Click here for the pre-match HarpinBoo podcast “Simply The Boss”
Click here to read my preview for the Irish provinces on SportsNews Ireland
So there I was on the Number 18 bus, headed for the RDS and well on schedule for a pre-kickoff pint or even maybe two.
Then as we got to Ranelagh, rather than turning right at the triangle as expected, we instead go in the other direction on a route which took me so far away from where I wanted to go I wondered if Dublin Bus had been bought out by Ryanair without my knowledge.
Eventually I disembarked at the Horse Show House and the distinct lack of drinking punters outside told me the match had well started. So I legged it up the Simmonscourt Road but half way to the entrance, the roar of the crowd told me we’d already gotten a try.
Thankfully the boys in blue had chosen to put on a full 80-minute display of “Schmidt-ball” at its absolute finest to put them in pole position to clinch a home Magners League semifinal.
It wasn’t that Ulster were poor. It was just that Leinster were firing on all cylinders from the off. And having seen every second they’ve played this season, I can only assume that’s the gameplan our Kiwi coach is going for.
Blitz them from the off, establish a sizeable lead, empty the bench and trust the defence to bring it home.
Of course tries don’t come easily at this level, but in that first half we sure made them look like they were. Nacewa was, by his standards, quiet throughout, but both his break and his inch perfect pass to Luke for the second try were sublime.
Then not to be outdone, Shaggy over on the opposite wing touched down for a third a few minutes later. To the untrained eye it seemed like a cricket score could be run up, but I’d say most home fans knew the visitors wouldn’t take this lying down.
Yet we kept piling on the pressure and it was only a matter of time before a white jersey would be sent to the bin and sure enough Vannenburg obliged, which led to a much deserved try for the forwards as Heinke van der Merwe secured a bonus point in record time for the Magners League this season.
The only downside for my mates and I in Block G of the grandstand was that all the tries had come down the other end, and with such big games to come on the horizon, we feared the cotton wool would be dragged out and there wouldn’t be much in the second half to savour.
Enter Mr. S Horgan (pic).
It wasn’t quite on a par with O’Driscoll’s wonder-try in the same corner against Wasps in 2008, but still, such flashes of brilliance (albeit with a well-earned slice of fortune) are the kind of thing that make the season ticket worth every blue cent.
And the most telling stats on the scoresheet are the subsitutions…Cullen, Nacewa, Sexton, Nacewa, Strauss & Wright, all hauled ashore before the 55 minute mark.
Sure, Ulster pulled a couple of tries back to make a pesky losing bonus point a distinct possibility, but what locked down the maximum result for Leinster was the ten minute spell when Sean O’Brien was off the park after Wanneburg’s try, during which the visitors didn’t even come near scoring.
It was yet another awesome showing by the blu edefence, and with Shane Jennings playing well from the off after returning to action, they surely have plenty more in the tank this season.
I sincerely hope Brian McLaughlin won’t have any problems preparing his troops for their remaining matches in this campaign. They have evolved into a squad which will only improve with additions like Jared Payne next season (not to mention a certain Mr Ferris) and should they face a return trip to Ballsbridge as the table suggests right now, will be more than able for the challenge.
One fascinating sub-plot on the night which reports didn’t seem to pick up on was the battle between the number 13s. With BOD looking down from on high in the crowd, Eoin O’Malley and Nevin Spence both put in displays that showed there will be quite the tussle for his Ireland jersey once he decides to release it.
Both O’Malley and McFadden were finding gain-line-breaching runs like it was for fun from start to finish and it made it hard to tell which pair of five-eighths was their province’s second string.
And while normally I thinking awarding man-of-the-match to the leading try-scorer is a lazy decision, on this occasion it was the right one. As well as the YouTube moment Horgan was catching restarts and making tackles throughout and well deserved the honour.
For those on “Luke-watch”, well, there was a try which he finished clinically, but there was also the odd turnover as well. Mojo still unfound in my book.
I’d also point to the wayward dart by substitute hooker Jason Harris-Wright in the second half. He surely must start against Aironi next weekend with Strauss possibly rested altogether as the South African will be key against Toulouse.
But that’s just me being picky. Despite the public transport issues, my trips to watch Leinster rugby play live have been perfect in every respect this season so far. And unless Aironi can find the kind of form which helped them overcome Biarritz, I see no reason why I won’t be sweating every turn of the 18 bus for an extra OarDeeEsh occasion on the second weekend in May.
