There were many good things about Leinster’s performance against Glasgow in Saturday’s URC semi-final at the Aviva. The energy was up, the aggression and physicality was elevated and there was no sense of weakness or frailty in defence as they suffocated Glasgow and freely scored. The scrum was dominant and from scrum penalties Leinster were able to kick for the corners.
There, it was the Leinster lineout that stole the show for the home side, where Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Joe McCarthy and James Ryan seemed to be in complete control and were able to make it a dangerous attacking platform. It was a welcome return of their attacking set piece.
Three of the Leinster tries came from the lineout, either directly or after a few phases of play.
The first try that arrived in the third minute came after multiple phases. Outhalf Sam Prendergast kicked a turnover penalty to touch deep in the Glasgow half. Ryan Baird secured the ball and after multiple phases Jamison Gibson-Park drilled a pass to a running Dan Sheehan, who muscled over for the opening score. The decision to kick for touch set up Leinster in an attacking pose early in the match and it was an instant pay-off.
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In the 32nd minute a dominant Leinster scrum earned another penalty and Prendergast was again called to kick for territory and an attacking lineout. Sheehan hit the rising Baird who delivered the ball directly back to him. Sheehan took off on an arching run and popped it for James Lowe, who took it to the line. A couple of phases later prop Tom Clarkson muscled his way over for Leinster’s second try.
Jordie Barrett went over in the 48th minute following phased play after a lineout but spilt the ball forward in contact as he got over the line and it was disallowed. But again the platform was working well for Leinster and offering them scoring opportunities.
A silly offside from Tom Jordan on 54 minutes and Prendergast again opted for the offensive set piece. Sheehan hit Conan at the front and the pack drove towards the Glasgow danger zone. Four phases later, with Sheehan twice taking the ball up, Gibson-Park spotted Jamie Osborne infield by the near post. The scrumhalf’s laser pass found his centre in motion, and Osborne flew over by the post for Leinster’s fifth try, making it 30-5.
It was fantastic awareness from Gibson-Park, who saw the space inside him and again the lineout was the trigger for Leinster to essentially put the match to bed.
After some weeks of what Jamie Heaslip described as “wibbly wobbly” lineouts, Leinster finally got all the pieces to fit together as they should and turned it into a lethal weapon.
