skip to main content
United Rugby Championship logo

Eight tries for Leinster in thrilling win over the Sharks

Updated / Saturday, 8 Oct 2022 23:17
Robbie Henshaw dives in to score one of Leinster's eight tries
Robbie Henshaw dives in to score one of Leinster's eight tries

Having started the season with wins at Zebre and Dragons, the third leg of the Sharks' northern hemisphere tour against Leinster looked to be one in which they had a free shot at the home side.

They had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and it made for a wonderful game of rugby.

On a beautiful autumn evening, Leinster and the Sharks ran with conditions in front of a healthy 16,884 crowd at the RDS, and while the South Africans eventually faded as the second half wore on, they more than played their part in a brilliant 80 minutes.

The lead changed hands five times in a marvellous first half, which saw three tries apiece, and while Leinster took control in the second half the scores kept coming from both sides, with 13 tries in total, eight for Leinster and five for the Sharks.

In his first start of the BKT United Rugby Championship season, Johnny Sexton ran the show, scoring a try and kicking six conversions, while his link-up play with Charlie Ngatai saw the New Zealander put in his best performance so far in a Leinster shirt.

Garry Ringrose came off the bench in the opening half to score two wonderful tries after Jason Jenkins had got them on the board in the opening minutes.

They led by just a point, 21-20 at the break, with further tries from Andrew Porter, Robbie Henshaw, Rob Russell, Sexton and John McKee capping off a brilliant win.

It came at significant cost though. Jack Conan was a pre-game withdrawal due to injury, while Jordan Larmour, Rhys Ruddock and Luke McGrath were also forced off in the first half, before Ryan Baird was stretchered off midway through the second half having landed on his head after a collision in the air.

As they have tended to this season, Leinster started hot, and there was just under four minutes on the clock by the time they had crossed for their opening try.

Back-to-back penalties against the visitors brought Leinster deep into the 22, and after turning down an easy shot at goal in favour of a tap-and-go from five metres out, Jenkins eventually powered his way under the posts, giving Sexton an easy conversion to make it 7-0.

It was a short-lived lead as the Sharks hit back in the 10th minute.

Having secured a lineout five metres out, their maul was initially stopped, before a beautiful backline strike-play put the ball through the hands of Grant Williams, Ben Tapuai, Boeta Chamberlain and Aphelele Fassi, allowing the latter slice through the Leinster defence and score.

Chamberlain's conversion made it 7-7, and he could have extended the lead shortly after, turning down a shot at goal in favour of a kick to the corner, but Leinster held their nerve defensively.

It was turning into a great breakdown battle. The Sharks saw their promising attack come to nothing after going off their feet at the ruck, while moments later referee Craig Evans showed good consistency to penalise Jenkins when Leinster had worked their way to the edge of the 22.

The Leinster frustration was compounded on the 20-minute mark, with Jordan Larmour hobbling off injured after landing awkwardly from a high-ball, adding to the earlier HIA for Rhys Ruddock, and Jack Conan who was injured in the warm-up.

Garry Ringrose was summoned from the bench, and his impact was instant.

On 24 minutes, moments after the Sharks had gone 10-7 in front courtesy of a Chamberlain penalty, the Ireland international latched onto a Sexton offload on the edge of the 22. Spinning out of a tackle attempt by Fassi, Ringrose jinked back inside and sprinted towards the posts to dive over and score his side’s second try.

The conversion from Sexton made it 14-10, but the Sharks physicality continued to frustrate the home side, as they won a scrum penalty and turned over a Leinster maul in the space of 90 seconds.

The South Africans are far more than physicality though, and hit back with a try of their own on the half-hour, Werner Kok diving over in the corner after a wonderful first phase move which saw seven players get their hands on the ball.

Chamberlain’s conversion from the touchline pulled left and wide, but the Sharks were still good value for their 15-14 lead.

Four minutes later they were in for their third try, this time from Thaakir Abrahams who ran over in the left corner, collecting a looping pass from Rohan Janse van Rensburg, although the space was created by some relentless, direct carrying from the forward pack.

