Record WIN as Leinster punish Montpellier
EUROPEAN CUP: Leinster were absolutely ruthless, recording an 89-7 win over Montpellier in Dublin on Sunday.
The Irish giants outscored the visitors 13 tries to one.
*To recap all the action CLICK HERE!!!
Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier and Dan Sheehan all scored try braces in the Pool A clash at RDS Arena, while Ross Byrne tallied 19 points and Johnny Sexton came off the bench to slot five conversions.
The 82-point victory is Leinster’s biggest winning margin in a tournament match, surpassing their previous record of 75 set in the 92-17 victory against Bourgoin in 2004/05.
The 13-try haul also equalled the Irish province’s record for tries scored in a tournament match, also set against Bourgoin.
Leinster immediately commanded the contest and crossed for the game’s first try on two minutes as they worked the ball from right to left and found Conan in space on the wing, with the No.8 going over with ease.
A second Leinster score came on eight minutes as scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park reacted quickest to a ball knocked backwards by a Montpellier hand.
That try stemmed from a knock-on in contact by Montpellier scrumhalf Gela Aprasidze, and the TOP 14 side further contributed to their own downfall on 13 minutes as fly-half Louis Foursans’ cross-field kick attempt was charged down metres from his own line, allowing Leinster counterpart Byrne to dive over.
The hosts then sealed the bonus point on 23 minutes as lock Ross Molony crashed over, but Montpellier would notch a try out of nowhere shortly after as their first meaningful attack ended in flanker Masivesi Dakuwaqa driving over.
The visitors almost had a second try moments later, but a TMO review spotted a foot in touch before No.8 Marco Tauleigne went over.
Leinster would turn up the heat once again though, with Michael Ala’alatoa hitting a flat ball from Gibson-Park to cruise over for his first try for the Irish province on 33 minutes.
And they would cross for a sixth try shortly before half time as a string of audacious offloads saw them race up the pitch before winger Jordan Larmour finished excellently in the corner.
The Leinster onslaught would continue after the break as flank van der Flier and then winger Jimmy O’Brien both dotted down in quick succession.
Montpellier struggled to deal with the constant pressure and man of the Match van der Flier the opportunity to go over for his second score – which he took smartly – as a lineout on halfway went awry.
Leinster repeatedly strung together audacious offloads as they scythed through the Montpellier defence, replacement hooker Sheehan trotting over on 66 minutes after one particularly slick move.
Montpellier’s day went from bad to worse on 67 minutes when Dakuwawqa was sent off for a swinging arm into the head of van der Flier.
Sheehan then grabbed his second try if the day as he dropped to the ground following a rumbling Leinster maul, and Conan would notch a second of his own moments later.
The rout was completed as replacement James Lowe danced over in the last play of the game.
Leinster travel to Bath Rugby in Round 4 next weekend while Montpellier host Exeter Chiefs.
The scorers:
For Leinster:
Tries: Conan 2, Gibson-Park, Byrne, Malony, Ala’alatoa, Larmour, Van der Flier 2, O’Brien, Sheehan 2, Lowe
Cons: Byrne 7, Sexton 5
For Montpellier
Try: Dakuwaqa
Con: Foursans
Leinster: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Jordan Larmour, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Ciarán Frawley, 11 Jimmy O’Brien, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Caelan Doris, 5 James Ryan (captain), 4 Ross Molony, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Rónan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Dan Sheehan, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Michael Ala’alatoa, 19 Rhys Ruddock, 20 Max Deegan, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Johnny Sexton, 23 James Lowe
Montpellier: 15 Axel Bevia, 14 Pierre Lucas, 13 Thomas Darmon, 12 Karl Martin, 11 Josua Vici, 10 Louis Foursans, 9 Gela Aprasidze, 8 Marco Tauleigne, 7 Florian Verhaeghe, 6 Masivesi Dakuwaqa, 5 Mickael Capelli, 4 Tyler Duguid, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Guilhem Guirado (captain), 1 Mikheil Nariashvili
Replacements: 16 Vincent Giudicelli, 17 Robert Rodgers, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Alexandre Becognee, 20 Aubin Eymeri, 21 Paul Vallée, 22 Nico Janse van Rensburg, 23 Zach Mercer
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Anthony Woodthorpe (England), Jamie Leahy (England)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)
