leinster dominated the next 10 minutes, twice getting over line but twice seeing the TMO intervene.
On 10 minutes Van der Flier looked to have scored the game’s opening try, but the replays showed Baird had knocked the ball on as he carried into contact in the build-up.
Baird himself then got over after a big Leinster win at the scrum, but was held-up after Sale did well to get numbers around the back-rower.
By the time Frawley was offered a shot at the posts on 15 minutes, a frustrated Leinster were happy to take the three points and level the game.
Sale instantly replied through another Du Preez penalty.
Leinster then saw another chance go begging when Dan Sheehan followed up a penalty win with a crooked throw at the lineout. A big shove at the scrum was heartily celebrated by Sale and from there they kicked into gear, a smart grubber from Raffi Quirke sending Du Preez racing forward. With the out-half haring towards the line, he found Connor Doherty on his shoulder and the centre dived under the posts to finish a fine team move. Du Preez converted and Sale led by 10.
Another Frawley penalty cut three off Sale’s lead but Leinster were soon under pressure again, James Ryan and Jamison Gibson-Park combining well to stop Tom Roebuck adding Sale’s second.
Yet Leinster always looked dangerous when their attack round some rhythm and on the stroke of half-time, as Sale lost James Harper to a yellow card, they finally crossed for their first try.
After some excellent play by Frawley, Sheehan made a big carry to bring the home side into the 22 before the ball was recycled to the opposite wing. Baird looked in a position to attack the line but found Larmour inside, who was cut down with a high tackle.
Leinster went to the corner, and from the lineout Van der Flier powered over. Frawley couldn’t add the extras from a tough angle, and for the first time since the 2020 quarter-final against Saracens, Leinster were behind at half-time in a Champions Cup game.
Two minutes after the restart, they finally took the lead.
Moving into the Sale half, Gibson-Park fired a lovely pass wide to Van der Flier, who stepped inside and advanced with purpose before finding his scrum-half, who had run a lovely support line and had the pace to get over in the corner. A mixed night for Frawley continued as the out-half missed from tee again.
Now it was Sale who looked the more frustrated of the two, with substitute Jonny Hill giving away a needless penalty following a tussle with Van der Flier off the ball.
Leinster were building momentum as Sale struggled to get out of their half.
The home side’s third try arrived in the 56th minute, Henshaw going in under the posts after another powerful carry from Sheehan off the back of the maul. This time, Frawley added the conversion and from there, Leinster never looked back.
The inevitable bonus-point try soon followed, Baird applying the finishing touch after Hugo Keenan went close. Frawley’s second conversion pushed Cullen’s charges 17 points clear.
With the win wrapped up, Cullen was able to replace Frawley with 20-year-old Sam Prendergast for the final 15 minutes.
And it was another replacement who added their fifth, Cian Healy muscling over after more good work from the Leinster pack.
That looked to be that before an eventful end game saw Hugo Keenan yellow-carded for a check on Arron Reed, before Tommy Taylor added Sale’s second try of the contest.
That was instantly followed by their third, Tom Curtis charging over to finish a smart breakaway try. It came with Leinster down to 13 men after Charlie Ngatai was forced off with an injury.
By that point a fair chunk of the sold-out crowd had already made their way to their nearby bars for a Christmas pint, their team longing having put this contest to bed.
Leinster now head into the Christmas break top of pool four with nine points from their opening two games – second-place Leicester face Stade Francais tomorrow – with a St Stephen’s Day interpro trip to Munster next in the diary.
Leinster scorers:
Tries – Van der Flier, Gibson-Park, Henshaw, Baird, Healy
Penalties – Frawley [2/2]
Conversions – Frawley [2/4], Prendergast [1/1]
Sale scorers:
Tries – Doherty, Taylor, Curtis
Penalties – Du Preez [2/2]
Conversions – Du Preez [3/3]
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour (Charlie Ngatai, 56), Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien; Ciaran Frawley (Sam Prendergast, 66), Jamison Gibson-Park (Ben Murphy, 70); Andrew Porter Cian Healy, 64), Dan Sheehan (Ronan Kelleher, 60), Thomas Clarkson (Michael Ala’alatoa, 46); Jason Jenkins (Joe McCarthy, 39), James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (Jack Conan, 66).
Yellow card: Henshaw 3, Keenan 78
SALE SHARKS: Telusa Veainu (Joe Carpenter, 59); Tom Roebuck, Connor Doherty (Tom Curtis 60), Sam Bedlow, Arron Reed; Robert du Preez, Raffi Quirke (Nye Thomas,, 66); Ross Harrison (Tumy Onasanya, 59), Tommy Taylor, James Harper (Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 48); Ben Bamber, Josh Beaumont (Jonny Hill, 51); Ernst van Rhyn (Josh Beaumont, 59) (Ethan Caine, 68), Sam Dugdale, Rouban Birch (Jean-Luc du Preez, 49).
Yellow card: James Harper 38
Referee: Pierre Brousset
Attendance: 18,600
Written by Ciarán Kennedy and posted on the42.ie
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