Leinster’s opening half-hour puts away Benetton as they maintain 100% start

The game kicked off in sunshine and 17 degrees with a clear view of the Dolomites from this quaintly attractive Stadio Communale Monigo. But by the time the sun set half an hour later the same could be said for this contest.
By then, Leinster had already secured a quickfire four tries and effectively a third successive bonus-point win to leave them four points ahead of the pack. Already they have made clear their intention to ensure that they will have no knock-out tie outside Dublin in this season’s BKT URC.
Some might grumble that they failed to score for the next 53 minutes until their replenished pack had the final say when Lee Barron plundered their fifth try with the game’s final play. But there were mitigating factors in a somewhat anti-climactic, non-event of a second half.
The 6-2 bench split contributed to a wholesale backline reshuffle when Jimmy O’Brien was forced off with a hamstring strain, with Ross Byrne coming on at outhalf, Ciarán Frawley shifting to inside centre, Jamie Osborne reverting to fullback and Hugo Keenan moving to the wing.
The net effect was that only Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe and Garry Ringrose remained in the positions they started. When the latter was removed for the final five minutes, largely as a precaution and an experiment to move Josh van der Flier to the wing in recognition of the demands placed by a 6-2 configuration, the converted flanker actually broke clear and linked with Osborne in the build up to Barron’s well-taken try.
Furthermore, the incessant rain of Thursday and Friday in Treviso had left the pitch sodden underneath, as could be evidenced by the imprint every scrum left. Leinster came off worse in those scrums too in the eyes of referee Craig Adams, which contributed to the 13-6 penalty count. There was an even more lop-sided 26-6 lineout count and countless incursions into the Leinster 22, which finally yielded Benetton’s all-in, catch-and-drive try.
But when the game mattered and conditions were at their most playable, Leinster’s greater oomph in their carries, offloading and vastly more efficient breakdown work ensured they played the game at a far higher tempo.
Pairing RG Snyman and big young Joe McCarthy together made for an imposing partnership, as did accommodating Jack Conan and Caelan Doris in the backrow.
Gibson-Park has evidently lost none of his zest and Frawley pulled the strings immaculately. This was particularly true when dummying and deftly releasing Ringrose – who looks in prime fettle – before finishing off Gibson-Park’s link play to fend Tommaso Menoncello for the pick of the tries.
This completed a defining double whammy after their penalty try and was augmented by Conan and Doris completing untroubled two-phase tries off five-metre scrums.
Leinster had made hay while the sun shone. Italian job done.
“We’re really pleased,” maintained Leo Cullen afterwards. “The first 30 minutes was excellent, wasn’t it? Lots of good stuff there. In terms of attack, making good decisions, putting the ball in behind them when they had a full line, putting pressure on them with charge downs; it was a really good energetic first 30 minutes.”
“Benetton are a really proud team here and as the pitch cut up it turned into a tricky game. Maybe we gave away some silly penalties, we lose Ryan Baird to the sin bin which was a team yellow card. There’s room for improvement.
“The pleasing thing is we get a lot of players in having their first game of the season, It’s another important five points and we move on to the next challenge.”
In addition to playing and looking the part, Frawley landed his three conversions, including one from the touchline, and struck the ball cleanly all evening.
“There was lots of really good play in that first 30 minutes when Ciarán was playing 10,” said Cullen. “Really encouraging for him until Jimmy goes off and we have a rejig because of the 6-2 split. Ciarán is amazing in the versatility he gives the team, and also Jamie at fullback and Hugo on the wing.
“So there was a bit of a reshuffle there and maybe that leads to some of the cohesion. That wasn’t our intention if you go back to the start of the week. We actually lost Jordan [Larmour]. He was due to be on the bench but pulled out later in the week.”
Conan again underlined his value to Leinster here and at 32 is playing as well as ever.
“Him not going on tour and becoming a father, he’s now a very mature member of the squad,” said Cullen good-naturedly. “He’s been outstanding, all through pre-season. He’s a new man in the group and it’s great to see. Hopefully he kicks on and you see him involved, not just with Leinster in the big games but with Ireland as well.”
“He’s an incredible athlete Jack. He’s an amazing point of difference on both sides of the ball, and in how he’s able to carry in tight channels and wide channels. He’s an exceptional talent.”
The ardour of the home fans and their chants of ‘Le-o-ni, Le-o-ni’ had been quickly quelled in a ground where they had only lost once last season and their coach Marco Bortolami took a similar view to Cullen.
“I think Leinster were very ruthless in the first half and we couldn’t handle the pressure they put us under, and that’s the reality. I think there’s a gap to be filled in terms of accuracy under pressure and we’ve got to be honest with ourselves. They were better than us. They’re one of the best teams in the world.
“We couldn’t find the answers in the first half. The second half was better. We found a way to deliver the ball off set-piece more effectively and created a little bit of pressure. So, a bit better but the reality is that they are ahead of us in development and we’ve got to fill the gap.”
SCORING SEQUENCE – 10 mins: Penalty try, 0-7; 12: Frawley try, con, 0-14; 17: Conan try, Frawley con, 0-21; 26: Doris try, Frawley con, 0-28; (half-time 0-28); 66: Manfredi try, 5-28; 79: Barron try, Byrne con, 5-35.
BENETTON: Matt Gallagher; Ignacio Mendy, Tommaso Menoncello, Malakai Fekitoa, Paolo Odogwu; Jacob Umaga, Alessandro Garbisi; Mirco Spagnolo, Siua Maile, Simone Ferrari; Niccolò Cannone, Riccardo Favretto; Sebastian Negri, Manuel Zuliani, Michele Lamaro (Capt)
Replacements: Aminu Destiny for Negri (14-20 mins) and for Spagnolo (59); Federico Ruzza for Favretto, Lorenzo Cannone for Negri (both 47), Andy Uren for Garbisi (50); Marco Manfredi for Maile, Giulio Marini for Zuliani, Leonardo Marin for Umaga (all 57); Enzo Avaca for Ferrari (59).
Yellow card: Spagnolo (10 mins).
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Rónan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Joe McCarthy, RG Snyman; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (Capt)
Replacements: Lee Barron for Kelleher (13 mins); Ross Byrne for O’Brien (37); Ryan Baird for Snyman (52); Michael Milne for Porter, Thomas Clarkson for Furlong, Brian Deeny for McCarthy (all 57); Fintan Gunne for Gibson-Park (68); Scott Penny for Ringrose (75).
Yellow card: Baird (65 mins).
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales).