Off-colour Leinster see off Scarlets to set up URC semi-final with Glasgow
URC quarter-final: Leinster 33 Scarlets 21
An occasionally brittle
Leinster
will meet Glasgow next Saturday in the semi-final of the
United Rugby Championship
after they led from beginning to end against Welsh side Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium.
Four tries, the first arriving after four minutes, gave Leinster a deserved win with Scarlets coming to within one point with a counterpunch try just before the break.
Leinster started with intent, their first entry into the Scarlets 22 within the first minute. Josh van der Flier, Jordie Barrett and James Ryan pounded the defence as the ball moved right to left. Finally, with the field stretched, Sam Prendergast whipped the ball wide with Hugo Keenan helping it along for James Lowe to run in the easiest of tries for 5-0.
Within minutes a purposeful and accurate Leinster were pushing forward again. Moving through the phases and the gears, Ryan Baird made the initial bump through to make ground and with support coming up both sides in the middle of the field, it was scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park who romped in under the posts for 10-0, Prendergast converting to give Leinster a comfortable early lead.
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But the young Scarlets team were not just in Dublin for the experience of being beaten by the top seeds and on 20 minutes moved the ball right to left across the pitch from their first attacking lineout. With Leinster players fanning across, a double-handed overhead pass from outhalf Sam Costelow to Tom Rogers allowed the right wing to cut back and wriggle over the line for a quick Welsh riposte, Costelow converting for 12-7.
By the half-hour mark both sides were determined to keep the ball alive as play raced from end to end, with van der Flier departing and Scott Penny coming in for Leinster.
Leinster's James Lowe fields a high ball under pressure from Scarlets' Ellis Mee. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho
A penalty from just inside the Scarlet's half landed by Prendergast gave the 12,879 crowd something to cheer as Leinster again nudged ahead 15-7. But a misplaced kick from Prendergast that didn't find touch and Lowe went into touch on the full just invited Scarlets back into the game before a surging finish to the half saw Leinster press for a try only to be met with a sucker punch from Scarlets.
Looking threatening and pressing the Scarlet's line, the pass back from Gibson-Park to Prendergast flew over the outhalf's head. He and Jordie Barrett turned and charged back towards their posts as an alert Blair Murray got to it first and kicked on. The fullback kicked a second time, controlling the ball beautifully into the Leinster danger zone where he touched down and Costelow converted for 15-14 to Leinster at the break.
Rain replaced sunshine for the restart but there were no clouds hanging over Leinster. Straight into the go-forward mentality, they left little time for Scarlets to feel they had purchase on the game and from a Leinster scrum Gibson-Park fed Prendergast, who deftly chipped over for the running Jamie Osborne.
Sam Costelow in action for Scarlets. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho
With Rogers on his back, Osborne managed to touchdown for 22-14 and again put distance between the sides. Costelow missed a Scarlets penalty to close the gap before pressure finally yielded reward for Leinster, when replacement Dan Sheehan blocked down a Welsh kick.
Leinster then flooded the zone with the supporting Keenan floating on to the ball inside the Scarlets 22 to make it 27-14. Leinster looked safe enough, and with Prendergast making it 30-14 from a penalty it looked settled.
But Scarlets' sting in the tail came less than 10 minutes from the end when Johnny Williams punched through and Ioan Lloyd converted for 30-21.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 4 mins:
Lowe try 5-0;
9:
Gibson-Park try, Prendergast con 12-0;
19:
Rogers try, Costelow con 12-7;
35:
Prendergast pen 15-7;
40:
Murray try, Costelow con 15-14;
45:
Osborne try, Prendergast con 22-14;
59:
Keenan try 27-14;
65:
Prendergast pen 30-14;
70:
Williams try, Costelow con 30-21;
73:
Prendergast pen 33-21
LEINSTER:
H Keenan; J O'Brien, J Osborne, J Barrett, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, R Kelleher, T Clarkson; J McCarthy, J Ryan; R Baird, J van der Flier, J Conan (capt).
Replacements:
S Penny for van der Flier (29 mins); D Sheehan for Kelleher, RG Snyman for Ryan (both 47); R Slimani for Clarkson (57); J Boyle for Porter (67); L McGrath for Gibson Park (67); M Deegan for Conan (68); Conan for Snyman (73); C Frawley for Keenan (75).
SCARLETS:
B Murray; T Rogers, J Roberts, J Williams, E Mee; S Costelow, A Hughes; A Hepburn, R Elias, H Thomas; A Craig, S Lousi; V Fifita, J Macleod (capt), T Plumtree.
Replacements:
M van der Merwe for Elias (50 mins); K Mathias for Craig (57); I Lloyd for Costellow (58); S Wainwright for Thomas, M Page for Rogers (both 64); Davis for Macleod (74); E Jones for Hughes (75).
Yellow cards:
Hepburn (55 mins), Fifita (72).
Referee:
H Davisdon (Sco).
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