If you needed any reminder that we're into the business end of the BKT United Rugby Championship regular season, Leinster have fired out the first warning shot.
Leo Cullen's side have cemented their place at the top of the URC table after passing a strong test against the second-place Bulls.
A blistering third quarter in which they scored three tries without reply proved the difference for the home side, who flexed their muscles in a 47-14 victory.
The visitors had looked well on course to repeat their shock URC semi-final win from 2022, when they brought a 14-12 lead into the break, with a dominant scrum seeing them overpower the hosts early on. Three Johan Goosen penalties were supplemented by a try from the electric Kurt-Lee Arendse to give them the mid-way lead.
Leinster had been living off scraps at times in the first half, but took their chances clinically, with Josh van der Flier and Ronan Kelleher marking their return with a try each, and Harry Byrne kicking one conversion.
But it was in the third quarter that they cemented this win. James Lowe and Michael Milne’s tries early in the second half brought up the bonus-point, and although the Bulls briefly threatened to strike back around the hour mark, Leinster killed the game off in style.
Dan Sheehan and Jack Conan added further tries to give them breathing room, before Liam Turner landed the final blow on 74 minutes, as the home side warmed up for next week’s Champions Cup last-16 meeting with the Leicester Tigers in impressive fashion.
The Bulls came to Dublin fully loaded, with Jake White selecting a first-choice starting XV, and the beefy South African pack made their presence felt early on, winning two scrum penalties in the opening six minutes, the second of which allowed Johan Goosen kick them into a 3-0 lead.
It was a chastening start for the Leinster scrum, which gave up a third consecutive penalty on 11 minutes. That was swiftly followed by another Leinster infringement, this time at the ruck, as Goosen's long-range effort creeped over the bar to make it 6-0 to the visitors.
While Leinster had been slow to start, they exploded into life on 17 minutes with a try out of nowhere.
It looked like there was little opportunity to counter when Rob Russell fielded a long kick in midfield, but the wing flicked a late offload into space, before quick handling from Jack Conan and Harry Byrne got the ball to Jordan Larmour. The full-back immediately went on the offensive, stepping inside Elrigh Louw to break towards the 22 and tipping the ball on to Jamie Osborne, who in turn popped off to Van der Flier, with the flanker diving over to cap off a magical counter-attacking try.
Byrne’s conversion made it 7-6 to the hosts as the 16,892 fans at the RDS came to life, and that noise grew louder when Leinster got one back on the Bulls scrum on 23 minutes, winning their first penalty of the game.
The league leaders had moved up a gear in the second quarter, and further pressure led to another penalty on 28 minutes, which Leinster sent into the corner in lieu of what would have been three easy points.
Their aggressive approach was rewarded as Kelleher found Ross Molony at the lineout, and after their maul drove the Bulls back, it was Kelleher who touched down their second try, which sent them 12-6 ahead after Byrne’s conversion drifted wide.
Just as it looked like Leinster were gaining control, the momentum flipped on 34 minutes.
A deep clearance from James Lowe was run back by the Bulls, with Goosen stepping inside a slipping Conan to break into space, before firing a wide pass to Arendse who dived over to score.
It was an impressive finish from Arendse, who was met with a ferocious challenge from Luke McGrath as he reached the line, and the Leinster scrum-half was indeed yellow-carded for the tackle after he made clear head contact with the Bulls try-scorer.
Goosen’s conversion missed wide right, but the out-half was able to make amends with the final play of the half, as he tapped over a penalty to give his side a 14-12 lead at the break.
Leinster started the second half brightly, winning two penalties within 90 seconds of the restart. Byrne had no interest in three points though, going into the corner on each occasion.
A botched lineout almost killed the attack, but after retaining possession Leinster showed brilliant patience against a disciplined Bulls defence. Eventually, after 18 phases in the 22 it was a deft offload down the blindside from Henshaw that sent Lowe over in the corner.
Byrne's conversion made it 19-14 after 44 minutes, and just two minutes later it got even better as Leinster scored a stunning bonus-point try.
With Jamison Gibson-Park on for McGrath, the scrum-half made an instant impact when he and Larmour connected to send Rob Russell clear down the right touchline. Russell, Gibson-Park and Byrne all showed quick hands to get Larmour back onto the ball, and while he was stopped just short of the line, replacement Milne charged over to score, as Byrne tagged on the extras to make it 26-14.
It was end-to-end stuff. Arendse and Willie le Roux linked up to send the Bulls racing clear on 56 minutes, before a high Ross Byrne tackle gave them a penalty deep in the Leinster 22.
An overthrown lineout then sent Leinster on the counter-attack, but the Bulls swiftly won the ball back and launched another quick drive upfield, with Le Roux’s chip into space exposing an empty Leinster backfield. Mercifully, Sheehan came up with a jackal penalty to relieve pressure as we hit the hour mark.
It proved to be a crucial intervention. Just two minutes later, the hooker added his side’s fifth try in the corner, after Conan’s hard yards off a scrum charged Leinster into the 22, and on 67 minutes Conan got himself onto the scoresheet, bursting into space after being played in by Byrne.
The out-half converted both to ease his side 40-14 ahead, but on 72 minutes they were given a brief scare when Arendse picked off a pass from Gibson-Park to score his side’s second try. Unfortunately for the wing, it was chalked off by the TMO after the Springbok was judged to have kicked Ross Byrne on the ground moments earlier, albeit accidentally.
By now, the South Africans confidence had been drained, and Leinster put the finishing touches on their victory with a seventh and final try from Turner, who played a one-two with Russell to run in and score, capping off a statement win for Cullen’s side.
Leinster: Jordan Larmour; Rob Russell, Robbie Henshaw, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Harry Byrne, Luke McGrath (capt); Cian Healy, Rónan Kelleher, Michael Ala'alatoa; Ross Molony, Joe McCarthy; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Michael Milne, Tadhg Furlong, Jason Jenkins, Caelan Doris, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ross Byrne, Liam Turner
Bulls: Willie le Roux; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Devon Williams; Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier; Gerhard Steenkamp, Akker van der Merwe; Ruan Vermaak, Ruan Nortje (co-capt); Marco van Staden, Elrigh Louw, Marcell Coetzee (co-capt).
Replacements: Johan Grobelaar, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig, Mpilo Gumede, Zak Burger, Chris Smith, Harold Vorster
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)
