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Loose Leinster do just enough to beat Clermont

Updated / Saturday, 14 Dec 2024 23:29
Jordie Barrett scored a try on his first home game for Leinster
Jordie Barrett scored a try on his first home game for Leinster

Two first-half tries and a second-half penalty were just about enough for Leinster to claim their second Investec Champions Cup win, against Clermont, but it was a performance that will give Leo Cullen plenty to ponder.

Garry Ringrose and Jordie Barrett scored the tries and Sam Prendergast kicked five points off the tee but the hosts never managed to pull comfortably clear of a sticky French outfit, who, with a little more quality, could have handed Leinster a first pool loss since 2018.

Discipline was much improved from last weekend's win at Bristol but the Leinster lineout malfunctioned badly and there were numerous handling errors across 80 minutes at a cold and wet Lansdowne Road.

But it's nine points from a possible ten in Pool 2 for Leinster, beaten in the last three finals, and the victory extends their perfect start to the season.

The visitors, third in the Top 14, took the lead in the fifth minute after taking advantage of a lucky bounce. Out-half Irae Simone's grubber deflected off a Leinster boot and popped up kindly for Pierre Fouyssac on the 22.

The centre didn't make the line but wing Alivereti Raka spotted a gap at the ruck and dived over close to the posts, making Baptiste Jauneau's conversion easy.

The game was being played primarily in the Clermont half but Leinster's passing was inaccurate and three lineouts went astray, while after working their way to the five-metre line they failed to resource a ruck and the French side escaped.

However, their first try looked inevitable and it duly arrived in the 22nd minute. Leinster, after getting their lineout together, were playing a penalty advantage when Max Deegan and Prendergast combined to send Ringrose over.

Clermont, who lost both centres - Fouyssac and George Moala - in the opening half hour to injury, almost retook the lead a few minutes later but full-back Alex Newsome dropped the ball on the line.

From there, Leinster went coast to coast to grab their second try.

Barrett, after cleaning up the knock on, led the breakout and Josh van der Flier sprinted over the halfway line.

James Ryan made an outside break and Jamison Gibson-Park tapped a quick penalty under the posts before Deegan and Prendergast again combined to feed Barrett, who powered his way over.

Christophe Urios' side had a chance to score before the break after Ryan held onto possession on the ground but, after winning the lineout, scrum-half Jauneau bizarrely attempted a chip over the top that Jimmy O'Brien mopped up.

The half ended with another Rónan Kelleher throw not finding its target, an Ireland issue now worryingly affecting their bulk supplier.

The rain began to fall steadily when the game resumed and the mistakes continued, a Clermont jumper again winning a throw against the head.

Even when Prendergast got every last inch out of a touch-kick to the corner, Leinster's forward unit contrived to spill the ball and waste yet another good chance.

The four-time champions did push their lead out soon after when Prendergast kicked a simple penalty after the out-half had been taken out off the ball, a challenge that saw lock Peceli Yato sin-binned.

Leinster are two from two in Pool 2

Leinster subbed in Gus McCarthy, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Jack Conan and Andrew Osborne but a greasy ball was causing trouble for both sides and the game became very stop-start, while Prendergast twice missed touch with penalty kicks.

Lively replacement back Theo Giral tried to breathe life into Clermont's attack but they were also guilty of giving away cheap possession.

Snyman knocked on and then missed a tackle on hooker Barnabe Massa, who broke away with Killian Tixeront to make 50 yards but their pack conceded a penalty from a subsequent scrum.

The French outfit refused to go quietly and Deegan conceded and then won a penalty as Leinster, who had also introduced Fintan Gunne and Ross Byrne at half-back, braced for a nervy ending.

The extra power in the Leinster pack resulted in a couple of scrum penalties but they proceeded to lose two more lineouts in quick succession, much to the frustration of the 34,184 in attendance.

More chances came and went inside the Clermont 22 with Snyman losing the ball in contact before the visitors turned another ball over at a ruck.

The camera cut to Prendergast on the bench as he was named player of the match but the 21-year-old looked like he wasn't fully in agreement with RTÉ co-commentator Donal Lenihan's verdict.

However, Clermont couldn't close the gap and Leinster had done enough to see out the game, Fintan Gunne's mistake over a tap penalty five metres out summed up the URC leaders' night.

A strange win for the hosts, who sit in second place in the pool after La Rochelle's win over Bristol.

SCORERS

Leinster: Tries - Ringrose, Barrett

Con: Prendergast

Pen: Prendergast

Clermont: Try - Raka

Con: Jauneau

Leinster: Jordie Barrett; Liam Turner, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O'Brien; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Gus McCarthy (for Kelleher 48), Cian Healy (Porter 76), Rabah Slimani (Clarkson 48), RG Snyman (J McCarthy 48), Jack Conan (Van der Flier 48), Fintan Gunne (Gibson-Park 65), Ross Byrne (Prendergast 65), Andrew Osborne (Turner 52).

Clermont: Alex Newsome; Lucas Tauzin, Pierre Fouyssac, George Moala, Alivereti Raka; Irae Simone, Baptiste Jauneau; Etienne Falgoux, Etienne Fourcade, Michael Ala'alatoa; Peceli Yato, Rob Simmons; Killian Tixeront, Alexandre Fischer, Fritz Lee (capt).

Replacements: Barnabe Massa (for Fourcade53), Giorgi Akhaladze (Falgoux 53), Cristian Ojovan (Ala'alatoa h/t), Oskar Rixen (Simmons 62), Antoine Chalus-Cercy (Fischer 68), Sebastien Bezy (Jauneau 68), Ben Urdapilleta (Moala 18), Theo Giral (Fouyssac 28).

Referee: Luke Pearce (Eng)

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