Leinster extend URC unbeaten run with win over Cardiff

MATCH REPORT: A run of four unanswered tries either side of half-time saw United Rugby Championship leaders Leinster beat Cardiff 42-24.

Newly-capped Ireland prop Jack Boyle’s late first-half score gave the hosts a 14-12 interval lead at Lansdowne Road.

Cardiff had cancelled out John McKee’s maul try with two converted efforts from Harri Millard (17 minutes) and Thomas Young (29).

However, Max Deegan and captain Luke McGrath widened the margin to 16 points during Alex Mann’s sin-binning, before Charlie Tector burst through for the best try of the lot.

Millard and replacement Ellis Bevan delivered a deserved bonus point for Cardiff, but replacement Rob Russell wrapped it up for Leo Cullen’s men.

The win gave Leinster a 13-point lead at the top of the URC standings.

Leinster hooker McKee was driven over in the 14th minute, setting up Ross Byrne for the first of his six successful conversions.

A couple of minutes later, lively wing Millard finished at pace after Callum Sheedy had deftly put Cam Winnett breaking through.

Young pivoted his way over on the half-hour mark, as Cardiff’s forwards capitalised on a close-in tap penalty. Sheedy converted to make it 12-7.

Although Millard did well to hold up McKee, McGrath managed to put Boyle over in the corner. Byrne’s reliable right boot split the sides.

Cardiff replacement Mann’s sin-binning for a cynical offside, early on the resumption, opened the game up further. Deegan lunged over from close range.

McGrath joined him in sniping over from a ruck, and player-of-the-match Tector’s rampaging run from 30 metres out left it 35-12.

Cardiff had more in the tank, with Millard scoring from a Winnet grubber kick, before the fast-breaking Gabriel Hamer-Webb fed Bevan for a 69th-minute bonus point try.

Nonetheless, with five minutes remaining, Leinster capped their 12th successive URC victory of the season with Russell’s diving finish past Danny Southworth.

The scorers:

For Leinster:
Tries: McKee, Boyle, Deegan, McGrath, Tector, Russell
Cons: Byrne 6

For Cardiff:
Tries: Millard 2, Young, Bevan
Cons: Sheedy, De Beer

Teams:

Leinster: 15 Jimmy O’Brien, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Hugh Cooney, 12 Charlie Tector, 11 Andrew Osborne, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Luke McGrath, 8 Max Deegan, 7 Will Connors, 6 Alex Soroka, 5 Brian Deeny, 4 Diarmuid Mangan, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 John McKee, 1 Jack Boyle.
Replacements: 16 Stephen Smyth, 17 Ivan Soroka, 18 Rory McGuire, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Scott Penny, 21 Oliver Godfrey, 22 Liam Turner, 23 Rob Russell.

Cardiff: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Gabe Hamer-Webb, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Rory Jennings, 11 Harri Millard, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Johan Mulder, 8 Alun Lawrence, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Ben Donnell, 5 Rory Thornton, 4 Josh McNally, 3 Rhys Litterick, 2 Liam Belcher, 1 Danny Southworth.
Replacements: 16 Efan Daniel, 17 Rhys Barratt, 18 Will Davies-King, 19 Seb Davies, 20 Alex Mann, 21 Ellis Bevan, 22 Tinus de Beer, 23 Regan Grace.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Chris Busby (Ireland), Dan Carson (Ireland)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)