LEINSTER GOT THE win but after speaking all week about the need for a performance they must be disappointed with what they served up in their 14-13 victory over Harlequins at the Aviva last night.
Leinster captain Jamie Heaslip preferred to focus on the positives afterwards, even though it was put to him that Brian O’Driscoll said on BT that the feeling in the Leinster changing room would be one of relief.
Heaslip credited Quins for making Leinster work for the four points, but also lamented the fact that Leinster didn’t score more when they were in the ascendancy in the first half.
“The group is happy with the win,” Heaslip said.
“We realise it was in the balance. For a lot of guys who haven’t played a lot of games at this level, it will show them what happens when you make errors against a side like Harlequins. If you give teams chances to score in this competition they will put you under the pump and force you to defend well. And at times we didn’t. In the first half with all the possession and territory that we had we felt we probably should have had a bit more scores. There is a little bit of relief as Brian said but we are happy.”
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One reason Leinster didn’t score more in the opening half was because the Quins back row – and in particular Nick Easter and Luke Wallace – disrupted Leinster’s ball masterfully.
Easter bulldozed through the gate to snag both Eoin Reddan and Isaac Boss while Luke Wallace was like a magnet on the ball when Leinster took it into contact.
The visitors forced three turnovers in their own 22 in the first 40 but Heaslip thinks they were helped by some lenient refereeing from Romain Poite.
“I think they were on the line in terms of legal and illegal like a good back row,” Heaslip said.
“They got in at times and disrupted it but I thought they got away with a lot at the same time. We got in and disrupted their ball too. You could say it was fairly even. I thought Romain reffed the game fairly well and let it flow for the majority of it. They have a lot of guys that are very good on the ground. If we weren’t first in to win the space, they were very quick to get in there and slow the ball down.”
Leinster had been held tryless in their last two games as well as in their last two Champions Cup encounters but that drought ended last night with Isaac Boss’ five-pointer. Jamie Heaslip got the assist after the scrum wheeled enough to neutralise the defensive presence of blindside flanker Luke Wallace.
Heaslip credited the pack’s effort at that scrum in what was a tough outing overall for Leinster in that area.
“I felt that we got it up on Rossy’s side and it felt to me that it was whipping around from the left,” Heaslip said.
“I didn’t hear any advantage call or use it call and I got it out. Because it had whipped up so much I knew their flanker was gone and I could hear Bossy behind me and I knew we had a two on one situation.
“When you get a two vs one, you back your drill and I heard Bossy and he went over in the corner.”
Poite was bad. Leinster were worse and frankly came out of those handbags very well at the end. It’s so frustrating to watch MOC Leinster. We’re sloppy at best. Knocking on to beat the band and handing out easy interceptions. This team are well capable of better play and MOC is not delivering. He needs to leave. Soon!
Another MOC special – dreadful rugby but only sees the positives of which there weren’t many. Leinster are in trouble &!wont progress far in this tournament without a player revolt!!
Are Leinster and the IRFU really going to trust MOC with the most attacking minded player in World Rugby when Johnny Sexton returns next summer? MOC will ruin the future of Irish rugby if he is not stopped soon. Johnny stay where you are.
Yes, I was talking about “J H” as you call so quaintly refer to him.
1) world class back row players don’t snivel to the press about the opposition getting the better of them.
2) captains of any side; club, province or country, should not undermine the judgement of the match officials in public, no matter how bad they are. that’s done in private.
Anyone who has played the game knows you respect the ref, no matter how bad he is. Even Steve Walsh. And you play his rules, no matter how wrong you think is.
I’ll take back “clown” though. it was too early to call him a t0sser
With all due respect to yourself, and as you rightly pointed out about me, I suspect that you weren’t giving interviews to the international press about the referee.
There is already more backchat during games than there should be ( BoD was terrible for it) and after (o’shea for example). these are the people who should beheading by good example, not bad.
Can’t help but think Dominic Ryan made the most of the yellow card situation. Like Mike McCarthy last season throwing the dive. Oh sorry that only happens in soccer
Heaslip is a great rugby player but he has come out with some serious BS over the last while.
Jamie shut up and get on with playing rugby and please stop defending the rubbish we are charged to watch.
Heaslip worked hard at the breakdown and carried well in that match. but he was about the only one. Leinster look as weak at the breakdown now as they did when Munster beat them up in Dublin a few weeks ago. The plan seemed all off, as players didnt commit to the attacking ruck, (waiting for pop passes maybe?) and was easy for Harlequins to attack. Interesting that the try came off the back of a first phase move.
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Poite was bad. Leinster were worse and frankly came out of those handbags very well at the end. It’s so frustrating to watch MOC Leinster. We’re sloppy at best. Knocking on to beat the band and handing out easy interceptions. This team are well capable of better play and MOC is not delivering. He needs to leave. Soon!
Leinster under MOC are reminiscent of Ireland under Kidney. Paying the wrong way while we all know they could be so much better.
Another MOC special – dreadful rugby but only sees the positives of which there weren’t many. Leinster are in trouble &!wont progress far in this tournament without a player revolt!!
Are you new here? Quit whinging you clown, play the ref.
His actual quote sounded about right, pretty balanced.
Settle down Tarquin
Read what he said and not just the headline
Are Leinster and the IRFU really going to trust MOC with the most attacking minded player in World Rugby when Johnny Sexton returns next summer? MOC will ruin the future of Irish rugby if he is not stopped soon. Johnny stay where you are.
the most attack minded player in world rugby ?
Hi Martin
Yes, I was talking about “J H” as you call so quaintly refer to him.
1) world class back row players don’t snivel to the press about the opposition getting the better of them.
2) captains of any side; club, province or country, should not undermine the judgement of the match officials in public, no matter how bad they are. that’s done in private.
Anyone who has played the game knows you respect the ref, no matter how bad he is. Even Steve Walsh. And you play his rules, no matter how wrong you think is.
I’ll take back “clown” though. it was too early to call him a t0sser
With all due respect to yourself, and as you rightly pointed out about me, I suspect that you weren’t giving interviews to the international press about the referee.
There is already more backchat during games than there should be ( BoD was terrible for it) and after (o’shea for example). these are the people who should beheading by good example, not bad.
Can’t help but think Dominic Ryan made the most of the yellow card situation. Like Mike McCarthy last season throwing the dive. Oh sorry that only happens in soccer
Heaslip is a great rugby player but he has come out with some serious BS over the last while.
Jamie shut up and get on with playing rugby and please stop defending the rubbish we are charged to watch.
Any competitive back row will tell you it’s only illegal when you are caught doing it.
All the good ones were born early and offside.
Heaslip worked hard at the breakdown and carried well in that match. but he was about the only one. Leinster look as weak at the breakdown now as they did when Munster beat them up in Dublin a few weeks ago. The plan seemed all off, as players didnt commit to the attacking ruck, (waiting for pop passes maybe?) and was easy for Harlequins to attack. Interesting that the try came off the back of a first phase move.
If it’s on the line of legal and illegal then it’s legal….. A stupid excuse to use!!
Apologies!! Guilty of commenting without reading the article!!
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