Leo Cullen’s side were sloppy at times but deserved their bonus-point win
Leinster's Jordan Larmour goes over for a try during the BKT United Rugby Championship match against the Sharks at the RDS. Photograph: Bryan Keane/InphoLeinster haven’t lost two games on the spin to start a domestic league campaign since 2003. After last weekend’s opening URC defeat to Glasgow, this year’s cohort ensured they didn’t join their brethren from 20 years ago with a comfortable, if at times sloppy, win over the visiting Sharks at the RDS.
In round one, Leinster squandered opportunities aplenty inside the 22 when refusing to move on from the pick-and-go tactic. Glasgow held them up accordingly. Today’s first entry into the Sharks’ 22 showed that they wouldn’t be so fruitlessly belligerent.New Zealand vs South Africa: Rugby World Cup liveThe game’s first try could have come on a first phase strike as Max Deegan carried and popped a pass back inside for Lee Barron to hit the gap.
Moments later on another 22 entry, Foley sold the defence by feigning to play one direction before box kicking in the other. Again, the Sharks backfield survived, somehow offloading the ball in-goal before breaking from deep before launching a counterattack. The half petered out amid profligacy from both sides. Ross Molony spilled in contact, Deegan the same when carrying off the back of a scrum – set up by some individual magic from Tommy O’Brien via a chip and chase – while both sides made errors in the air.
After that period of the Sharks coming close to firing an attacking shot, the game turned on a moment of Jamie Osborne brilliance. Firstly he read Bosch’s chip well, tracking back to claim when there was space in behind. A cultured use of his left boot followed, the Naas man kicking almost immediately in behind as the ball bounced favourably into touch for a 50:22.
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