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Connacht scored both first and last in this game, but what happened in between illustrated perfectly the mountain Eric Elwood has to climb to get the province further up the Magners League table.
We Leinster fans love to have a good old moan about the IRFU’s “player-protection” scheme…but when you consider that we clinched a New Years’ Day bonus point with four tries ALL from players who won’t get near that scheme before the World Cup, there are blessings to be counted for sure.
It was a cold, misty night down the OarDeeEsh, and despite the impressive 17k+ crowd in attendance, the only carnival atmosphere to be had in Ballsbridge was across the Simmonscourt Road at Funderland…even with an evening kickoff the New Year’s revelry was clearly still fresh in people’s minds…we could barely muster the odd chant of “LEEEEEEHN-STER”!
And truth be told, a few boys clad in blue started out as though they may have toasted the arrival of 2011 a bit too well themselves, a fact summed up perfectly in the 9th minute when an all-too-predictable box kick from Paul O’Donoghue was charged down only to fall perfectly to Shaun Berne on his own try-line, only for him to drop it.
The shaky 9/10 combo made amends to an extent when they both were involved in the opening try. After Isa missed his first place kick, he caught the clearance outside his own 22 and charged back up the field, then after a further surge by Devin Toner it took quick hands from POD to Hines to Berne to McFadden and finally the younger Kearney brother finished well to put us in front for good.
But with no disrespect meant to O’Donoghue, even if he helped get the win, it was his replacement Reddan that energised our offence enough to secure the bonus point. The decisions were now the right ones, the ball was coming quicker and it was being delivered to the right places. On 53 minutes, Dave Kearney was touching down in the corner furthest away from his first try (pic), and from there the pressure was relentless from the home side.
It was by no means a flawless display from Leinster, but it was more than enough to send the fans home happy. Eoin Reddan couldn’t have done what he did without the efforts of the back row, with Kevin McLaughlin playing like he’d never been away, Shane Jennings putting in a MotM display and Stephen Keogh ably filling in for what is hopefully a fixable Sean O’Brien wound.
To be honest the evening will be best remembered for the pantomime moment just before the interval (It’s half time! Oh, no it isn’t!!), plus the ever-malfunctioning RDS clock, which now counts backwards but it just as inaccurate as before.
So it’s five more points in the bag, up to third, and ready for a re-enactment of the 2010 Magners League final next Friday. It’s all good. Just hope things eventually get better for the Western cousins!
