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Leinster top pool after thrilling victory over Bath

Updated / Sunday, 19 Jan 2025 05:46
Robbie Henshaw scored two first-half tries
Robbie Henshaw scored two first-half tries

After coming out on the right side of a dogfight last weekend against La Rochelle, Leinster got the better of Bath in a thrilling Champions Cup shootout.

The bonus-point win leaves Leo Cullen's side well on course for a top-two seeding and home knockout games up to the final.

However, Toulon, top of pool four, can usurp Leinster if they are able to claim a bonus-point win in tomorrow's clash away to Sale Sharks, and improve their points difference by 37.

It's not impossible but highly unlikely, while Bordeaux, top seeds going into the final round, are also in action tomorrow against Hollywoodbets Sharks.

While the hosts ran out handsome 26-point winners, they trailed at the break and the 40,195 in attendance were treated to an open game with 10 tries on a perfect evening in Dublin 4.

Player of the match Robbie Henshaw grabbed a brace for Leinster in the first half, and Jack Conan also crossed over but the URC leaders trailed after Finn Russell converted Tom de Glanville's second try on the stroke of half-time.

But, once more, Leinster's bench made an impact.

RG Snyman's first of two tries gave Leinster the lead and after Bath had prop Beno Obano sent off in the 60th minute, ran in further scores from Garry Ringrose and Jamison Gibson-Park.

La Rochelle's surprise 25-32 loss at Benetton means Leinster topped the pool with 18 points from a possible 20, seven points clear of Ronan O'Gara's side.

After receiving much praise for their defensive effort in France, Leinster's rearguard was missing for the opening salvo against the Premiership leaders.

Bath retained possession from the kick-off and a measured, precise passage of attack put them in the lead with 70 seconds on the clock.

Russell pulled the strings to move the Leinster backline around and after Ted Hill made ground inside the 22, fellow back row Alfie Barbeary burst through poor tackle attempts by Ronán Kelleher and James Ryan.

They had doubled up in the seventh minute with Ollie Lawrence's big tackle on Jamie Osborne forcing Leinster to concede a five-metre scrum.

Quick ball from the back found De Glanville who powered over, this time Osborne not strong enough with the tackle and with Russell converting both, the visitors had a 14-0 lead.

But once Leinster found their grove they hit back with a quick-fire double through second centre Henshaw.

The lineout was much improved from their round two clash with Clermont and with Bath conceding eight penalties and twice missing touch kicks in the first half, they handed Leinster all the ammunition they needed.

Their first came when Hugo Keenan ran outside his man before passing inside to Henshaw, who still had work to do.

Russell was removed for a head injury assessment and Leinster grabbed a second, this time the ball was too quick for Bath to regroup and Jordie Barrett popped to Henshaw two metres out.

Barrett, deployed at 12, was influential in midfield, the Kiwi turning the ball over and winning a penalty in quick succession to bring Leinster upfield.

But the visitors continued to infringe and Leinster took the lead in the 37th minute, opting for a scrum after prop Obano was sin-binned for making head contact with Gibson-Park, who was forced off with a nasty cut under his eye.

Conan needed a couple of bites of the cherry but barged over with Sam Prendergast's conversion giving Leinster a 19-14 lead.

However, it was Bath who went in ahead thanks to more incisive play by Russell and Lawrence. The lively centre took an outside line before waltzing through some more poor tackles inside the 22 where he found De Glanville, who dived in.

Russell's touchline conversion found the target and Leinster headed to the dressing room where a stern talking to surely awaited.

Leinster looked odds on to retake the lead soon after the resumption, with Caelan Doris and Snyman sprung from the bench.

Barrett's strong running and range of passing was making inroads but the All Black failed to give a simple pop to Keenan, who would have scored before Josh van der Flier fumbled a straightforward take out wide.

But the reinforcements soon had the desired effect, Snyman and the excellent Prendergast combining to break the line before the giant Springboks lock stretched out an arm between a sea of Bath defenders to dot down and secure the bonus point.

Johann van Graan's men returned quickly to the Leinster 22 but from a promising position, lost the game in a matter of minutes.

Firstly, scrum-half Ben Spencer failed to tap a five-metre free kick correctly and the hosts, finalist three years running, cleared.

It went from bad to worse moments later when Obano was shown a second yellow after collapsing the scrum, reducing Bath to 14 for the remaining 20 minutes.

Within a minute Leinster had killed off the game as a contest.

Prendergast, who kicked four conversions, danced past three defenders in the Bath 22 with Ringrose racing into score under the posts.

Bath, who had lost their first two games and beaten Clermont last week, began to lose interest and Gibson-Park sprinted in from 40 metres for Leinster's sixth after Lawrence failed to take in Ross Byrne's Garryowen under pressure from Keenan.

Snyman grabbed a late try with another trademark carry close to the line and Leinster had their clean sweep.

SCORERS

Leinster: Tries - Henshaw (2), Conan, Snyman (2), Ringrose, Gibson-Park

Cons - Prendergast (4), Byrne (2)

Bath: Tries - Barbeary, De Glanville (2)

Cons - Russell (3)

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jordie Barrett, Jamie Osborne; Sam Prendergast, Jamison-Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Rabah Slimani; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (capt)

Replacements: Gus McCarthy (for Kelleher 62), Cian Healy (for Porter 74), Thomas Clarkson (for Slimani 62), RG Snyman (for Ryan 45), Caelan Doris (for Deegan 45), Luke McGrath (for Gibson-Park 35-40 and 72), Ross Byrne (Prendergast 62), Jimmy O'Brien (73).

Bath: Tom de Glanville; Joe Cokanasiga, Ollie Lawrence, Max Ojomoh, Ruaridh McConnochie; Finn Russell, Ben Spencer; Beno Obano, Niall Annett, Will Stuart; Quinn Roux, Ross Molony; Ted Hill, Miles Reid, Alfie Barbeary.

Replacements: Tom Dunn (for Annett 55), Francois van Wyk (Barbeary 35-45 and Molony 64 (for Ewels 64), Thomas du Toit (Stuart 49), Charlie Ewels (Roux 51), Josh Bayliss (McConnochie 62 (Reid 74)), Louis Schreuder (Spencer 73), Orlando Bailey (Russell 15-27 and Ojomoh 64), Jaco Coetzee (Barbeary 62).

Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)

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