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Leinster ease past Stade Francais to book last 16 spot

Updated / Saturday, 13 Jan 2024 19:22
James Lowe celebrates Leinster's opening try of the game
James Lowe celebrates Leinster's opening try of the game

It was business as usual for Leinster at the Aviva Stadium, as they booked their place in the last-16 of the Investec Champions Cup.

The four-time champions flexed their muscles in a 43-7 win over Stade Francais to get back to winning ways, while Leo Cullen's side barely had to leave third gear to brush past a feeble French resistance.

Having slopped through dreadful conditions in the Christmas Interpros against Munster and Ulster, Leinster finally got into their flow in attack as they ran in seven tries across the 80 minutes. Had they been more ruthless in the first half, it could and should have been even more.

Frustratingly, Ciarán Frawley now looks to be an injury doubt for the Six Nations. The out-half lasted just 43 minutes before limping off the pitch with what looks to be a lower back or hip injury, having shipped a heavy tackle.

The 26-year-old had been running the attack with sharp precision to that point, and appeared to have be a lock in Andy Farrell’s Ireland squad to be announced Wednesday. Both Leinster and Ireland supporters will eagerly await that injury update.

In more positive news, James Lowe returned to action as if he’d never been away. The left wing was making his first appearance since the World Cup quarter final after an extended break was followed by a minor injury, but he looked on top form as he started the game with a try on 17 minutes, and followed it up with an impressive all-round display.

Josh van der Flier and Dan Sheehan followed it up with tries before half time, as Leinster held a 17-0 lead at the break, and they turned on the style in the second 40. Caelan Doris (below) and Jordan Larmour scored two tries apiece, with Larmour giving the watching Ireland coach a timely reminder of what he's capable of.

Doris was in a league of his own. The number 8’s second half tries were richly deserved after what had been an utterly dominant first half display, as he ran through the Stade Francais defence with ease.

The win books their place in the knockout stages, as if it was ever in question, and they can secure one of the top seedings with a win in Leicester next week, but there will still be areas to work on. As comfortable as they were in the opening half, it took them a while to make that dominance count, in part thanks to a lineout that went through some early jitters.

If there were any doubts about about Lowe's sharpness having not played since the World Cup, they were quashed inside five minutes after he connected with Doris and Frawley to break through midfield, before playing Keenan into space as the hosts came close to an early try.

They thought they were in for the game’s first score shortly after, Sheehan picking and diving over the line from close range, but the try was chalked off by the TMO after Baird was penalised for obstructing a defender. To Baird’s credit, he made amends instantly with a turnover at the resulting lineout.

Leinster were dominating the opening quarter, but some wastefulness was costing them tries. Henshaw gave away a penalty for offside at a scrum to end one attack, Porter spilled the ball in contact, while a missed lineout close to the French line saw another chance go amiss.

It was only a matter of time before the first try though, and it arrived on 17 minutes. A short carry from Furlong straightened up the defence and quick ruck-ball allowed Gibson-Park fizz a pass wide to Ringrose, who in turn threw a skip to Lowe who ran in to score. Frawley’s conversion from just inside the left touchline split the posts, as the home side moved 7-0 in front.

The visitors responded well to conceding that opening try, establishing good field position off the back of an unusually sloppy Leinster lineout that coughed up possession three times in the opening 25 minutes. Conversely, the Leinster scrum was dominant as they drove Stade backwards to win a pair of penalties.

When the lineout did click, it gave Leinster the platform to score their second try just short of the 30 minute mark. Initially, it looked like Leinster were running down a blind alley when Doris had to retreat backwards to recover a loose pass, but his quick thinking saw him spin out of a tackle, as the ground opened up before him. The number 8 was eventually stopped just short of the line, but sharp handling beat the Stade defence and allowed Van der Flier dive over in the corner, as Leinster moved 12-0 in front, with Frawley pushing the conversion wide.

Right on the stroke of half time they effectively killed off the slim chances of a Stade Francais comeback. Again, Doris was involved in the build-up with a pair of bruising runs, before Ringrose pinged a kick to the corner, where he connected with Sheehan to dive over score.

Frustratingly for Frawley, however, his kick once again fell right and wide, as Leinster brought a comfortable 17-0 lead to the half time whistle.

If Leinster lacked a bit of ruthlessness in the opening 40, they scythed the French side open twice within the first six minutes of the restart.

First, Ringrose took advantage of an overly generous gap in the defence to sprint 50 metres downfield. The centre was eventually stopped inches short of the line, but Gibson-Park's looping pass to Larmour put the winger in to score.

Two minutes later, it was Baird's turn to eat up the grass, as he raced from his own 22 to within a shot of the Stade line, with Doris following up to get the try his performance deserved, as Sam Prendergast knocked over the conversion to make it 29-0.

Doris played just over 60 minutes, and his final act of the night was to grab a second try, the Ireland international barging over from close range after Garry Ringrose’s hard running line had again brought Leinster close. It was 36-0 after Prendergast tapped over his second conversion of the night.

They briefly had to do some defending, holding Stade up over the tryline, but normal service resumed shortly after as Larmour sprinted through for his second try of the night, popping up inside the shoulder of Rónan Kelleher after a neat lineout move.

Trailing 43-0, the visitors decided to give it a go in the final 10 minutes. It looked like Leinster would get a shut-out as the clock ticked into the red, but with the final play of the game Stade replacement Joris Segonds found a gap to dive over and score, and put one small, late blemish on an otherwise good day for the province.

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose (capt), Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, Jason Jenkins; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Michael Ala'alatoa, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Sam Prendergast, Tommy O'Brien

Stade Francais: Leo Monin; Peniasi Dakuwaqa, Stephane Ahmed, Noah Nene, Kylan Hamdaoui; Zack Henry, Brad Weber; Clement Castets, Lucas Peyresblanques, Hugo N'Diaye; Pierre-Henri Azagoh, JJ van der Mescht; Mathieu Hirigoyen (capt), Ryan Chapuis, Giovanni Habel-Kuffner

Replacements: Mamoudou Meite, Vasil Kakovin, Paul Alo-Emile, Giorgi Tsutskeridze, Andy Timo, Jules Gimbert, Paul Gabrillagues, Joris Segonds

Referee: Christophe Ridley (ENG)

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