A second missed-conversion from Chamberlain left it at 20-14 to the Sharks, and they were made to pay within seconds, as Ringrose hit back with his second try, and his team’s third, latching onto a perfect crossfield kick from Robbie Henshaw to run in and score.

Sexton’s conversion sent them back in front again, 21-20, while they very nearly grabbed a fourth try on the stroke of half time as Sexton, Ringrose and Luke McGrath combined down the blind side of the pitch to get close to the line, only for a last ditch jackal from Kok securing a turnover for the hosts.

The second half started at similar pace, Rob Russell breaking into Sharks territory for Leinster inside the opening minute, while a crossfield ship to the corner almost put Sheehan in to score.

Hard carries from Charlia Ngatai and Ryan Baird followed for Leinster, but the Sharks breakdown work continued to frustrate them, this time hooker Kerron van Vuuren was the man to snatch a jackal penalty under his posts.

Again, Leinster charged back at them, Sexton and Ngatai combining to break back into the 22, and after the Sharks conceded two quick penalties, it was Andrew Porter who scrambled over to secure the bonus-point try, after a series of one-out passes and pick-and-go attempts.

A fourth conversion from four attempts for Sexton saw him extend the lead to eight points, as Leinster moved 28-20 in front, with 48 minutes played.

Shortly afterwards, the ground was silenced by the awful fall suffered by Baird, as he fell horribly in a three-way contest for the ball.

On another evening, Abrahams could very well have been carded for the incident, having missed out on the catch, on 53 minutes the Sharks winger found a gap in the Leinster kick-chase, before chipping over the top and outpacing Ringrose to the tryline for his side’s own bonus-point score.

Having missed two first half conversions, Chamberlain got back on target, reducing the arrears back to a point at 28-27.

The sides were trading forehands from the baseline by now, and it wasn't long before Leinster hit another winner.

Jenkins, Molony and Will Connors all gained valuable ground with short carries around the edge of rucks inside the 22, and after the Sharks defence had been sucked inside, Ngatai popped a delicate chip-kick to the corner which Henshaw latched onto to score. Sexton maintained his 100% record off the tee to reestablish the eight-point lead at 35-27.

The home side’s experience was starting to show, and when powerful carries from Sheehan and Henshaw brought Leinster back up towards the line on 66 minutes, it led to their sixth try, this time for Rob Russell, who jogged in after Cormac Foley’s skip-pass eluded the Sharks defence.

Another Sexton conversion finally put some breathing space on the scoreboard, as Leinster moved 42-27 in front, and the hosts started to flex their muscles.

With 10 minutes left, Sexton scored a try of his own, grubbering through the last line of defence, before diving on the ball to score, with his conversion making it 49-27, bringing his own personal tally to 19 points.

The tries kept coming; Fassi got his second for the Sharks after a brilliant chip-and-chase down the left wing, while John McKee finished things off in the 75th minute, touching down off the back of a maul, after Janse ven Rensburg had been red-carded for a dangerous hit on Ross Byrne.

Leinster: Jimmy O'Brien; Jordan Larmour, Robbie Henshaw, Charlie Ngatai, Rob Russell; Johnny Sexton (capt), Luke McGrath; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Michael Ala'alatoa; Ross Molony, Jason Jenkins, Ryan Baird, Will Connors, Rhys Ruddock.

Replacements: John McKee, Cian Healy, Vakhtang Abdaladze, James Ryan, Martin Moloney, Cormac Foley, Ross Byrne, Garry Ringrose.

Cell C Sharks: Aphelele Fassi; Werner Kok, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Ben Tapuai, Thaakir Abrahams; Boeta Chamberlain, Grant Williams; Ntuthuko Mchunu, Kerron van Vuuren, Thomas du Toit (capt); Justin Basson, Hyron Andrews; James Venter, Dylan Richardson, Sikhumbuzo Notshe.

Replacements: Dan Jooste, Dian Bleuler, Carlu Sadie, Reniel Hugo, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Nevaldo Fleurs, Marnus Potgieter.

Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)

More stories on

Read Next